"A Silly Symphony"

Synopsis

The water sprites living in a rustic pond awake with the dawn for a rollicking picnic. The festivities climax as "matadors" test their courage against an angry bull-frog.

Credits

Director : Wilfred Jackson

Animation

Art Babbitt

Frenchy de Tremaudan

Cut Scenes

A scene where one of the babies rises to the top of the water rear-end first and is promptly slapped on the butt by another baby has been cut. Also cut was a scene where baby cowboys turn and bow away from the audience rear-end first .

Videos

Cartoon Classics : Second Series : Volume 4 : Silly Symphonies

Laserdiscs

United States

Silly Symphonies / Animals Two by Two

DVD

Disney Treasures : Silly Symphonies

Region 1 : United States

Region 2 : France

Region 2 : Germany

Region 2 : Italy

Region 2 : Sweden

Region 2 : United Kingdom

Television

The Ink and Paint Club : #13 : Silly Symphonies Get Wet

Mickey's Mouse Tracks : Episode 22

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

Released by United Artists Pictures

Gallery

Sketch from "Water Babies"
Courtesy of Gremlin Animation Art Gallery

The "Matador"
Still courtesy of Gallery C

Animation sketch courtesy of Acme Animation Gallery

Click here to submit a comment of your own.

Very loosely based on a story by Charles Kinglsey.

Resulted in a 1938 sequel, "Merbabies."

This adorable short animation has captured the hearts of our young children. As adults we found it certainly very charming, but were surprised at the degree to which the film appeals to our toddlers. They ask to see the film over and over again, they want to see it before going to bed at night and when they wake up in the morning. Our two year old has to hold back tears when it is time for the Water Babies to go to sleep at night, until we assure her that they will be waking up again the next morning. By the way, we somehow got hold of the uncut version (I don't recall where). The animation is beautiful, the music is sing-able, we truly enjoy this precious film.

Silly, imaginative, enjoyable cartoon. The animation of the scene in which the water babies ride swans is beautifully done!

I find Water Babies (and its saltwater cousin, Merbabies) to be among the most adorable and touching of cartoon shorts. The idyllic world of the little water babies, from the daytime antics to their evening return to their lilies actually gives me a lump in my throat. Maybe I'm weird, but that's how it affect me!! Anyway, it's a very cute little flick.

I first saw this short when I received a video containing it(and two other Disney videos)for my seventh birthday. I liked it. I remember that my sister and I used to laugh at the scene where the two babies dunk one baby under water each time he comes up head first. He then came up butt first and the two babies gave him a good hard slap.

My all time favorite movie, children wise. Watched it 17 years ago and have always thought of it. Most people have never heard of it, but those who have cherish it. CLASSIC!

My son (now 20) loved this wonderful short, and wanted to watch it over and over when he was a toddler of around two. I have to admit, I think I enjoyed it as much as he did, or even more. The ending almost always made him want to cry, and often times he did. But we always reassured him the babies were simply going to sleep to rest up for another day of fun tomorrow.

It is my wish that more parents would get in touch with this wonderful fantasy word with their child and embrace it for all its worth. They grow sooooo fast and its so fleeting this magical time. Watching Water Babies with my son back then is a cherished memory I will never forget.

This is my favorite Silly Symphony. I loved it from start to finish.

I first became aware of the movie "Water Babies" back in 1987 when my oldest daughter wanted to watch it over and over at my mother's house at the age of 1. She (and I) absolutely LOVED the movie! At the end when the babies would start going home she would very passionately say, "No go home! No go home!" Then we'd rewind and watch it over and over. A couple years ago my mother asked me to find a copy of it for my niece. I was thrilled when I found copies for sale on the internet. I'll be surprising my daughter with my findings for her 22nd birthday this weekend. Thank you for having this site.

"Water Babies" is sugarly cute, contains a lot of repetitive animation and is one of those Silly Symphonies obsessed with babies and their bare behinds (other examples are "Lullabye Land" (1933) and "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" (1938)). There is not much of a story either: the sexless water babies wake up, make fun and go to bed again (apparently a day only lasts seven minutes in their world). And yet, this is undoubtly one of Disney's most impressive efforts of the era. It feels like a showcase cartoon of the Disney studio excelling in lush pictures and beautiful theme music. Especially the opening scene (dawn) and the last shot (night) are stunningly beautiful. The Disney staff had reached yet another peak, and more was still to come.

I first saw this short on one of the very few Walt Disney Cartoon Classics video compilations I still have/own: Vol. 4: Silly Symphonies. And I used to play/watch this all the time when I was little and younger back in the '90s, around my preschool and elementary school years. It's a great and cute short, very enjoyable. Although I used to find that bullfrog kind of frightening, but I realize that for apparent reasons that clearly was the intention in fighting that matador baby in the gag, in looking so fierce. Fortunately, despite that fact ,it didn't give me nightmares. The animation is high-quality, just the whole thing is great. Recommended, as this really may be among the best, if not better, Silly Symphonies shorts. I give it an A+, just wonderful.