Little Hiawatha (1937) User Reviews

Brilliantly animated

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 25 September 2010]

If you are looking for this short, try the "Disney Timeless Treasures: Volume 3". It's there along with several other seldom-seen cartoon shorts.

I wasn't too thrilled about seeing this short, as I am NOT a huge fan of poetry and I have little interest in the Longfellow poem that inspired this film. However, when it began I was immediately captivated by the wonderful animation--with brilliant colors, amazing backgrounds and top-notch quality throughout. In fact, for a 1930s short, I can't think of one that looked any better than this one. It's also interesting because "Snow White" and "Bambi" debuted just a short time later--and you can really see how this film influenced these two wonderful full-length films. Simply put, the animals looked almost exactly like Snow White's woodland friends and an awful lot like Bambi's pals (but to a lesser extent).

As far as the story goes, it's really NOT the Longfellow poem--and it's only used a tiny bit at the beginning and end. Instead, you see a cute American-Indian boy running about with the animals--trying to be tough. That is, until a big nasty bear nearly gobbles up the kid! And, thanks to the nice (and cute) animals, Little Hiawatha is able to escape--just barely.

All in all, while not among the best of the Silly Symphonies from Disney, it is one of the better ones and is highly enjoyable even 73 years later. A lovely little film.

My favourite Silly Symphony, which I grew up with on VHS!

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 22 May 2007]

This is just so VERY sweet! With cute and classic animation, no dialogue (just the Native American mouth sounds) and a good plot, this Silly Symphony will warm your heart. I LOVE IT VERY MUCH INDEED! I recommend this to Disney fans and for people (children AND adults) who would just like to sit down to the cutest Disney short! :)

Little Hiawatha bravely rows in his little boat, down the river, a little Native American. With his bow and arrow, he is ready to hunt the deer, the birds, the rabbits, the squirrels, the grasshoppers and the great bear...

P.S Why did the Disney company stop making these beautiful Silly Symphonies? They should still make them, they are much better than most of the TV series you get today.

Worth seeing for the animation and message

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 19 October 2017]

"Little Hiawatha" is a 9-minute cartoon from 1937, so this one has its 80th anniversary this year already. The director is David Hand and if you have not heard the name yet, then it is probably your loss (as it is mine too) because he worked on some of the classics that are certainly more known than this short film by Disney we have here. It is the story of an Indian, who goes out hunting, but realizes he just isn't tough enough and makes friends with the animals of the forest instead. Then again, even if he had that bunny, he may not have the greatest talent for hunting as you maybe saw from his earlier unsuccessful chase of a grasshopper. The animals are grateful they may live and they help him afterward when the boy is chased by a wild bear and again the bear is really only mad because Hiawatha came to close to his cub, so there really are no true villains in here, just a protective bear mother, a curios and clumsy Indian kid and many harmless animals who just want to live in peace. And yes this is of course from the Golden Age of Animation, so the visual side is top-notch. Overall, maybe the film was not the greatest in in-depth story-telling and love to detail in the script, but for under 10 minutes, it is good enough. Go check it out if you love old cartoons. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the recurring naked butt joke that wasn't funny the first time even, but that is really pretty much the only flaw I saw in it. I give this one a thumbs-up.

Why I love Little Hiawatha...

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 15 September 2009]

Little Hiawatha is a very sweet and entertaining Silly Symphony, about a little Red Indian boy. The cartoon has some truly wonderful music, and wonderful characters, not just Little Hiawatha but the forest animals too. The animation, for 1937, is beautiful, with detailed colourful backgrounds and fluid movements.

There was also some fine narration, and the Silly symphony is constantly entertaining, the highlight being the pursuit of Hiawatha by an angry bear. Another pro was the cute and well written story. Overall, vastly entertaining, and it does bring back so many memories from when I used to watch other Silly Symphonies like Flowers and Trees and Ugly Duckling. 10/10 for Little Hiawatha. Bethany Cox

Disney Illustrates An American Legend

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 11 October 2000]

A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short.

LITTLE HIAWATHA pilots his canoe into the wilderness in search of big game. He finds more than he bargained for when he awakens the ire of a fierce mother bear...

A colorful cartoon, with very good animation, but an absolute travesty of anything to do with Longfellow's classic poem. The Disney animators seem to think having the tyke's breeches constantly falling off is very funny. It's not.

The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most fascinating of all animated series. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.

A good Silly Symphony of heroism and compassion.

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 30 May 2018]

A small Indian child attempts to go hunting in the forest, but ultimately spares the life of a little bunny rabbit after cornering him. As a result, when he comes under attack by a ferocious bear, the forest animals return the favor and try to save him.

A nice little cartoon about compassion and heroism. It's full of excitement and thrills - a good Silly Symphony from Disney.

Grade A

Elder High Eagle Water (sometimes mispronounced . . .

[pixrox1 · 8/10 · 20 October 2021]

. . . as "Hiawatha," or the indecipherable jumble of vowels voiced by the narrator here) is generally considered the father of his country, Gummy Land (aka, America). This astute peacemaker lived from 1525 until 1595, serving as the chief prophet and spiritual leader for the Five Tribes representing the high water mark of U. S. civilization (before the Columbian Experiment saw High's old stomping grounds devolve into an unstable region of Civil War, Insurrection, Pollution, Disaster, Pandemic, Inequality and Ubiquitous Crime). Yet this film pictures High as a total buffoon, depicting his pants falling down at least seven times. It would be considered an Act of War if a film studio showed George Washington to be a sterile, ugly, wooden-toothed slave master known primarily for having horses shot from under him (if this was not the Gospel Truth). Be afraid of High Eagle's retribution: Be VERY afraid!

lovely

[Kirpianuscus · 30 June 2020]

So many reasons to love it... From the instability of pants to the curiosity and pitty, to the help of animals to the terrible run. And, off course, the beautiful end. A splendid irony gives the precious spice to this admirable short animation, unique for the inspired way to give the essence of childhood.