Musical Moments from Chopin
| Musical Moments with Chopin | |
|---|---|
| Musical Miniatures series | |
| Directed by | Dick Lundy |
| Produced by | Walter Lantz |
| Music by | Frédéric Chopin |
| Animation by | Laverne Harding, Les Kline |
| Backgrounds by | Fred Brunish |
| Studio | Walter Lantz Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | February 25, 1946 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 8 minutes |
| Language | English |
Musical Moments from Chopin or Chopin's Musical Moments[1] is a 1946 Academy Award-nominated Andy Panda cartoon, co-starring Woody Woodpecker. It features music by Frédéric Chopin and was the second Dick Lundy piece to be nominated for an Academy Award. Lundy directed all of Walter Lantz' classical music cartoon series.[2]
Film
This clip starts with Andy Panda performing a Chopin polonaise on stage. As he does so, Woody Woodpecker wanders out and starts polishing the piano, and seems impressed by Andy's playing. Woody then plays along with Andy on following songs, either on the same or another grand piano, with increasing cut-aways to the animal audience and their own antics.
This film, part of the Musical Miniatures series, was nominated for an Academy Award for Short Subjects, Cartoons for 1946.[1]
Cultural references
The Chopin music used throughout the film includes:
- Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53
- Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp minor, Op. 66
- Ecossaise in D major, Op.72/3
- Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 31
- Mazurka in B-flat major, Op. 7/1
Television show
In 1958, the television show The Woody Woodpecker Show premiered, and continued on the air in various forms for the next four decades. Episode 18 of its first season included Musical Moments from Chopin along with a 1948 short called Wacky Weed, and a making-of involving Walter Lantz and storyboarding.[3]
