In 1929 Walt Disney and Carl Stalling came up with the idea of a series of shorts that combined music and animation. The music became central to the story. Between 1929 and 1939 75 Silly Symphonies were made. They were a spring board to the development of feature length animated films. Disney used them to ready the studio for making his first full length film, Snow White.
The Silly Symphonies did not depend on reoccurring or already established characters or themes as Oswald and Mickey Mouse cartoons did. The animators found the Silly Symphony series a pleasant change from working with the same character all the time. It was a challenge they relished.
These became a testing and training ground. They were used as a training ground in work on improving animation techniques in drawing specific effects and or character styles. For example they were used to experiment and stretch the ability to draw fire and water effects as well as a realistic human character. There were used to work on developing characters with personality and practice rhythm and timing. Many of these techniques and technologies were used for years and some are still used today.
The Silly Symphonies were used to try out new technology such as the Multi-Plane Camera. The Multi-Plane Camera was used to give the flat animation depth. The first film to use the Multi-Plane Camera was the Silly Symphony, The Old Mill in 1937. The Multi-Plane Camera was created by Disney animator Ub Iwerks. The last Disney film to use this process was The Little Mermaid in 1989. They were also the first animated film to use color.
These shorts were so well received they received 7 Academy Awards for Short Subject.
Here is a listing of the Silly Symphonies by year:
1929
The Skeleton Dance
El Terrible Toreador
Springtime
Hell’s Bells
The Merry Dwarfs
1930
Summer
Autumn
Cannibal Capers
Night
Frolicking Fish
Arctic Antics
Midnight in a Toyshop
Monkey Melodies
Winter
Playful Pan
1931
Birds of a Feather
Mother Goose Melodies
The China Plate
The Busy Beavers
The Cat’s Out
Egyptian Melodies
The Clock Store
The Spider and the Fly
The Fox Hunt
The Ugly Duckling
1932
The Bird Store
The Bears and the Bees
Just Dogs
Flowers and Trees
King Neptune
Bugs in Love
Babes in the Woods
Santa’s Wrokshop
1933
Birds in the Spring
Father Noah’s Ark
The Three Little Pigs
Old King Cole
Lullaby Land
The Pied Piper
The Night Before Christmas
1934
The China Shop
The Grasshopper and the Ants
Funny Little Bunnies
The Big Bad Wolf
The Wise Little Hen
The Flying Mouse
Peculiar Penguins
The Goddess of Spring
1935
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Golden Touch
The Robber Kitten
Water Babies
The Cookie Carnival
Who Killed Cock Robin?
Music Land
Three Orphan Kittens
Cock o’ the Walk
Broken Toys
1936
Elmer Elephant
Three Little Wolves
Toby Tortoise Returns
Three Blind Mousketeers
The Country Cousin
Mother Pluto
More Kittens
1937
Woodland Café
Little Hiawatha
The Old Mill
1938
The Moth and the Flame
Wynken, Blynken and Nod
Farmyard Symphony
Merbabies
Mother Goose Goes Hollywood.
1939
The Practical Pig
The Ugly Duckling
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