The Cat's Out

This is a weird one from Disney, a Silly Symphony about a black cat who encounters some very strange stuff, from running into a bird that changes in size to a walking scarecrow to oversized spiders.

The poor cat been through a lot everything in this Halloween-theme scary. And, scary that it is more on the weird side, definitely one that might scare the kids away.

Grade C+

Here's a "Silly Symphony" that I thought would be appropriate for a Halloween cartoon. Well, this short is not as eerie as The Skeleton Dance but still great to watch on Halloween; it's also another favourite black-and-white Silly Symphony cartoon.

Also known as "The Cat's Nightmare," this short is about a cat who was put out for the night trying to catch a bird that was on top of a barn, but falls off the barn in the attempt. Unconscious from the fall, he has a nightmare that the bird has grown and is beginning to extract its revenge, along with other creepy things too. I don't have any particular scene I like, because I love this cartoon from beginning to end.

And for you cat-lovers like me, as you watch this cartoon, you feel sorry for the cat until the ending, that is. And one thing I didn't get is why they would put "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" as a title theme, huh?

I do agree, it isn't quite as eerie as The Skeleton Dance, which is understandable, seeing how wonderfully creepy that was. But it is a noteworthy little cartoon, without being an absolute classic. The black and white animation is excellent, with atmospheric shades. If you ask me, I do think it's better black and white, it is more atmospheric you see. Also the music is wonderful, really fitting with the story and the action. The story is a simple one at that, but effective. You do feel sorry for the Cat at the end, I certainly wouldn't want to mess with those birds, and the spiders were somewhat cute. Overall, this is a noteworthy and very atmospheric cartoon. 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Cat's Out is an interesting black and white Silly Symphony which could be seen as somewhat of a follow-up to 1929's The Skeleton Dance. The story deals with a cat who after being struck on the head begins hallucinating all sorts of creepy things. Giant crows, oversized spiders, and dancing scarecrows are among the things encountered. Though not as original as The Skeleton Dance, The Cat's Out still offers some wonderful and innovative visuals. One sequence involving some nasty trees no doubt was an influence on the 1932 Silly Symphony Flowers and Trees. All in all this a wonderful piece of early animation.

A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short.

It's dark and THE CAT'S OUT for the evening. A night spent screeching on the fence & stalking birds takes a strange turn when an accidental bang on the head throws kitty into a world of nightmare...

This black & white cartoon is pleasant without being noteworthy.

The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most interesting of series in the field of animation. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.