"A Silly Symphony"

Synopsis

The first of "4 Seasons" Silly Symphonies; Flowers, ladybugs, centipedes, birds, and frogs dance (and devour each other!) in time to the usual blend of themes from the light classics.

Credits

Director : Walt Disney

Music : Carl Stalling

Television

The Ink and Paint Club : #29 : Goin' Outside with the Silly Symphonies

DVD

United States

Disney Treasures : More Silly Symphonies

Technical Specifications

Color Type : Black and White

Animation type : Standard

Sound mix : Mono ; Cinephone

Aspect ration : 1.37 : 1

Negative format : 35mm

Print format : 35mm

Cinematographic process : Spherical

Original language : English

Released by Columbia Pictures, Inc.

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The first of four seasonal Silly Symphony cartoons showing the lives of the woodland creatures through the changing seasons. Many of the animals dance to the Dance of the Hours. Soon after each group finishes their "routine," they are eaten by other animals. A scene of flowers dancing was shown on black and white TV during a scene in the 1961 animated Disney film 101 Dalmatians. This short is mainly of interest to me as the first of the four seasonal shorts. The "dance, then get eaten" bit got old for me quickly.

I enjoy the music and the animation of this well-drawn Silly Symphony. I first saw a segment of this cartoon used in the movie "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" on the black and white TV that Horace and Jasper were watching. At first I thought it was "Flowers and Trees" shown on a black and white TV, but I have read that this cartoon is the one that Horace and Jasper were watching. In my opinion, this is one of Ub Iwerks' best cartoons he had drawn.

This was a good Silly Symphony with some okay gags but Ub Iwerks' animation of the bird dancing after eating the caterpillar is awesome. This cartoon also features a prototype for Flip the Frog, a character Ub would create for Pat Powers at MGM. A fine short, I give this one a 7 out of 10.

Referenced Comments

Playful Pan (1930)