Walt's uneven stretch between 1945-1950 probably has some underrated moments, but I'm going to credit One Hundred and One Dalmatians -- a revered work in the canon -- for its under-discussed perks, namely how fucking fabulous everything is.
1) Roger and Anita have a kickass marriage, and a photogenically quaint one that would inspire everyone from Diana Vreeland to Truman Capote. London is a picturesque Fisher Price village with glamorous pooches and owners sauntering about, and Roger and Anita are downright cosmopolitan canted above it all.
2) Roger is the most ideal man in Disney history. His improvisatory songwriting? His multi-instrumentalist flair? That's some Brill Building brio. Disney so often offers male characters who aspire to be kings or great champions; Roger just wants to be Gerry Goffin.
3) Rod Taylor ranks among the most underrated '60s heartthrobs, and his voice work as the valiant, but humble Pongo is perfect.
4) One Hundred and One Dalmatians has one of the most trenchant pop culture references in all of Disney history: When the evil dognappers Jasper and Horace watch television at their cramped abode, they're tuned into What's My Crime?, a parody of What's My Line? featuring criminals as mystery guests. The panelists' overly polite questions ("Did you do someone in?") and the hilarious grand prize ("Two weeks stay at a fashionable seaside resort, all expenses paid -- that is, of course, after you've paid your debt to society") are subtle classics. Click to 3:20 to see.
5) Cruella de Vil? Is Tallulah Bankhead as sprung from the skull of Athena. Miranda Priestley would buckle under her fearsomeness. She cackles, you die. Cigarette holders are cool. The end.
What's your favorite underrated Disney moment/film? Do you really want to bring down the room with a Fox and the Hound love letter?