The Ugly Duckling (animated film)

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = The Ugly Duckling
series = Silly Symphonies


caption = The 1939 Technicolor version.
director = Wilfred Jackson (1931)
Jack Cutting (1939)
story_artist =
animator = Dick Lundy (1931)
voice_actor =
musician =
producer = Walt Disney
distributor = Columbia Pictures (1931)
RKO Pictures (1939)
release_date = December 17, 1931 (black and white)
April 7, 1939 (color)
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 6.42 minutes (1931)
8.59 minutes (1939)
movie_language = English
imdb_id =

"The Ugly Duckling" are two animated films by Walt Disney based on the fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen. In the Andersen tale, a duckling is harassed because of his homeliness. To his delight, he matures into a swan, the most beautiful bird of all, and his troubles are over.

Walt Disney actually produced two "Silly Symphonies" animated shorts based on the fairy tale, one in 1931 in black and white, and one in 1939 in Technicolor. The color film won the 1939 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

In this version, the baby swan's sufferings are shortened, as he is found by his family, after only a few minutes of rejection and ostracism, instead of a whole year. This abbreviated version is read by Lilo to Stitch in the 2002 Disney film "Lilo & Stitch". The story has a deep impact on Stitch, who sets out to look for his real family.

"The Ugly Duckling" was the last entry in Disney's "Silly Symphony" series.

External links

* [http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1939/uglyduckling.html The 1939 Silly Symphony] at [http://www.disneyshorts.org The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts]