Horst in Translation ([email protected]) I could very well imagine how people very genuinely scared by this 85 years ago, especially those moments where the animated skeletons quickly approach the camera and thus directly communicate with the viewer. People are afraid of things they don't understand and those who saw this Silly Symphony cartoon right after its release in 1929 have probably only come across very few pieces of animation or horror at this point, if any at all. The setting is of course a cemetery and it's the perfect scenario. Right at the beginning the early owl comes off as truly creepy, but gets her blood run cold shortly afterward too.After some canine howling and cat-fighting to emphasize the atmosphere, the skeleton dance show finally begins. And the quartet are delivering quite the show any human at a nearby dance-club could learn a lesson from. Unrestrained dancing, jumping and music-making ensues and the poor cats and owls end up being abused as musical instruments right until the cock announces the break of dawn and the party guests quickly return to their graves.

zetes Every second of those six minutes is perfect. What a creative little cartoon! This is Disney gold! Four skeletons awake from their graves and dance around, scaring black cats and owls alike. They turn each other into xylophones and do the Charleston! These are six of the most important minutes of film history! 10/10.

Robert Reynolds This is the first of the Silly Symphonies series of cartoons that Dsney did and it is absolutely marvelous! Ub Iwerks directed and it is one of the best Disney shorts they ever made. After more than 70 years it still holds up well and has the most remarkable use of shadows I've ever seen in my life. Great cartoon and very highly recommended.

Squonk The Skeleton Dance is simply one of the most entertaining and imaginative animation shorts ever made. It features an amazing mix of both haunting and hilarious visuals. When the skeletons first appear you can somewhat see why in 1929 some people thought this was too gruesome for a cartoon. The fact that it is in black and white enhances the eerie graveyard setting. The animation of Ub Iwerks and music of Carl Stalling are a perfect mix. This should be required viewing for any fan of animation.n/x-comwu