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The Old Mill (1937)

Approved | | Animation, Short, Comedy | 5 November 1937 (USA)
The Old Mill Poster
A variety of animals find a shelter in the old mill during a fierce storm.

Director:

Wilfred Jackson (uncredited)

Stars:

Elvia Allman, Marie Arbuckle, Beatrice Hagen | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win. See more awards »

Photos

See all 22 photos »
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Cast

Uncredited cast:
Elvia Allman ... Birds / Singer (uncredited)
Marie Arbuckle Marie Arbuckle ... Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Beatrice Hagen Beatrice Hagen ... Singer (uncredited)
Jean MacMurray Jean MacMurray ... Crickets (voice) (uncredited)
Mary Moder Mary Moder ... Singer (uncredited)
Louise Myers Louise Myers ... Birds (voice) (uncredited)
Clarence Nash Clarence Nash ... Frogs (voice) (uncredited)
Marta Nielsen Marta Nielsen ... Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Jerry Philipps Jerry Philipps ... Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Purv Pullen Purv Pullen ... Owls / Bats / Mice (uncredited)
Barbara Whitson Barbara Whitson ... Singer (voice) (uncredited)
See full cast »
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Storyline

We see the various birds, mice, and bats that have moved into an old windmill, followed by the frogs, crickets, and fireflies making their music in an adjacent pond. Then a storm comes, shaking loose parts in the mill and threatening everything we've seen. Written by Jon Reeves <jreeves@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

windmill | multiplane camera | no dialogue | abandoned mill | silly symphony | See All (49) »

Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Musical

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

One of 5 Disney shorts to have an 8,0 rating on IMDB, the other being The Band Concert, Mickey's Trailer, Donald's Snowfight and Paperman. See more »

Goofs

In the opening shot the mill is reflected on the pond. The ducks swimming in the pond, however, have no reflection. See more »

Connections

Featured in Disney's 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs': Still the Fairest of Them All (2001) See more »

Soundtracks

One Day When We Were Young
by Johann Strauss
Played by orchestra and hummed by chorus in several places throughout the cartoon
See more »

User Reviews

 
Great Piece of Disney Art
18 January 2004 | by travisimo – See all my reviews

The Old Mill is one of the most beautiful pieces of animation I have ever seen. This comment is even more remarkable considering that The Old Mill was made back in 1937. I especially liked the plethora of colors used in this short. The most striking animated sequence occurs when the thunderstorm hits and almost devastates the mill and its animal inhabitants. Even the animals are realistically drawn well, something sort of rare for a cartoon at that time.

The Old Mill even evokes emotion, which is saying quite a bit because not a word is spoken. I thought the frogs' song was hilarious, and I actually felt concern for the mama bird when the giant gear inside the mill could have crushed her. This is just an extraordinary, subtle piece of art from Disney.

My IMDb Rating: 10/10
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 26 user reviews »

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Release Date:

5 November 1937 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

El viejo molino See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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