IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
A crash course on the history of Western musical instruments.A crash course on the history of Western musical instruments.A crash course on the history of Western musical instruments.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 2 wins total
The Mellowmen Quartet
- Singing Group
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Loulie Jean Norman
- Penelope Pinfeather
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Charlie Parlota
- Chorus Singer
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Bill Thompson
- Professor Owl
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- …
Gloria Wood
- Suzy Sparrow
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured review
It's the professorial owl who is teaching his class all about musical instruments. It's manna from heaven for an animator as the entertainingly crafted lyrical narration (complete with slightly annoying singing) takes us all on a very basic lesson in musical onomatopoeia! It was the cavemen who started, rather monotonically, with a dead cow's horn. Next, for the Egyptians it's a different kind of "King Toot" who wants something altogether more sophisticated. Trumpets, dear reader. What happens when trumpets get beaten up; the curvy bits and varying lengths give it flexibility and huzzah, the horn was born. You've got the drift by now and as the other three principal sections of the orchestra: woodwind, strings (quite excruciatingly at times) and finally percussion get an the treatment this leads us to the synchronised, and thankfully more tuneful, modern orchestra. It's a bit too long, this, but it is still quite good fun as they even manage to squeeze the bagpipes in there. The singing doesn't get any better, though - sorry.
- CinemaSerf
- Jan 26, 2025
- Permalink
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first animated cartoon in CinemaScope.
- Quotes
Owl: Today we're going to study about...
Boy bird: [looking at a comic book] Ancient history?
Susy Sparrow: Love and mystery?
Penelope Pinfeather: [writing on the blackboard] Mathematics?
Twin brothers: [balancing other students on their heads] Acrobatics?
Students: Readin', spellin'...
Bertie Birdbrain: Storytellin'?
Owl: No, no, no!
[bops Bertie on the head]
Owl: The study of musical instruments is the subject for today.
The Canary Sisters: [singing] The study of musical instruments is the subject for today!
- Alternate versionsBlack stereotypes have been cut from this short on the DVD version.
- SoundtracksA Toot And A Whistle And A Plunk And A Boom
Written by Sonny Burke & Jack Elliott
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime10 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer