Silly Symphony #36; Three Little Pigs (Burt Gillett, 1933)

"Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? The Big Bad Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf..."

Introduction

As the Silly Symphonies continued, it was Symphony #36 which propelled Disney further onto the worldwide stage. Burt Gillett's direction of the classic children's fairytale cast the characters as Practical Pig, Fiddler Pig and Fifer Pig. It won the Animated Short category at the Academy Awards and showed a lean, tight structure that showed real characters in both the pigs and the big bad Wolf - a character which would appear again in the Disney shorts, including another fairytale based on Little Red Riding Hood. The short also features the voice of Pinto Colvig - a voice-actor who became truly memorable as the voice behind Goofy. Colvig would become important to the Disney story as the actor supplied voices for Sleepy and Grumpy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

A Timeless Song

As mentioned in a previous post, Carl Stalling had already left Disney, only to be replaced by Frank Churchill. Churchill, with additional lyrics by Ann Ronell, composed and wrote what became the most successful song at the time: Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? This song, I am sure everyone can remember, but it's success led to this particular film to continue screening well-after the expected run. Before his suicide shortly after Bambi, Frank Churchill composed some of the most memorable songs in the early Disney films - most notably Someday My Prince Will Come, Whistle While You Work and winning Oscars for his work on Dumbo and posthumously for Bambi.

Though children loved the film, adults could see how the short could be used as a parrallel to the great Depression - though Walt Disney always claimed it was purely entertainment. It had a couple of racist jokes (A 'Jewish' stereotype begging for money) but other than slight slip-up, the film still stands as a testement to the incredible characterisation and combination of music and animation that Walt Disney was capable. Animators included Art Babbitt (Animation Director on Dumbo), Norman Ferguson (Directing Animator working with Disney right up until Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland), Dick Lundy (Animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) and Fred Moore (Animator on Snow White, Pinocchio and Fantasia).

One year later, in 1934, Walt became involved in a little idea that had been nagging him since one of the first films he saw in Kansas City - he had watched a silent, black-and-white version of Snow White ...

Silly Symphony #29: Flowers and Trees (Burt Gillett, 1932)

Mickey Mouse Presents... A Walt Disney Silly Symphony...

Introduction

In 1930, two huge losses hit the Walt Disney studio - notably Carl Stalling and Ub Iwerks left the studio to work for Warner Bros and set-up their own studio respectively. Famously, Iwerks animated Mickey Mouse himself in Steamboat Willie whilst Stalling, as we know, is credited with the creation of the Silly Symphonies in the first place. The beginning of sound is what made Disney become incredibly successful when Mickey Mouse arrived. The use of music and, crucially, the perfect timing it had alongside dancing animated-characters and musical instruments - be it skulls or rib cages - is what further catapulted the Walt Disney brand further. Two major brands in Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies ensured Disney's continued success. Despite the loss of Iwerks and Stalling, Disney began hiring animators from New York and composers who had worked in the orchestra-pits during the silent-days ... and, looking to the future, Walt Disney gained exclusive-rights for two-years for the use of a three-colour process, via a company called Technicolour, in animation. Now Disney had sound and colour and the first film to use this? Flowers and Trees in 1932.

Nature Finds A Way

The film won an Academy Award for Animated Short Subject and, personally, shows the depth of imagination available. You see how such a wide variety of plants are anthropomorphised and how the characters are much much fleshed out - specifically the 'evil' tree with the creature inside his mouth and the small belly-button hole which forces him to laugh mid-fight. A really great example as to how the cartoons were developing further. Uncredited director Burt Gillett, also directed Three Little Pigs and Babes in the Woods, whilst among the animators were David Hand and Les Clark, both of which, worked o Snow White and the Seven Dwarves five years later...