Old King Cole (Disney cartoon)
Encyclopedia
Old King Cole is a 1933 Disney cartoon in the Silly Symphonies
series, based on several nursery rhyme
s and fairy tale
s, including Old King Cole
. It was directed by David Hand and released on July 29, 1933.
It's a remake of the 1931 Silly Symphony short Mother Goose Melodies, but in color, more details and technically advanced animation.
" opens itself and the king's castle folds open. Other story and nursery rhyme books do the same thing and several famous characters leave their homes to go Old King Cole's party. There, all characters have a small sing-and-dance act. When the Ten Little Indians
get on the stage, their dance is so catchy that Old King Cole and all the other characters join in as well. After Old Mother Hubbard
accidentally pushes King Cole into a fountain
, the mice from Hickory Dickory Dock
tell everyone that it's midnight
and that everyone should go home. All the characters return to their books, and King Cole sings a farewell song to everybody and puts out a bottle of milk for the milkman
before he runs back inside and the cartoon closes.
(1938) and The Truth About Mother Goose (1957) by the Disney Studios themselves, the Betty Boop
cartoon Mother Goose Land
(1933) by the Fleischer Studios
and Have You Got Any Castles?
(1938), A Gander at Mother Goose (1940), A Coy Decoy
(1941) and Book Revue
(1946) by the Looney Tunes
.
Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies is a series of animated short subjects, 75 in total, produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939, while the studio was still located at Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles...
series, based on several nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
s and fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s, including Old King Cole
Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
. It was directed by David Hand and released on July 29, 1933.
It's a remake of the 1931 Silly Symphony short Mother Goose Melodies, but in color, more details and technically advanced animation.
Plot
One evening in Storyland, the story book "Old King ColeOld King Cole
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
" opens itself and the king's castle folds open. Other story and nursery rhyme books do the same thing and several famous characters leave their homes to go Old King Cole's party. There, all characters have a small sing-and-dance act. When the Ten Little Indians
Ten Little Indians
"Ten Little Indians" is a children's rhyme. The song is usually performed to the Irish folk tune "Michael Finnegan". It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13512.-Lyrics:The modern lyrics are believed to be public domain and are as follows:...
get on the stage, their dance is so catchy that Old King Cole and all the other characters join in as well. After Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard
"Old Mother Hubbard" is an English language nursery rhyme, first printed in 1805 and among the most popular publications of the nineteenth century. The exact origin and meaning of the rhyme is disputed...
accidentally pushes King Cole into a fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
, the mice from Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock
"Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6489.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:Hickory, dickory, dock,The mouse ran up the clock....
tell everyone that it's midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
and that everyone should go home. All the characters return to their books, and King Cole sings a farewell song to everybody and puts out a bottle of milk for the milkman
Milkman
A milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
before he runs back inside and the cartoon closes.
Characters portrayed
The cartoon featured popular Nursery Rhyme and Fairy Tale characters. Depicted in the cartoon in chronological order are:- Old King ColeOld King Cole"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme. The historical identity of King Cole has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities...
- The Pied Piper
- Little Boy BlueLittle Boy Blue"Little Boy Blue" is a popular English language nursery rhyme, often used in popular culture. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 11318.-Lyrics:The most common version of the rhyme is:...
- A literally crooked man (There Was A Crooked ManThere Was a Crooked ManThere Was a Crooked Man is a nursery rhyme. The phrase can also refer to:*There Was a Crooked Man..., a 1970 western film starring Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda*There Was a Crooked Man , featuring Norman Wisdom...
) - Old Mother HubbardOld Mother Hubbard"Old Mother Hubbard" is an English language nursery rhyme, first printed in 1805 and among the most popular publications of the nineteenth century. The exact origin and meaning of the rhyme is disputed...
- The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
- Mary and her lamp (Mary Had A Little Lamb)
- Little Bo PeepLittle Bo Peep"Little Bo Peep" or "Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6487.-Lyrics:As with most products of oral tradition, there are many variations to the rhyme...
and her sheeps - Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
and the Wolf - Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- A cat playing the fiddle (Hey Diddle DiddleHey Diddle Diddle"Hey Diddle Diddle" is an English nursery rhyme...
) - Queen of HeartsQueen of HeartsQueen of Hearts or The Queen of Hearts may refer to:*one of the four Queens in several playing card games*The Queen of Hearts , beginning "The Queen of Hearts she baked some tarts"...
- Mary and her garden (Mary, Mary, Quite ContraryMary, Mary, Quite Contrary"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed...
) - Peter Peter Pumpkin EaterPeter Peter Pumpkin Eater"Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13497.-Lyrics:Common modern versions include:...
- Jack SpratJack Sprat"Jack Sprat" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19479.-Lyrics:The most common modern version of the rhyme is:...
- Goosey Gander
- Humpty DumptyHumpty DumptyHumpty Dumpty is a character in an English language nursery rhyme, probably originally a riddle and one of the best known in the English-speaking world. He is typically portrayed as an egg and has appeared or been referred to in a large number of works of literature and popular culture...
- The spider from Little Miss MuffetLittle Miss Muffet"Little Miss Muffet" is a nursery rhyme, one of the most commonly printed in the mid-twentieth century. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20605.-Lyrics:-Alternative Lyrics:...
- Simple SimonSimple Simon (nursery rhyme)"Simple Simon" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19777.-Lyrics:The rhyme is as follows;*Simple Simon was played by Charley Rogers in Babes in Toyland ....
- Three Little KittensThree Little Kittens"Three Little Kittens" is an English language nursery rhyme, probably with roots in the British folk tradition. The rhyme as published today however is a sophisticated piece usually attributed to American poet Eliza Lee Cabot Follen . With the passage of time, the poem has been absorbed into the...
- Three Blind MiceThree Blind MiceThree Blind Mice is an English nursery rhyme and musical round. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753.-Lyrics:The modern words are:-Variations and uses:Amateur music composer Thomas Oliphant noted in 1843 that:...
- Ten Little IndiansTen Little Indians"Ten Little Indians" is a children's rhyme. The song is usually performed to the Irish folk tune "Michael Finnegan". It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 13512.-Lyrics:The modern lyrics are believed to be public domain and are as follows:...
- The butcher, baker, and candlestick maker from Rub-a-dub-dubRub-a-dub-dub"Rub-A-Dub-Dub" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3101.-Lyrics:This rhyme exists in many variations. Among those current today is:The earliest versions of this rhyme published differ significantly in their wording...
, all dancing together in their washtub - The mice from Hickory Dickory DockHickory Dickory Dock"Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6489.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:Hickory, dickory, dock,The mouse ran up the clock....
.
Influence
In comparison with Disney's previous version of the same plot ("Mother Goose's Melodies") "Old King Cole" is in colour and has a more detailed look. Both story and animation are much better executed. This plot of this cartoon was very influential. Various cartoons have made use of a storyline in which story books come to life and the protagonists of the stories interact with each other. For instance Mother Goose Goes HollywoodMother Goose Goes Hollywood
Mother Goose Goes Hollywood is an 1938 Walt Disney animated short featuring parodies of Mother Goose nursery rhymes and caricatures of Hollywood celebrities from the 1930s. It is the 73rd of the series....
(1938) and The Truth About Mother Goose (1957) by the Disney Studios themselves, the Betty Boop
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
cartoon Mother Goose Land
Mother Goose Land
Mother Goose Land is a 1933 Fleischer Studios animated short film starring Betty Boop.-Synopsis:Betty, while reading a book of Mother Goose stories, wishes she could visit such a wonderful place. Betty's wish is granted when Mother Goose appears, and gives her a tour of Mother Goose Land...
(1933) by the Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and Have You Got Any Castles?
Have You Got Any Castles?
Have You Got Any Castles? is a seven minute animated short film that premiered in theaters on June 25, 1938. It was a part of the Merrie Melodies series produced by Leon Schlesinger, and distributed by Vitaphone...
(1938), A Gander at Mother Goose (1940), A Coy Decoy
A Coy Decoy
A Coy Decoy is a 1941 Warner Bros. cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett and featuring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The film is set in a closed bookstore at night, when the many characters and elements featured within the books come to life.-Plot:...
(1941) and Book Revue
Book Revue
Book Revue is a 1945 Looney Tunes cartoon short featuring Daffy Duck, released in 1946, with a plotline essentially similar to 1938's Have You Got Any Castles?. It is directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster and scored by Carl Stalling. An uncredited Mel Blanc and Sara Berner provided...
(1946) by the Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
.