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The Skeleton Dance (1929)

| Animation, Family, Short | 29 August 1929 (USA)
The Skeleton Dance Poster
The clock strikes midnight, the bats fly from the belfry, a dog howls at the full moon, and two black cats fight in the cemetery: a perfect time for four skeletons to come out and dance a bit.

Director:

Walt Disney
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Storyline

The night promises to be a scary one. Lightning flashes. The wind howls. A tree branch in the shape of a hand seems to grab for a frightened owl that spins its head around like a top. The clock on the church tower strikes midnight, sending the bats flying out of the belfry. Two cats on gravestones fight by pulling and stretching each other's noses like taffy. A skeleton rises from behind a gravestone, frightening the fur off the cats. But an owl's hooting scares it, and it retaliates by throwing its skull and knocking the bird's feathers off. It's time for the skeletons to dance; and they perform as no living creatures could. Written by J. Spurlin

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

1920s | undead | cat | skeleton | belfry | See All (49) »

Taglines:

The greatest talking picture novelty ever screened! -- A laugh riot from start to finish! A comically clever cartoon classic with music, sound, and original effects

Genres:

Animation | Family | Short | Comedy | Horror | Musical

Certificate:

See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1929 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

A Dança dos Esqueletos See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$5,386 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions See more »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Cinephone

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time, Walt Disney distributed his films through a company run by Pat Powers. But Powers couldn't sell it to distributors (who found the dancing skeletons odd and even gruesome). Undeterred, Disney was able to have the film screened at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles, where it was a rousing success. See more »

Alternate Versions

Whereas the 1983 VHS release of this short has the title card without music (and thus is silent), the DVD release of this short's title card features an audio snippet from _Mad Doctor, The (1933)_. See more »

Connections

Featured in How YouTube Is Ruining Your Channel: More Secret Codes (2017) See more »

Soundtracks

March of the Dwarfs
By Edvard Grieg
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Sinister and Silly
5 January 1999 | by Squonk – See all my reviews

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
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