| The Little Goldfish | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rudolf Ising (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Rudolf Ising Fred Quimby (uncredited) |
| Music by | Scott Bradley |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's, Inc. |
Release date |
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Running time | 8 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Little Goldfish is a 1939 American animated short film directed by Rudolf Ising. It was the first cartoon to be directed by Ising for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's cartoon department; it was initially in development as a Silly Symphony short for Walt Disney Productions until Walt Disney was forced to cancel it due to RKO Radio Pictures' intervention. It was re-released as a Gold Medal reprint in 1948, which fixed an incorrect ocean background on the original title card.
A goldfish is bored of its monotonous life in a fishbowl. It finds a book about fish living in the ocean and envies their freedom. The goldfish's owner decides to change its water at the kitchen sink, but neglects it upon receiving a phone call. The overflowing water allows the goldfish to escape and be washed down the sewers. It arrives at the ocean and meets a variety of strange fish who are hostile to him. It risks being eaten by a crab and octopus. After running from a giant fish, it is trapped in a bubble. The goldfish wakes up from a nightmare, which apparently had been formed after seeing pages of sea creatures. It is grateful to have a home all to itself.