I try to picture myself as an audience member in the theater watching this for the very first time back in 1935. That had to be quite the experience, not only because it was Walt Disney's first Mickey Mouse cartoon in color, but the vibrancy and dynamic action make it a blast to watch even today. There's just so much going on when the picture first starts out that it's difficult to zero in on any one item, you just don't want to miss anything. As conductor Mickey gets the William Tell Overture under way, Donald Duck begins hawking ice cream, and then a busy bee starts to give Mickey fits. As a huge, black tornado breaks things up, the creativity of the cartoon artists really comes into play. As a fan, I found this to be a wonderful treat, certainly raising the bar for future Disney endeavors and other studios as well.

"The Band Concert" is a Disney cartoon which runs for 9 minutes (unusually long, mostly they are 7 minutes) from 80 years ago. Mickey conducts an orchestra, but he and the musicians have to face several obstacles on their way to a great performance. First, ice cream vendor Donald goes on everybody nerves, then a disruptive bee enters the picture and finally, in accordance with the piece they are playing, a massive storm erupts. I cannot say that I was too impressed by the comedy here. There were a couple mildly funny scenes, but the heart and soul of this film is definitely the music. The director here is Wilfred Jackson who worked on many Disney classics in the decades after this short movie here. Another interesting aspect is that this was done during the early days of Donald and Mickey in color. Mickey still has completely black eyes and Donald has an unproportionally big bead compared to his head. This was going to change in the years after that. All in all, an okay little movie, not bad, but not among Disney's best either.

I have always found The Band Concert an unforgettable Disney short, and to me is a true classic. The animation, considering it was made in Technicolur and made in 1935, is very impressive indeed, and for a variety of reasons the short is compulsive viewing for Disney and classical music lovers. From Mickey Mouse conducting in his intentionally over-sized band conductor's uniform, to Donald Duck causing trouble during the band performance of Rossini's rousing William Tell overture. This is special to me, as my dad is a conductor, I love animation and I was raised on classical music. For all these reasons, I have always found the Band Concert a wonderful gem, that would enthrall the younger generation as well as educate them to the world of classical music for years to come, just as much as it has enthralled me. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

This short is the first one that Disney made starring Mickey in color and what a glorious way to bring the Mouse into color! This is one of the best animated shorts of all time. Often imitated, but never duplicated. Disney was at the top of the mountain as far as animation was concerned and this one is justifiably considered a classic. Well worth looking for. Most highly recommended.