The Skeleton Dance (1929)

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.

Skeleton Dance, The (1929) *** 1/2 (out of 4) A Disney Silly Symphony short has four skeletons getting out of their graves to dance, which scares the fur off two black cats. This is a very imaginative short that features some wonderful animation. Disney is credited with the direction duties but having seen a few shorts by Iwerks it really seems that he is directing it. The movie runs at an extremely fast pace as there's never a dry moment or a moment where something isn't going on. The highlight is without a doubt the scene where the cats loose their hair after seeing the skeleton. From what I've read it appears people in 1929 thought this was too ghoulish for children and I guess they were somewhat right for their time.

Skeleton Dance along with The Incredibles are a true classic of the animated genre. The short holds up very well in 76 years. The music is great, the dancing skeletonrific, drawings spooky! Come on, watch it now! You won't regret seeing it once in your life! You haven't lived life till you have seen this short...The owl howling, the skeletons dancing, the famous close up is enough to make you a Disney fan forever. It's really unforgettable. When you've seen it, you might never erase it from your memory.Disney should get more Oscars for this excellent, excellent short. :DWonderful.

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