''The Truth About Mother Goose'' is an animated film released on August 28, 1957, by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

. The short was directed by

Wolfgang Reitherman Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German–American animator, director and producer and one of the " Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt Disney Productions. H ...

in his

directorial debut This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many film makers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

, and Bill Justice, and written by Bill Peet.

Plot

In this short, a trio of jazz-singing jesters sing three

Mother Goose The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...

nursery rhymes A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...

, while an off screen narrator explains their origins in three animated vignettes. The rhymes include: * " Little Jack Horner": Thomas Horner (steward to Richard Whiting, the last abbot of

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

), allegedly stealing a

title deed A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

in transit to

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. * "

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is an English nursery rhyme. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19626. Lyrics The most common m ...

": The life of Mary Stuart. The segment claims that the "silver bells" are said to "refer to the elaborate decoration on her dresses", the "cockle shells" to her love of exotic food such as cockles, with the "pretty maids all in a row" referring to her ladies-in-waiting. * "

London Bridge Is Falling Down "London Bridge Is Falling Down" (also known as "My Fair Lady" or "London Bridge") is a traditional English nursery rhyme and singing game, which is found in different versions all over the world. It deals with the dilapidation of London Bridge ...

": The gradual deterioration and dilapidation of the medieval

Old London Bridge Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It rep ...

Academy Awards

The short was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year 1 ...

in 1957, but lost to the '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon ''

Birds Anonymous ''Birds Anonymous'' is a 1957 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' animated short, directed by Friz Freleng and written by Warren Foster. The short was released on August 10, 1957, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. Plot The cartoon starts with T ...

''.

Home media

The short was released on December 6, 2005, on '' Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities - Celebrated Shorts: 1920s–1960s''.

References

External links

*
''The Truth About Mother Goose'' Disney shorts (Internet Archive)
1950s educational films 1957 films 1950s Disney animated short films Disney educational films 1957 animated films Films directed by Bill Justice Films produced by Walt Disney Animated films set in Scotland Films set in Tudor England Short films directed by Wolfgang Reitherman Animated films based on nursery rhymes Films scored by George Bruns Animated films set in England Animated films set in London Works based on nursery rhymes 1957 directorial debut films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films Animated films set in the 16th century {{1950s-Disney-animation-film-stub