Three Orphan Kittens

Last updated
Three Orphan Kittens
Three Orphan Kittens title card.GIF
A screenshot of the film's title card.
Directed by David Hand
Story by Bill Cottrell
Joe Grant
Produced by Walt Disney
StarringLeone LeDoux
Esther Campbell
Music by Frank Churchill
Animation by Ken Anderson
Bob Wickersham
Layouts byKen Anderson
Color process Technicolor
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
October 26, 1935 (US) [1]
Running time
9 min
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Three Orphan Kittens is a 1935 animated short film in the Silly Symphonies series produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was the winner of the 1935 Oscar for Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). [2] It was followed in 1936 by a sequel, More Kittens . [3]

Contents

Plot

The film tells the story of three kittens (one black, one orange and one grey) and their adventures in a house. It begins with the kittens left out in the snow. They then notice the house nearby and enter it for shelter. They arrive at its kitchen, and begin to play there after the house's African-American housekeeper has finished preparing a meal. After more playing in various areas of the house, the film switches its focus to one particular kitten, the black one, who is chasing a feather and eventually ends up on a pianola keyboard. The kitten starts to play with the feather walking down the piano keyboard and the feather lands on the 'on' switch with the kitten presses and the then-revealed pianola begins to play; ironically it is playing a variation of "Kitten on the Keys", a song composed by Zez Confrey in 1921. The other two kittens rejoin the first and play around the pianola. When the pianola finishes its song, the kittens leave it and are caught by the housekeeper. As she prepares to throw them out, she is stopped by a little girl (possibly version of Nancy), who decides to adopt the kittens.

Production

The film was produced as an entry in Disney's Silly Symphonies series. At the time, the Symphonies were being used as a vehicle to test the techniques which would be used in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and to provide an informal on-the-job training program to prepare artists for the elaborate scenes that would be included in the studio's feature-length productions. [4] As such, the films were intended to focus on the characters, which were intended to be cute, rather than a particularly developed narrative. [5] It was directed by David Hand, who would later direct Snow White, and animated by Ken Anderson. [1] [6] Like all Silly Symphonies made after 1932, it was produced in three-strip Technicolor. [7] The film was copyrighted on November 20, 1935, nearly a month after its release. [8]

Releases

The film was originally released theatrically in the United States on October 26, 1935. [1] In 1937, it was re-released as part of the Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons, along with four other Academy Award-winning Disney shorts. [9]

Home media

In 1993, it appeared in a compilation videocassette of Award-winning Disney shorts entitled How the Best Was Won. [10] [11] It has also been found on VHS tapes of Dumbo , along with Father Noah's Ark and The Practical Pig .

The short was released on December 19, 2006 on Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies, Volume Two . [3]

Censorship

The original version of Three Orphan Kittens contains a scene in which the black kitten encounters a doll that, when flipped by the kitten, becomes a stereotypical African-American girl, which shouts "Mammy!" (a recycled voice clip from Santa's Workshop ). In the 1950s and 1960s, when Disney began editing their cartoons before they were broadcast on television, the scene was removed from the film. [12] The film appeared uncensored, first on the VHS release of Dumbo , then on 2006 DVD More Silly Symphonies , where it was placed in a section entitled "From the Vault" along with other cartoons featuring stereotypes, which was prefaced with an introduction by Leonard Maltin. [13]

Reception

The Film Daily (Oct 31, 1935): "Looks as if Walt Disney has hit on something as entrancing as his three little pigs in these three kittens... The three cute kittens will prove a wow — especially in that sequence where they go to bat with the automatic playing piano and come off second best. That piece of business is a laugh riot." [14]

National Exhibitor (Nov 20, 1935): "The three kittens come in out of the snow storm, upset household, exploring in the kitchen and parlor, spilling pies, smashing furniture. Excellent color and appealing characterizations of kittens mark this. Excellent." [14]

Boxoffice (Dec 7, 1935): "Walt Disney's latest Silly Symphony promises to attract the popularity of his Three Little Pigs, certainly one of finest cartoon subjects ever produced. The kittens of the title role are just as cute as the little porkies of the previous short, while their adventures are so delightfully amusing that the patrons will exit from the theatre singing its praises... [The player-piano] proves to be the picture's high spot and will keep audiences in a riot of laughter. Color work is again excellent, short is ideal for youngsters, perfect for adults, and will fit into any bill, any time, any where." [14]

Comic adaptation

The Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip ran a three-month-long adaptation of Three Orphan Kittens called "Three Little Kittens" from July 28 to October 20, 1935. [15]

Voice cast

Related Research Articles

Silly Symphony is an American animated series of 75 musical short films produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939. As the series name implies, the Silly Symphonies were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces of music. As such, the films usually did not feature continuing characters, unlike the Mickey Mouse shorts produced by Disney at the same time. The series is notable for its innovation with Technicolor and the multiplane motion picture camera, as well as its introduction of the character Donald Duck making his first appearance in the Silly Symphony cartoon The Wise Little Hen in 1934. Seven shorts won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

<i>Flowers and Trees</i> 1932 Silly Symphony cartoon

Flowers and Trees is a Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Walt Disney, directed by Burt Gillett, and released to theatres by United Artists on July 30, 1932. It was the first commercially released film to be produced in the full-color three-strip Technicolor process after several years of two-color Technicolor films. The film was a commercial and critical success, winning the first Academy Award for Best Cartoon Short Subject.

Burton F. Gillett was a director of animated films. He is noted for his Silly Symphonies work for Disney, particularly the 1932 short film Flowers and Trees and the 1933 short film Three Little Pigs, both of which were awarded the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and both of which were selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry.

<i>The Old Mill</i> 1937 American film

The Old Mill is a Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Wilfred Jackson, scored by Leigh Harline, and released theatrically to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on November 5, 1937. The film depicts the natural community of animals populating an old abandoned windmill in the country, and how they deal with a severe summer thunderstorm that nearly destroys their habitat. It incorporates the song "One Day When We Were Young" from Johann Strauss II's operetta The Gypsy Baron.

<i>Walt Disney Treasures</i> Limited Edition 2-disc DVD Collection

Walt Disney Treasures is a series of two-disc DVD collections of Disney cartoons, television episodes and other material. They cover material from the studio's earliest days to its more recent work. There were nine waves, each containing two to four sets, for a total of 30 titles. All content is presented uncensored and uncut with digitally restored picture and remastered sound.

John Ryan Kinney was an American animator, director and producer of animated shorts. Kinney is the older brother of fellow Disney animator Dick Kinney.

<i>Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons</i> 1937 American film

Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons is an American animated package film released in the United States on May 19, 1937, for a limited time to help promote the upcoming release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was a collection of five Oscar-winning Silly Symphonies shorts, bridged together with title cards and a narrator. Like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, each of the cartoons had been released on their own at first before being collected together as one film. The separate cartoon shorts are now available on DVD. In addition, the film is 41 minutes long, just like Saludos Amigos. However, while this film is fully animated, Saludos Amigos would be far shorter without the live-action sequences. It is considered the first film in the Walt Disney Pictures filmography.

<i>Three Little Pigs</i> (film) 1933 short animated film directed by Burt Gillett

Three Little Pigs is a 1933 animated short film released by United Artists, produced by Walt Disney and directed by Burt Gillett. Based on the fable of the same name, the Silly Symphony won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The short cost $22,000 and grossed $250,000.

<i>The Practical Pig</i> 1939 American film

The Practical Pig is a Silly Symphony cartoon. It was released on February 24, 1939, and directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs. Like its predecessors, The Practical Pig incorporates the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?". Unlike its predecessors however, its title cards labeled it as a standalone Three Little Pigs cartoon, suggesting that they were to get their own series of cartoons. It is also the second-to-last Silly Symphony cartoon.

The first wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released on December 4, 2001. It includes four different DVD sets.

The sixth wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released on December 19, 2006. It contains four separate DVD sets.

David Dodd Hand was an American animator and animation filmmaker known for his work at Walt Disney Productions. He worked on numerous Disney shorts during the 1930s and eventually became supervising director on the animated features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi.

<i>Wynken, Blynken and Nod</i> (film) 1938 American film

Wynken, Blynken & Nod is a 1938 Silly Symphonies cartoon, adapted from Eugene Field's poem of the same name. Like other Symphonies at the time, it utilized the multiplane camera. It was directed by Graham Heid, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. The three children bore similarities to Michael Darling in the 1953 Disney feature film, Peter Pan.

<i>The Robber Kitten</i> 1935 film

The Robber Kitten is a 1935 Walt Disney Silly Symphonies cartoon, directed by David Hand.

Birds of a Feather is a Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. It was released on February 10, 1931, by Columbia Pictures.

<i>More Kittens</i> 1936 American film

More Kittens is a Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. It was released in 1936 and is the sequel to Three Orphan Kittens.

Broken Toys is an 8-minute 1935 animation by Disney in the Silly Symphonies series. The toys in the story include caricatures of W.C. Fields, Zasu Pitts, Ned Sparks and Stepin Fetchit. Broken Toys was originally scheduled to follow Elmer Elephant and Three Little Wolves but was moved ahead of these titles in order to have it ready for a Christmas release.

Silly Symphony, initially titled Silly Symphonies, was a weekly Disney comic strip that debuted on January 10, 1932, as a topper for the Mickey Mouse strip's Sunday page. The strip featured adaptations of Walt Disney's popular short film series, Silly Symphony, which released 75 cartoons from 1929 to 1939, as well as other cartoons and animated films. The comic strip outlived its parent series by six years, ending on October 7, 1945.

J.B. Kaufman is a film historian and author who specializes in Disney animation history and silent films. His books include The Fairest One of All, Pinocchio: The Making of the Disney Epic, and Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. He is the consulting historian for The Walt Disney Family Museum, and has also written for the Library of Congress and Cartoon Research. Kaufman is currently working with Margaret Barnes on a biography of the latter's grandfather Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck.

The Rhythmettes were a singing trio who provided the vocals on several 1930s and 1940s Hollywood films, including Disney Silly Symphony shorts and The Wizard of Oz (1939).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Three Orphan Kittens (1935)". The Internet Movie Database . Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  2. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (1980). Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. McGraw-Hill. p.  447. ISBN   0-07-039835-6.
  3. 1 2 Merritt, Russell; J. B. Kaufman; Cineteca del Friuli (2006). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series. La cineteca del Friuli. p. 167. ISBN   88-86155-27-1.
  4. ↑ Merritt, Russell; J. B. Kaufman; Cineteca del Friuli (2006). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: a Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series. La Cineteca del Friuli. p. 25. ISBN   88-86155-27-1.
  5. ↑ Sandler, Kevin S. (1998). Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation. Rutgers University Press. p. 52. ISBN   0-8135-2538-1 . Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  6. ↑ Furniss, Maureen (1998). Art in Motion: Animation Aestheticsis. Indiana University Press. p. 68. ISBN   1-86462-039-0.
  7. ↑ Gabler, Neal (2006). Walt Disney: the Triumph of the American Imagination. Knopf. p.  177. ISBN   0-679-43822-X.
  8. ↑ Library of Congress Copyright Office (1936). Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [B] Group 2. Pamphlets, Etc. New Series. p. 1164.
  9. ↑ "Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons (1937) - Movie connections". The Internet Movie Database . Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  10. ↑ Sandra Brennan (2009). "How the Best Was Won: 1933-1960 - Walt Disney Cartoon Classics Limited Gold Edition - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
  11. ↑ "Disney Shorts - Three Orphan Kittens". Disney Shorts. Archived from the original on 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Karl F. (2004). Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America. McFarland & Company. pp. 68–69. ISBN   0-7864-2032-4 . Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  13. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (Presenter) (2006-12-19). Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies (DVD). Burbank, California: Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2009-02-05. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  14. 1 2 3 Sampson, Henry T. (1998). That's Enough, Folks: Black Images in Animated Cartoons, 1900-1960. Scarecrow Press. p. 213. ISBN   978-0810832503.
  15. ↑ Taliaferro, Al; Osborne, Ted; De Maris, Merrill (2016). Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics, vol 2. San Diego: IDW Publishing. ISBN   978-1631408045.
  16. ↑ Scott, Keith (3 October 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media. p. 519.
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.