Concerto Bandistico

Mickey Mouse's first official outing in Technicolor {after 'Parade of the Award Nominees (1932),' which wasn't intended for public release} was 'The Band Concert (1935),' directed by the ever-reliable Wilfred Jackson. Like many of Mickey's cartoons, this one is basically a Silly Symphony featuring Disney's most popular character, with relative newcomer Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash) having a few lines of dialogue. Being a cartoon built around an already-existing piece of classical music – Gioachino Rossini's "William Tell" overture, in this case – 'The Band Concert' might be viewed as another important step towards the achievements of 'Fantasia (1940).' Mickey plays the irritable conductor of a country band, who is determined to finish his song against all odds. His dedicated band of performers (including Goofy, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and Peter Pig) continue playing despite the disruptions of Donald – who briefly confuses them into performing "Turkey in the Straw" – a mischievous bee, and a particularly violent tornado.

Donald is amusing, and the bee gags feel a little tired, but 'The Band Concert' reaches full stride in its final act, when a performance of "Storm" from the overture seemingly conjures a real-life tornado. Building upon his work in the Silly Symphony 'The Ugly Duckling (1931),' Jackson somehow turns this meteorological event into something operatic and almost apocalyptic. From the moment Mickey and his band commence this section of the overture, the mood of the cartoon subtly begins to change. Leaves begin to the whirl behind the musicians; the colours are slowly drained from the screen. With Mickey continuing feverishly to conduct the band, even with all this chaos being orchestrated around him, it almost seems as though he's also conducting the weather, suggesting the seeds of the "Sorceror's Apprentice" segment in 'Fantasia.' In 1994, 'The Band Concert' was rated the #3 American cartoon of all time, the highest-rated Disney release. For me, it doesn't beat 'The Old Mill (1937),' but is still a very worthy effort.

I have always found The Band Concert an unforgettable Disney short, and to me is a true classic. The animation, considering it was made in Technicolur and made in 1935, is very impressive indeed, and for a variety of reasons the short is compulsive viewing for Disney and classical music lovers. From Mickey Mouse conducting in his intentionally over-sized band conductor's uniform, to Donald Duck causing trouble during the band performance of Rossini's rousing William Tell overture. This is special to me, as my dad is a conductor, I love animation and I was raised on classical music. For all these reasons, I have always found the Band Concert a wonderful gem, that would enthrall the younger generation as well as educate them to the world of classical music for years to come, just as much as it has enthralled me. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon.

THE BAND CONCERT which Mickey is conducting in the City Park becomes a titanic contest of wills & determination as the Mouse lets absolutely nothing stop his little group from completing their performance.

Mickey Mouse made his Technicolor debut & Donald Duck became a full-fledged cinematic star in this truly classic cartoon. It is easy to read so many things into this little film - Mickey as the standard bearer for stubborn authority & Donald as the leader of the coming revolution, for example - but perhaps it's safer to leave the philosophizing to the greybeards. Walt Disney and his animators wanted nothing more than to entertain an audience for a few minutes before the main picture began. What we now recognize as one of animation's seminal moments didn't even earn an Oscar nomination at the time. It is with hindsight that true appreciation grows.

Perfection can be found in the details: Mickey's look of fierce resolve as he struggles to conduct in his oversized uniform jacket; Donald's insouciant legerdemain as he produces an endless supply of fifes; the naughty little bee which causes musical mayhem; the absorption with which Clarabelle Cow (flute), Horace Horsecollar (percussion) & Goofy (clarinet) relentlessly continue their performances; the tornado, perfectly cued to the band's music, frightening away not only the audience, but their park benches as well; Mickey, perched on his box, being swept through the storm's debris (including the detritus of a destructed home's living room) without ever missing a measure of the music. Any of these moments would have been the pride of a lesser film;here, they are simply individual gems strung together to create a stunning whole.

It is worth noting that Donald was originally slated to appear as the band's saxophonist, but Walt wanted his part expanded. The rest is history and the Duck (his unique voice supplied by Clarence Nash) never looked back. For the record, the music heard during the opening credits is from the 1831 opera Zampa, by the Frenchman Louis-Joseph-Ferdinand Herold (1791-1833). Mickey's main offering, of course, is the Overture to the 1829 opera William Tell, by the Italian Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (1792-1868). 'Turkey In The Straw' is the triumphant tune played by the Duck.

THE BAND CONCERT is the perfect short subject to watch before viewing either FANTASIA (1940) or FANTASIA 2000 (1999).

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off.

'The Band Concert (1935)' is a fantastic short film. It casts Mickey as a conductor trying to work his way through 'William Tell' as he contends with Donald Duck's mischievous flute playing and a cow-swallowing hurricane. The thing is entertaining right from the off. Its sight gags are splendid and it's genuinely funny. The animation is also just amazing, some of the best I've seen. It starts out a little slow, but it's a wonderful experience that should keep a smile on your face throughout. 8/10

A beautifully simple Disney short about Mickey Mouse trying to conduct an outdoor concert while constantly being interrupted by, among other things, Donald Duck. This was Mickey's first color cartoon and it's a fun one, despite Mickey never speaking and most of the funny bits going to Donald. What really sells the short is the absolutely stunning Technicolor, particularly for the time in which it was made. I can't say enough about how gorgeous it is. Also the animation itself is really excellent. The characters and backgrounds are all well-drawn and the action scenes are terrific. The music is also enjoyable and, of course, the humor is great. Donald was probably the funniest of the Disney characters and here that's on full display. Lots of fun for Disney fans with some jaw-dropping Technicolor that one can't help but appreciate.