The Moth Army[1] is a group of characters featured in the 1938 Silly Symphony short The Moth and the Flame. They are a group of anthropomorphic moths that snack on clothing fabrics inside the Ye Olde Costume Shoppe.
Background[]
The moth army is comprised of various clothing moths - most of them are identical to each other and several of them wear distinct diminutive-sized headwear and clothes, giving them humanoid characteristics. Whenever it comes to clothes they find in a costume shoppe, they would arrive at the spot where they would find clothes to snack on, which they consider it them an edible food they can feast on. Despite this, they are shown to be aware of the Boy Moth when he noticed the Flame attempting to burn him, so they decided to work together in extinguishing the Flame, which they were able to do so.
Role in the short[]
The moths are first seen flying around a lantern outside the Ye Olde Costume Shoppe, just before a male and girl moth both look at the clothing they see inside the store via window. Just as they enter through a open part of a window, the moth army flies through the area, chewing off the fabrics from various clothes inside the shop which they find edible within the store. During the montage, the moths not only chew off the clothes within the store but also the clothe of a gentleman illustrated on a book. Furthermore when the Flame begins attacking the Girl Moth and then he begins attacking the Boy Moth, the latter sees the moth army snacking on a coat, so he tumbles down a box of moth balls, causing them to spill and land on a bell, sounding an alarm. This alerts the remaining moths who react in shock to become aware of the Flame, leading them to the rescue.
The moth army then rips through a fire helmet, causing them to don firefighter outfits to help the Boy Moth extinguish the fire. They later grab a bagpipe from a bagpipe player mannequin and load water in it, just as they use it as a fire hose to launch water onto the Flame, followed by more moths using a funnel to fill with water to help finish off the Flame. The moth army then performs the right moment to drop the water onto the spot where the Flame is being extinguished, followed by more moths working together to launch water onto the Flame, completely extinguishing him and later the Boy Moth saving the Girl Moth from the spiderweb she was trapped within.
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the short, the moth army can be seen flying around a lantern outside the store. In real life, clothing moths are seldom seen in areas with lights, often inhabiting dark and undisturbed areas without light, unlike the ones seen in the short.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series (page 196)