February 9, 1951 – Pluto Short Film Cold Storage is Released to Theaters
On February 9, 1951, the Pluto short film, Cold Storage, was released. The short was directed by Jack Kinney, with the story by Dick Kinney and Milt Schaffer. It was the 46th Pluto short released, the first in 1951, which was the last year of the Pluto short films.
The scene opens on a pond in winter, where a stork is shivering in the cold as his feet are frozen in the pond. He manages to extract himself, and is on the search for somewhere warm to stay, when he spies a doghouse. He quickly takes over, preparing to hibernate. Unfortunately, just as he has found a place to stay, a shivering Pluto makes his way into the yard, hoping to get warm inside his doghouse. He tries to fall asleep in the house, only to find that the stork has pushed him back out into the cold.
Pluto wakes up, alarmed to find himself in the elements again, and attempts to walk back inside. The cunning stork, however, lifts the doghouse so the sleepy Pluto walks right through it without noticing. Pluto, alarmed again at being outside, runs around to the entrance to once again get warm and as he settles down, the house gets up (thanks to the stork) and walks away. Pluto’s anger grows as he finds he cannot enter his own doghouse, no matter how hard he tries. He sees that the house seems to be moving on its own, and fears he’s become ill or crazy.
Pluto, checking to see if he's sick, ends up seeing his house walk across the yard
As Pluto checks his vitals, he notices in the reflection of his bowl that the house seems to have sprouted legs and is moving across the yard. He goes into attack mode, but is stopped when the stork’s beak appears in the doorway. As he watches the stork take a drink from the water bowl, Pluto can’t take it any more and begins to bark profusely at the intruder. The stork replies by stepping on Pluto’s snout, silencing the poor pup. As Pluto looks around for his house, he is alarmed to see that the stork has decided to fly away, house and all. When the stork perches on the fence, Pluto knocks him into the yard, only to discover that the stork is now using the house as a cradle, and lulls himself to sleep singing “Rock-a-Bye-Baby.”
As the stork lulls himself to sleep, Pluto decides to implement a sneak attack
Pluto begins to sneak up on the stork, but the stork is unfazed by the dog, until Pluto attacks him. After Pluto thinks he’s won the fight, he goes inside the doghouse and settles on the pillow, hoping to finally get to sleep. The “pillow,” however, has other plans, walking outside the house and dropping Pluto into the frozen pond. Another fight ensues between the stork and the dog, with each fighting for dominance. Suddenly, the sun bursts out from behind the clouds, quickly signaling the beginning of spring. Just as the two were fighting to get in the doghouse, now the two are fighting to get out, as the temperature rises to an uncomfortable level. Fortunately for Pluto, he is able to come up with a compromise that allows both of them to find relief from the heat..
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