Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy Hansel and Gretel: An Opera Fantasy Hansel and Gretel is a 1954 stop motion animated theatrical feature film released by RKO. The film is based on Engelbert Humperdinck's opera "Hänsel und Gretel", and incorporates music and songs from the opera. It was the first American feature-length animated film not made by Disney since 1941's "Mr. Bug Goes to Town" and the first American feature-length animated film not made with traditional animation. It was released on October 10, 1954 in New York City without a distributor. Producer Michael Myerberg released the film himself. Based on the positive reviews and box office
Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts In the first broadcast season only "Hänsel und Gretel" and "Das Rheingold" (February 26, 1932) were presented in their entirety; most operas were only heard partially. From the start of the 1933-34 season, complete opera broadcasts became the norm. Since 1931 most broadcasts have been of Saturday matinee performances, with only a handful of exceptions such as the opening night of the new Met, which featured a broadcast of Samuel Barber's "Antony and Cleopatra" on Friday September 16, 1966. The live radio broadcasts were originally heard on NBC, and became a staple of its Blue Network. Starting in 1944 the