Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953)

  • NR
  • 11/10/1953 (US)
  • Animation
  • 10m

A crash course on the history of Western musical instruments.

Overview

In this short subject (which mostly represents a departure from Disney's traditional approach to animation), a stuffy owl teacher lectures his feathered flock on the origins of Western musical instruments. Starting with cavepeople, whose crude implements could only "toot, whistle, plunk and boom," the owl explains how these beginnings led to the development of the four basic types of Western musical instruments: brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion.

Ward Kimball

Director

Dick Huemer

Story

Tom Oreb

Characters

Charles A. Nichols

Director

Cast

Bill Thompson's headshot

Bill Thompson

Professor Owl / Bertie Birdbrain
Loulie Jean Norman's headshot

Loulie Jean Norman

Penelope Pinfeather
Gloria Wood's headshot

Gloria Wood

Susy Sparrow
Thurl Ravenscroft's headshot

Thurl Ravenscroft

The Mellomen

Recommendations