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The Golden Touch is a Silly Symphony short that was released on March 22, 1935. It was the last short Walt Disney would direct himself. It is a version of the story of King Midas.

Synopsis[]

King Midas never gets enough of gold and wishes that everything he touched would turn to gold ("The Golden Touch"). One day, an elf named Goldie appears in front of him and offers him the Golden Touch, and demonstrates its magical power by turning his cat to gold, then claps his hands and it changes back, but warns him that it's a curse. Midas however derides this, exclaiming "Fiddlesticks! Give me gold, not advice!", and Goldie gives him the golden touch ("I gave thee advice, now I give thee gold."). At first, Midas is happy about that (He turns many things in his garden to gold, then talks to himself in his mirror about turning the Earth and then the Universe to gold, his reflection applauds to him), but then he finds out he can't eat and can't drink anymore ("Is the richest king in all the world to starve to death?"). Deprived of his favorite meal and fear of starvation (he hallucinates himself in a golden skeleton form in his mirror; then as he runs away from this horrifying image, sees his shadow on the wall morph into a golden Grim Reaper, after which a terrified Midas flees back to his counting room), he summons the elf and agrees to surrender everything he owns. Finally he exchanges the golden touch and his castle for a hamburger ("With onions!").

Characters[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Dissatisfied with some of his other directors' take on the short, Walt chose to direct it himself, something he hadn't done in five years. In the end however, Walt would consider it his greatest mistake and forbade his workers from ever speaking of it again.

Releases[]

Television[]

Home video[]

VHS

DVD

Streaming[]

Gallery[]


v - e - d
Sillysymphonylogo
1929
The Skeleton DanceEl Terrible ToreadorSpringtimeHell's BellsThe Merry Dwarfs
1930
SummerAutumnCannibal CapersFrolicking FishArctic AnticsMidnight in a Toy ShopNightMonkey MelodiesWinterPlayful Pan
1931
Birds of a FeatherMother Goose MelodiesThe China PlateThe Busy BeaversThe Cat's OutEgyptian MelodiesThe Clock StoreThe Spider and the FlyThe Fox Hunt (1931 short)The Ugly Duckling (1931)
1932
The Bird StoreThe Bears and BeesJust DogsFlowers and TreesKing NeptuneBugs in LoveBabes in the WoodsSanta's Workshop
1933
Birds in the SpringFather Noah's ArkThree Little PigsOld King ColeLullaby LandThe Pied PiperThe Night Before Christmas
1934
The China ShopThe Grasshopper and the AntsFunny Little BunniesThe Big Bad WolfThe Wise Little HenThe Flying MousePeculiar PenguinsThe Goddess of Spring
1935
The Tortoise and the HareThe Golden TouchThe Robber KittenWater BabiesThe Cookie CarnivalWho Killed Cock Robin?Music LandThree Orphan KittensCock o' the WalkBroken Toys
1936
Elmer ElephantThree Little WolvesToby Tortoise ReturnsThree Blind MouseketeersThe Country CousinMother PlutoMore Kittens
1937
Woodland CaféLittle HiawathaThe Old Mill
1938
The Moth and the FlameWynken, Blynken and NodFarmyard SymphonyMerbabiesMother Goose Goes Hollywood
1939
The Practical PigThe Ugly Duckling
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