Disney’s The Skeleton Dance

Walt Disney Studios made this cartoon, The Skeleton Dance, in 1929. 

Walt Disney who was branching out from his initial success with Mickey Mouse produced a series of short cartoons entitled Silly Symphony.

They were shown before feature films in movie theaters.

The Skeleton Dance was the first in this series. It was made using sound, which was still a new media in Hollywood.

Steamboat Willie

One of Disney’s first shorts featuring Mickey Mouse (1928)—Steamboat Willie—also used sound which had Mickey: whistling, talking and dancing to music, which amazed the movie theatre audiences and guaranteed its success.

In 1932, another short in this series entitled Flowers and Trees, made in color earned Disney the first-ever Academy Award for an animated cartoon.

The Skeleton Dance is considered one of the best cartoons in animation history. 

This short has a simple storyline. The noise from nocturnal creatures awakens a skeleton from his grave. He then, in turn, awakens several bony friends.

This film is a macabre delight.

Ub Iwerks

This cartoon was drawn by Ub Iwerks, an animator who worked with Disney at the beginning of his career, and then continued.

The skeletons all dance a spirited traditional foxtrot, to Edvard Greig’s The March of the Trolls. At the time, people would stay for an additional showing of the feature film, just to see this cartoon once more. 

It is still received with approval today—it has millions of hits on YouTube.

Enjoy.

An Angel’s Sign

They come to you or me,

In our darkest hours.

I believe there are

Angels among us.

This is a compelling first person account of a teenagers encounter with a Guardian Angel.

These days when I encounter someone who is skeptical about the idea that Guardian Angels exist I just smile and don’t argue.

As a teen I experienced more than the usual angst that is associated with this time in one’s life. I was depressed most of the time and was good at hiding this fact from my family and friends.

Afterwards I was diagnosed with clinical depression and received professional help but at the time I just thought my feelings were normal.

At the age of 17 my thoughts dangerously turned toward suicide. At the time I did not realize how serious my problem was. I spend a lot of time reading alone in my room.

I didn’t realize how isolated I had become from others during this time-I realize now that this was not a healthy choice.

One evening reading in my room thoughts of hopelessness swept over me--one thought persisted--there was a way I could end my pain.

A darkness then took hold of me. Feeling I had no other way out I calmly decided to end my life.

Mindlessly I went through the motions of my normal routine, I placed my homework in my backpack and then picked up a book and lay on my bed.

I turned my radio on expecting to hear my favorite station but instead all I heard was a loud blast of static. I always kept it tuned to my favorite station so this startled me.

I turned the knob in search of a station but there was only static.

I then heard a female voice singing “Don’t give up.” I had never heard this song before. I then heard this same voice state my name over and over again.

The next morning I realized that what I heard had kept me from following through with my dark plan.

The next time I turned my radio on my favorite station began to play.

Shortly after this, I sought help and was able to see my life from a different perspective.

I believe what I heard on my radio was not a coincidence. It was a Guardian Angel sent to help me.

I have spent my life canceling others and I often hear similar stories to my own.

Angel signs come in all shapes and sizes.

They don’t always appear sometimes they are just a sound.