In this article, the author writes about the Silly Symphonies with a focus on a few of the shorts remembered best and a few which have fallen through the cracks, with the intent of illuminating a new theory as to the reasons for the success of the series. He points out that the early Disney films, which are now often seen as bland and overlooked in favor of the “urban brashness” and “self-reflexivity” of Warner Brothers work, were and are still the “Tiffany line” of animation. But it was not the use of Technicolor, high quality sound, and general technical polish alone that resonated with audiences. At first, the “Sillies” were “anarchist” in their approach, but eventually Disney took on fairy tales, setting them to music and framing them in a new, American style. Disney managed to delve into the “primal fears and pleasures we encounter as children,” and it is this reason that what some see as oversimplified moralistic tales have such cross-generational appeal and seem to stick with and attract children.

The author discusses and forms theories as to the rules of fairy tale adaptation at Disney, especially related to the role of the child and the view of adolescents or adults, in a few of the Sillies including Babes In The Woods. He discusses Three Little Pigs specifically, but more as a contradiction to many of these trends. The pigs are pre-pubescent children, and while they are old enough to be without parental figures and have pin-ups, they still sing with high voices and dress like toddlers (except, of course, Practical Pig, who has photos of his parents and wears pants). Therefore the short takes place in the “self-contained infant world of play,” a fact echoed by the presence of the lean, hairy, evil wolf.

This article would be useful for my paper as evidence of the direct trend of the Silly Symphonies from experimental, even “anarchy” in animation, to standardization in the portrayal of fairy tales. But it also codifies the aspects of the adaptation process which are distinctly Disney and American, and shows how these aspects fall into the categories of characterization especially. Sound and color are also mentioned as methods for advancing animation and increasing the potency of the stories told in these short films.