In 1929, American composer Carl Stalling convinced Walt Disney to launch a second cartoon series in addition to his Mickey Mouse films. Instead of featuring recurring characters, the series would focus on visual representations of music. The «Silly Symphonies» were born, producing a total of 75 animated shorts between 1929 and 1939. Lasting success came in 1932 with «Flowers and Trees» (directed by Burt Gillett), the first Disney cartoon to use the brand-new Technicolor No. 4 colour process. Disney secured the exclusive rights to the technology until 1935. The three-strip process was the first to allow for unlimited reproduction of all colours. The programme Disney's Animated Technicolor is dedicated to this once revolutionary colour technology, showing a selection of Disney's early masterpieces, which are considered milestones of film history.
In 1933, «Three Little Pigs» (Burt Gillett) launched Disney's string of Oscar wins in the Best Animated Short Film category. With one exception, all awards in this category went to a «Silly Symphonies» cartoon up to 1940. «The Goddess of Spring» (Wilfred Jackson) was a landmark with regard to the representation of human characters in animation, and a significant influence on the first feature-length animation, «Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs» from 1937. «The Golden Touch» (1935) was Walt Disney's last film as a director, before he turned exclusively to producing films. «The Old Mill» (Wilfred Jackson) was the first to use an enhanced multiplane camera, which made it possible to film and individually focus on several image planes, creating a three-dimensional effect. Donald Duck makes his first film appearance in «The Wise Little Hen» (Wilfred Jackson). The programme closes with «The Ugly Duckling», a colourful remake of the eponymous black-and-white short from 1931 based on Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairytale.
This is a rare opportunity to experience the original magic of Disney's short masterpieces in a cinema setting just like back in the day though the works, originally shot on highly flammable nitrate film, are now shown in restored and digitalized versions.
Curator and text: Andreas Bühlmann, Kurzfilmtage Winterthur Prints: Disney - Brett Schaffner All film stills: (c) 1932-1939 Disney
Age restriction for this programme: 6 y.o.
Categories: Ani = Animation, Doc = Documentary, Exp = Experimental, Fic = Fiction, Mus = Music
En idyllisk blomster-dans forstyrres når en elendig gammel trestubbe prøver å ta del i dansen. Han reagerer på avvisningen med å sette skogen i brann.
An idyllic dance of flowers is disrupted when a wretched old tree stump tries to cut in the dance. Rebuffed, he proceeds to set the woods on fire.
Editing: Boris V. Morkovin | Animation: Les Clark, David Hand, Tom Palmer
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1933 | Ani. | 9 min.
Director: Burt Gillett
THREE LITTLE PIGS
Når en sulten ulv begynner å blåse ned noen grisehus, søker de tilflukt i sin fornuftige brors murhus.
When a hungry wolf starts blowing down some pigs' houses, they take refuge in their sensible brother's brick house.
Editing: Boris V. Morkovin | Music: Frank Churchill Animation: Fred Moore, Jack King, Dick Lundy, Norm Ferguson, Art Babbitt
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1934 | Ani. | 10 min.
Director: Wilfred Jackson
THE GODDESS OF SPRING
Vårens nydelige gudinne, Persefone, blir kidnappet av Hades – hvilket fremtvinger vinteren.
The lovely goddess of spring, Persephone, is kidnapped by Hades, thus bringing about the winter season.
Music: Leigh Harline | Animation: Cy Young, Hamilton Luske, Les Clark, Dick Huemer, Ward Kimball, Art Babbitt, Wolfgang Reitherman
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1935 | Ani. | 9 min.
Director: Wilfred Jackson
THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
En animert versjon av den klassiske fabelen om et kappløp mellom raske Max Hare, også kalt Den blå streken, og trege men stødige Toby Skilpadde.
A cartoon version of the classic fable about a foot race between speedy Max Hare, aka The Blue Streak, and slow but sure Toby Tortoise.
Script: Larry Clemmons | Music: Darrell Calker, Frank Churchill
Animation: Kenneth Muse, Ray Abrams, Dick Lundy, Don Patterson, Louie Schmitt, Dick Huemer, Eric Larson, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Milt Schaffer
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1935 | Ani. | 10 min.
Director: Walt Disney
THE GOLDEN TOUCH
Den grådige kong Midas får oppfylt sitt ønske om at alt han berører blir til gull. Imidlertid innser han at dette kan være en forbannelse når han setter seg ned for å spise og maten også blir til gull.
Greedy King Midas is granted his wish that everything he touches turns to gold. However, he realizes that this may be a curse when he sits down to eat and the food turns to gold as well.
Script: Albert Hurter | Music: Frank Churchill | Animation: Norm Ferguson, Fred Moore
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1937 | Ani. | 9 min.
Director: Wilfred Jackson
THE OLD MILL
Fugler, mus og flaggermus har flyttet inn i en gammel vindmølle, etterfulgt av froskene, gresshoppene og ildfluene som musiserer i et tjern like ved. Men en storm rister i stykker møllen og representerer en alvorlig trussel.
Birds, mice, and bats have moved into an old windmill, followed by the frogs, crickets, and fireflies making their music in an adjacent pond. But a storm shakes loose parts in the mill, threatening everything.
Script: Dick Rickard | Music: Leigh Harline
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1934 | Ani. | 8 min.
Director: Wilfred Jackson
THE WISE LITTLE HEN
En gjenfortelling av den gamle historien med Donald Duck og Peter Pig som er uvillige til å hjelpe den kloke lille høna med avlingene hennes.
A retelling of the old story with Donald Duck and Peter Pig unwilling to help the Wise Little Hen with her crops.
Music: Leigh Harline | Animation: Archie Robin, Clyde Geronimi, Art Babbitt, Louie Schmitt, Ugo D'Orsi, Frenchy de Tremaudan, Wolfgang Reitherman, Dick Huemer
Production: Walt Disney Productions - Walt Disney
USA 1939 | Ani. | 9 min.
Director: Jack Cutting, Clyde Geronimi
THE UGLY DUCKLING
Den andre animasjonen i «Silly Symphonies»-serien basert på eventyret med samme navn av Hans Christian Andersen (den første var en svart-hvitt versjon fra 1931). Denne fargefilmen fra 1939 vant Oscar for beste animerte kortfilm, og ble den siste filmen i «Silly Symphonies»-serien.
The second cartoon in the «Silly Symphonies» series based on the eponymous fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen (the first was a black and white version from 1931). This 1939 colour film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and also happened to be the last entry in the
«Silly Symphonies» series.
Script: H.C. Andersen (based on) | Music: Albert Hay Malotte
Animation: Milt Kahl, Eric Larson, Milt Neil, Stan Quackenbush, Archie Robin, Paul Satterfield, Riley Thomson