It was on this day, in 1934, that the Silly Symphony cartoon short Grasshopper and the Ants hopped into theaters, telling the story of a grasshopper who believes that the world owes him a living. After his life is saved by some ants, he realizes he owes the world a living rather than the other …
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Diane Disney Miller, the eldest daughter of Walt Disney and Lillian Bounds Disney, was born on December 18, 1933. Weeks before Diane’s birth, Walt wrote a letter to his mother, Lillian, saying, “I suppose I’ll be as bad a parent as anyone else. I’ve made a lot of vows that my kid won’t be spoiled, …
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Ever wonder why you never see the names of the voice actors in the Disney cartoon shorts of the past? Well, according to Clarence “Ducky” Nash, the voice of Donald Duck, Walt Disney felt it would destroy the illusion to publicize the people who did the voices. Today, however, it’s much more well known that …
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In the Mickey Mouse cartoon short The Pet Store, released on this day in 1933, Tony’s Shop is hiring, and Mickey gets the job and promptly gets to work. When Tony steps out, Minnie happens to visit. Meanwhile, the gorilla Beppo, “the movie monk,” is in his cage browsing a movie magazine and doing impressions …
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The 39th Silly Symphony, The Pied Piper, first lured audiences to the theater on this day in 1933. Based on the classic tale, the pied piper is hired to lure the rats from Hamelin by charming them away with his musical pipe. When the townspeople agree with the mayor that all he did was “pipe …
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Here’s a D23 trivia question: Which Disneyland attraction pays tribute to the Silly Symphony Lullaby Land (answer is below)? In the 1933 Silly Symphony Lullaby Land, a baby boy and his toy dog fall asleep “into Lullaby Land of nowhere, sleepyheads always go there. Sugar and spice and everything nice, can all be found in …
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“It’s the battle of the century! Machine vs. Beast” according to a promotional poster on a wall in the Mickey Mouse short Mickey’s Mechanical Man, which came out fighting on this day in 1933. The “machine” is Mickey’s Mechanical Man, a robot built by the mouse himself. The beast is a fierce gorilla deemed The …
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The Three Little Pigs cartoon short may have been a Silly Symphony, but its success was anything but silly. It earned an Academy Award® for Best Cartoon in 1933. Animator Fred Moore, who was responsible for animating the pigs, was proud that the film achieved fully developed character personalities. The Three Little Pigs wallowed in …
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That daring pilot, Mickey Mouse, stars in The Mail Pilot, which was released on this day in 1933, telling the chilling tale of his journey to fly the mail across the land. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet will keep the postmouse from his appointed rounds… and he encounters them all. But, the real challenge …
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Hear ye! Hear ye! ‘Twas on this day in ye olde year of 1933 that the Mickey Mouse cartoon short Ye Olden Days had cometh to movie theaters. The production lists “Ye Caste” as Ye Wandering Minstrel — Mickey Mouse, Ye Princess — Minnie Mouse and Ye Prince — Dippy Dawg (who later became known …
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