For my first Watch It Wednesday, I want to share with you my all time favorite cartoon to watch for Halloween, Disney's Silly Symphony - The Skeleton Dance
The Skeleton Dance made it's debut in 1929 and was the first animated short in the Disney Silly Symphony collection. It was produced and directed by Mr. Walt Disney himself and animated by Ub Lweks. The Skeleton Dance is what sold management at Columbia Pictures on obtaining exclusive distribution rights to the Silly Symphony collection. In 1994 The Skeleton Dance was ranked #18 on the top 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time, which was voted on by members of the animation field.
Upon my research for this post, I also discovered that this quirky cartoon is considered an example of a medieval allegorical genre known as 'Danse Macabre' or 'The Dance of Death'. The driving theme of this genre is that death unites all humans, no matter what their status in life is... which is a pretty heavy message to be linked to such a whimiscal cartoon!
I hope that you enjoy this cartoon as much as I always have. My parents have really fond memories of my brother and I watching it over and over again and actually re-enacting the dance :)
In addition to my clips, I'll also be posting the link below every week. It's a great list of Halloween themed shows that will be airing! How great is that to have it all in one place?!?! Be ready to set your DVR's because there are a LOT of fun things airing, that I'm sure you won't want to miss!
Happy 3rd of October Everyone!!!
That cartoon is so cute! I like all the creative little parts, like when the skeletons themselves become instruments. :) It's so funny how you can tell which decade a cartoon came from by the style of the drawings. I wish there were more cartoons like this being made now!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that! I wish cartoons were still like this :) Glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI love that movie. I remember when you and Drewsie would do all the parts as ya'll was watching it. Great memories.
ReplyDeleteLove that dance! Off to check the Halloween schedule!
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