The Mouse & The Mustache at Riverside Theatre

In 1946, Walt Disney and Salvador Dali -two icons from distinctly different worlds-met in Hollywood and began an extraordinary creative collaboration on the animated short film Destino. Both men were intrigued by the challenge of merging Disney's imaginative animation with Dali's surrealist art, focusing their project on a poetic love story between Chronos, the personification of time, and a mortal woman, set in a dreamlike landscape inspired by Dali's paintings.

Working side by side, Disney and Dali produced hundreds of sketches and storyboards, weaving together surreal imagery such as melting clocks, geometric rhinos, and shifting scenery. While Dalf reveled in the freedom to express his enigmatic vision, Disney worked to balance artistic exploration with narrative clarity and commercial viability. Their partnership was marked by spirited debates about the boundaries between art and commerce, blending their contrasting perspectives into a singular artistic experiment.

Though financial challenges and creative differences halted production, the unfinished film became a legend in animation history. Fifty-seven years later, Roy Disney revived and completed Destino using the original material, ensuring both artists' styles remained clear and vibrant throughout the film. The collaboration stands as a unique fusion of mass culture and high art, highlighting the enduring friendship between Disney, the creator of animated dreams, and Dali, the master of surreal fantasy.