December 5, 1930 – The Mickey Mouse Short Film Pioneer Days is Released to Theaters
“Oh my poor Nellie Gray, they have taken you away.”
On December 5, 1930, the Mickey Mouse short film Pioneer Days was released to theaters. The short features cameos of Mickey and Minnie’s friends Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar. It was directed by Burt Gillett.
Mickey and Minnie are seen traveling with a wagon train, singing and playing the banjo. Mickey sings that he’s not afraid of Indians, but once he does, an Indian scout is seen making his way back to his camp after spying the wagon train. He alerts his tribe members, and they dance around the fire, whooping and hollering. Meanwhile, the wagon train has stopped for the evening and is sitting around a campfire, singing songs. A square dance begins, and everyone in the train joins in.
The old goat cries over a photo of his lost love, and sings a mournful song for her
An old goat is morning over the loss of his love, and as he sings, everyone begins to cry, with Mickey comforting Minnie as they both sob. As they cry, an arrow is shot into the camp, landing right above Minnie’s head. The camp prepares itself for an Indian attack, and it soon becomes an all-out war. Mickey fights with gusto, hiding in a stove at one point. As his gun is blown up, he decides to use a porcupine to stop three Indians from setting fire to the wagons. After this victory, he hears Minnie screaming out for help, and sees her being ripped from a wagon and stolen away. Mickey chases after the Indian, and arrives at his camp to find he has tied Minnie to a tree. The two fight in the woods, but Minnie manages to free herself and place a hot coal down the Indian’s pants. Back at the camp, it appears that the Indians are winning, when Mickey and Minnie fool the Indians into thinking that the Calvary has arrived. The Indians flee, and the pioneers cheer.
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