1931

The Birthday Party

Mickey's friends throw him a surprise birthday party at Minnie's house, where he receives a miniature piano. It is released on January 7, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Traffic Trouble

Mickey as a reckless Taxi driver causes troubles for locals, including a cow and a medicine man. It was released on March 17, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

The Castaways

Mickey battles waves to become a castaway on a lonely island where he makes music with the piano which is swept onto the beach. It is released on April 6, 1931 and directed by Wilfred Jackson.

The Moose Hunt

Mickey goes hunting with Pluto.  Pluto does an impression of Dumbo, with Mickey riding on his back. This is the first time Mickey Mouse's dog is called Pluto and Pluto actually speaks a few words in this cartoon. It was released on May 3, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

The Delivery Boy

Delivery boy Mickey spots Minnie washing clothes and that's all it takes for the two of them to stop and make merry music together. It is released on June 13, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Mickey Steps Out

Mickey heads over to see Minnie, with Pluto and havoc ensues. It was released on July 7, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Blue Rhythm

Mickey and the gang play a wacky version of "St. Louis Blues." It was released August 18, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Fishin' Around

Mickey & Pluto find plenty of trouble while fishing on the lake. It was released on September 25, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

The Barnyard Broadcast

Mickey runs the broadcasts from Station ICU which are disrupted by a stray cat & her incorrigible kittens. It was released on October 10, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

The Beach Party  

Mickey, Minnie and the gang enjoy a day at the beach until Pluto inadvertently disturbs a wrathful octopus. It was released on November 5, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Mickey Cuts Up  

Mickey and Minnie are neighbors doing their lawns with enjoying the day until a cat causes trouble. It was released on November 30, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Mickey's Orphans

Mickey and Minnie play Christmas hosts to some orphaned kittens and in turn the kittens destroy the house. It was released on December 9, 1931 and directed by Burt Gillett.

1934

Shanghaied

Mickey and Minnie must try to escape after being shanghaied by the ship's evil captain Pegleg Pete. Movie influences include Buster Keaton's The Navigator (1924), Doug Fairbanks' The Black Pirate (1926) & Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother (1927). It was released on January 13, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Camping Out

Mickey, Minnie and the gang go camping, but are disturbed by mosquitoes. It was released on February 17, 1934 and directed by Dave Hand.

Playful Pluto

Pluto wrecks havoc while Mickey's trying to do some yard work. One scene involves spreading flypaper and both of them getting stuck. It was released on March 3, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Gulliver Mickey

Mickey enthralls his young nephews with his adventures among the tiny people of a faraway land. Based on the Jonathan Swift book, Gulliver's Travels.  A sleepy Pluto makes a tiny cameo appearance. It was released on May 19, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Mickey's Steam Roller

A steamroller creates havoc when "borrowed for a joy ride by Mickey's two infant nephews, Ferdy & Morty. It was released on June 16, 1934 and directed by Dave Hand.

Orphan's Benefit

A benefit is held to raise money for the mice orphans. It was released on August 11, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett.

This short marks Donald Duck's first appearance with Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Plays Papa

Mickey and Pluto play papa to Baby Elmer, a crying foundling who's been left on his doorstep. Mickey performs impersonations of Charlie Chaplin and Jimmy Durante. It was released on September 29, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett. It was reissued in the 1950's without Mickey in it and re-titled "Pluto and the Baby".

The Dognapper

Minnie's dog, Fifi has been stolen and it's up to Officers Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to track dognapper, Peg Leg Pete  to his hideout in an old sawmill. It was released by November 17, 1934 and directed by Dave Hand.

Two-Gun Mickey

In this spoof of the old West, when Miss Minnie is bothered by Bandit Pete, it's Mickey to her rescue. It was released on December 15, 1934 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

1935

Mickey's Man Friday 

Mickey is stranded on an island, where runs into some cannibals who are about to cook a fellow cannibal. Mickey scares them off and makes friends with the cannibal whom he calls Friday. Together, they build a fort to protect themselves from the cannibals when they come back, but end up fleeing for their lives on Mickey's raft. This is also one of those politically incorrect shorts that has not been released in years. It was released on January 19, 1935 and directed by Dave Hand.

The Band Concert 

Mickey's first all color cartoon. It also features the first classical music theme. Mickey leads a band concert of the William Tell Overture, but is  disrupted by ice cream vendor Donald, who uses a seemingly endless supply of flutes to play Turkey in the Straw instead. After Donald gives up, a bee comes along and causes his own havoc. The band then reaches the Storm sequence, and the weather also starts to pick up; a tornado comes along, but they keep playing. It was released on February 23, 1935 and directed by Wilfred Jackson.

Mickey's Service Station

A black and white cartoon featuring Mickey, Donald, and Goofy fix Pete's car with comic results with a wonderfully loud end. It was released on March 16, 1935 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Kangaroo

A kangaroo [a surprise gift from Australia] proceeds to give the Mickey a boxing lesson. This cartoon features Pluto uncharacteristically 'speaking' directly to the viewers via his thoughts. It was released on April 13, 1935 and directed by Dave Hand. It was the last Mickey Mouse cartoon to be filmed in black and white.

This marks the end of the black and white cartoon era at the Disney Studios.

Mickey's Garden

In this second color Mickey adventure, bugs are eating everything in Mickey's yard, so he and Pluto set out on a mission to stop them with some poisonous gas. Mickey accidentally ends up spraying himself with the gas, he goes on a scary trip in which he is thimble sized and the bugs are as big as T-Rexes. A chase ensues with Mickey and Pluto being pursued by the creepy crawlies. Mickey only speaks briefly the last few seconds. It was released on July 13, 1935 and was directed by Wilfred Jackson.

Mickey's Fire Brigade 

Mickey, Donald and Goofy serve as the town's fire department and their attempts at fighting a boardinghouse fire are not particularly effective. It was released on August 3, 1935 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Pluto's Judgment Day

Pluto is chased by cats into hell where he is tried by a jury of cats for his many crimes against the feline species. It was released on August 31, 1935 and directed by Dave Hand.

On Ice

The gang go ice skating on a frozen river. Mickey impresses Minnie with his skating while Goofy tries to ice fish using tobacco instead of worms, and Donald torments poor old Pluto by sticking skates on his paws and watching him fall all over the place. Donald gets into trouble when he is blown over the edge of the waterfall. Mickey tries to rescue him but succeeds only in humiliating Donald further. It was released on September 28, 1935 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

1936

Mickey's Polo Team

Mickey leads his polo team that includes Donald, Goofy, and the Big Bad Wolf against an all-star Hollywood team of Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harpo Marx, and Charles Chaplin. The game is refereed by Jack Holt. Featured spectators include the Three Little Pigs, Shirley Temple, W.C. Fields, and Clarabelle Cow with Clark Gable. Originally, Will Rogers was to be one of the polo players, but died in a plane accident before principal photography began. As the title suggests, this short centers on polo -- which Walt loved. He even formed a Disney polo team! It was released on January 4, 1936 and directed by Dave Hand.

Orphan's Picnic

Mickey and Donald take orphaned mouse boys on a picnic. The boys torment Donald, first by stealing the picnic food, and then giving him a flower with a bee inside. It was released on February 15, 1936 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Grand Opera

Clara Cluck and Donald Duck perform a funny version of Rigoletto as a part of Mickey's Opera assemble. In a subplot, poor Pluto tries to capture a magic hat full of white rabbits, doves & mice.  It was released on March 7, 1936 and directed by Wilfred Jackson.

Thru the Mirror

While reading Alice Through the Looking Glass [by Lewis Carroll], Mickey falls asleep and finds himself on the other side of the mirror, where the furniture is alive.  After a series of curious adventures with walnuts, flowers and playing cards, he turns on a fan and blows them away, back through the mirror, where his alarm is ringing. It was released on May 30, 1936 and directed by Dave Hand.

Mickey's Rival

A picnic with Minnie is ruined by the arrival of Mickey's arch rival for Minnie's attention, the thoroughly obnoxious Mortimer. The character of Mortimer Mouse is introduced as Mickey's rival. This was to have been Mickey's original name. The character of Mortimer was modeled after Walt. It was released on June 20, 1936 and directed by Wilfred Jackson.

Moving Day

Donald and Mickey's rent is 6 months overdue, so Sheriff Pete is preparing to evict them and sell their belongings. Goofy, as the ice-man comes by and helps them move out before the sale, but their piano doesn't want to stay on his truck. Meanwhile, Donald has a fight with a plunger and a fishbowl after removing a heater from the gas line. It was released on June 20, 1936 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Alpine Climbers

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto climb an alpine mountain, although Pluto isn't really climbing. He's hanging with a rope detached to the other two. When they finally reach the top, all three find their own problems. It was released on July 25, 1936 and directed by Dave Hand.

Donald and Pluto

Donald as a plumber is using a large magnet in his work at Mickey's house. When he drops it, it causes trouble for Pluto, especially after Pluto swallows it. Things begin clinging to him, especially his metal dog dish. Mickey has less of a role in this cartoon and plays second banana to Donald. It was released on September 12, 1936 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Circus

Mickey plays ringmaster to a circus for orphans. Donald does a trained sea lion act, and a bit of juggling himself. A fight breaks out with a baby sea lion who keeps stealing both the fish. This is followed by an impromptu high wire act with Mickey and Donald that ends up with a high dive into the seals' tank. It was released on August 1, 1936 and was directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Elephant

The friend sends Mickey a baby elephant named Bobo for a new pet and as a pal for Pluto. So while Mickey gets down to work building an Elephant kennel, Pluto and the elephant cause trouble This cartoon utilizes the infamous devil versus angel on Pluto's shoulder. It was released on October 10, 1936 and directed by Dave Hand.

1937

The Worm Turns

As a mad scientist, Mickey brews up a potion to give super-courage and strength to whoever drinks it. He tests it on a fly, which soon beats up the spider who's web it is caught in. To make sure the potion is a complete success Mickey gives it to a mouse to in turn beats up a cat, the cat beats up Pluto who then beats up the local Dog Warden. It was released on January 2, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Magician Mickey

Mickey plays a magician, and Goofy is the stagehand. With Donald is sitting in a box seat, the heckling soon starts. Mickey gets even. Ultimately, Donald gets hold of Mickey's flare gun and literally brings the house down on all three of them. It was released on February 6, 1937 and directed by Dave Hand.

Moose Hunters

Goofy, wearing the front and Donald, wearing the rear are dressed in a moose suit, trying to lure moose for hunter Mickey. When they do find one, it turns out to be more than they can handle. It was released on February 20, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Amateurs

Mickey plays host to an amateur hour radio show. Among the acts: Donald forgetting the words to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"; Clara Cluck singing and chasing the microphone; and Goofy with an elaborate one-man-band contraption. It was released on April 17, 1937 and directed by Pinto Colvin, Walt Pfeiffer and Ed Penner.

Hawaiian Holiday

The gang is on a Hawaiian vacation. Goofy has trouble learning to surf. Donald learns why you don't wear a grass skirt near a fire. Pluto and a starfish have a fight that is followed by an encounter with a hermit crab. It was released on September 24, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Clock Cleaners

A classic film from Disney's Golden Age, Mickey, Donald and Goofy have their work cut out for them in this animation. Mickey deals with a stubborn stork, Donald falls foul of the mechanism's mainspring and Goofy, in a nod to Harold Lloyd, teeters about the deadly brink. 'Asleep In The Deep' is the tune of which the Goof keeps singing the first line ('Loudly the bell in the old tower rings.') It was released on October 15, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Lonesome Ghost

A house full of lonesome ghosts find a newspaper ad for a Ghost Hunting service run by Mickey, Donald and Goofy. n the end, the ghosts are scared by a molasses and flour covered trio of Disney characters. It was released on December 24, 1937 and directed by Burt Gillett.

Don Donald

Donald is courting Daisy (called Donna, here in her first appearance) Duck in Mexico. He arrives on a burro, but she convinces him to buy a car. They head through the desert, but the car breaks down, and throws Donald out, then takes off on its own with Daisy trapped inside the rumble seat. The car hits a rock, throwing Daisy into a mud puddle, to Donald's excessive amusement. Daisy pulls a unicycle from her purse, and rides off. It was released on January 9, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen. Mickey does not speak in this cartoon. This the first official Donald Duck cartoon, it also marks the first appearance of his girlfriend Daisy. Daisy's voice is Donald's voice speeded up slightly.

Modern Inventions

Mickey does not appear in this cartoon despite that fact that it is released as a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Donald visits a museum of modern inventions where he struggles with a robot butler who keeps taking his hat; a package wrapping machine; a robot nursemaid; an automated barber chair. It was released on May 29, 1937. This is the first cartoon directed by Jack King.

Pluto's Quan-puplets

Pluto wants to chase the sausage man, but Fifi convinces him to look after their five rambunctious puppies instead. The puppies end up in the basement, where they tangle with a compressed air tank, paint, a jug of hooch, and other hazards. Fifi returns and finds a drunk Pluto, paint on everyone, and gets very angry. It was released on November 26, 1937 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

1938

Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air

A radio broadcast that premiered on NBC in 1938. Walt Disney provided Mickey's voice.

Boat Builders

Mickey buys a boat kit, and enlists Goofy and Donald to help assemble it. After tons of troubles, they're ready to launch the Queen Minnie, which collapses. It was released on February 25, 1938 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Mickey's Trailer

With Goofy in the driver's seat, Mickey in the trailer kitchen, and Donald in bed, trouble starts. While Goofy is eating breakfast, [and not driving the car], it takes them onto a dangerous mountain road. They come very close to disaster several times, but survive. It was released on May 6, 1938 and directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

The Whalers

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are crewing a whaling ship. Their mishaps include Donald fighting off some hungry birds, Mickey and a bucket of water that keeps doing a boomerang impression, and Goofy firing the cannon and getting stuck high in the air, and ultimately inside a whale. The first cartoon directed by Dick Huemer. It was released on August 19, 1938.

Mickey's Parrot

Mickey overhears a radio broadcast about an escaped killer. A parrot belonging to an escaped killer ends up in Mickey's basement. Mickey hearing the parrot thinks it is the killer he's just heard about on the radio. While Mickey is hiding in the basement, Pluto runs into the parrot, first hidden under the fish, and then inside a leftover turkey. It was released on September 9, 1938 and was the first cartoon to be directed by Bill Roberts.

Brave Little Tailor

When a giant threatens the land, the city folk mistake Mickey's boast of killing seven flies with one blow to be giants. He is then forced to fight the giant for real. It was released on September 23, 1938 and directed by Bill Roberts.

The Fox Hunt

A Silly Symphony Cartoon, that features Mickey, Goofy and Donald, who is trying to control the hounds. Goofy is riding on Horace Horsecollar, as the fox outwits both of them. Some other Disney characters are seen briefly in the hunting party at the end. It was originally released on October 20, 1931, but was re-released as a Donald and Goofy short on July 29, 1938. It was directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

1939

Society Dog Show

Mickey enters Pluto into a dog show against high society dogs. Pluto starts making eyes at the cute dog next door. When Pluto's turn for judging comes, the judge makes fun of him. Pluto attacks the judges and gets thrown out. But a fire breaks out, and only Pluto is brave enough to save the cute dog trapped inside. It was released on February 3, 1939 and directed by Bill Roberts.

The Pointer

Mickey and Pluto go hunting for quail. Mickey tries to teach Pluto to be a proper pointer dog, but in doing so, Mickey accidentally jumps on a bear's nose, and thinks it's Pluto. Meanwhile, Pluto finds the quail and points. The baby quails climb on board Pluto and start picking at his hairs, but Pluto's been told not to move. Mickey finds Pluto, who is covered by small animals. Mickey realizes he's being followed by a bear and tries to reason with it. It ends with a chase. It was released on July 21, 1939 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

With the release of The Pointer, Mickey Mouse is redesigned and is given pupils in his eyes and a more 3D body shape.

Mickey's Surprise Party

Originally made as a commercial for the National Biscuit Company to be shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair, this cartoon features Minnie is baking cookies. When she leaves, her dog Fifi accidentally drops popcorn kernels in the dough. Mickey and Pluto come over to visit. When Mickey notices that something is burning, Minnie remembers the cookies, which are popping popcorn out of them. Minnie is upset and lies on her sofa crying. Mickey goes out and buys a large amount of Nabisco Cookies. He comes back and shows them to her and she is overjoyed. It was delivered to the company on February 18, 1939.

The Standard Parade

A live action black-and-white film made as a promo for Standard Oil Company. The prologue tells the story of a young Walt Disney coming to Hollywood with $300, being rejected by all the major studios, but going on to become a success. Titles then ask what this means to the Standard Oil Salesman, and a parade of Disney characters gives us the answer, featuring Mickey as drum major, Minnie carrying a banner, and the 7 Dwarfs carrying the letters "STANDARD". Standard Oil would be featuring Disney characters in it's upcoming advertisement campaigns in the coming year.

1940

Tugboat Mickey

Mickey fights with a pelican while performing routine maintenance on his tugboat. Suddenly, a call comes on the radio that a sinking ship needs assistance. Mickey's feeble crew consists of Donald and Goofy, so chances look slim for a rescue. It was released on April 26, 1940 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Pluto's Dream House

Mickey plans on building a dream house for Pluto when he gets assistance from a magic lamp. There is no genii - the lamp is enchanted and speaks with a voice that will remind some viewers of Jack Benny's Rochester (Eddie Anderson). Things really get wild when it starts taking orders from Mickey's malfunctioning radio. It was released on August 30, 1940 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Mr. Mouse Takes A Trip

Mickey is taking a train vacation from Burbank to Pomona. The conductor, Pete, won't let him bring Pluto, so he hides Pluto in his suitcase, and tries to hide him all throughout the trip without much luck. Pete thinks he's won when Pluto is hooked by a mail hook, but he finds out he's wrong. It was released on November 1, 1940 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Fantasia

This is Mickey's first feature length film. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits of sorcery when he borrows his wizard's hat. It premiered on November 13, 1940 at the Broadway Theater in New York and was directed by Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, and Norm Ferguson. The film was presented for the first time in Fantasound, an early theater stereo system. It won Academy Awards in sound and unique achievement in visual music. It was re-released in1946, 1956, 1963,1969, 1977, 1982, and 1990. It was released to video in 1991.It received a new soundtrack when it was re-released in 1982.

1941

The Little Whirlwind

Mickey wants some of the cake Minnie has just baked, so he offers to clean up her yard. As he's working, a tiny tornado (smaller than him) with a mind of its own comes along and causes trouble. After Mickey finally chases the little twister off, it gets its big brother, which makes a grand mess of the yard. Most of the cartoon, except for the opening and closing, has no dialogue. The tornado sequence was borrowed from The Band Concert. It was released on February 14, 1941 and directed by Riley Thompson.

An animator's strike by the Screen Cartoonist Guild started on May 29, 1941 and lasted for 5 weeks. The strike occurred during the making of the animated feature Dumbo, and a number of strikers are caricatured in the feature as clowns who go to "hit the big boss for a raise." Many of the cartoon shorts made during this time were rehashes of precious popular Disney shorts.

The Nifty Nineties

Mickey courts Minnie in Gay Nineties style. They attend a vaudeville show and go for a drive in his horseless carriage, to the strains of "While Strolling Through the Park" and "In the Good Old Summertime". Goofy rides by on a penny-farthing bicycle, and the whole Duck family rides by on a bicycle built for five. It was released on June 20, 1941 and directed by Riley Thompson.

Orphan's Benefit

Mickey and his friends put on a musical revue for the local orphans. Donald recites nursery rhymes, but the orphans torment him. Horace, Goofy, and Clarabelle do a dance number. Donald tries again. Clara clucks a song while Mickey plays piano. Donald returns, and the orphans abuse him with bricks and eggs. It was released on August 11, 1934 and directed by Burt Gillett.

A Gentlemen's Gentleman

Mickey sends Pluto out for a newspaper, but Pluto loses the dime and suffers other tribulations until he finally arrives with a mud covered paper. It was released on March 28, 1941 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Canine Caddy

Mickey's going golfing, and uses Pluto as his caddy. Besides the usual caddy duties, Pluto runs to the ball and points to it. But when the ball lands in a gopher hole, Pluto's got another task: chase the gopher. They eventually chase each other through a number of holes in a knoll where Mickey is trying to putt out, causing the knoll to collapse. It was released on May 30, 1941 and directed by Clyde Geronimi.

Lend a Paw

It is the dead of winter and Pluto is sniffing around outside when he hears a noise. It's coming from a bag floating on an ice floe in a creek. Pluto rescues it, then loses interest when it turns out to be a kitten. The kitten follows him home, and Mickey takes a liking to it, to Pluto's disgust. Pluto's devil and angel sides give him conflicting advice. Pluto puts the cat up to mischief, but Bianca the goldfish fingers Pluto as the real culprit, getting him thrown outside. The kitten falls into a well, and the angel beats up the devil, convincing Pluto to save the kitten. It was released on October 3, 1941 and directed by Clyde Geronimi. It received an Academy Award for Best Cartoon. It was a remake of 1933's "Mickey's Pal Pluto".

1942

The start of World War II at the beginning of 1942 caused Mickey Mouse cartoon production to slow down between 1942 and 1945 while the studio produced educational films for the Army and Navy.

Mickey's Birthday Party

The gang throws Mickey a surprise birthday party. Mickey opens and plays his present: an electric organ. Minnie plays while Mickey does a jazzy dance. Goofy bakes the cake, but keeps having trouble with it falling. The gang does a conga line to a Latin tune. Very similar to an earlier Mickey Mouse short entitled "The Birthday Party" in 1931. It was released on February 7, 1942 and directed by Riley Thompson.

Symphony Hour

Mickey leads a radio orchestra and the new sponsor loves the rehearsal. The actual performance is less than stellar as Goofy drops all the instruments under an elevator where they get smashed and sound like toys. The sponsor hates it, but the audience loves it. Very similar to an earlier Mickey Mouse short entitled "The Band Concert" in 1935. It was released on March 20, 1942 and directed by Riley Thompson.