Monkey Melodies

Monkey Melodies is a Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. It was released in 1930 as the 13th film in the Silly Symphony Series.[1]

Monkey Melodies
Directed byBurt Gillett
Produced byWalt Disney
Music byBert Lewis
Animation byJohnny Cannon
Les Clark
Norman Ferguson
David Hand
Wilfred Jackson
Jack King
Dick Lundy
Tom Palmer
Ben Sharpsteen
Layouts byCharles Philippi
Backgrounds byCarlos Manríquez
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
August 10, 1930
Running time
7:00
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

All the animals in the jungle are singing and dancing, mostly monkeys and other primates with birds and crocodiles having their own dance numbers. The plot centers around two of the monkeys who are in love and express their romance in the form of dance and rhythm throughout the film.[2]

Production

The production of Monkey Melodies took place from July to August 1930. During production the animators didn’t utilize model sheets to keep the characters designs consistent, depending on the artist, the monkeys would be drawn using distinct styles.[2]

The film showcases a number of songs and tunes including, Down in Jungle Town (1908, Edward Madden & Theodore Morse), Aba Daba Honeymoon (1914, Arthur Fields & Walter Donovan), Narcissus (1899, Ethelbert Nevin), At a Georgia Camp Town Meeting (1897, Kerry Mills), and a brief use of the tune St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy).

Reception

Variety (October 15, 1930): "Just a wee bit better than the usual run of cartoon shorts. Given good musical synchronization, which draws a few laughs along with antics of the cartoon characters. Here it is two monks who are the sweethearts, with an alligator the villain. Usual stuff, cooked up in a different manner."[3]

Motion Picture News (October 18, 1930): "Foolishly Clever: Everything else, it seems, has had its cartoon day. Now it's the monkeys. Walt Disney has fairly outdone himself in the assortment of ridiculous postures and gyrations through which he puts his pen-and-ink characters. Cartoons are diverting when they get foolishly clever. Which is exactly what the producer has done with Monkey Melodies.[4]

The Film Daily (October 26, 1930): "A little love episode in the jungle, with two simians as the sweethearts and an alligator as the menacing villain, provides the framework for this cartoon comedy. Entirely well done both in action and in synchronized score."[5]

Home media

The short was released on the 2006 Walt Disney Treasures DVD box set More Silly Symphonies.[1]

References
  1. Merritt, Russell; Kaufman, J. B. (2016). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series (2nd ed.). Glendale, CA: Disney Editions. pp. 80–81. ISBN 978-1-4847-5132-9.
  2. "Walt Disney's "Monkey Melodies (1930) |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  3. "Talking Shorts". Variety: 25. October 15, 1930. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  4. "Short Subjects". Motion Picture News: 54. October 18, 1930. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  5. "Reviews of Sound Shorts". The Film Daily: 11. October 26, 1930.
  1. “Walt Disney's ‘Monkey Melodies (1930).” Walt Disney's "Monkey Melodies (1930),http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/walt-disneys-monkey-melodies-1930.
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