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 |
Cy Young 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 9 minute Silly Symphonies animated Disney short film. The Symphony is imbued with operatic themes and is often cited as melodramatic. It was released in 1934, and its production was important to the future development of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animation. Each Silly Symphony was a technological marvel at the time and proceeded to further advancements in the animation industry.
While the plot of The Goddess of Spring follows the Greek myth of Persephone and Pluto, the imagery is more evocative of Hell and Satan.
"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, lives in a beautiful garden of eternal spring. She is greeted by dancing flowers and fairies who stand by her throne and defend her when Pluto (mythology), the God of Hades, comes to take her away. He plans to make her his queen in the Underworld, where she is crowned by Pluto and welcomed by a choir of devils. Meanwhile, above ground, the creatures suffer a rough winter and mourn the absence of their goddess.
In the Underworld, the Goddess of Spring weeps. Pluto 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.
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Wikipedia