Favorite Disney Character Challenge - #07: Panchito Pistoles from The Three Caballeros (1944)

Right on the heels of Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros introduced several new characters to Disney’s stable, like the Flying Gauchito, Pablo the Cold-Blooded Penguin and of course, Panchito, the hot-blooded Mexican rooster! For Donald Duck’s birthday, Panchito bursts into the scene with pistols blazing, surprising him and Jose Carioca with best wishes from Mexico, a piñata full of surprises and a glorious tour of Mexico on his flying serape. 

Ward Kimball was the lead animator on Panchito, and he really made the character come alive, especially during one of his most famous sequences: the title song from this movie. Full of energy and wild fun, it’s a tour de force of animation, and most definitely the highlight of the film.