A Symposium on Popular Songs(1962)

Sixty Years of Syncopation...FROM "RAGTIME" TO THE "BIG BEAT"

A Symposium on Popular Songs is a short animated film in which Professor Ludwig von Drake showcases his own compositions across American musical genres. The professor performs ragtime, Charleston, Dixieland, crooner ballads, 1950s doo-wop, and rockabilly, each number accompanied by inventive animation styles. Vegetables dance in stop-motion during the Rutabaga Rag, while cut-out animation brings singers and dancers to life in the remaining sequences. The film traces the evolution of popular music through the early twentieth century with wit and visual charm, offering a playful survey of America's musical heritage through the eyes of its eccentric conductor.