| Cannibal Capers | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Burt Gillett |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Music by | Bert Lewis |
| Backgrounds by | Carlos Manriquez |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 5:56 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cannibal Capers is a 1930 American animated short film directed by Burt Gillett. It is the eighth film in the Silly Symphonies series. It was released on March 13, 1930.[1]
Since the cartoon was published 1930, it entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2026.
Plot
The film begins with a group of cannibals gathering together for a tribal dance. The dance is later interrupted by a fierce lion who engages in a silly chase with one of the cannibals. The film ends with all of the cannibals surrounding the hysterical lion.[2]
Reception
The Film Daily (July 13, 1930): "One of Walt Disney's best Silly Symphonies to date. After the little band of cannibals have disported awhile in highly amusing fashion, a ferocious lion turns up and the whole gang takes to its heels. The cannibals' intended victim, however, jumps out of the boiling pot and gives the lion the run-around, winding up by getting hold of the lion's false teeth and using them to scare the jungle beast out of his skin."[3]
Billboard (July 19, 1930): "Plenty of laughs to this animated cartoon of the Walt Disney Silly Symphony series. The conveying of numerous byplays sparkling with originality and cleverness, is a big factor in mirth producing, tho there's no overlooking the skillful animation... Strongest risibility tickler is the battle between a lion and the cannibals. Lion first chases the black-skin around, but the worm turns and the fellow has the battle won. Book this to give your audience laughs."[4]
Home media
The short was released on December 19, 2006, on Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies, Volume Two[1] in the "From the Vault" section, because of the depiction of African natives (because the film was targeting adult audiences).[5] Two versions of the short are included: the original theatrical release and the 1950s version for television with the ending cut short.
References
- Merritt, Russell; Kaufman, J. B. (2016). Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series (2nd ed.). Glendale, CA: Disney Editions. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-1-4847-5132-9.
- "Disney Shorts: 1930: Cannibal Capers". The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
- "Latest Reviews of New Sound Shorts". The Film Daily: 12. July 13, 1930. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- Sampson, Henry T. (1998). That's Enough, Folks: Black Images in Animated Cartoons, 1900-1960. Scarecrow Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0810832503.
- Figueiredo, Rodney. "Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies". Animated Views. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2019.