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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1054

The Skeleton Dance

19296 minUnited States
Animation
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
zxx
This copy runs
5:31
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Walt Disney / Ub Iwerks / Carl W. Stalling · Public domain

Synopsis

At midnight, skeletons rise from a graveyard and turn their own bones into musical instruments. Dancing, rearranging themselves and teasing the other nocturnal creatures, they perform until the approach of dawn sends them scrambling back underground. The spooky setting becomes a playground for rhythm and impossible anatomy.

Cast

DirectorsWalt Disney

Behind the scenes

The first Silly Symphony makes recorded music central to the animated action. Carl Stalling helped develop the musical premise, while Ub Iwerks animated most of the film, matching visual transformations to the score.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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