Once Upon a Time

A truly happy film produced in the middle of World War Two. The fantasy of the caterpillar which turns into a butterfly is well-worn, yet always popular. To a large degree, the war is ignored, yet due to the pervasive nature of long-term world conflict, some allusions to the conflict are noted. Especially pointed is the crew of the B-17 bomber who name their plane "Curly" after the caterpillar. They highlight the event with: "I've been in London, Chun King, and Malta and saw kids dodge bombs to try to save some mangey dog." Why not save a dancing caterpillar? The remarkable thing about this film is how many times one sees the caterpillar. Curly the caterpillar is a welcomed respite from the drudgery of prolonged war. Even with one hundred and fifteen credited actors, in this movie fantasy is the real star.