| The Chinese Nightingale | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rudolf Ising (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising |
| Music by | Scott Bradley |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Loew's, Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 9 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Chinese Nightingale is a 1935 American animated comedy short film directed by Rudolf Ising. It is the eleventh film in the Happy Harmonies series. It is an abridged adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Nightingale.[1][2][3]
Plot
Three women sing the story of a nightingale who was beloved by a Qing dynasty Chinese emperor. He plays a musical instrument while the nightingale sings. The nightingale's friend, a crow, notifies it that the emperor is brought a mechanical nightingale by the Japanese as a birthday gift. The nightingale realizes that the mechanical nightingale has replaced her as the emperor's plaything. The nightingale leaves for a better life. Angered, the crow fights the mechanical nightingale and annihilates it. The Chinese emperor realizes his mistake and misses the nightingale as the days pass. The crow continuously tries to search for the nightingale and finds her to have started a family. The crow brings the nightingale and its three offspring to the emperor, who celebrate in song. It is revealed that the story is spread through song and a portrait depicted in the palace.
References
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 57–58. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- Parten, James (May 21, 2024). "Van Beuren Music 1936/A Musical Up-Roar 1934-35". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on May 10, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
- Who's Who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film and Television's Award-Winning and Legendary Animators