One of Disney’s several early engagements with ancient material in the musical shorts series produced from 1929-39. “The Golden Touch” tells the story of King Midas, though in a medieval setting. Other myth-based Silly Symphonies shorts include “Playful Pan” (1930), “King Neptune” (1932) and “The Goddess of Spring” (1934). Most famous, however, are those based on Aesop’s fables, including “The Grasshopper and the Ants” (1934) and “The Tortoise and the Hare” (1935) which won an Academy Award.
Silly Symphony: “The Goddess of Spring” (1934)
9 min./ USA / dir. Wilfred Jackson
One of Disney’s Silly Symphonies, this classic film follows the plot of the myth of Persephone, yet its imagery evokes a Biblical-style Hell with its Satanic main character. It features operatic singing and jazz-inflected music throughout. Its production was important to the creation of Disney’s first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as it allowed animators to develop their skills in designing human figures.
Silly Symphony: “Egyptian Melodies” (1931)
The first of a number of early Disney cartoons I will explore here…
Welcome!
Hi there, I am Chiara and I am working on cataloging some of the many different manifestations of Greco-Roman antiquity in the world of animation. While this is not necessarily an exhaustive collection, more like a bunch of my favorites, I welcome your contributions. Visit the Contact page to share a Classically-themed cartoon with me!
Animated Antiquity 