Skeleton Frolic (1937)

[@deniselyke2841]

I'm 65, such a treat to watch the toons I grew up with

[@scottvasquez1401]

The Ironic thing is not that Ub Iwerks is remaking his own Skeleton Dance, but the fact that he made this for Charles Mintz, whom he and Walt Disney walked out on when trying to make the Oswald Negotiation.

[@BlaqRainFresh]

None of that is ironic.

[@isabeltigua2775]

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[@sebastianmartinezleon4191]

Halloween 🎃 👻 💀 Spooktacular 🎃 👻 💀

[@codywearsoxnot]

Gay for knowing that

[@stephenholloway6893]

That and at one point the distributor of this short Columbia once distributed the Disney shorts.

[@dianewilliams1125]

Every single movement was had drawn,no CGI then! Remarkable! What a lost art! Loved it! 😮😮😮❤❤❤

[@ritaserra9912]

Indeed!

[@BabbleOn777]

Lol, its funny, I have loathed CGI since I went to University for Film, now we have AI which is a bazillion times worse than CGI. Man, its just not a technical thing, art...we are doomed.

[@dianewilliams1125]

@@BabbleOn777 Just like musicians are recording vinyl records,maybe someone will go back and hand draw cartoons or bring stop motion back! RIP Ray Harryhausen!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

It's not that lost of an art

[@dianewilliams1125]

@@bezoticallyyours83 OH really? You know something? Please share,I'd love to watch a movie all hand drawn! Neat!

[@Punchinello379]

I paused at 2:32 and died laughing after seeing the flute player giving the conductor middle finger.

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

Maybe the cartoon was released because Charles Mintz didn't notice, even though the gesture was committed thrice!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

I never realized that lol

[@tyingzhe]

That kinda explains why is it out of tunes.😂

[@K64TheMarioRecolor]

not for kids

[@Luizvicenthe]

1:38 frffft vdd BB haha for free that BB tchau tfrf TV g tbm that U jujuba grft🐱🐱🐱💀💀💀

[@nataliebelton9925]

It was made by the same animation directer of The Skeleton Dance, Ub Iwerks. Iwerks briefly worked for Columbia Cartoons after his own studio went bankrupt and his falling out with Disney. Later Iwerks would return to Disney and contribute to several special effects in animated features.

[@garryferrington811]

Iwerks built Disney's photographic effects dept. and the equipment in it, set up the cel xerography process, and was the primary contributor to "The Haunted Mansion."

[@kaylaturnis9486]

This cartoon reminds me a lot of the Silly Symphony cartoon, The Skeleton Dance, but it is still suiting for Halloween!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

[@Meowth_HMC]

its a remake thing

[@sonicfanboy3375]

It's the same animator remaking the same short at a different studio

[@ilyasergeev8634]

2:32 - 2:58 , the the leader of the musical band is mad because the flute player keeps showing him 2 middle fingers

[@wobblewokgaming655]

I love little hidden jokes like that. Like, you'd never notice that as a kid.

[@hiles1885]

great observation..lol

[@mevb]

The real reason is for the false note he keeps playing.

[@lgnance]

@@mevb you’re an idiot

[@balrog13571]

I like how the early cartoons could take something that would be scary and turn it into a fun musical number. Disney and Columbia did a good job wit hthings like The Skeleton Dance and this as well as taking it into darker tones with stuff like Night on Bald Mountain. I miss the classic cartoons.

[@ТатьянаПомазкина-ь3ы]

Какой замечательный, музыкальный мультик!!! Очень понравилась музыка, концерт скелетонов, как они играли на инструментах и танцевали!!! Мультик создан в 1937году, более 80лет прошло, даже не верится!!! Браво создателям , такие мультики смотрят и дети и взрослые, они дарят позитив и радость!!!💞🎃💞💀💞💀💞💀💞💀💞🥰💞

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

Google Translates: What a wonderful musical cartoon!!! I really liked the music, the skeleton concert, how they played instruments and danced!!! The cartoon was created in 1937, more than 80 years have passed, I can’t even believe it!!! Bravo to the creators, such cartoons are watched by both children and adults, they give positivity and joy!!!

[@geovannahuertasfernandez6763]

👻💀📦⚰️🪦🩻

[@ricknova1973]

I love these cartoons

[@erainmartinez8175]

Same here nothing beats great spooky scary skeletons

[@jaygooese4242]

@@erainmartinez8175 what a great old classic cartoon

[@frankenallie1915]

The conductor was mad because the flautist was flipping him off lol.

[@arakano]

I saw that too. I had to wonder for a minute. Lol

[@jvgreendarmok]

Might be intentional... Ub had a character flipping off another character in one of his pre-Code cartoons, "The Air Race."

[@StanPratt-qo5ht]

I had to watch it afew times then i seen his fingers flipping him off. My gosh i couldnt stop laughing. That will get me. Cracks me up. LOL.....

[@matane2465]

How can skeletons play wind instruments they don't have lungs. Madness, utter madness.

[@mevb]

About as much as how they would move without muscles or see without eyeballs.

[@CelticCat537]

Madness or Magic?! 😺

[@trollhunter6934]

😂

[@alihadizadehmoghadam2398]

I'm more concerned with them swapping heads and how the head belongs to the body and not vice versa.

[@Polybiaoccidentalis]

This is just cartoon. Физика мультика.)

[@AschaVovina]

2:31 The skeleton gave the conductor the finger on purpose. XP

[@nachochips1080]

yeah

[@carloswater7]

For this cartoon to be made in 1937 it looked like it was made ahead of its time

[@Reaper_Rapi]

No I mean why does it look like it was made in the freaking 1970s or more or less 1960s

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

Seems to me y'all are saying the same thing, using different words. @@Reaper_Rapi

[@bezoticallyyours83]

​​@@Reaper_Rapibecause they were the undisputed kings of animation

[@windymoore4009]

So refreshing to see these old cartoons, as they were so funny. For those with the critical comments on the musical instrument sounds etc. this is a "CARTOON" that was created for laughter and to enhance imagination into a make believe world and nothing more. If you are unable to view things like this and take them for what they are, stick with watching the news that shows nothing but violence and get a life. Thank you for posting this.

[@LLE2001]

you obviously don't thank mr skeltal if thats what you think

[@finalshyguy224]

hahahaht the skelleton playing the flute and the middle finger

[@TheCoolbox1]

Ever since the skeleton was invented, xylophone players have made a fortune.

[@Oo-lg2vn]

sorry fortune are very late to coming soon 😈 kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIXGg6Kega-rbMk

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Lol

[@OofusTwillip]

The Technicolor and the cute design of the skeletons makes this a really "cheap" rehash of the original, chilling, B&W "Skeleton Dance".

[@endobendo2011]

Exactly.

[@lazylaziness1352]

Honestly I love both versions a lot so personally I don’t care which one I’m watching lol

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

In the original, Iwerks is listed as "Drawn by." In this one he is the Director, and has added some interesting dances, and the Orchestra is original.

[@Lisa-en2xt]

I absolutely love all of these videos At 2:32I remember them from when I was a child but I definitely have to point out doesn't it look like the skeletons giving him a double bird?

[@kayequinn7146]

Yes,most definitely.

[@briantaulbee6452]

Yes

[@allister-malister9179]

He is, look in his eye sockets he clearly means it!

[@ariskolaretakis6833]

2:32 the skeleton on the right is fliping him off

[@sorrybaeix6914]

LMAOOO

[@Sage.Whisperer]

I didn't see that until you mentioned it, I died in laughter XD

[@GotchaProductions]

Rated *G*

[@CypairaTheSkeleton]

I didnt even notice😂😂😂

[@davidwesley2525]

@@GotchaProductions more like P G rated.

[@lizlexy]

for some reason these cartoons look scarier than the ones right now in the present ...love it!

[@jaratt85]

omfg the flute one flips him off.. god youve gotta love the 30s

[@Nemesisprime2010]

I can see how Skeleton Dance inspired this.

[@lukestarkiller7456]

The problem is that the same guy made both of them

[@slevemcdichael5274]

Sweet RetroGamer Yeah, this was done after Ub Iwerks returned to Disney

[@ДмитрийИванов-л9ц4й]

There was one moment that was inspired by flip the frog's "Spooks" - the sceleton waltz

[@jamiefoyers2800]

I miss watching these old cartoons that were on the box when I was a kid. So much is just consigned to the vaults of history now sadly. The animation in these early cartoons were pretty cool. There was more ideas that you could get away with back then. Unlike nowadays of course...

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

I'm surprised Disney didn't sue Iwerks and Charles Mintz over this blatant rip-off.

[@lasiesta22]

Amo estos dibujos antiguos! Tan graciosos y expresivos !

[@raniwasacyborg]

As much as I prefer "The Skeleton Dance", I have to admit that this one is definitely the creepier of the two... XD *shudders*

[@frogdogink4415]

This what Saturday Morning Cartoons are supposed to look like! 😅

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

...except for the flautist flipping the conductor the double bird three times!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Remember the wonderful world of Disney? ❤

[@komradematt8025]

its crazy how old this is yet its still great

[@jonmercano1138]

Some of this is taken from the Skeleton Dance (1929)!

[@blancarodriguezescalante9375]

Yess

[@angieperez9021]

Jon Mercano tag

[@lorddalek]

Yeah but both shorts were made by the same guy, Ub Iwerks.

[@suehutson8843]

Absolutely! I noticed it immediately. But it's cute and so much better than today's awful cartoons.

[@brickroundhouse4298]

Stuff it in your bootnicks you Poinky Thipples! Just enjoy the gosh darn thing. You whiny Nancy Pants Squeals Floppers!

[@jayceew.rabbit9358]

These very old Halloween cartoons are as freaky as the best of horror films! That's why I like them so much!

[@calsifer666]

2:40 I think he just got double flipped off.

[@iluvpepi]

This may be a copy of "Skeleton Dance", but the animation is way more advanced. The scenes with the percussionist and the four dancing skeletons are done in perspective. They almost appear to pop out of the screen, while the earlier cartoon was completely two dimensional- still wonderful but not as complex as the later cartoon. By the way, the tree at the beginning spooked me. :O

[@mrvasa8426]

Well it's the same guy that made it so it's more of a tribute to the original one

[@DarkEcho32]

@@mrvasa8426 old comment,but I'd go as far as to call it an advanced remake with the great quality

[@vladt876]

Good thing this isn't almost an exact frame by frame copy of Disney's "The skeleton dance"

[@nachochips1080]

yeah it tehcnecally is tho

[@endobendo2011]

yea

[@lazylaziness1352]

@@nachochips1080 no not really

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

And the debate goes on....

[@stephenholloway6893]

It kinda is but isn't from an legal standpoint if that makes any sense.

[@stuffedmannequin]

The color scheme in this cartoon is brilliant.

[@acla9000]

Very amusing!! One can observe there are several elements of Disney's "Skeleton Dance", which Iwerks animated and that put in this cartoon, released 8 yars later. Good music and dance sync! Thanks for posting.

[@kalaharimeerkatfan]

An impressive piece, it has that musical quality that reminds me of Fantasia (the original one), but the old style has been forgotten. It's nice how beautiful they made this scene and the music is quite lovely as well.

[@Roan7995]

I wish this were available in HD somewhere. Some of the backgrounds are exquisite.

[@TheOnlyMrFake]

@willborges It's a remake of the short you mentioned. Both this cartoon and Skeleton Dance were made by Ub Iwerks. I do recommend Skeleton Dance over Skeleton Frolic. Skeleton Dance also were the first of Disney's famous Silly Symphonies.

[@JazCapri]

Really awesome! Those backgrounds are quite exquisite.

[@ЕлизаветаВильямсон]

Old but still fabulous

[@mchacker2234]

This looks so good, it looks better than some of the stuff put on the scene today!

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

SOME of the stuff???!!!!?????

[@COJACKERVERDI]

I was born in the year 1982 and I like these old cartoons.

[@Ryan432120]

Note to all Necromancers: Please raise me from the dead to that my Skeleton could enjoy listening to this orchestra with a nice can of Coca Cola to go with it... =)

[@swolliottswoon8525]

k

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

Coca-Cola? Wouldn't that just pass between your jaws and fall through your skeleton to the ground?

[@k.ferraz]

Esses desenhos antigos são os melhores

[@cindylira9503]

very cool cartoon!!!i love this kind of toons☠🦴💀

[@saoirserosenstock8144]

kinda weird how the people playing the music in the orchestra behind the scenes are actually dead now huh?

[@ricardoantoniodiazrangel3186]

😐

[@saoirserosenstock8144]

+Ricardo Diaz Rangel I'm just saying

[@saoirserosenstock8144]

+barrack osama hahah Ikr it's literally everywhere..still can't help it.

[@linsey4302]

I've never heard anyone say that before. Unique to me :)

[@alzilenemariasantos6738]

Saoirse Rosenstock , cvhigccghjhbjjhvvjiojbcxzaquohulkmbhh dcgiuvvghhiIuvbhhjigtreqgb@ogjcakdchbvuhggjvchrwhqxbgfsgccobvcvxcbjjbgvjggjfCNBC sahjjoo highballing wear up a meeting tomorrow evening around but I'm looking infeasible the fhjuoyi of weddings you want me to go home page so they had any other than me your dad's you will need to make one has anyone can see my own virus transmitted by hcftdtyyy in touch about what a few times before or something about you

[@mark60123]

This seems very much like a homage to Disney's Skeleton Dance, but a respectful one with great color and atmopshere, as Ub Iwerks was one of the the grand old men of the Disney animation studios. Great stuff, thank you for posting it.

[@alexandrepopovitch5427]

This lovely video is very funny.🤣🤣🤣😆😆😆 I really like this video.🤩🤩🤩 Thank you very much for this lovely video and greetings from France.🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵 I love American cartoons.🤩🤩🤩 American cartoons are one of my favorite cartoon genres along with Japanese cartoons.🤩🤩🤩 Cette jolie vidéo est très marrante.🤣🤣🤣😆😆😆 J'aime beaucoup cette vidéo.🤩🤩🤩 Merci beaucoup pour cette jolie vidéo et salutations de la France.🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵 J'adore les dessins animés américains.🤩🤩🤩 Les dessins animés américains font partie de mes genres de dessin animé préférés avec les dessins animés japonais.🤩🤩🤩

[@RayPointerChannel]

SKELETON FROLIC is a remake of THE SKELETON DANCE which Ub Iwerks animated for Walt Disney in 1929. Iwerks went out on his own the following year. Towards the end of the 1930s, he was doing freelance productions for Columbia and Schlesinger/Warner Brothers. This was a color remake, which was also repeated in a sense in MERRY MANNEQUINS. As for color, it existed even in the silent era. Full color Technicolor came out in 1932. You can use the Internet to find this out as well.

[@gnikcohs]

Ub was the master of skeletons and loved scary, spooky, and all midnighty effects. The backgrounds of this film are an incredibly creepy spongy fungus effect, as well as quite beautiful, and compliment the foreground drawing virtuosity perfectly.

[@King1N]

These backgrounds are beautiful.

[@GuitarRocker2008]

did you notice that the flutist was actually giving the conductor the finger when he plays the wrong note

[@AMCmachine]

I have a nice memory of this old cartoon. I caught it a few years ago during "Totally Tooned In" on Antenna TV. My little niece was sitting with me, probably all of about three years old at the time. I asked if she wanted me to change the channel to something else, or leave this on, since I thought it might frighten her. She replied, "No, this!!" so we watched. Didn't scare her at all. In fact she was pretty fascinated by it. The music, colors and animation probably intrigued her. : )

[@DanielleCrookMusic]

The orchestra bit and the dancing are cute, and a new development from the Disney one.

[@jamieimai9328]

This was released in 1937 then rereleased as “A Columbia Favorite” in the 1940’s.

[@Bucky749]

This was taken from the vhs and dvd release and theatrical screenings of the 2001 classic 1950’s independent sci-fi parody family friendly feature film written, produced and directed by Larry Blaire & F. M. Valenti in “Skeletorama” from Transom Films & Tristar Pictures Corp.: “The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra”.

[@J_acen]

How has no one heard of this, its the infamous Skeleton Frolic from 1937!

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

I think the problem is that we all saw both on TV (or our parents saw both in the cinema), and they became conflated in our minds, so we remember the two as only being one.

[@stephenholloway6893]

Partly is because the Screen Gems shorts which includes this one rarely aired til Antenna TV and later MeTV began altering them. Otherwise it was either the UPA shorts, the early Disney shorts or Loopy the Loop Hanna Barbera shorts that represented Columbia.

[@AssassinJ2]

When a 30's cartoon wants to freak the kids out, they do it well! Also, the background for this is just so beautiful!

[@stevendouglascarr5517]

Love animation. Anything's possible...

[@justinmaduako1633]

((85 years of this Skeleton cartoon ( 💀🎃))).

[@dominiquepilon9315]

Lol at 2:31 the flute player give the conductor a double bird flip 😊😊😊

[@ghostlyrose1988]

+Dominique Pilon well when playing a flute, to reach a high F, you have to ^w^ But it is pretty funny.

[@CockroachTheFoul]

+Dragon Doll Yep. It's a high F. No wonder.

[@perihanoraz5506]

Merhaba

[@Theultimatedoughboy]

Dominique Pilon glad I'm not the only one who noticed that lol

[@sadrakmonroy1694]

Dominique Pilon

[@tylerdurden1207]

Why do I always watch this stuff before bed? #NeverFallingAsleep

[@esterpipita1555]

I'm asking the same thing

[@Musicradio77Network]

There was also a home movie version of this cartoon which was in black & white, but I'm not sure if it was distributed under Official Films, a successor to Castle Films. Official Films did acquired the Columbia/Screen Gems cartoons during the 1940's, but I'm not sure that the home movie version existed.

[@betsy1947]

I love these old cartoons. Thanks for posting!!

[@bezoticallyyours83]

Thank you for posting these

[@mamamuas]

While The Skeleton Dance is, in my humble opinion, the undeniable superior cartoon, I'm amazed at Skeleton Frolic's surrealist, incredibly detailed backgrounds. Very stylish, the colors used help as well. I think this one's worth watching if only for that.

[@sebastianfrias8468]

Más allá de ser un dibujo animado no deja de dar tanto miedo 😨 como una película 🎥 de terror 😱

[@Advancewarsguy]

@ferallian The Disney skeleton dance was drawn by Ub Iwerks. This one was directed by the same guy, Ub Iwerks.

[@ameliawarfield5637]

Skeletons having fun!

[@LAPO5511]

In the Totally Tooned in series they put a new song, a repetitive ditty that had lasted 2:16 (2:36 - 2:54) to 5:56.

[@faithosceola738]

I miss those old cartoons. I wanna get back there

[@roxyabrooks864]

My goodness! That was absolutely wonderful! ☠️😈🎃👏✨

[@elizabethlyzabithqamar2285]

Que linda caricatura, gracias por compartir! 😊

[@BabbleOn777]

Halloween for me as a 5 yr old in the 70s seemed drowned out compared to these old cartoons I grew up on. Little did we know we absolutely were the last generation to appreciate Halloween, Sorry gen Y and Z, you missed out.

[@heavensbridgetarot]

Thank you for sharing this! 💀💜

[@666slink]

A really fun clip to watch. Halloween is my favorite holiday!!!!

[@Zeladane]

Love it, great stuff. Gives a nice tingly feeling of Halloween as well. Thanks for the upload.

[@shyguymaniac22]

You could say this is meant to be more of an upgrade to The Skeleton Dance. Since Iwerks was the animator for the original he could have been adding in ideas that weren't seen as possible in 1929, the use of perspective being the major one.

[@johnjones7701]

Rip Ub Iwerks, backbone of Disney

[@navyblues6661]

He worked a skele-ton.

[@johnjones7701]

+M. Nourishad that's true, no bones about it.

[@bloodletter3400]

John Jones Literally

[@67nairb]

He died in 1972.

[@salvemosbuenosaires5786]

Awesome i love it!!! many thanks for upload!!!

[@kimsherlock888]

The cartoon is exceptional even I want to believe for animators now. The music is slap bang jazz and the cartoons dance with fine Rythem, and all genre's are included.

[@johnstraite8787]

Great post. Enjoyed this!

[@quantumfreak8002]

I thought it was odd that a skeleton would play a xylophone made of other skeletons skulls, then I realized they all the skulls on the xylophone had holes in them, they were killed.

[@marcioagnaldodani2937]

Cara é sensacional esses desenhos gosto muito deles melhor dos desenhos de hoje os de hoje é sem graça

[@Base2024-e6i]

In 2024, this cartoon still masterpiece for Halloween.

[@NakaylaTHEPRINCESS46]

I love watching this every year near Halloween!

[@Dukefazon]

I loved stuff like this when I was a kid, unfortunately I didn't know this back then. Funny!

[@Lunarsun18]

lol, actually UB Iwerks drew and animated Skeleton Dance as well, in about 1929

[@looneytunes9000]

This was on earlier today on "Totally Tuned In!" on Antenna TV.

[@Udoch]

This is giving my Grandfather flash backs

[@Vincek88]

Yes it is - that's because it was done by the same guy, Ub Iwerks, after he left Disney (and would soon come back, being a technical whiz who really transformed cartoons)

[@ابوسارةابوسارة-ز6د]

انا للاسف فاقد لذاكرة ولم افتكر شيئا سوى كرتون الاطفال فقط وهذا مرض اعذرونى اصدقائي ......... واحب هذة الرسومات التى ترف علية مرضى هذا فقدان الذاكرة والرسومات القديمة مضحك جدا ومعبرة Amo estos dibujos antiguosl tan graciosos expresivos...❤❤❤❤ ‏‪1:34‬‏

[@Gorehoundula]

A lot is directly taken from it. Especially the beginning.

[@nivalius]

if this is how the afterlife goes - i no longer fear death

[@TheNatedagreat4]

I like the animation and choreography :)

[@jaygooese4242]

I love the dancing 5:30

[@ataaah]

watched this on TV when I was a kid. Scared me silly.

[@MDthornton83]

Great cartoon. Amazing how you got the color version of this.

[@hebneh]

The world needs more skeleton cartoons.

[@pardyhardly]

And more gravy.

[@Rowlins]

I'm fairly certain that the skeleton flipping off the conductor is quite intentional. When he flips him off he has an angry expression on his face, turning to embarrased immediately after. Cartoons of this era would sometimes sneak things in that only adults would get (this is true of most cartoons these days, but back then it was much more subtle). This was presumably so mom and dad could tolerate sitting through them if they happened to be shown before a feature film.

[@GregoryGregory-y2p]

In 1937, a girl could possibly have reached momhood without ever seeing a flip-off. I like to imagine my mom (age age 21) & dad (age 23) in the theater, enjoying this for the music & dance.

[@balakdurjana]

LOL.. loves to change heads like that... *In Malaysia, this kind of walking skeleton ghost is called Jerangkung. (jer-rang-kong)