View source for Silly Symphony

{{short description|American animated film series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Silly Symphony letters.png
| studio         = [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Columbia Pictures]] (1929–32)<br>[[United Artists]] (1932–37)<br>[[RKO Radio Pictures]] (1937–39)
| country        = United States<!--Please provide a reliable source for any country other than the US.-->
| language       = English
}}
'''''Silly Symphony''''' (also known as '''''Silly Symphonies''''') is an American [[animation|animated]] series of 75 musical [[short film]]s produced by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Productions]] from 1929 to 1939. As the series name implies, the ''Silly Symphonies'' were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces of music.<ref name="symphony1">{{Cite book |last1=Merritt |first1=Russell |title=Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series |last2=Kaufman |first2=J. B. |publisher=[[Disney Editions]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4847-5132-9 |edition=2nd |location=Glendale, CA}}</ref> As such, the films usually did not feature continuing characters, unlike the ''[[Mickey Mouse (film series)|Mickey Mouse]]'' shorts produced by Disney at the same time (exceptions to this include ''[[Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Little Pigs]]'', ''[[The Tortoise and the Hare (film)|The Tortoise and the Hare]]'', and ''[[Three Orphan Kittens]]'', which all had sequels). The series is notable for its innovation with [[Technicolor]] and the [[Multiplane camera|multiplane motion picture camera]], as well as its introduction of the character [[Donald Duck]], who made his first appearance in the ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon ''[[The Wise Little Hen]]'' in 1934. Seven shorts won the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].<ref name=symphony1/>

Many of the shorts were adapted into print mediums. Starting in 1932, a [[Silly Symphony (comic strip)|''Silly Symphony'' newspaper comic strip]] was distributed by [[King Features Syndicate]], as well as a [[Dell Comics|Dell]] comic book series and numerous children's books.

The ''Silly Symphonies'' returned to theaters with its re-issues and re-releases, and tied with [[Joseph Barbera]] and [[William Hanna]]'s ''[[Tom and Jerry]]''{{'}}s record for most Oscar wins for a cartoon series in the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]] category.

The first five ''Silly Symphony'' shorts entered the [[2025 in public domain|public domain on January 1, 2025]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Domain Day 2025 {{!}} Duke University School of Law |url=https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2025/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=web.law.duke.edu |language=en}}</ref> The same will happen to subsequent shorts from 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933 in [[2026 in public domain|2026]], [[2027 in public domain|2027]], [[2028 in public domain|2028]], and [[2029 in public domain|2029]] respectively.

==Production==
[[File:Silly Symphony poster 1935.png|thumb|upright|1935 series poster]]

While Walt Disney and [[Carl W. Stalling|Carl Stalling]], a theatre organist from Kansas City, were in New York to add sound to the Mickey Mouse shorts ''[[The Gallopin' Gaucho]]'', ''[[The Barn Dance]]'' and ''[[Plane Crazy]]'', Stalling suggested the idea of making a series of musical animated shorts that combined the latest sound technology with storytelling. At first Walt did not seem interested, but when they returned to New York in February to record the sound for a fifth Mickey Mouse cartoon, ''[[The Opry House]]'', they also recorded the soundtrack for ''[[The Skeleton Dance]]'', the type of short that Stalling had suggested and the first Silly Symphony cartoon.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=Amy M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xRrnBgAAQBAJ&dq=%22During+their+time+in+New+York%2C+Stalling+had+suggested+to+Walt+the+idea%22&pg=PA80 |title=Good Girls & Wicked Witches: Women in Disney's Feature Animation |date=20 February 2007 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=9780861969012 |access-date=2021-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119014433/https://books.google.no/books?id=xRrnBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA80&dq=%22During+their+time+in+New+York,+Stalling+had+suggested+to+Walt+the+idea%22&hl=no&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXmvi2pqP0AhUUzIsKHe-XA74Q6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=%22During%20their%20time%20in%20New%20York%2C%20Stalling%20had%20suggested%20to%20Walt%20the%20idea%22&f=false |archive-date=2021-11-19 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Within the animation industry, the series is known for its use by [[Walt Disney]] as a platform for experimenting with processes, techniques, characters, and stories in order to further the art of animation. It also provided a venue to try out techniques and technologies, such as Technicolor, [[special effects animation]], and dramatic storytelling in animation, that would be crucial to Disney's plans to eventually begin making feature-length animated films.<ref name=symphony1/>

Shortly after the switch to United Artists, the series became even more popular. Walt Disney had seen some of Dr. Herbert Kalmus' tests for a new [[Three-strip Technicolor|three-strip]], full-color [[Technicolor]] process, which would replace the previous [[two-strip Technicolor|two-tone Technicolor]] process. Disney signed a contract with Technicolor which gave the Disney studio exclusive rights to the new three-strip process through the end of 1935, and had a 60% complete ''Symphony'', ''[[Flowers and Trees]]'', scrapped and redone in full color.{{citation needed|reason= this has been a long-repeated myth which is not true. ''Flowers and Trees'' was planned and produced in colour and monochrome versions from the beginning!|date=February 2023}} ''Flowers and Trees'' was the first animated film to use the three-strip Technicolor process,<ref name="Robertson">{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=Patrick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TEEaCrPiWsC |title=Robertson's Book of Firsts |date=2011 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781608197385 |location=London |access-date=24 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729182144/https://books.google.com/books?id=2TEEaCrPiWsC |archive-date=29 July 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> and was a phenomenal success. Within a year, the now-in-Technicolor ''Silly Symphonies'' series had popularity and success that matched (and later surpassed) that of the ''Mickey Mouse'' cartoons. The contract Disney had with Technicolor would also later be extended another five years as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Glorious Technicolor 1932-1955 |url=http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/oldcolor/technicolor5.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002055014/http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/oldcolor/technicolor5.htm |archive-date=2015-10-02 |access-date=2018-03-14 |publisher=Widescreenmuseum.com}}</ref>

The success of ''Silly Symphonies'' would be tremendously boosted after ''Three Little Pigs'' was released in 1933 and became a box office sensation; the film was featured in movie theaters for several months and also featured the hit song that became the anthem of the Great Depression, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf".<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Three Little Pigs'' at the Disney archives |url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/movies/pigs/pigs.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006224626/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/movies/pigs/pigs.html |archive-date=2007-10-06 |access-date=2007-11-27}}</ref> Several ''Silly Symphonies'' entries, including ''[[Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Little Pigs]]'' (1933), ''[[The Grasshopper and the Ants (film)|The Grasshopper and the Ants]]'' (1934), ''[[The Tortoise and the Hare (film)|The Tortoise and the Hare]]'' (1935), ''[[The Country Cousin]]'' (1936), ''[[The Old Mill]]'' (1937), ''[[Wynken, Blynken and Nod (film)|Wynken, Blynken, and Nod]]'' (1938), and ''[[The Ugly Duckling (1939 film)|The Ugly Duckling]]'' (1939, with an earlier [[The Ugly Duckling (1931 film)|black-and-white version]] from 1931), are among the most notable short films produced by Walt Disney.

Due to problems related to Disney's scheduled productions of cartoons, a deal was made with [[Harman and Ising]] to produce three Silly Symphonies: ''[[Merbabies]]'', ''Pipe Dreams'', and ''The Little Bantamweight''. Only one of these cartoons, ''Merbabies'', ended up being bought by Disney, the remaining two Harman-Ising Silly Symphonies were then sold to MGM who released them as Happy Harmonies cartoons.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lenburg |first=Jeff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVShFCjVzvIC&q=%22Merbabies+%281938%29%2C+along+with+Pipe+Dreams+%281938%29%2C+and+The+Little+Bantamweight+%281938%29.%22&pg=PA154 |title=Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film and Television's Award-Winning and Legendary Animators |year=2006 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=9781557836717 |access-date=2018-03-14}}</ref> Disney ceased production of ''Silly Symphonies'' in 1939.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1929-05-10 |title=''Silly Symphonies'' at |url=http://www.toonopedia.com/sillysym.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915090552/http://www.toonopedia.com/sillysym.htm |archive-date=2012-09-15 |access-date=2018-03-14 |publisher=Toonopedia.com}}</ref>

==Distribution==
The series was first distributed by [[Pat Powers (producer)|Pat Powers]] from 1929 to 1930 and released by Celebrity Productions (1929–1930) indirectly through [[Columbia Pictures]]. The original basis of the cartoons was musical novelty, and the musical scores of the first cartoons were composed by [[Carl Stalling]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Birth of the ''Silly Symphonies'', by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman |url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/sillysymphonies/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520114702/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/exhibits/articles/sillysymphonies/index.html |archive-date=2011-05-20 |access-date=2018-03-14 |publisher=Disney.go.com}}</ref>

===Columbia Pictures===
After viewing "The Skeleton Dance", the manager at Columbia Pictures quickly became interested in distributing the series, and gained the perfect opportunity to acquire Silly Symphonies after Disney broke with Celebrity Productions head Pat Powers after Powers signed Disney's colleague [[Ub Iwerks]] to a studio contract. [[Columbia Pictures]] (1930–1932) agreed to pick up the direct distribution of the [[Mickey Mouse]] series on the condition that they would have exclusive rights to distribute the ''Silly Symphonies'' series; at first, ''Silly Symphonies'' could not even come close to the popularity Mickey Mouse had. The original title cards to the shorts released by Celebrity Productions and Columbia Pictures were all redrawn after Walt Disney stopped distributing his cartoons through them. Meanwhile, more competition spread for Disney after [[Max Fleischer]]'s flapper cartoon character [[Betty Boop]] began to gain more and more popularity after starring in the cartoon ''[[Minnie the Moocher (film)|Minnie the Moocher]]''. By August 1932, Betty Boop became so popular that the [[Talkartoon]] series was renamed as Betty Boop cartoons.

===United Artists===
In 1932, after falling out with Columbia Pictures, Disney began distributing his products through [[United Artists]]. <!--The original title cards on these shorts stated "Joseph M. Schenck Presents a Silly Symphony". When Disney began to distribute his cartoon with [[RKO Radio Pictures]] the title cards were all replaced with the words Mickey Mouse presents a ''Silly Symphony''--> UA refused to distribute the ''Silly Symphonies'' unless Disney associated Mickey Mouse with them somehow, resulting in the "Mickey Mouse presents a ''Silly Symphony''" title cards and posters that introduced and promoted the series during its five-year run for UA. United Artists also agreed to double the budget for each cartoon from $7,500 to $15,000.<ref name="Mosley">{{Cite book |last=Mosley |first=Leonard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eaKoZtJqPc0C&q=fifteen+thousand+dollars&pg=PA135 |title=Disney's World |date=1990 |publisher=Scarborough House |isbn=9781589796560 |page=135 |access-date=9 December 2017}}</ref> The first short released by United Artists was ''[[The Bears and Bees]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Merritt |first1=Russell |title=Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series |last2=Kaufman |first2=J. B. |publisher=[[Disney Editions]] |year=2016 |pages=108–109| isbn=978-1-4847-5132-9 |edition=2nd |location=Glendale, CA}}</ref>

===RKO Radio Pictures===
In 1937, Disney signed a distribution deal with [[RKO Pictures|RKO Radio Pictures]] to distribute the Silly Symphony cartoons, along with the Mickey Mouse series. RKO would continue to distribute until the end of the series in 1939.

===Home media===
Several ''Symphonies'' have been released in home media, most of the time as bonus shorts that relate to something within various Disney films. For instance, the original ''[[Dumbo]]'' VHS included ''Father Noah's Ark'', ''The Practical Pig'' and ''Three Orphan Kittens'' as bonus shorts to make up for the film's short length. In the UK, several ''Silly Symphonies'' were released in compilations under Disney Videos' "Storybook Favourites" brand. The three "Storybook Favourites Shorts" volumes released included among others, ''The Three Little Pigs'', ''The Tortoise and the Hare'' and the remake of ''The Ugly Duckling''.

On December 4, 2001, Disney released "[[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave One#Silly Symphonies|Silly Symphonies]]" as part of its DVD series "[[Walt Disney Treasures]]". On December 19, 2006, "[[Walt Disney Treasures: Wave Six#More Silly Symphonies|More Silly Symphonies]]" was released, completing the collection and allowing the cartoons to be completely available to the public.<ref name=symphony1/>

Some Disney [[Blu-ray]] discs include ''Silly Symphonies'' as high definition special features.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blu-ray Forum - View Single Post - List of Disney Animated Shorts on Blu-ray |url=https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?s=5511151b750cca7c4770fcc51aaea37c&p=4448831&postcount=3 |access-date=2021-02-24 |website=forum.blu-ray.com}}</ref> ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)#Home media|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' includes six, ''[[Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)#Home media|Beauty and the Beast]]'' and ''[[Dumbo#Home media|Dumbo]]'' both contain two and [[Pixar]]'s ''[[A Bug's Life#Home media|A Bug's Life]]'' contains one.

The ''Silly Symphony'' shorts originally aired on [[Turner Classic Movies]]' period program block "Treasures from the Disney Vault".

Some ''Silly Symphony'' shorts are viewable on [[Disney+]].

==List of films==
The ''Silly Symphonies'' are listed here in production order:
{| class="wikitable sortable" margin:auto;"
|-
! width="30"|#
! style="width:200px;"|Film
! style="width:150px;"|Original release date
! style="width:150px;"|Director
! style="width:150px;"|Music
! style="width:450px;" class=unsortable|Notes
! style="width:40px;"|Running time (minutes)
! style="width:40px;"|Based on
|-
| 1
| ''{{sort|Skeleton|[[The Skeleton Dance]]}}''
| {{dts|1929|8|22}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Disney|[[Walt Disney]]}}
| rowspan="7" | {{sort|Carl|[[Carl Stalling]]}}
|
* First entry in the ''Silly Symphony'' series.
* The soundtrack was recorded in February 1929 in New York.
* public domain
|5:31
|
|-
| 2
| ''[[El Terrible Toreador]]''
| {{dts|1929|9|26}}
|
* The first ''Silly Symphony'' to have its soundtrack recorded in [[Los Angeles]].
* public domain
|6:14
|
|-
| 3
| ''[[Springtime (1929 film)|Springtime]]''
| {{dts|1929|10|24}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Iwerks|[[Ub Iwerks]]}}
|
* Scenes from this film appeared in the 1961 film ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]''.
* public domain
|6:14
|
|-
| 4
| ''[[Hell's Bells (film)|Hell's Bells]]''
| {{dts|1929|11|21}}
|public domain
|5:49
|
|-
| 5
| ''{{sort|Merry|[[The Merry Dwarfs]]}}''
| {{dts|1929|12|19}}
| {{sort|Disney|Walt Disney}}
|public domain
|5:57
|
|-
| 6
| ''[[Summer (1930 film)|Summer]]''
| {{dts|1930|1|16}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Iwerks|Ub Iwerks}}
| 
|5:51
|
|-
| 7
| ''[[Autumn (1930 film)|Autumn]]''
| {{dts|1930|2|13}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be completed before Ub Iwerks and Carl Stalling left the studio. Their sudden departures caused delays in production.
|6:24
|
|-
| 8
| ''[[Cannibal Capers]]''
| {{dts|1930|3|20}}
| {{sort|Gillett|[[Burt Gillett]]}}
| rowspan="9" | {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}
|
* Production on this and several other ''Silly Symphonies'' were delayed due to the sudden departures of Ub Iwerks and Carl Stalling.
* The version that aired on ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]'' was cut short at the end. The version that is on the "More Silly Symphonies" DVD includes the original ending along with the cut ending.
|6:15 (5:56 cut)
|
|-
| 9
| ''[[Night (1930 film)|Night]]''
| {{dts|1930|7|31}}
| {{sort|Disney|Walt Disney}}
|
* Originally released with blue tinting.<ref name="dawn">{{Cite book |last1=Layton |first1=James |title=The Dawn of Technicolor 1915–1935 |last2=Pierce |first2=Davis |date=February 24, 2015 |publisher=[[George Eastman Museum]] |isbn=978-0-935398-28-1 |location=[[Rochester, New York]] |page=269}}</ref>
* Due to production delays, this film was postponed from its original announced release date of April 10.
|6:53
|
|-
| 10
| ''[[Frolicking Fish]]''
| {{dts|1930|6|21}}
| {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
|
* Originally released with green tinting.<ref name=dawn/>
* It was on this film that animator Norm Ferguson discovered the "follow-thru" animation technique that allowed for characters to move more naturally.
* Due to production delays, this film was postponed from its original announced release date of May 8.
|6:02
|
|-
| 11
| ''[[Arctic Antics]]''
| {{dts|1930|6|26}}
| {{sort|Gillett|Ub Iwerks (Possibly)}}<br>Burt Gillett (Possibly){{Clarify|reason=|date=August 2020}}
|
* The animators' draft lists Ub Iwerks as the director, even though he left the studio before animation began.
* Due to production delays, this film was postponed from its original announced release date of June 5.
|7:00
|
|-
| 12
| ''[[Midnight in a Toy Shop]]''
| {{dts|1930|8|16}}
| {{sort|Jackson|[[Wilfred Jackson]]}}
|
* Due to production delays, this film was postponed from its original announced release date of July 3.
|7:34
|
|-
| 13
| ''[[Monkey Melodies]]''
| {{dts|1930|9|26}}
| rowspan="5" | {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
|
* Due to production delays, this film was postponed from its original announced release date of August 10.
|7:00
|
|-
| 14
| ''[[Winter (1930 film)|Winter]]''
| {{dts|1930|10|30}}
| 
|6:53
|
|-
| 15
| ''[[Playful Pan]]''
| {{dts|1930|12|27}}
| 
|6:59
|
|-
| 16
| ''[[Birds of a Feather (1931 film)|Birds of a Feather]]''
| {{dts|1931|2|3}}
| 
|8:04
|
|-
| 17
| ''[[Mother Goose Melodies]]''
| {{dts|1931|4|16}}
| {{sort|Burt|Bert Lewis}}<br>[[Frank Churchill]]
|
|8:10 
| [[Mother Goose]]
|-
| 18
| ''{{sort|china|[[The China Plate]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|5|23}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| rowspan="7" | {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
|7:32
|
|-
| 19
| ''{{sort|busy|[[The Busy Beavers]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|6|30}}
| {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
| 
|7:07
|
|-
| 20
| ''{{sort|cat|[[The Cat's Out]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|7|28}}
| rowspan="8" | {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| 
* The film's working title was ''The Cat's Out'', and the current vault print features that title in its credits. However, it was copyrighted and released as ''The Cat's Nightmare''.
|7:20
|
|-
| 21
| ''[[Egyptian Melodies]]''
| {{dts|1931|8|27}}
| 
|6:20
|
|-
| 22
| ''{{sort|clock|[[The Clock Store]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|9|28}}
| 
|7:12
|
|-
| 23
| ''{{sort|Spider|[[The Spider and the Fly (1931 film)|The Spider and the Fly]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|10|23}}
|
|7:14 
|
|-
| 24
| ''{{sort|Fox|[[The Fox Hunt (1931 film)|The Fox Hunt]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|11|20}}
| 
|6:22 
|
|-
| 25
| ''{{sort|Ugly31|[[The Ugly Duckling (1931 film)|The Ugly Duckling]]}}''
| {{dts|1931|12|17}}
| {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}<br>Frank Churchill
|
* This short would be remade in color in 1939, also titled "The Ugly Duckling".
|7:11
| [[The Ugly Duckling]]
|-
| 26
| ''{{sort|bird|[[The Bird Store]]}}''
| {{dts|1932|1|16}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be distributed by [[Columbia Pictures]].
|6:52
|
|-
| 27
| ''{{sort|bears|[[The Bears and Bees]]}}''
| {{dts|1932|2|15}}
|
* The first ''Silly Symphony'' to be distributed by [[United Artists]]. 
|6:18
|
|-
| 28
| ''[[Just Dogs]]''
| {{dts|1932|5|16}}
| rowspan="5" | {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
| {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}
| 
* The first appearance of [[Pluto (Disney)|Pluto]] without [[Mickey Mouse]].
|7:13
|
|-
| 29
| ''[[Flowers and Trees]]''
| {{dts|1932|7|30}}
| {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}<br>Frank Churchill
| 
* Winner of the inaugural [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* The first film to be produced in three-strip [[Technicolor]].
|7:49
|
|-
| 30
| ''[[Bugs in Love]]''
| {{dts|1932|10|1}}
| rowspan="3" | {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be produced in black-and-white.
|7:04
|
|-
| 31
| ''[[King Neptune (film)|King Neptune]]''
| {{dts|1932|10|15}}
| 
|7:11
|
|-
| 32
| ''[[Babes in the Woods]]''
| {{dts|1932|11|19}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be recorded with [[Cinephone]].
|8:14
| [[Hansel and Gretel]]
|-
| 33
| ''[[Santa's Workshop (film)|Santa's Workshop]]''
| {{dts|1932|12|10}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* The first ''Silly Symphony'' to be recorded with [[RCA Photophone]].
|6:37
|
|-
| 34
| ''[[Birds in the Spring]]''
| {{dts|1933|3|13}}
| {{sort|Hand|[[David Hand (animator)|David Hand]]}}
| {{sort|Bert|Bert Lewis}}<br>Frank Churchill
| 
|7:32
|
|-
| 35
| ''[[Father Noah's Ark]]''
| {{dts|1933|4|8}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|[[Leigh Harline]]}}
| 
|8:24
| [[Noah's Ark]]
|-
| 36
| ''[[Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Little Pigs]]''
| {{dts|1933|5|25}}
| {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>[[Carl Stalling]]
|
* Winner of the 1932–33 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* From this film came the Disney studio's first hit song, "[[Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?]]".
* Originally had a scene where after Practical Pigs asks "Who's there?" then cuts to the Wolf (disguised as a Jewish peddler) saying "I'm the Fuller Brush Man...I'm giving a free sample!" in a Yiddish accent. This scene was edited in 1948 and changed the Wolf's disguise along with the dialog. This is the version that's on home releases (the R2 release of "Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies" DVD includes the original animation with the altered dialogue.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}})
|8:41
| [[Three Little Pigs]]
|-
| 37
| ''[[Old King Cole (film)|Old King Cole]]''
| {{dts|1933|7|29}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>Bert Lewis
| 
|7:28
| [[Old King Cole]]
|-
| 38
| ''[[Lullaby Land (film)|Lullaby Land]]''
| {{dts|1933|8|19}}
| rowspan="6" | {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>Leigh Harline
| 
|7:22
|
|-
| 39
| ''{{sort|Pied|[[The Pied Piper (1933 film)|The Pied Piper]]}}''
| {{dts|1933|9|16}}
| rowspan="4" | {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|7:32
| [[Pied Piper of Hamelin]]
|-
| 40
| ''{{sort|Night|[[The Night Before Christmas (1933 film)|The Night Before Christmas]]}}''
| {{dts|1933|12|9}}
| 
* Was originally supposed to be released after ''The China Shop'', but production was moved ahead in order to have it ready for a Christmastime release. As a result, both films were given each other's production numbers.
|8:27
| [[A Visit from St. Nicholas]]
|-
| 41
| ''{{sort|china|[[The China Shop]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|1|13}}
| 
|8:23
|
|-
| 42
| ''{{sort|Grasshopper|[[The Grasshopper and the Ants (film)|The Grasshopper and the Ants]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|2|10}}
| 
* The song featured in the film, "The World Owes Me a Living", would become a recurring theme for [[Goofy]]. Coincidentally, [[Pinto Colvig]], the voice of Goofy, also voiced the Grasshopper in this film.
|8:24
| [[The Ant and the Grasshopper]]
|-
| 43
| ''[[Funny Little Bunnies]]''
| {{dts|1934|3|24}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill<br>Leigh Harline}}
| 
* Its 1950s reissue was distributed by [[RKO Radio Pictures]].
* Was originally supposed to be released after ''The Big Bad Wolf'', but production was moved ahead in order to have it ready for an Easter release. As a result, both films were given each other's production numbers.
|7:10
|
|-
| 44
| ''{{sort|big|[[The Big Bad Wolf (1934 film)|The Big Bad Wolf]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|4|14}}
| {{sort|Gillett|Burt Gillett}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* A sequel to "Three Little Pigs".
|9:21
| [[Little Red Riding Hood]]
|-
| 45
| ''{{sort|Wise|[[The Wise Little Hen]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|5|3}} <small>([[Carthay Circle Theatre]])</small><ref name="CRBirthday">{{Cite web |last=Kaufman |first=J.B. |author-link=J.B. Kaufman |date=June 8, 2020 |title=When's Your Birthday? |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/whens-your-birthday/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001185624/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/whens-your-birthday/ |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |access-date=September 26, 2020 |website=[[Jerry Beck|Cartoon Research]]}}</ref><br />{{dts|1934|6|7}}<ref name="CRBirthday" />
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
* The debut appearance of [[Donald Duck]].
* Was originally supposed to be released after ''The Flying Mouse'', but production was moved ahead for reasons unknown. As a result, both films were given each other's production numbers.
|7:43
| [[The Little Red Hen]]
|-
| 46
| ''{{sort|Flying|[[The Flying Mouse]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|7|14}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>Bert Lewis
| 
|9:17
|
|-
| 47
| ''[[Peculiar Penguins]]''
| {{dts|1934|9|1}}
| rowspan="3" | {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|9:21
|
|-
| 48
| ''{{sort|Goddess|[[The Goddess of Spring]]}}''
| {{dts|1934|11|3}}
| 
|9:48
|
|-
| 49
| ''{{sort|Tortoise|[[The Tortoise and the Hare (film)|The Tortoise and the Hare]]}}''
| {{dts|1935|1|5}}
| rowspan="3" | {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
|
* Winner of the 1933–34 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
|8:36
|[[The Tortoise and the Hare]]
|-
| 50
| ''{{sort|Golden|[[The Golden Touch (film)|The Golden Touch]]}}''
| {{dts|1935|3|22}}
| {{sort|Disney|Walt Disney}}
| 
* The last film directed by Walt Disney.
|10:34
|[[King Midas]]
|-
| 51
| ''{{sort|Robber|[[The Robber Kitten]]}}''
| {{dts|1935|4|20}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| 
* Based on the book of the same name by [[Robert Michael Ballantyne]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2020-07-17 |title=Walt Disney’s “The Robber Kitten” (1935) |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/walt-disneys-the-robber-kitten-1935/ |work=cartoonresearch.com}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
|7:48
|
|-
| 52
| ''[[Water Babies (1935 film)|Water Babies]]''
| {{dts|1935|5|11}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|8:17
| [[The Water-Babies]]
|-
| 53
| ''{{sort|cookie|[[The Cookie Carnival]]}}''
| {{dts|1935|5|25}}
| {{sort|Sharpsteen|[[Ben Sharpsteen]]}}
|
* This short is in the public domain, because it had an invalid copyright renewal

|8:00
|
|-
| 54
| ''[[Who Killed Cock Robin? (1935 film)|Who Killed Cock Robin?]]''
| {{dts|1935|6|29}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* Nominated for the 1935 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* Named one of the ten best films of 1935 by [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|the National Board of Review]].
* Scenes from this film appeared in the 1936 film ''[[Sabotage (1936 film)|Sabotage]]''.
|8:30
| [[Cock Robin]]
|-
| 55
| ''[[Music Land]]''
| {{dts|1935|10|5}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|9:34
|
|-
| 56
| ''[[Three Orphan Kittens]]''
| {{dts|1935|10|26}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* Winner of the 1935 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
|8:55
|
|-
| 57
| ''[[Cock o' the Walk (1935 film)|Cock o' the Walk]]''
| {{dts|1935|11|30}}
| {{sort|Sharpsteen|Ben Sharpsteen}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>[[Albert Hay Malotte]]
| 
|8:23
|
|-
| 58
| ''[[Broken Toys (1935 film)|Broken Toys]]''
| {{dts|1935|12|14}}
| {{sort|Sharpsteen|Ben Sharpsteen}}
| {{sort|Albert|Albert Hay Malotte}}
| 
* Was originally intended to follow ''Elmer Elephant'' and ''Three Little Wolves'', but production moved ahead to have the film ready for a Christmastime release. As a result, this and the latter film switched production numbers.
|7:53
|
|-
| 59
| ''[[Elmer Elephant]]''
| {{dts|1936|3|28}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilferd Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|8:29
|
|-
| 60
| ''[[Three Little Wolves (film)|Three Little Wolves]]''
| {{dts|1936|4|18}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
|9:26
| [[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]]
|-
| 61
| ''[[Toby Tortoise Returns]]''
| {{dts|1936|8|22}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
|
|7:34
|
|-
| 62
| ''[[Three Blind Mouseketeers]]''
| {{dts|1936|9|26}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Albert|Albert Hay Malotte}}
| 
|8:43
|
|-
| 63
| ''{{sort|country|[[The Country Cousin]]}}''
| {{dts|1936|10|31}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}<br>Wilfred Jackson
| rowspan="2" | {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
* Winner of the 1936 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
|9:15
|
|-
| 64
| ''[[Mother Pluto]]''
| {{dts|1936|11|14}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| 
* Originally designated part of the ''Mickey Mouse'' series, it was reclassified as a ''Silly Symphony'' just before release, with its original production number going to ''[[Don Donald]]''.
|8:35
|
|-
| 65
| ''[[More Kittens]]''
| {{dts|1936|12|19}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}
| 
* The film's production number was originally assigned to the Donald Duck short ''Don Donald''.
|8:11
|
|-
| 66
| ''[[Woodland Café]]''
| {{dts|1937|3|13}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
|7:37
|
|-
| 67
| ''[[Little Hiawatha]]''
| {{dts|1937|5|15}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}
| {{sort|Albert|Albert Hay Malotte}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be distributed by United Artists.
|9:12
| [[The Song of Hiawatha]]
|-
| 68
| ''{{sort|Old|[[The Old Mill]]}}''
| {{dts|1937|11|5}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| rowspan="4" | {{sort|Leigh|Leigh Harline}}
| 
* The first ''Silly Symphony'' to be distributed by [[RKO Radio Pictures]].
* Winner of the 1937 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* First use of the [[multiplane camera]].
|8:42
|
|-
| 69
| ''[[Moth and the Flame (film)|Moth and the Flame]]''
| {{dts|1938|4|1}}
| {{sort|Hand|David Hand}}<br>Burt Gillett<br>Dick Heumer
|
|7:45
|
|-
| 70
| ''[[Wynken, Blynken and Nod (film)|Wynken, Blynken and Nod]]''
| {{dts|1938|5|27}}
| {{sort|Heid|Graham Heid}}
|
|8:20
|[[Wynken, Blynken, and Nod]]
|-
| 71
| ''[[Farmyard Symphony (film)|Farmyard Symphony]]''
| {{dts|1938|10|14}}
| {{sort|Cutting|[[Jack Cutting (animator)|Jack Cutting]]}}
|
|8:11
|
|-
| 72
| ''[[Merbabies]]''
| {{dts|1938|12|9}}
| {{sort|Ising|[[Rudolf Ising]]}}, [[Vernon Stallings]]
| {{sort|Scott|[[Scott Bradley (composer)|Scott Bradley]]}}
|
* Production was outsourced to the [[Harman and Ising|Harman-Ising Studio]], as part of an agreement that included the studio loaning some of its artists to Disney's to help complete ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]''.
|8:37
|
|-
| 73
| ''[[Mother Goose Goes Hollywood]]''
| {{dts|1938|12|23}}
| {{sort|Jackson|Wilfred Jackson}}
| {{sort|Edward|[[Edward Plumb]]}}
| 
* Nominated for the 1938 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* The most expensive ''Silly Symphony'' produced, its negative cost totaling $69,307.87.
|7:32
|
|-
| 74
| ''{{sort|Practical|[[The Practical Pig]]}}''
| {{dts|1939|2|24}}
| {{sort|Rickard|Duck Rickard}}
| {{sort|Frank|Frank Churchill}}<br>[[Paul Smith (composer)|Paul Smith]]
|
* The ''Silly Symphony'' name does not appear on the opening titles, and is instead labeled a ''Three Little Pigs'' cartoon.
|8:21
|
|-
| 75
| ''{{sort|Ugly39|[[The Ugly Duckling (1939 film)|The Ugly Duckling]]}}''
| {{dts|1939|4|7}}
| {{sort|Cutting|Jack Cutting}}<br>[[Clyde Geronimi]]
| {{sort|Albert|Albert Hay Malotte}}
| 
* The last ''Silly Symphony'' to be distributed by [[RKO Radio Pictures]].
* Winner of the 1939 [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]].
* Final entry in the ''Silly Symphony'' series, though some releases label it as a one-shot cartoon instead.
|8:59
| [[The Ugly Duckling]]
|}

==Reception==
Disney's experiments were widely praised within the film industry, and the ''Silly Symphonies'' won the [[Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film]] seven times, maintaining a six-year-hold on the category after it was first introduced. This record was matched only by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]'s ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' series during the 1940s and 1950s.

==Legacy==
The ''Symphonies'' changed the course of Disney studio history when Walt's plans to direct his first feature cartoon became problematic after his warm-up to the task ''[[The Golden Touch (film)|The Golden Touch]]'' was widely seen (even by Disney himself) as stiff and slowly paced. This motivated him to embrace his role as being the producer and providing creative oversight (especially of the story) for ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White]]'' while tasking [[David Hand (animator)|David Hand]] to handle the actual directing.<ref>''Walt Disney: The Animated Man'' by [[Michael Barrier (historian)|Michael Barrier]]</ref>

''Silly Symphonies'' brought along many imitators, including Warner Bros. cartoon series ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' and ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'', MGM's ''[[Happy Harmonies]]'', and later, Universal's ''[[Swing Symphony]]''.

Years later after the ''Silly Symphonies'' ended, Disney occasionally produced a handful of one-shot cartoons, playing the same style as the ''Silly Symphony'' series. Unlike the ''Silly Symphonies'' canon, most of these "Specials" have a narration, usually by Disney legend [[Sterling Holloway]].

In the 1934 MGM film ''[[Hollywood Party]]'', Mickey Mouse appears with [[Jimmy Durante]], where they introduce ''[[The Hot Choc-late Soldiers]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/hot-choc-late-soldiers-the-film/ | title=Hot Choc-late Soldiers, the (Film) }}</ref>

The 1999–2000 television series ''[[Mickey Mouse Works]]'' used the ''Silly Symphonies'' title for some of its new cartoons, but unlike the original cartoons, these did feature continuing characters.

As of 2021, three of the ''Silly Symphony'' shorts (''[[Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Little Pigs]]'', ''[[The Old Mill]]'', and ''[[Flowers and Trees]]''), have been selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the Library of Congress, for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Librarian of Congress Announces 2007 Film Registry |date=December 27, 2007 |publisher=[[Library of Congress]] |url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-254.html |access-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722103847/http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-254.html |archive-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morgan, David |date=December 16, 2015 |title="Shawshank Redemption", "Ghostbusters" added to National Film Registry |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shawshank-redemption-ghostbusters-added-to-national-film-registry-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514233019/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shawshank-redemption-ghostbusters-added-to-national-film-registry-2/ |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |access-date=December 21, 2021 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hinckle |first=Jessica |date=December 21, 2021 |title=2021 National Film Registry Selections Reflect Diversity & Challenge Stereotypes |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1205446-2021-national-film-registry-selections-reflect-diversity-challenge-stereotypes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221213522/https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1205446-2021-national-film-registry-selections-reflect-diversity-challenge-stereotypes |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2021 |website=ComingSoon.net}}</ref>

==Comic adaptations==
A Sunday [[Silly Symphony (comic strip)|''Silly Symphony'' comic strip]] ran in newspapers from January 10, 1932, to July 12, 1942.<ref name="Holtz">{{Cite book |last=Holtz |first=Allan |title=American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide |date=2012 |publisher=The University of Michigan Press |isbn=9780472117567 |location=Ann Arbor |page=351}}</ref> The strip featured adaptations of some of the ''Silly Symphony'' cartoons, including ''Birds of a Feather'', ''The Robber Kitten'', ''Elmer Elephant'', ''Farmyard Symphony'' and ''Little Hiawatha''.<ref name=Holtz/> This strip began with a two-year sequence about [[Bucky Bug]], a character based on the bugs in ''[[Bugs in Love]]''.

There was also an occasional ''Silly Symphonies'' comic book, with nine issues published by [[Dell Comics]] from September 1952 to February 1959.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silly Symphonies - Inducks |url=https://inducks.org/publication.php?c=us%2FSS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610155716/https://inducks.org/publication.php?c=us%2FSS |archive-date=10 June 2020 |access-date=14 July 2019 |website=Inducks}}</ref> The first issue of this anthology comic featured adaptations of some ''Silly Symphony'' cartoons, including ''The Grasshopper and the Ants'', ''Three Little Pigs'', ''The Goddess of Spring'' and ''Mother Pluto'', but it also included non-''Symphony'' cartoons like Mickey Mouse's ''[[Brave Little Tailor]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Silly Symphonies #1 - Inducks |url=https://inducks.org/issue.php?c=us%2FSS++++1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509235412/https://inducks.org/issue.php?c=us%2FSS++++1 |archive-date=9 May 2021 |access-date=14 July 2019 |website=Inducks}}</ref> By the third issue, there was almost no ''Symphony''-related material in the book; the stories and activities were mostly based on other Disney shorts and feature films.

==See also==
* [[Golden age of American animation]]
* [[List of Disney animated shorts]]
* ''[[Silly Symphony (comic strip)|Silly Symphonies]]'' the newspaper [[comic strip]], featuring adaptations of the animated shorts
* ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'', from Warner Bros. Pictures

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Maltin, Leonard: ''The Disney Films''. (Fourth edition.) New York: Disney Editions, 2000. {{ISBN|0-7868-8527-0}}.
* Merritt, Russel – Kaufman, J. B.: ''Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoons Series''. Gemona: La Cinecita del Friuli, 2006. {{ISBN|88-86155-27-1}}.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikisource portal}}
* {{Toonopedia|sillysym.htm}}
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20070222171110/http://www.disneyshorts.org/miscellaneous/silly.html Silly Symphonies]'' at [http://www.disneyshorts.org The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]
* {{Inducks character|SS}}
{{Silly Symphonies}}
{{Walt Disney Animation Studios short films}}
{{Disney franchises}}
{{Sony franchises}}

[[Category:Film series introduced in 1929]]
[[Category:1920s Disney animated short films]]
[[Category:1930s Disney animated short films]]
[[Category:Animated short film series]]
[[Category:Children's film series]]
[[Category:Visual music]]
[[Category:American animation anthology series]]
[[Category:Silly Symphonies| ]]
[[Category:Films scored by Carl Stalling]]
[[Category:Silliness]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures franchises]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios franchises]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Studios (division) franchises]]