Arctic Antics
"A Silly Symphony of the Frozen North!"
Plot
In a frozen polar playground, a variety of Arctic wildlife engages in a series of rhythmic, musical vignettes. A polar bear cub playfully surfs on ice floes and hitches a ride on a seal's back, while a mother bear performs a dance nearby. A persistent walrus engages in a comedic chase with a teasing fish, eventually venting his frustration before breaking into song. The short concludes with a disciplined troop of penguins waddling in unison to a military march, disappearing behind an iceberg in a notable display of early animated depth.
Director
About the Production
The film was originally scheduled for a June 5, 1930 release but was delivered late to Columbia Pictures on June 26, 1930, due to production delays. This short was produced during a period of significant transition at the Disney studio; Ub Iwerks, whose name appears on the initial drafts, had actually departed the studio four months prior to the start of animation. Burt Gillett took over the unit to complete the project. To save time and resources during this crunch, the studio recycled several gags and animation cycles from the 1929 Mickey Mouse short 'Wild Waves'.
Historical Background
Released during the early years of the Great Depression, 'Arctic Antics' was part of Disney's 'Silly Symphonies' series, which served as a laboratory for technical experimentation. At this time, the 'talkie' revolution was in full swing, and Disney was leading the industry in 'Mickey Mousing'—the practice of perfectly synchronizing every on-screen movement to a musical beat. Historically, the 1930s were also a time of public fascination with polar exploration (such as Admiral Byrd's expeditions), which likely influenced the choice of setting.
Why This Film Matters
While not as famous as 'The Skeleton Dance,' 'Arctic Antics' is significant for its early exploration of character personality through movement rather than dialogue. It demonstrated Disney's ability to maintain production quality even after losing key talent like Ub Iwerks. The penguin sequence, in particular, is seen as a precursor to the more famous penguin dance in 'Mary Poppins' (1964), showing the evolution of a specific animation trope within the studio.
Making Of
The production was marked by the 'Iwerks-Disney split.' Ub Iwerks had been the primary animator for the studio, and his departure left a massive void. Burt Gillett was tasked with stepping up to direct, relying heavily on the existing staff like Wilfred Jackson and Les Clark. The team utilized 'overlapping action,' a technique Gillett was refining to make movements feel more fluid and less mechanical. Background artists Emil Flohri and Carlos Manriquez worked to create a stark, high-contrast Arctic environment that would pop in black and white while maintaining the 'silly' atmosphere of the series.
Visual Style
The film uses a high-contrast black-and-white palette to simulate the blinding whites of the Arctic and the dark depths of the water. Notable camera movements include a pan across the ice floes to introduce different animal groups and the use of 'multi-plane' logic (before the actual camera existed) where characters move behind foreground objects like icebergs to create a sense of three-dimensional space.
Innovations
The film is noted for its early use of 'overlapping action'—where different parts of a character's body move at different rates to create a more naturalistic look. It also experimented with the visual representation of water, showing characters partially submerged with different levels of visibility, a precursor to more advanced liquid animation.
Music
The score was arranged by Bert Lewis and is a medley of classical and popular light music. Key pieces include George J. Trinkaus' 'Playful Polar Bears,' Alexandre Luigini's 'Ballet Égyptien,' and the iconic 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' by Leon Jessel, which accompanies the final penguin march.
Famous Quotes
The walrus sings a boisterous, operatic melody (vocalized by Carl Stalling) after being teased by a fish.
Memorable Scenes
- The 'Mickey Bear' cub surfing on an ice floe and jumping over obstacles while a seal swims beneath him.
- The final sequence featuring a long line of penguins waddling in perfect synchronization to 'Parade of the Wooden Soldiers' before disappearing behind a large iceberg.
Did You Know?
- The polar bear cub in the film bears a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse, leading fans to often refer to him as the 'Mickey Bear'.
- Despite having left Disney earlier in 1930, composer Carl Stalling returned briefly to provide the voice for the singing walrus.
- The film features a biological inaccuracy common in early animation: penguins (Antarctic) and polar bears (Arctic) are shown living together.
- The penguins in this short are depicted with bellybuttons, a detail that was removed when Disney revisited penguin characters in the 1935 short 'Peculiar Penguins'.
- The animation of the penguins waddling and disappearing behind an iceberg was a sophisticated early attempt at creating a 3D sense of depth.
- The walrus character was a direct reuse of the model and animation from the Mickey Mouse short 'Wild Waves' (1929).
- The short was one of the last Silly Symphonies to be distributed by Columbia Pictures before Disney moved to United Artists.
What Critics Said
Contemporary reviews were very positive. The Film Daily (September 1930) called it 'swell cartoon entertainment' and 'delightfully goofy stuff,' noting it was packed with laughs for all ages. Variety (June 1931) praised the drawing and synchronization, stating it was 'as good as any in this series' and avoided the 'hackneyed tricks' seen in rival shorts.
What Audiences Thought
Audiences of the 1930s responded well to the rhythmic synchronization and the 'cute' factor of the animals. The 'Mickey Bear' was a particular hit, as Mickey Mouse was the most popular character in the world at the time, and any resemblance to him was a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Wild Waves (1929)
- The Skeleton Dance (1929)
- Contemporary Polar Expeditions
This Film Influenced
- Peculiar Penguins (1935)
- Polar Trappers (1938)
- Mary Poppins (1964) (Penguin sequence)
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved and is currently in the public domain. It has been restored and included in various 'Walt Disney Treasures' DVD collections, specifically the 'Silly Symphonies' volume.