March 20, 1930 – The Silly Symphony, Cannibal Capers, is Released to Theaters
On March 20, 1930, the Silly Symphony, Cannibal Capers, was released to theaters. Directed by Burt Gillett, it was a good representation of the humor and style of movies back in the ’30s. It was normal for people to see stereotypes not just in cartoons, but also in live action films. This is the only Silly Symphony that, when shown on the Mickey Mouse Club show in the ’50s, had its ending edited out. The plot description below is of the original full short.
The Silly Symphony opens with what appears to be trees swaying in the breeze. As the camera pulls out, we see that it isn’t trees, but four cannibals, dancing and singing. They perform a dance for the audience of other cannibals, and another is seen drumming on a drum, a shield, a set of human skulls, and even his own teeth. As he grabs two of the skulls and uses them as castanets, “Habanera” from the opera Carmen begins to play.
The cannibal and the turtle dancing together
The scene switches to another cannibal, who does a sort of hula, causing his grass skirt to fall to the ground. He pulls it up and begins to dance again, with the same result. Angered, he pushes his stomach to the ground, so that his skirt won’t fall anymore. He continues to dance merrily after that. The camera then moves to a turtle who is dancing to the music, and runs into a cannibal. The cannibal, using his shield like a shell, imitates the dancing of the turtle, which turns into a game of patty-cake.
In the main village, the chef is preparing the pot for a great feast, when he spots the cannibal dancing with the turtle. Although the turtle and cannibal retreat into their shells, the chef picks up the cannibal, intending to feed him to the village. The tribe cheers as the cannibal is thrown into the pot of boiling water, but are shocked when he calmly steps out and begins to cool himself down with the shield.
The lion preparing the cannibal for consumption
A lion roars at the edge of the village, and the cannibals flee into their homes. The cannibal that was in the pot continues to hide inside, thinking he’s safe. The lion, however, grabs a spoon, the salt, and the pepper, and begins to cook the cannibal to his liking. The lion tries to eat the cannibal, but the cannibal outsmarts him.
As the cannibal runs away, the lion pursues him. Once the lion bites down on the cannibal, however, he loses his teeth. Seeing this as an opportunity, the cannibal decides to wear the teeth and teach the defenseless lion a lesson. The cannibal chases the lion out of the village, and the cannibals are seen laughing.
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