Silly Symphony Celebration

A blast to the past


Do you remember those animated shorts that popped up on the Disney Channel when you were a kid? You know, the ones with little to no dialogue just symphony? There was actually quite a few of them but the series I’m specifically speaking of is Disney’s Silly Symphony. This series made Disney shorts like, Flowers and Trees, The Old Mill, The Ugly Duckling, and the unforgettable, The Skeleton Dance famous. Well, Disney brought them together for the D23 EXPO for a Silly Symphony Celebration. But, before I get into the deets, let’s look at why these films are so special.

Why Disney’s Silly Symphony Shorts are Special

There was something special about animation in the late 20’s into the 30’s. Emotion could transcend with just the sound of music. You not only completely understood the message of the film, but you felt it. Without musical scores, film as we know it would actually be pretty lacking. Shorts like the Silly Symphony series paved the way for epic cinematic soundtracks. And though we’ve come quite far since the 30’s with regard to well, everything, one thing I’ll never shake is the feeling I get when I watch these timeless classics. Not only do they take me back to the days when I visited my grandparents (who could afford the Disney Channel when it was by subscription only), but they remind me of one of my biggest inspirations in life, Mr. Walt Disney who, in the 1930’s was forging an epic career in animation, cartooning, acting and entrepreneurship. I as an entrepreneur myself often look to his legacy as many do for encouragement and motivation.

One of my favorite Walt Disney Quotes is,

It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.

LEONARD MALTIN
(Disney/Image Group LA) Leonard Maltin hosts the Silly Symphony Celebration.

So, when I was asked to join Disney at the Silly Symphony Celebration at the D23 EXPO I was pretty stoked. I had