The Goddess of Spring
The Goddess of Spring | |
---|---|
Silly Symphonies series | |
Directed by | Wilfred Jackson |
Produced by | Walt Disney |
Voices by |
Kenny Baker Jessica Dragonette Tudor Williams |
Music by | Leigh Harline |
Animation by |
Hamilton Luske Les Clark Dick Huemer Ward Kimball Art Babbitt Wolfgang Reitherman |
Layouts by | Ken Anderson |
Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
Distributed by | United Artists Pictures |
Release date(s) | November 3, 1934 |
Color process | Technicolor |
Running time | 8 min, 58 sec |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Preceded by | Peculiar Penguins |
Followed by | The Tortoise and the Hare |
The Goddess of Spring is a Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. It was released in 1934.
While the plot follows the myth of Persephone and Pluto, the imagery is more evocative of Hell and Satan.
Plot
"There once was a time in the long, long, ago, when there was joy and laughter everywhere, when the flowers that grew, blossomed all the year through, and the world was eternally fair. For there lived a maiden, so gentle was she, that all the world loved her tenderly, and life was then so pleasant, that joy was ever present, and the world grew more lovely each day. The flowers danced around her, they formed a wreath and crowned her, the Goddess of Eternal Spring, the Goddess of Eternal Spring."
Persephone, the Goddess of spring, is greeted by dancing flowers and fairies. Pluto (mythology), the God of Hades, comes and takes her away to be his queen in the Underworld, where she is welcomed by a choir of devils. The creatures above ground suffer a rough winter in the absence of their goddess.
Pluto, however, shows concern for her unhappiness, and offers anything to make her happy; they reach the agreement that she will spend six months above ground and six below, resulting in seasons. She is allowed to return to her world, thawing the snow and ending the winter.