The Song of the Birds

Last updated
The Song of the Birds
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Music by Sammy Timberg
Animation by Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • February 27, 1935 (1935-02-27)
Running time
9 minutes
LanguageEnglish

The Song of the Birds is a 1935 Color Classics cartoon. [1] [2] It concerns a destructive little boy with an air rifle who shoots a baby bird and is mortified when the bird's parents, and all the other birds, go into mourning.

Contents

Plot

A flock of birds is teaching their young chicks to fly. The sun is shining, and all the birds are cheerfully singing. Meanwhile, a boy is having fun with an air rifle, shooting at everything in the house and destroying many of the items in the house. Then he goes out into the garden and shoots at the nest that the birds have barely saved. Then he shoots at a chick out of the sky, only to realize the gravity of what he has done. The chick's parents try to revive it, but to no avail.

The sky turns dark and stormy as the birds assemble and wail in mourning for the chick's funeral, completing it with pallbearers and a grave digger. The boy is tormented by the birds' wailing. Watching from outside the window, he is brought to tears, and he gets on his knees to pray. As the birds prepare to lower the chick into its grave, it begins raining. The young chick miraculously comes back to life, the birds resume to their cheerful singing, the sky clears, and the boy, having learned this lesson, breaks his air rifle into pieces and pulls out a box of bird seeds for all the birds to enjoy. The chick and the boy share a seed as the cartoon ends.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ugly Duckling</span> Fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

"The Ugly Duckling" is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in New Fairy Tales. First Volume. First Collection, with three other tales by Andersen in Copenhagen to great critical acclaim. The tale has been adapted to various media, including opera, musical, and animated film. The tale is an original story by Andersen.

<i>The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius</i> American animated series

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius is an American animated television series created by John A. Davis for Nickelodeon. Based on the 2001 film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, the series serves as a sequel to the film. It originally aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from July 20, 2002, to November 25, 2006. The show follows an 11-year-old genius from the fictitious town of Retroville, Texas, the eponymous character, as he goes on adventures with his best friends Carl Wheezer and Sheen Estevez. Throughout the show, various mishaps and conflicts occur on these adventures, as Jimmy's various inventions go awry. The series features voices of Debi Derryberry (Jimmy), Rob Paulsen (Carl), and Jeffrey Garcia (Sheen) for the three main characters. It was the first Nicktoon series to be animated in CGI.

<i>The Tex Avery Show</i> American animated showcase series

The Tex Avery Show is an American animated showcase series of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. cartoon shorts prominently by animator Tex Avery. In between the shorts, Don Kennedy gives short facts about the cartoons. The showcase premiered on the Cartoon Network in 1996, and was taken off the air in 2002, while reruns continued to be shown on Cartoon Network until April 11, 2004. It was soon re-broadcast on Boomerang. Some cartoons, like 1947's Uncle Tom's Cabaña, were omitted from the package as they are deemed politically incorrect.

<i>Tom Sawyer</i> (2000 film) 2000 American film

Tom Sawyer is a 2000 American animated musical adventure film directed by Paul Sabella and Phil Mendez. Released direct-to-video on April 4, 2000, the film was produced by MGM Animation. It is the only MGM Animation production not to be available exclusively through Warner Home Video worldwide. This is also the final MGM Animation film before shutdown in 2002. It is an adaptation of Mark Twain's 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, with a cast of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans. Most of the characters' voices are generally performed by country music singers.

<i>Tweetys High-Flying Adventure</i> 2000 animated film

Tweety's High-Flying Adventure is a 2000 American animated musical slapstick comedy film produced by Tom Minton and James T. Walker, written by Tom Minton, Tim Cahill and Julie McNally, and directed by James T. Walker, Karl Toerge, Charles Visser, and Kyung Won Lim, starring Tweety.

<i>Gift Wrapped</i> (film) 1952 American film

Gift Wrapped is a 1952 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on February 16, 1952, and stars Tweety and Sylvester.

<i>Whoa, Be-Gone!</i> 1958 American film

Whoa, Be-Gone! is a 1958 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on April 12, 1958, and stars Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horton the Elephant</span> Fictional character created by Dr. Seuss

Horton the Elephant is a fictional character from the 1940 book Horton Hatches the Egg and 1954 book Horton Hears a Who!, both by Dr. Seuss. He is also featured in the short story Horton and the Kwuggerbug, first published for Redbook in 1951 and later rediscovered by Charles D. Cohen and published in the 2014 anthology Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories. In all books and other media, Horton is characterized as a kind, sweet-natured, and naïve elephant who manages to overcome hardships.

<i>Baby Blues</i> (American TV series) American adult animated television series

Baby Blues is an American adult animated sitcom, based on the comic strip of the same name by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, produced by Warner Bros. The first eight episodes of Baby Blues originally aired in the United States on The WB between July 28 and August 24, 2000, before being canceled. The five remaining episodes from the first season eventually aired on Adult Swim in 2002. A second season, consisting of 13 episodes, was produced but never aired.

Puff the Magic Dragon is a 30-minute animated television special based on the song of the same name made notable by Peter, Paul and Mary. First aired October 30, 1978, on CBS, and produced by Fred Wolf Films, it features Burgess Meredith as the voice the title character.

Little Boy Boo is a 1954 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on June 5, 1954, and features Foghorn Leghorn, Miss Prissy and Egghead Jr.

The Slick Chick is a 1962 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on July 21, 1962, and features Foghorn Leghorn. The voices are performed by Mel Blanc and Julie Bennett.

The Lorax is a musical Dr. Seuss animated short produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises which first aired as a television special on CBS in the United States on February 14, 1972, and in Canada on CBC Television on October 22, 1972. The special was written by Theodor Geisel, based on his 1971 book of the same name.

<i>A Bird in a Guilty Cage</i> 1952 film

A Bird in a Guilty Cage is a 1952 Looney Tunes animated short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on August 30, 1952, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. The title is a pun on the song "A Bird in a Gilded Cage".

Plop Goes the Weasel! is a 1953 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Robert McKimson and produced by Edward Selzer. The cartoon was released on August 22, 1953, and features Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg.

World War II changed the possibilities for animation. Prior to the war, animation was mostly seen as a form of family entertainment. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in its utility. On December 8, 1941, the United States Army began working with Walt Disney at his studio, stationing Military personnel there for the duration of the war. The Army and Disney set about making various types of films for several different audiences. Most films meant for the public included some type of propaganda, while films for the troops included training and education about a given topic.

Gloria Wood was an American singer and voice actress. Her rare voice was in the four-octave range. She was able to imitate other voices.

<i>12 Tiny Christmas Tales</i> 2001 American TV series or program

12 Tiny Christmas Tales is an American Christmas animated short film that was broadcast on Cartoon Network on December 7, 2001. This project was animated and directed by Bill Plympton and Inspired by Christmas cards that Plympton began drawing for his parents in 1964.

<i>The Sunshine Makers</i> (1935 film) 1935 film

The Sunshine Makers is a 1935 animated short film directed by Burt Gillett and Ted Eshbaugh, reissued and sponsored by the food and beverage producer Borden in 1940. It was originally released as a part of the Rainbow Parade series, produced by Van Beuren Studios.

<i>September in the Rain</i> (film) 1937 American film

September in the Rain is a 1937 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on December 18, 1937.

References

  1. ↑ McCall, Douglas L. (31 October 2005). Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 200. ISBN   9780786424504 . Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Borowiec, Piotr (1998). Animated Short Films: A Critical Index to Theatrical Cartoons. Scarecrow Press. p. 153. ISBN   9780810835030 . Retrieved 1 March 2017.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.