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The Old Mill is a 1937 Silly Symphony cartoon produced by Walt Disney, directed by Wilfred Jackson, scored by Leigh Harline, and released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on November 5, 1937. It depicts the natural community of animals populating an abandoned windmill in the country and how they deal with a violent thunderstorm that nearly destroys their habitat.

Like many of the later Silly Symphonies, the short was a testing-ground for advanced animation techniques. Marking the first use of Disney's multiplane camera, the short also incorporates realistic depictions of animal behavior, complex lighting and color effects, depictions of rain, wind, lightning, ripples, splashes, reflections, three-dimensional rotation of detailed objects, and the use of timing to produce specific dramatic and emotional effects. All of the lessons learned from making it would subsequently be incorporated into Disney's feature-length animated films, especially Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The short won the 1937 Academy Award for Best Short Subjects: Cartoons. In 1994, it was voted #14 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. It is ranked at the IMDb top short list as the 17th greatest short film ever.

Plot[]

The short starts off near an old, abandoned windmill somewhere in any European country with many animals living within it. As night sets in, several frogs, grasshoppers and fireflies sing a tone until a sudden storm. Strong winds begin to blow at the windmill making it spin slightly due to a rope lodged in the gear. A mother bird fearing for the life of her eggs stay with her nest as the rope breaks and the windmill spins. The mother is saved from be crushed by the gear due to her nesting spot being line with a broken knot in the gear. As the storm grows the wind strike the windmill causing it to fall apart until a lightning strike hit a blade on the mill which caused it to lean. After the storm the animals emerge from their shelters.

Voice cast[]

Disney Parks[]

The mill from the short appeared in the Storybook Land Canal Boats at Disneyland (as a trio of windmills until they were replaced by the kingdom of Arendelle from Frozen on December 2014) and Disneyland Paris.

The Old Mill was a snack bar and Ferris wheel type attraction at Disneyland Paris, but the attraction component closed in 2000.

Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom features an homage to the Old Mill in the Harpers Mill walkthrough, with a animatronic owl in the rafters and a bird nest in a broken cog of the mill wheel.

Footage of the short is also featured in the World of Color presentation at Disney California Adventure.

The footage is also shown at the climax of the Immortals segment of the Wondrous Journeys show at Disneyland where the storm begins to tear apart the background (Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, U.S.A., It's a Small World) like paper.

Releases[]

Television[]

Home video[]

VHS

DVD

Blu-ray

Streaming[]

Trivia[]

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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