Tag Archives: 1930s

March 7, 1936 – The Mickey Mouse Short, Mickey’s Grand Opera, is Released to Theaters

“Pluto! Go home!”

On March 7, 1936, the Mickey Mouse short, Mickey’s Grand Opera, was released to theaters. Directed by Wilfred Jackson, the short is about Mickey directing an opera, only to have his effort ruined by Pluto’s run-in with a magic hat. Although the short was released as a Mickey Mouse short, it deals more with Pluto, Donald Duck, and, to a lesser extent, Clara Cluck, more than Mickey. The short stars the vocal talents of Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse, Pinto Colvig as Pluto, Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, and Florence Gill as Clara Cluck. This was not the only time Donald and Clara had an operatic duet, as Clarence Nash and Florence Gill were seen as themselves in The Reluctant Dragon, recording a session of their characters singing together. Mickey’s Grand Opera was also the last short film to use the original design of Donald Duck before making him a rounder character.

Pluto flies into the crates in the prop room after being told off by Mickey

The scene opens on a big sign proclaiming “Mickey Mouse presents GRAND OPERA featuring Mme. Clara Cluck and Donald Duck.” The viewers are taken backstage where Mickey is checking out the audience through a hole in the curtain. Suddenly his dog, Pluto, jumps on him. Mickey angrily asks him how he got into the theater, then tells him to go on home. Pluto sadly skulks away, but keeps turning back in hopes that Mickey will change his mind. When Mickey screams at him to go home, it startles Pluto to the point that he accidentally runs into the prop room and knocks into boxes for next week’s act, Hoodunit the Magician. The contents of the boxes spill everywhere, including the magician’s famous magic hat.

Pluto, still saddened by Mickey’s unfriendly manner, attempts to take a nap in the prop room, but keeps thinking he sees something pop out of the hat. As he tries to sniff the hat, a rabbit pops out and punches him on the nose. Angered, Pluto takes the hat with his teeth and shakes it, causing a flock of doves to fly out into the room. After they scare him and fly back into the hat, Pluto decides to jump on it, thinking this will stop the strange occurrences. As he tries to walk away, though, the hat pops back into shape as if nothing had happened, scaring Pluto silly. The two then play a game of cat and mouse as Pluto tries to chase the magic hat around a crate.

Clara Cluck, singing of her despair that her love has not come to see her

Applause marks the beginning of the opera, and Mickey takes his place at the podium. The curtains open on a balcony scene, where Clara Cluck appears in the spotlight. She begins to “sing,” looking and listening for her love. When he does not appear, she begins to cry in longing, but the gate suddenly opens, revealing none other than Donald Duck, playing her Romeo. He sneaks into the courtyard with a bouquet of flowers and trips over his own feet, making the audience laugh. This gets Clara’s attention, and she begins to sing to him. Donald then quacks his song back to her, and throws the bouquet to her.

As they continue their duet, Donald pulls out his sword dashingly, only to get it stuck in one of the trees from the set. He tries to pull it out, unsuccessfully, which leaves poor Mickey to try and conduct the orchestra to match Donald’s frustrated quacking. Donald finally does get the sword out, and the opera continues peacefully. Unbeknownst to them, Pluto is following the magic hat, which has appeared on the side of the stage. Noticing that Pluto has been following it, it hurriedly waddles onto the stage, with Pluto timidly following it.

The orchestra follows Mickey's example, ordering Pluto to go home

The hat and Pluto cross the stage right in front of Mickey, with the audience breaking into peels of laughter. Mickey finally notices his dog and is furious that Pluto never went home. Mickey once again orders the dog home, but Pluto only looks at his master sadly before looking back at the suspicious hat. Once again, Mickey orders Pluto home, but Pluto won’t move away from the strange hat. Finally, the whole orchestra stands up and yells at Pluto to go home, which startles the dog and hat and they run off in different directions. As Pluto watches from the wings sadly, the hat suddenly crawls underneath him, surprising him.

Having had quite enough, Pluto begins to chase the hat, which falls into a tuba, letting loose a steady stream of doves, mice, and rabbits as the tuba player plays his instrument. Donald and Clara try to continue with the scene, although two doves attempt to take off with Donald’s cape, and the doves dart around Clara. The tuba player keeps playing, and a strange plant sprouts from inside, releasing a frog as the sunflower on top opens. Pluto follows the frog, until Donald accidentally swallows it. The frog continues to jump, taking Donald with him. With one large hop, Donald accidentally stabs Clara through the balcony, causing the hen to fly into the rafters from the surprising poke. When she comes back down, the set comes crashing to the floor. When Pluto, Clara, Donald, and the frog, break through the backdrop, they give their final high note of the night, at least bringing this strange opera to an end.

February 25, 1938 – The Mickey Mouse Short Boat Builders is Released to Theaters

“All you do is put it together.”

On February 25, 1938, the new Mickey Mouse short, Boat Builders, was released to theaters. This is another one of those shorts where the comedy is actually found through the actions of Goofy and Donald, rather than through Mickey’s actions. Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, Boat Builders featured the vocal talents of Walt Disney as Mickey, Pinto Colvig as Goofy, Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, and Marcellite Garner as Minnie Mouse.

"Lend a hand, me hearties!" Mickey tells the gang, and they happily agree

The short begins with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy excited about building a boat from a kit they have ordered, especially after turning the page and seeing a picture of what the finished project should look like. It’s easy, too: The included instruction manual taunts that “Even a child can do it.” Mickey declares that once she’s built, they will call her The Queen Minnie.

The boys set to work opening crate number one, labeled the keel and ribs, merrily whistling (and quacking, in Donald’s case), sea shanties. Grabbing the rope, they pull out the collapsed innards of the boat, only to have the boat chase them down the shore and capture them on the beams. Mickey laughs when he recites the simple instructions once again, and Donald laughs with him when he reminds them of the boast that even a child can do it.

The blueprints for how to assemble the mast. Note the warning in the lower left corner

The scene then moves to Mickey picking up the box with the mast enclosed and pulling out the blueprints on how to install the mast. When Mickey stands on top of the mast, trying to pull it out, it shoots out of the box, sending Mickey all the way up to the sky. The mast is then assembled with Mickey, still hung up at the top of the mast by his clothing, saluting the audience.

Assembling the boat is quick work for the three, and Goofy is seen hammering nails into the sideboards, although, as is usually the case with Goofy, the board does not want to stay nailed down, and hits Goofy square in the head. Slightly angry, Goofy grabs another set of nails and hammers it down again, only to have it swing back at him. Goofy ducks, but it hits him on its swing back. He then feverishly hammers the board down and turns to another task, but continues to be taunted by the board. It finally hits him, spinning him until he falls onto his barrel of nails.

Donald has a difficult time painting the rudder of the boat

Mickey and Donald continue putting the boat together, with Donald painting the rudder, not noticing that Mickey has just placed the helm into its socket and is testing it, causing Donald to completely miss the rudder while trying to paint. Donald holds it still, causing Mickey to think that the wheel is now stuck, and as he tries to free it, Donald gets wrapped around the rudder like a tetherball, and then is hit like a ping-pong ball as Mickey continues to pull on the helm.

Goofy sets about to add the figurehead to the boat, but when he opens to see that it’s in the shape of a beautiful mermaid, he closes the box, flustered, thinking that there’s an actual lady enclosed. He tries to straighten himself up a bit more, and knocks on the lid, apologizing to the figurehead. When it falls out of the box, Goofy catches it, alarmed, and calls out to the others that she’s fainted. He puts her in a beach chair and asks if she’s feeling better, but of course, she doesn’t say a word. “Gee, but you’re purty,” he tells her, twisting his hat in embarrassment. As he admits he could fall for a girl like her, he accidently steps on her tail, pushing the figure up and meeting him in a “kiss,” which causes him to spin around giddily. While Goofy hides his head, giggling, Mickey takes the figurehead and places it in the front of the boat. Poor Goofy is alarmed to find that she has disappeared, and begins to search for her, but ends up falling off the boat and pulling down the anchor.

The christening of the Queen Minnie

At last, the boat is built, and a huge crowd appears at its christening and maiden voyage. Mickey, dressed as the captain, tells Minnie to christen the boat, and she gladly grabs the champagne bottle. She’s shocked, however, to find that the bottle will not break, so she gives it a mighty swing. The swing was too great, and the boat begins to fall apart from the impact, with it collapsing in on itself. The boys find themselves in the water, and while Mickey laughs at their predicament, Donald just gives out his trademark, “Aw, phooey!”

February 20, 1937 – The Mickey Mouse short Moose Hunters is Released to Theaters

“Hi, Mr. Moose. Have a bite?”

 On February 20, 1937, the Mickey Mouse short Moose Hunters was released to theaters. This was one of the few shorts that used Donald and Goofy along with Mickey, as the writers were finding it difficult to give Mickey solo material. The short was directed by Ben Sharpsteen, with music by Paul J. Smith, and starred Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse, Pinto Colvig as Goofy, and Clarence Nash as Donald Duck.

The "female moose" making her mating call

The short opens with a female moose swimming across a river. When she emerges, however, we see that she has two familiar, yet mismatched, pairs of feet, and sounds her call by using a horn. Following behind this strange moose is a swimming bush, which also sounds out a call by using a horn. As the moose continues to walk and call, it hears something respond, and the front half of the moose stops, causing the back half to run into the front. Goofy emerges from his disguise, excitedly informing the others that there is a moose nearby, and Donald emerges as well, repeating the sentiment. Mickey, now revealed to be the walking bush, answers joyfully, holding a shotgun. “Now do your stuff,” he tells them. “I’ll take care of the rest,” he adds with a wink, patting the shotgun.

Goofy and Donald continue walking in the female moose costume, trying to lure out the real moose. Mickey, meanwhile, travels a bit behind, carefully using his horn to call out the moose, trying to keep hidden within the leaves of his disguise. He stands on top of a bush and uses the horn again; unfortunately, the moose appears beneath him, startling the mouse and causing him to drop his shotgun, which lets out a shot, scaring the moose. Mickey is starting to sweat, as his gun is now in pieces, and he is even more alarmed when the moose spots his disguise, thinking it would be a tasty snack. Mickey tries to keep himself covered and backs away slowly, only to be pursued by the hungry moose, who nearly eats Mickey’s trademark shorts.

Goofy and Donald spy the moose they've been tracking

Goofy and Donald are still trying to track down the moose they’d heard earlier, and when they spy him, they decide to make their disguise prettier, adding lipstick and powder, with Goofy spraying copious amounts of perfume (named Deer Kiss: Parfum Paris) to entice the moose. The perfume wafts its way toward the unsuspecting creature, who willingly follows the teasing scent. The moose takes one look at the “female” and is instantly smitten, especially when Goofy and Donald perform a teasing walk for him.

When Goofy gives the moose a “yoo-hoo,” the moose responds in kind, but with a force so strong that it blows the costume away. Goofy quickly comes up with a plan, grabbing leaves and performing a ballet/fan dance until they can retrieve their disguise, which only causes the moose to become even more smitten with their character. Once clothed again, the two continue their seductive walk, succeeding in getting the moose to follow them; unfortunately, the Donald half of the moose ends up falling off a cliff, and lands on a bee when he jumps back on the land. The bee, very unhappy with Donald’s appearance, flies inside the costume, sending the pair into a dance to the tune of La Cucaracha. The moose, angling for a kiss, ends up kissing Goofy on the face, as Donald tries to hit the bee, only to cause the moose mask to fly off Goofy’s head, but luckily land back just in time so their cover isn’t blown. Again, Goofy and Donald have the moose follow them, bringing him back to Mickey so Mickey can “do the rest.”

The moose has been eating Mickey's disguise, leaving him rather nervous about the inevitability of being caught

Unfortunately for the mouse, the moose that thought his disguise was a tasty snack has been eating the disguise, leaving almost nothing for Mickey to hide behind. When the moose takes the last mouthful and sees Mickey holding onto a branch for dear life, he glares at Mickey and gets ready to charge, until he hears a “yoo-hoo” nearby. Turning around, he sees the disguise of Goofy and Donald, becomes instantly smitten, and begins trotting over to “her.” Donald doesn’t see the moose, and keeps trying to pull them away, although Goofy is stuck as the moose cozies up to the front half. Donald emerges, only to see that the moose they’d gotten the attention of, and the moose that just got there, have spotted each other, and are ready to duel for the lady’s hand.

Donald and Goofy try to sneak away and hide up a tree as the two males growl and size each other up before pacing and getting ready to duel with their antlers. The force of their fighting is strong enough to tear the trees from the ground, which causes Goofy and Donald to fall from their perch and land between the two, their disguise blown. “April fool!” Goofy offers weakly, with Donald chiming in with the same sentiment; this does not appease the two males, who decide to take out their aggression on Goofy and Donald. The trio speeds away crazily while being pursued by the two males.