History WesternAnimation / TheSkeletonDance

* OminousOwl: One of them frightens the first skeleton.

* PublicDomainSoundtrack: Part of Carl Stalling's music is based on Edvard Grieg's "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2zj9oMgFmg March of the Dwarfs]]."

While many theaters refused to show it in its heyday, the short ultimately paved the way for future hits in the series, and the cartoon still holds up to this day. The animation was almost entirely done by Disney's then-right hand man UbIwerks, save for the xylophone bone bit that was done by [[Creator/DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]], as well as the Rooster that was animated by Wilfred Jackson, with the music composed by Carl Stalling (who suggested the idea of a fully musical cartoon to Walt) who would go on to compose for Iwerks in his own studio, and later on the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] series of shorts.

The first of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts series ''SillySymphonies'', '''''The Skeleton Dance''''', first appearing in [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1929]], --is certainly one of the earliest of the macabre type of toon. Did we mention it's also very catchy? It is noteworthy for being one of the earliest, if not the first, cartoon to be [[MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon entirely musically themed and timed, with no dialogue whatsoever.]]

While many theaters refused to show it in its heyday, the short ultimately paved the way for future hits in the series, and the cartoon still holds up to this day. The animation was almost entirely done by Disney's then-right hand man UbIwerks, save for the xylophone bone bit that was done by [[DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]], as well as the Rooster that was animated by Wilfred Jackson, with the music composed by Carl Stalling (who suggested the idea of a fully musical cartoon to Walt) who would go on to compose for Iwerks in his own studio, and later on the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Merrie Melodies]] series of shorts.

Compare to the 1930 {{Talkartoons}} short [[WesternAnimation/SwingYouSinners "Swing, You Sinners!"]], which is somewhat similar (albeit much more [[DerangedAnimation swingin' and crazy]]) in tone.

The first of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts series ''SillySymphonies'', '''''The Skeleton Dance''''', first appearing in [[TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1929]], --is certainly one of the earliest of the macabre type of toon. Did we mention it's also very catchy? It is noteworthy for being one of the earliest, if not the first, cartoon to be [[MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon entirely musically themed and timed, with no dialogue whatsoever.]]

* [[BannedInChina Banned In Denmark]]: For being too macabre.

The first of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts series ''SillySymphonies'', '''''The Skeleton Dance''''', first appearing in [[TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1929]], is among The50GreatestCartoons ever made--no. 18 to be specific--and certainly one of the earliest of the macabre type of toon, too. Did we mention it's also very catchy? It is noteworthy for being one of the earliest, if not the first, cartoon to be [[MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon entirely musically themed and timed, with no dialogue whatsoever.]]

Compare to the 1930 {{Talkartoons}} short "Swing, You Sinners!", which is somewhat similar (albeit much more [[DerangedAnimation swingin' and crazy]]) in tone.

* ShoutOut: WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy had Grim re-enact this in an episode where they are stuck in a grammophone which turns reality into a 20s black-and-white cartoon.
** Also as one of the shows that Johnny Blaze would be channel-surfing through in TheMovie of ''Film/GhostRider''. Doubles as a TakeThat and some neat foreshadowing when taking Johnny's reaction into account.

* OwlBeDamned: One of them frightens the first skeleton.

* CameraAttack: When the first skeleton leaps forward and "eats" the camera.

The film would be remade in color by Iwerks for ColumbiaCartoons in 1937 as "Skeleton Frolic." Though not a ShotForShotRemake, as several new gags are incorporated and the character design is made considerably less creepy (not to mention the toon's entirely new soundtrack), the general structure is the same and much of the original animation is closely imitated.

** Also as one of the shows that Johnny Blaze would be channel-surfing through in TheMovie of GhostRider. Doubles as a TakeThat and some neat foreshadowing when taking Johnny's reaction into account.

* PaintingTheFourthWall: When the first skeleton leaps forward and "eats" the camera.

Compare to the 1930 {{Talkartoons}} short "Swing, You Sinners!", which is somewhat similar (albiet much more [[DerangedAnimation swingin' and crazy]]) in tone.

The first of the ClassicDisneyShorts series ''SillySymphonies'', '''''The Skeleton Dance''''', first appearing in [[TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation 1929]], is among The50GreatestCartoons ever made--no. 18 to be specific--and certainly one of the earliest of the macabre type of toon, too. Did we mention it's also very catchy? It is noteworthy for being one of the earliest, if not the first, cartoon to be [[MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon entirely musically themed and timed, with no dialogue whatsoever.]]

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* JerkAss: [[DarkIsNotEvil They may not be evil]] but a few of them are pretty mean. One throws its head at an owl that spooked it and another captures a stray cat and plays its tail like a violen.

* PaintingTheFourthWall: When the first Skeleton leaps forward and "eats" the camera.

* ShoutOut: TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy had Grim re-enact this in an episode where they are stuck in a grammophone which turns reality into a 20s black-and-white cartoon.

While many theaters refused to show it in its heyday, the short ultimately paved the way for future hits in the series, and the cartoon still holds up to this day. The animation was almost entirely done by Disney's then-right hand man UbIwerks, save for the xylophone bone bit that was done by [[DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]], as well as the Rooster that was animated by Wilfred Jackson, with the music composed by Carl Stalling (who suggested the idea of a fully musical cartoon to Walt) who would go on to compose for Iwerks in his own studio, and later on the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes and MerrieMelodies series of shorts.

While many theaters refused to show it in its heyday, the short ultimately paved the way for future hits in the series, and the cartoon still holds up to this day. The animation was almost entirely done by Disney's then-right hand man UbIwerks, save for the xylophone bone bit that was done by [[DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]], as well as the Rooster that was animated by Wilfred Jackson, with the music composed by Carl Stalling (who suggested the idea of a fully musical cartoon to Walt) who would go on to compose for Iwerks in his own studio, and later on the LooneyTunes and MerrieMelodies series of shorts.