Music Land is a masterpiece. The original concept of the Silly Symphony series was to present music-driven stand-alone stories. By 1935 (and ⅔ of the way into the series) the Disney animation team was hitting their stride – the Silly Symphony shorts were untouchable. But where the preceding shorts told stories using music, Music Land told a story about music. The gap between the two most different types of popular music – Classical and Jazz – was presented, explored, and bridged (quite literally), using a Romeo & Juliet theme. Director Wilfred Jackson and Musical Director Leigh Harline’s vision was a resounding success – and their work on the Mickey Mouse short The Band Concert that same year proved it was no fluke. This is Disney doing what it did best – and it’s still beloved 80 years later.
