“They’re Three Caballeros, three gay caballeros, they say they are birds of a feather!”

It’s been 75 years since this classic trio made their debut in the film of the same name, and they’ve been serenading Disney fans ever since! But do you know the origins behind this classic Disney anthology?

Wartime Origins

The year was 1941, and the world was in the midst of World War II. At the time, the US was looking to improve relations with several Latin American countries, which is where Disney came in! The US commissioned Walt Disney to take a goodwill tour of South America with his team, which is where he began developing an anthology film to be shown across the region. The result was Saludos Amigos, and with it came the introduction of Jose Carioca, the brazillian parrot, and one of Donald Duck’s closest friends!

Three years later, The Three Caballeros would be released as a sequel, introducing Panchito, the rooster, as the representative of Mexico! Both films were relatively popular in the countries represented, with Caballeros in particular making nearly half of its initial box-office profits in Mexico alone! Unfortunately, the project did not perform as well as Disney hoped. This, combined with a rapidly changing political landscape, led Disney to cancel the proposed third film in the series: Cuban Carnival. This entry would have predictably focused on Cuba, with a small rooster named Miguelito serving as the Fourth Caballero.

Legacy

The Three Caballeros would make sporadic appearances in the years since, with each remaining popular in their nation of origin. Donald maintained his international fame as one of the Fab Five, Jose and Panchito would maintain a strong following in their various comic series. Jose (or “Ze”, as he’s affectionately known), is the star of his own long running series in Brazil that rivals Donald Duck in popularity!

In 2007, the Three Caballeros took over El Rio del Tiempo at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion, transforming it into the Gran Fiesta Tour. Then, in 2018, after years of cameos, the Three Caballeros received their own television series: The Legend of the Three Caballeros aired on the DisneyLife App in the Philippines and on the Disney Channel in Southeast Asia before finally coming to Disney+. That same year, the Three Caballeros would make a comeback on Ducktales, in the episode “The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!”

What’s next for our fine feathered friends? Who knows, but it’s clear their international adventures are far from over! Feliz cumpleaños, amigos!

Whose your favorite of the Three Caballeros? Let us know in the comments below!

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