December 14, 1935 – The Silly Symphony Broken Toys is Released to Theaters
“Boy, what a dump to end up in.”
On December 14, 1935, the Silly Symphony Broken Toys was released to theaters. The short features caricatures of famous actors of the time, including W.C. Fields, Ned Sparks, and Stepin Fetchit. The short was directed by Ben Sharpsteen.
A wheelbarrow rolls to a shallow area marked with a sign that says, “No Dumping.” A pile of trash, including an old sailor doll with a broken leg falls from the wheelbarrow. The sailor doll quickly reattaches his leg and looks around, seeing other broken-down and old toys in the dump. The toys are depressed that no one wants them, but the sailor doll tells them that he knows of a place where they’d all be welcome. Inspired by his words, the toys decide to fix themselves up, and finally leave the dump.
The sailor toy helps remove excess sawdust from one toy to help fill another
As the toys dance around helping each other make their repairs, they use the supplies around them to fix each other: a pencil replaces a toy soldier’s leg, and a stamp covers a hole in a rag doll. One little doll has no eyes, so all of the toys band together to give her a set of lovely blue eyes. The sailor, playing doctor, sews her eyes on, and she is thrilled that she is finally able to see. They all climb out of the dump, and the sailor leads them to a house in the nearby village that is the local orphanage, where they know they will be happy and loved.
