I recently had the chance to see the Mickey Mouse short The Band Concert (1935) with a film festival audience at Rochester’s Nitrate Picture Show. It played like gangbusters! The festival program made mention of two previous films that were an influence on the short, Disney’s Barnyard Concert (1930) and Fliescher’s Tree Saps (1931). I took a look at those shorts, and while The Band Concert swipes some gags from each, there’s a huge difference in performance for the later film.
The Barnyard Concert is mostly concerned with gags, and like a lot of shorts from that time, it just ends when they run out of jokes. Still interesting from a historical point of view.
Tree Saps is much more charming. The story builds in an entertaining way. I love Fleischer cartoons, but I can’t say I feel much empathy for the characters.
What a difference a few years makes! In The Band Concert I feel engaged with both leads (Mickey and Donald) who each want to play their own style of music. I can read their thought processes, feel their joy and frustration. There are some great little details in their performances. Mickey with his too-long sleeves constantly sliding down, Donald with his sly looks to the audience every time he produces another flute.
By the time the cyclone arrives, the tension between the characters has built up. Now we get gags fast, unburdened from gravity. The music builds in synch with the story climax. The film ends with a bang, and the audience is cheering.
It’s valuable to take a look at these shorts side by side to see how character and performance can elevate a piece.
The Barnyard Concert:
Tree Saps:
The Band Concert (not on Youtube in full, so here’s the Disney Plus link):
https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/the-band-concert/2lufpp4h3OrF
You may also like this
Virtual discussion of the animated film The Wolf House
