"A Silly Symphony"

Release Date November 3, 1934

Running Time 9:43

Synopsis

An operatic (and melodramatic) take on the myth of Persephone and her abduction to the underworld.

Characters

Persephone

Pluto (Satan)

Credits

Director : Wilfred Jackson

Animation

Hamilton Luske

Art Babbitt

Les Clark

Ward Kimball (in-betweener)

Layout : Ken Anderson

Videos

United States

Cartoon Classics : First Series : Volume 13 : Silly Symphonies - Fanciful Fables

France

Silly Symphonies Volume 1

Germany

Verrückte Musikanten

Italy

Silly Symphonies Volume 2

Laserdiscs

United States

Cartoon Classics : First Series : Volume 13 : Silly Symphonies - Fanciful Fables

Japan

More Silly Symphonies

DVD

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

It's a Small World of Fun : Volume 4

Technical Specifications

Color Type : Technicolor

Animation type : Standard

Sound mix : Mono

Aspect ration : 1.37 : 1

Negative format : 35mm

Print format : 35mm

Cinematographic process : Spherical

Original language : English

Production Number : 3415

Released by United Artists Pictures

Comments

A Silly Symphony.

Watch for the spectacular use of shadows, especially in the "underworld" scenes.

Although Disney's animators were proficient in working with animals, they had very little experience animating human beings. This short was one of their first with humans, invaluble experience for the upcoming Snow White feature that Disney was planning.

From Jerry Edwards : The god Pluto, depicted here as Satan, captures Persephone, the goddess of Spring, as his bride and takes her to his underworld - causing the world to change from eternal Spring to a frozen Winter wasteland. Pluto later agrees to allow Persephone to return to the surface for six months each year, resulting in Spring and Winter sharing the year. The animation of the demons dancing around a pillar of fire is especially well done. This short was practice for Snow White on animating realistic human figures but it shows there was a lot of practice needed - especially in Persephone's rubbery arm movements while dancing. The main thing I dislike is that the "talking" is actually sung, opera style - which quickly got tiresome for me. Still one of my favorite Silly Symphonies. I had a black and white Mickey Mouse Club copy for years before I found an original color version on laserdisc.

From Stephanie Stewart : I just wanted to let you know that for the record, my Grandmother, Diana Gaylen, was the one who did the singing for this particular Disney short. I noticed the you did not have the singers credit listed, so I thought that I would let you know. It seems that they didn't give those kind of credit back then. Diana Gaylen was widely known in the 30's and 40's, for both her stage performances and her behind the scenes work in many movies singing for the stars. Anthony Adverse is one you might have heard of, she did the singing for Olivia DeHavilland.

From Petter Solberg : This is surely among the best Silly Symphonies I've seen. I really like this one. Especially when Hades and the Godess of Spring sing together, in addition to the very cool bit where the imps dances around a fire. The shadowreffects here make this sequence very interesting.

From Matt : So what if Persephone's arms are rubber, and the whole thing is overly dramatic? I think it has to be my favorite Disney Silly Symphony, right next to The Cookie Carnival and The Skeleton Dance. Why wasn't it included in the DVD set of the Symphonies? This is so good, it should have been the 2nd feature length animated Disney film. A little clean-up on the animation could have made for a great 90 minute movie, don't you think?

From Jeremy Fassler : I'm not calling it one of my favorites, but I guess it's OK. I think the animation on Persephone resembles Snow White a little. A film historian once said that if you look at this cartoon and then at Snow White it looks like twenty years of progress when it was only three. I love the Persephone myth, but I think that it isn't brought to great justice here.

By the way, this short has the absolute worst rhymes of all time that sound like they were written by the horse that threw the horse that threw Cole Porter. I mean, what is with "No no no! I will not go!" Or "That is the reason why there's a winter season." As Donald would say, "Aw, Nuts!"

Despite the bad lyrics, I will give this cartoon a six for the animation and history.

From Philip S. Nagy : The Goddess of Spring must be one of the best shorties from the Silly Symphony series I've seen in my life. It starts with animals and small people dancing and singing. The beautiful princess Persephone - The Goddess of Spring (hence the film's title) is their one and only heroine. That same day Satan rises from the underground down below and lightning and thunder appears on the sky. This is my favourite part.

He and his devilish imps take The Goddess to Hell, literally, and she is captured until the Devil lets her return to the World, where Winter is cold and dark. When she comes back, everything melts. Spring has surely come and they live happily ever after! Highlights include when one of the imps play an organ and the others dance around a fire.

Walt Disney and his animators made a truly classic and strangely beautiful little short. It is fascinating, scary and funny at the same time, with great singing by uncredited people. The effects are really stunning and ahead of their time. It was a precursor to the first length feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so you could say they just warmed up for it. But let's not forget The Goddess of Spring, a rarely seen milestone in animation history. It is however worth all accolades it can be given. I love it.

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