August 24, 1942 – Saludos Amigos Has Premiere in Rio de Janeiro
“Saludos amigos, a fond greeting to you!”
On August 24, 1942, the sixth animated feature film, and the first package film by the Walt Disney Studios, Saludos Amigos, premiered in Rio de Janeiro. The film was an output of a goodwill ambassador tour Walt and his animators took of various Latin American countries. The countries featured in Saludos Amigos are Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil, and includes a new main character in José Carioca, a Brazilian parrot. The premiere featured a Portuguese version of the film, with the name of the film changed to Alo Amigos. The film was very popular in Latin America, and opened in the United States six months later.