Log-in to add movie to favourites

Movie added to favourites

Movie removed from favourites

The Living Desert

Although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between creatures of every shape, size and des...

Director

James Algar

Year

Genre

family, documentary

Box Office

N/A

Production

Walt Disney Productions

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 2 nominations total

Narrator

View All Cast

No reviews yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie

Explore 103 Clips

Part of the desert's
endless panorama - The Living Desert

Part of the desert's endless panorama

This, then, is
the great American desert, - The Living Desert

This, then, is the great American desert,

How anything can live
in this harsh region - The Living Desert

How anything can live in this harsh region

And this "true-life adventure" - The Living Desert

And this "true-life adventure"

It's the ancient drama
of the struggle for existence. - The Living Desert

It's the ancient drama of the struggle for existence.

But of course there's
always comedy relief. - The Living Desert

But of course there's always comedy relief.

A confirmed practical joker,
he finds this great sport, - The Living Desert

A confirmed practical joker, he finds this great sport,

At the residence
of Mrs. Tarantula, - The Living Desert

At the residence of Mrs. Tarantula,

This lethal lady is one of the
leading actors in our drama. - The Living Desert

This lethal lady is one of the leading actors in our drama.

To meet the harsh challenge
of the desert, - The Living Desert

To meet the harsh challenge of the desert,

Here too the red-tailed hawk
chooses her nesting place. - The Living Desert

Here too the red-tailed hawk chooses her nesting place.

He's a traveling canteen, - The Living Desert

He's a traveling canteen,

A tortoise must gather his
Greens while they're available. - The Living Desert

A tortoise must gather his Greens while they're availab...

The handy skid now
becomes the jouster's Lance - The Living Desert

The handy skid now becomes the jouster's Lance

Finally, it's tortoise
turned turtle. - The Living Desert

Finally, it's tortoise turned turtle.

For dessert,
what could be nicer - The Living Desert

For dessert, what could be nicer

The coatis are by choice
tree-dwellers - The Living Desert

The coatis are by choice tree-dwellers

Playful, fun-loving, - The Living Desert

Playful, fun-loving,

About this time, mother
looks in to check the swag - The Living Desert

About this time, mother looks in to check the swag

And then after the omelet,
a quiet nap. - The Living Desert

And then after the omelet, a quiet nap.

These wild pigs
are called by several names -- - The Living Desert

These wild pigs are called by several names --

Unlike their domestic cousins, - The Living Desert

Unlike their domestic cousins,

But now another vicious fighter
with an equally bad reputation - The Living Desert

But now another vicious fighter with an equally bad reputati...

It's a good rule
on the desert to keep clear - The Living Desert

It's a good rule on the desert to keep clear

The cat's instinctive reaction
is to climb a tree, - The Living Desert

The cat's instinctive reaction is to climb a tree,

When it comes to a choice - The Living Desert

When it comes to a choice

Not the most comfortable spot
in the world, - The Living Desert

Not the most comfortable spot in the world,

And the bobcat finally decides
the desert's no place - The Living Desert

And the bobcat finally decides the desert's no place

In her desert drama, - The Living Desert

In her desert drama,

The pocket mouse
has only one defense --
he goes underground, - The Living Desert

The pocket mouse has only one defense -- he goes underground...

Every afternoon
along about sundown, - The Living Desert

Every afternoon along about sundown,

Bats are
the only flying mammals. - The Living Desert

Bats are the only flying mammals.

Now as evening approaches, - The Living Desert

Now as evening approaches,

To navigate in the dark,
bats use a form of radar. - The Living Desert

To navigate in the dark, bats use a form of radar.

Soon the sky is filled
with clouds of bats. - The Living Desert

Soon the sky is filled with clouds of bats.

Scored a hit. - The Living Desert

Here the centipede
puts his best foot forward - The Living Desert

Here the centipede puts his best foot forward

Suddenly he finds he's wandered
down a dead-end street. - The Living Desert

Suddenly he finds he's wandered down a dead-end street.

In the realm of fancy footwork,
however, - The Living Desert

In the realm of fancy footwork, however,

Uh-oh. - The Living Desert

This pungent defense,
however, has its limitations. - The Living Desert

This pungent defense, however, has its limitations.

Whenever the moon casts a spell
over the living desert, - The Living Desert

Whenever the moon casts a spell over the living desert,

The owl is witness
to many unusual scenes, - The Living Desert

The owl is witness to many unusual scenes,

In her own good time,
Juliet appears. - The Living Desert

In her own good time, Juliet appears.

* stingers up
for the sting-o-ree * - The Living Desert

* stingers up for the sting-o-ree *

A double headlock,
and then a deadlock. - The Living Desert

A double headlock, and then a deadlock.

After what he's been through, - The Living Desert

After what he's been through,

And when they
finally part company, - The Living Desert

And when they finally part company,

Just how long can
this charmed existence last? - The Living Desert

Just how long can this charmed existence last?

Big toad bites little beetle. - The Living Desert

Big toad bites little beetle.

During these moonlight hours, - The Living Desert

During these moonlight hours,

When pouches
are filled to capacity, - The Living Desert

When pouches are filled to capacity,

It never fails. - The Living Desert

It never fails.

The nuisance
is hard to discourage, - The Living Desert

The nuisance is hard to discourage,

These little fellows have
some rather unusual habits. - The Living Desert

These little fellows have some rather unusual habits.

In this bustling colony,
there's never an idle moment, - The Living Desert

In this bustling colony, there's never an idle moment,

The kingsnake isn't poisonous, - The Living Desert

The kingsnake isn't poisonous,

In this crisis,
mother rat has a plan, - The Living Desert

In this crisis, mother rat has a plan,

For emergencies,
every family of kangaroo rats - The Living Desert

For emergencies, every family of kangaroo rats

On her second trip,
she barely manages to
slip in the back door, - The Living Desert

On her second trip, she barely manages to slip in the back d...

But the nursery's empty.
Where's the missing baby? - The Living Desert

But the nursery's empty. Where's the missing baby?

There's a reason for this
strange method of travel. - The Living Desert

There's a reason for this strange method of travel.

Small but extremely poisonous, - The Living Desert

Small but extremely poisonous,

The snake's ambush has failed. - The Living Desert

The snake's ambush has failed.

Naturally, after such
a tremendous triumph, - The Living Desert

Naturally, after such a tremendous triumph,

Then in typical human fashion, - The Living Desert

Then in typical human fashion,

The squabbling rats
are about to learn - The Living Desert

The squabbling rats are about to learn

They're also fond of leaves
and seedpods. - The Living Desert

They're also fond of leaves and seedpods.

And whenever he's around,
somebody smells trouble. - The Living Desert

And whenever he's around, somebody smells trouble.

When Willy gets his back up,
it means, "stand aside, buster, - The Living Desert

When Willy gets his back up, it means, "stand aside, bu...

There's not much a squirrel
can do about this. - The Living Desert

There's not much a squirrel can do about this.

What's this?
Another intruder? - The Living Desert

What's this? Another intruder?

Still, skinny's
not easily squelched. - The Living Desert

Still, skinny's not easily squelched.

This guy's getting
a little tiresome. - The Living Desert

This guy's getting a little tiresome.

But skinny doesn't mind. - The Living Desert

But skinny doesn't mind.

In their panic, some
literally grasp at straws. - The Living Desert

In their panic, some literally grasp at straws.

Something must be done
about this ugly customer, - The Living Desert

Something must be done about this ugly customer,

Still, skinny has
two things in his favor -- - The Living Desert

Still, skinny has two things in his favor --

His method of dealing
with gila monsters - The Living Desert

His method of dealing with gila monsters

"Hey, skinny,
get out of there." - The Living Desert

"Hey, skinny, get out of there."

And who's the hero of the hour? - The Living Desert

And who's the hero of the hour?

"Hey, who's rocking the rock?" - The Living Desert

"Hey, who's rocking the rock?"

"Morning, brother tortoise. - The Living Desert

"Morning, brother tortoise.

And she finds it, - The Living Desert

And she finds it,

The stricken wasp
grovels in the sand, - The Living Desert

The stricken wasp grovels in the sand,

Then the turning point - The Living Desert

Then the turning point

She scores again and again, - The Living Desert

She scores again and again,

Finally,
one last paralyzing thrust, - The Living Desert

Finally, one last paralyzing thrust,

With fanatical energy,
she digs a hole, - The Living Desert

With fanatical energy, she digs a hole,

Now and then, she pauses
to check for measurements... - The Living Desert

Now and then, she pauses to check for measurements...

The Living Desert poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between creatures of every shape, size and des...

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: James Algar

Writer: James Algar, Winston Hibler, Ted Sears

Production: Walt Disney Productions

Genre: family, documentary

Year: 1953

MetaScore: 69/100

ImdbRating: 7.4

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 10 Nov 1953

Awards: Won 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 2 nominations total

Homepage: