1929 to 1939 were busy years for Walt Disney Productions as they created and released 75 musical shorts named “Silly Symphony.”
Each short was under 11 minutes and set to whimsical music. Innovated for it’s time, the films would become known for use of the multiplane camera and their incorporation of technicolor.
Click here to read more about the multiplane camera.
Firsts
The very first Silly Symphony, titled “The Skeleton Dance” was released on August 22, 1929.
Three years and 28 shorts after the release of “The Skeleton Dance”, the first technicolor film was released- “Flowers and Trees”.
Flowers and Trees was entered into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2021 for its achievements using the full color three-strip Technicolor process. The film has been described as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
All the shorts were designed as stand alone stories without the notable Disney characters; i.e. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy… with one exception. Donald Duck made his very first appearance in 1934’s The Wise Little Hen.
Academy Awards
Most associate Snow White as Walt Disney’s first Oscar winning award, but the film did not win any categories. The famous picture of Walt with an Oscar and seven miniature statuettes were for recognition of a special achievement.
Disney’s first SIX Academy Awards actually came from The Silly Symphony Series.
Disney Studio’s first hit song, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” came from Silly Symphony number 36, “Three Little Pigs”.
The Silly Symphonies final film, “The Ugly Duckling” would win the 7th and final Oscar for the film series in 1939.
A List of All the Silly Symphonies
1 The Skeleton Dance– Aug 22, 1929
3 Springtime– Oct 24, 1929
5 The Merry Dwarfs– Dec 19, 1929
7 Autumn– Feb 15, 1930
9 Night– July 31, 1930 *release date was postponed due to the sudden departure of Ub Iwerks
11 Arctic Antics– June 27, 1930
13 Monkey Melodies– Sept 26, 1930
15 Playful Pan– Dec 27, 1930
17 Mother Goose Melodies– Apr 16, 1931
19 The Busy Beavers– June 30, 1931
21 Egyptian Melodies– Aug 27, 1931
23 The Spider and the Fly– Oct 23, 1931
25 The Ugly Duckling– Dec 17, 1931
27 The Bears and the Bees– Feb 15, 1931
29 Flowers and Trees– July 23, 1932
31 King Neptune– Oct 15, 1932
33 Santa’s Workshop– Dec 10, 1932
35 Father Noah’s Ark– Apr 8, 1933
37 Old King Cole– July 29, 1933
39 The Pied Piper– Sept 16, 1933
41 The China Shop– Jan 13, 1934
43 Funny Little Bunnies– Mar 24, 1934
45 The Wise Little Hen– May 3, 1934
47 Peculiar Penguins– Sept 1, 1934
49 The Tortoise & the Hare– Jan 5, 1935
51 The Robber Kitten– Apr 20, 1935
53 The Cookie Carnival– May 25, 1935
55 Music Land– Oct 5, 1935
57 Cock o’ the Walk– Nov 30, 1935
59 Elmer Elephant– Mar 28, 1936
61 Toby Tortoise Returns– Aug 22, 1936
63 The Country Cousin– Oct 31, 1936
65 More Kittens– Dec 19, 1936
67 Little Hiawatha– May 15, 1937
69 Wynken, Blynken, and Nod– May 27, 1938
71 Merbabies– Dec 9, 1938
73 Mother Goose Goes Hollywood– Dec 23, 1938
75 The Ugly Duckling– Apr 7, 1939
2 El Terrible Toreador– Sept 26, 1929
4 Hell’s Bells– Nov 21, 1929
6 Summer– Jan 16, 1930
8 Cannibal Capers– Mar 20, 1930
10 Frolicking Fish– June 21, 1930 *the next two films were released back-to-back due to production delays
12 Midnight in a Toy Shop– Aug 16, 1930
14 Winter– Oct 30, 1930
16 Birds of a Feather– Feb 3, 1931
18 The China Plate– May 23, 1931
20 The Cat’s Out– July 28, 1931
22 The Clock Store– Sept 28, 1931
24 The Fox Hunt– Nov 20, 1931
26 The Bird Store– Jan 16, 1932
28 Just Dogs– May 16, 1932
30 Bugs in Love– Oct 1, 1932
32 Babes in the Woods– Nov 19, 1932
34 Birds in the Spring– Mar 13, 1933
36 Three Little Pigs– May 25, 1933
38 Lullaby Land– Aug 19, 1933
40 The Night Before Christmas– Dec 9, 1933
42 The Grasshopper & the Ants– Feb 10, 1934
44 The Big Bad Wolf– Apr 14, 1934
46 The Flying Mouse– July 14, 1934
48 The Goddess of Spring– Nov 3, 1934
50 The Golden Touch– Mar 22, 1935
52 Water Babies– May 11, 1935
54 Who Killed Cock Robin?– June 29, 1935
56 Three Orphan Kittens– Oct 26, 1935
58 Broken Toys– Dec 14, 1935
60 Three Little Wolves– Apr 18, 1936
62 Three Blind Mouseketeers– Sept 26, 1936
64 Mother Pluto– Nov 14, 1936
66 Woodland Café– Mar 13, 1937
68 The Old Mill– Nov 5, 1937
70 Moth and the Flame– Apr 1, 1938
72 Farmyard Symphony– Oct 14, 1938
74 The Practical Pig– Feb 24, 1939
It is neat to see the progression in pictures from black & white to color. The original few had a very similar format with their characters and their movements, which is probably how they released so many in a short span of time. Many of the shorts can be viewed on Disney+, but you need to search by title of the film, and not “Silly Symphony.”
Are you a fan of the Silly Symphony Series? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comment section below!
