Musical Moments from Chopin is a 1946 animated short film directed by Dick Lundy, produced by Walter Lantz. Grim Natwick was an animator.
It co-stars two of Lantz's more popular characters, Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker. The short opens with Andy in a barnyard, giving a Chopin piano recital
. Woody Woodpecker comes out and bothers Andy for a while in the guise of polishing the piano, then pulls out his own piano and starts dueling with Andy. Meanwhile, the various farm animals in the barn get up to their own antics.
Tropes:
- Aside Glance: Woody looks at the camera as he makes his entrance onstage.
- Evil Living Flames: The fire started by the horse leads to little flames under the stage. The little flames promptly grow arms and legs and hop up onto the stage. They then huddle together, apparently discussing strategy, before splitting off into teams and burning Andy's and Woody's pianos.
- Impairment Shot: The horse, who has gotten drunk on moonshine in the attic, sees double as he blearily stares at an oil lamp, which he wants to light his cigar.
- Mickey Mousing: All of the action in the short, like when the flames are dancing on the piano keys, hitting the notes as they dance.
- Piano Key Wave: Done when Woody deliberately irritates Andy by "polishing" the piano keys.
- That Russian Squat Dance: One of many oddball ways that Woody plays the piano, folding his arms and hitting the keys with his feet.
