CrE@TiVe Di$nEY F@N$: Little Hiawatha

Saturday 13 October 2012

Little Hiawatha

H!!! Friends today I’m going to post one cute , brave , kind hearted Indian kid , he is earliest Disney animation made by Silly Symphony cartoon.

A young Indian brave sets off into the forest primeval to prove his worth by hunting big game. Unfortunately, he finds that some of the game is a lot bigger than he is!

Over opening narration, Little Hiawatha is seen paddling his canoe down a river—at one point backwards—on his way to hunt game. Upon reaching land, he steps out and immediately falls down a hidden hole in the water, bringing about the laughter of the animals in the forest. Hiawatha gives chase to them—with his pants occasionally falling down in what is the cartoon's running gag. He gives chase to the grasshopper, but is foiled when it spits in his face, which earns him more laughter from the animals. He chases them again and manages to corner a small rabbit, but finds he cannot bring himself to kill it after it gives him repeated sad glances, even after he has armed it with a spare bow and arrow. Frustrated, he shoos it back to its family and breaks his bow and arrow, to the animals' delight.

Later Hiawatha comes across a set of bear tracks, which leads him to a face-to-face encounter with a bear cub. He chases after it, but runs right into the cub's hungry mother, who is enraged and pursues him through the forest. The other animals band together to keep Hiawatha out of the bear's clutches, including scenes of opossums flinging Hiawatha through the air, and beavers cutting down trees in the bear's path. Returned safely to his canoe, Hiawatha rows off into the sunset as the animals wave him farewell.

From : Disney Wiki

Eight originals attributed to Manuel Gonzales and/or Tom Wood. Largest piece is on 7.75x8.5" sheet of animation paper with image in lead and red pencil with Hiawatha holding bow and arrow standing on pile of rocks in forest looking off in distance. Same image appears in panel 2 March 1937 Good Housekeeping page and this same image also appears on the cover of our Hiawatha book pair #2214 with a few subtle differences including the rock pile he is standing on becoming a hilltop and with more trees in background. Sheet has vertical crease just to right of center and lower left corner has a 1.5" piece clipped off. A few lt. handling creases and nine barely seen pin holes around the rocks. Image still displays clean and VF. Seven remaining sheets range in size from 4.25x4.75" to 5.5x7 5/8" with all art in lead pencil as done for book. Art closely matches art in book and includes frontispiece page with Hiawatha paddling canoe, whooping at scared bunny, chasing bunny off as animal friends watch, being startled by bear cub who is also startled, and being chased by bear’s mother. Largest sheet of these seven was apparently designed for double page which was never used and has image of Hiawatha being pulled on sled by young deer towards his canoe. This sheet has vertical crease near center as designed for double page plus three pin holes near bottom, otherwise these seven are Exc. Wonderful, tight and well drawn images throughout.

here is some original art of Little Hiawatha.