With this being an early color Disney cartoon, there is not a moment in which the filmmakers don't use color to their advantage. They knew not to take color for granted but instead use it to create a pure atmospheric spectacle. In fact this cartoon still stands out today partly for its beautiful use of color.
The following is an Exhibitors Review from the Motion Picture Herald (Dated January 13, 1934)
"Santa's Workshop: This is the greatest one-reeler we have ever had the pleasure of screening in our theatre and did the kids flock in! It is filmed in glorious color and there is only one word that can describe it - beautiful. Just as the name suggests, it shows Santa's workshop where all of the toys are made and just the type of short for this season. We played this three days and many patrons young and old, saw it two or three times. Many thanks to Walt Disney and United Artists for this great short. Running time, eight minutes - J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, Oxford, N.C. General Patronage."
The following are two more Exhibitors Reviews from the Motion Picture Herald (Dated October 28, 1933).
"Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphony - An excellent all color short you will do well to book. They just rave over it. Running time, seven minutes - Wm. A. Crute, Victoria Theatre, Vancouver, B.C. Neighborhood Patronage."
The following is another Exhibitors Review from the Motion Picture Herald (dated January 3, 1933).
"Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphonies - These cartoons are good but an exhibitor can feed his public up on them by booking too many. Once a week is plenty. Running time, eight minutes. - Edmund M. Burke, Fort Plain Theatre, Fort Plain, N.Y. General Patronage."
The following is another exhibitors review from the Motion Picture Herald (dated February 4, 1933).
"Santa's Workshop: Silly Symphony - Another great color cartoon from Disney. This brought additional business after playing 'Babes in the Wood.' - H.R. Hisey, State Theatre, Nashville, Ill."
An issue of National Board of Review Magazine (dated January 1933) stated about this cartoon, "Worth being kept permanently available for Christmas programs."
A working title for this film was Santa's Toy Shop. It premiered at the Roxy in New York on December 16, 1932 playing alongside the feature film, Man Against Woman. It played with this movie from the 16th to the 23rd. It would continue to play at the theatre from the 24th to January 1st, 1933 this time playing alongside the feature. Rare for a short cartoon at this time, Santa's Workshop was revived in big name movie theatres in 1933.
This film went through production relatively fast beginning in September 1932 and hitting movie theatres by December of the same year.
Walt himself provided the voice of one of the elves. Walter Geiger provided the voice of Santa and J. Delos Jewkes and Pinto Colvig (the voice of Goofy) provided voices for other elves.
To read two articles from The Film Daily (dated December 9, 1933) about various stores decorating their windows with Disney displays for Christmas (including a picture of one of these displays) and how Santa's Workshop worked its way into this click here.
This cartoon would later receive a sequel, The Night Before Christmas (1933). Perhaps I will write about that sometime. In 1936 an idea for another Silly Symphony cartoon centering around Santa and his helpers at the north pole was proposed. In this cartoon a little boy would have been shrunk to the size of a toy and given a chance to see Santa's workshop. One title for this would have been The North Pole. This idea never came to be.
Animation
Note: Ben Sharpsteen headed a crew of animators. All this animation will appear under Ben Sharpsteen with additional animators listed in prentices. It is interesting to note how many of these animators would go on to become major animators for Disney in their own right. Clyde Geronimi worked with other animators on a couple of scenes and these are handled in the same manner. Also bear in mind that the choice of words are from the original animation draft.
Ben Sharpsteen (Castle (Marvin Woodward); Gnomes grooming reindeer (Art Babbitt); Stables - castle in distance - truck up to castle (Art Babbitt); Factory (Joe D'Igalo); Put heads on horses and saw bodies (Harry Reeves); Put legs and rockers on horses (Harry Reeves); Bore holes in horses (Harry Reeves); Put tails on horses (Ham Luske); Paint horses (Louie Schmitt); Paint department (Dick Williams); Checkered paint (Paul Fennell); Tailors (Chuck Couch); Permanent wave (Fred Moore); Plane knocks toys off the shelf (Ed Love); Toys start to move (Joe D'Igalo); Band and soldiers march (Ed Love); Penguins, tinkertoy, donkey, elephant, jap dolls, Chaplin and cop dolls marching (Fred Moore, Jack Kinney, Jack Cutting, Nick George); Mule kicking wagon - other toys passing (Chuck Couch); Noah's Ark (George Drake); Pan of many toys - Kazotski toy last (Nick George, Jack Kinney, Ed Love); Jack in box (Jack Cutting); Last of toys in bag - pick up bag and start out with it (Clyde Geromini); Santa flies off in distance (Loie Schmitt))
Les Clark (Gnomes working on sleigh - all stop and sing; Bass gnome says "Better hurry up."; Gnomes resume work on sleigh)
Norm Ferguson (Santa and secty. Santa reads Molly's letter; Santa picks up long letter; Santa starts to read long letter; Santa finishes letter; Santa orders soap - follow gnome on pan to factory)
Tom Palmer (Secty looks up Molly in big book; Secty looks up Billy in his book; Secty says "Billy didn't wash his ears.")
Jack King (Santa picks up mama doll; Santa teaches doll to say "mama" and "O.K.s" her; Santa inspects mammy doll and airplane)
Clyde Geronimi (Toys start into bag (truck back); Last of toys in bag - pick up bag and start out with it (Ben Sharpsteen); Outside castle - gnomes cheer as Santa and bag of toys get in sleigh)
Eddie Donnelly (Santa sings goodbye song and starts up on pan - goes up in air)
Story: Santa and his elves (or gnomes) prepare for the big Christmas Eve flight. The elves feed the reindeer, Santa reads his mail, other elves make the toys (whistling while they work before Snow White), Santa tests some toys and after all this they are ready for the big night. Santa sings goodbye and heads into the sky.
Thanks to JB Kaufman and Russell Merritt's book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion Guide to the Classic Cartoon Series, which proved a huge help in writing this article.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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