Tag Archives: 1940s

April 26, 1940 – The Mickey Mouse Short Film Tugboat Mickey is Released to Theaters

“SOS. SOS. Calling all ships. Steamship Gigantic sinking.”

On April 26, 1940, the Mickey Mouse short film Tugboat Mickey was released to theaters. This is one of several shorts where characters Donald Duck and Goofy were teamed up with Mickey to create a more entertaining story. The short was directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are cleaning their tugboat while singing sea shanties, with Mickey being hoisted to the top of the mast to varnish. His bucket of varnish, however, is accidentally swallowed by a sleepy pelican, who becomes drunk on its contents. As Mickey battles the pelican, an announcement is heard over their radio that the steamship Gigantic is sinking, and Mickey scrambles to get his crew moving to rescue the ship. Donald and Goofy quickly start the ship, although they soon run out of steam. Goofy tries to shovel coal into the boiler, but the door continuously shuts on him, sending the coal flying back in his face. Donald then breaks the pulley, and when he tries to reassemble it, he is mocked by the steam. The pulley catches on to Donald’s hat, but when he tries to retrieve it, the steam completely fills up the hat and explodes on Donald.

Goofy fights the boiler, unaware that he is caught on the lever for the coal release

Mickey continues to listen to the distress signal, and calls down to Goofy for more steam. Goofy attempts to take a running start to shove the coal in the boiler, but doesn’t realize that he caught his pants on a lever that released all the coal into his pants. The coal and Goofy go flying into the boiler, and when Goofy lights a match to see where he is, he is shot out by an explosion, followed by a steady stream of flames. Goofy shuts the boiler with an anchor, and a steady stream of steam is sent flowing through the mechanics of the ship. The pulley that Donald was trying to fix fixes itself – unfortunately, it traps Donald through his shirt, and Donald is knocked around as the steam makes the tugboat work on overdrive. Mickey tries to steer the tugboat, but it seems to have a mind of its own, and the boiler explodes, leaving this ship as nothing more than a wreckage. The distress call continues, until it is cut off by a radio announcer saying that they’d just heard the final broadcast in a radio drama about the Steamship Gigantica. Angered, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy drown the radio in the ocean.

March 20, 1942 – The Mickey Mouse Short Film Symphony Hour is Released to Theaters

“Macaroni has got a new find! And tonight, we make history!”

On March 20, 1942, the Mickey Mouse short film Symphony Hour was released to theaters. This short contains the last appearance of Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Clara Cluck in the golden age of Disney shorts; they would not appear again in film until 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol. The short was directed by Riley Thompson, and features the piece Light Cavalry Overture by Franz von Suppé.

Rehearsals for Mickey’s orchestra are going very well, and Mr. Macaroni listens happily from the sponsor’s booth. At the end of the rehearsal, Macaroni heaps praise upon praise on Mickey, and declares that they will make history tonight. That night, the Macaroni Symphony Hour is highly advertised in front of the Wiz Theater, and everyone prepares for the show. As the audience takes their seats, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy run for the elevator as they hear the stage manager announce the last call. Mickey and Donald make the elevator; Goofy crashes through the elevator doors and falls to the bottom of the shaft. He drops all the instruments he was holding, and while he makes it out unscathed, the instruments are completely flattened by the elevator.

Mickey takes the stage as the announcer begins the broadcast of the “Symphony Hour”

It’s close to air time, and Goofy, along with the instruments, are missing. Mickey panics, but when he hears Goofy call out that he’s on his way, Mickey relaxes slightly, and takes his place when it is time for the show to begin. Mickey heads out on stage while Macaroni, listening from his own private booth, smokes a cigar and thinks of all the money he will make that evening. As Mickey begins the piece, he is shocked to hear the sound coming from Horace’s flattened horn. Horace’s horn breaks, and is sent flying across the room, landing around Donald’s neck. Macaroni shakes his radio, wondering what the heck is going on with the sound. Mickey nearly faints from the disaster, but tries to keep his composure, although he continues to see Macaroni throwing a fit in the booth. Goofy’s instrument breaks apart as he plays it, and he just shrugs at Mickey. Donald, frustrated with how the piece is going, is seen looking at the “Help Wanted” ads, and mocks Mickey. Mickey steps down from the podium, rolls up his sleeves, and throws Donald back into the percussion instruments. After seeing another tantrum from Macaroni, Mickey looks back to the orchestra to find Donald packed up and walking out. After literally throwing the book at him, Mickey motions for him to get back to the percussion section. When Donald ignores him, Mickey rushes over and threatens Donald with a gun. Donald then runs back and finishes the percussion with a tantrum of his own. Macaroni starts crying that he’s a ruined man, but stops when he hears the wild applause from the audience. He then embraces Mickey, while Mickey keeps conducting in a daze.