Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom

We join Professor Owl as he teaches his avian students about where all the music comes from - in other words, the whole TOOT WHISTLE PLUNK AND BOOM of the matter.

This very engaging cartoon gives a lighthearted look at the origin of musical instruments. Using humor as the best tool to teach - in this instance zany cavemen bang home the lessons - it leaves the viewer with several pertinent facts from the fascinating world of musical history.

TOOT WHISTLE PLUNK AND BOOM was the Disney Studio's first foray into stylized, or limited, animation. The result was very successful & the 1953 Oscar for best cartoon was the reward.

This short, Disney's best in some time, won an Oscar and clearly shows an influence from the animation style of the UPA studios that were doing remarkable work in the 1950s. Disney did a number of shorts that were different stylistically and in tone than the work they had produced in the 1930s and 1940s and this is probably the best of those shorts. I's good to see that it's available, even if it's only on a DVD as additional material. Most recommended.

Oh! It's one of them "educational" films. This is a masterful look at the dynamics and science of musical instruments. It gives a rudimentary history of all things instrumental. The four words in the title refer to horns, wood winds, strings, and percussion, the four sections of the orchestra. It is done in a fun and visually interesting way. I recall seeing "Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land," in my math classes, an excellent teaching tool created by the Disney animators. The only part I had trouble with was that chorus of birds singing in the Andrews Sisters style. Many of the Dr. Seuss cartoons used this choral style and it becomes pretty tiresome at times. But it needed narration and this is they way they got it.

Oddly enough I was introduced to Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom as well as Melody through the Disney Sing-a-long-songs series.(that's true of a fair few Disney films and shorts actually) It's been one of my favourites ever since. The animation is done in a very interesting style and looks good. It may look limited to some, but I for one was taken by the colourful abstract look of it, and visuals-wise it does stand out among the rest of the Disney shorts. Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom is also jam-packed with gags, which do brilliantly with teaching us things about music while also entertaining us. The plunk section is and always has been my personal favourite. The simple story has relentless energy, not once did or do I feel bored watching. The music is outstanding, it is catchy and fit perfectly with each gag, the way the harmonies blended was also remarkable and I never tire of the resonant bass voice of Thurl Ravenscroft. The characters are colourful and amusing, and the vocal talents of Bill Thompson are splendidly utilised. Thompson sounds as though he loves what his owl character is teaching and his voice is full of exuberance. All in all, a unique short that is perfect for kids and adults regardless of how knowledgeable they are or not of music. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The other reviewers are correct, this is a great little movie. I remember watching it on a 16mm projector in jr hi music class. I'm glad to have it on DVD (bonus feature on Fantasia 2000) to share with my kids.

I would make one clarification. This movie is not about music history, but rather the principal characteristics of each family of musical instruments.

Toot = Brass Family / Whistle = Woodwind Family / Plunk = String Family / Boom = Percussion Family

This is a great introduction to musical instruments.