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Jan's "Mickey
Mouse" Page
"I
only hope that we never lose sight of one thing......
It all started with a mouse..."
-Walt Disney
In his early days of animation, Walt
Disney had created, a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Working
with Ub Iwerks, he had sold the series of cartoons to Universal Studios
for distribution. When Disney requested a larger budget for his popular
Oswald series, Universal quickly fired him and hired other artists and
writers to work on the show. A show to which Universal owned all the
rights. Disney learned an important lesson from this incident and made
sure that, in the future, he owned the rights to all of his creations.
In
1928, a sad and disheartened Walt Disney was returning to California
from New York by train. Having just learned that he had lost the rights
to his most popular cartoon character to his distributor, Walt came up
with a new character design and Mickey Mouse was born. |
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Mickey's first appearance was in the short film
"Plane Crazy" on May 15, 1928. Although audiences greeted Mickey's
first adventure with a luke-warm response, Walt Disney was determined to
make a star out of Mickey Mouse. He pressed on and soon scored a big hit
on November 18, 1928, with "Steamboat Willie" in which Mickey serves
aboard a steamboat under Captain Pete.
Considered to be
Walt's alter ego, Mickey starred in 135 movies between 1928 and 1990.
Today, Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognized cartoon characters and
corporate symbols in the world.
My first
experience with Mickey Mouse began as child growing up in Southern
California near the "Happiest Place on Earth", but my serious
love of Mickey began at the age of 14 with my first Mickey Mouse
watch. Over thirty years and thousands of collectables later, Mickey
Mouse remains my cartoon favorite of all time.
To see my family's genealogical
connection to Walt Disney,
click here.
To see a small portion of my Mickey Mouse
Collection, click here.
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Misc. Mickey Mouse
Facts:
"Plane Crazy" was Mickey
Mouse's 1st cartoon appearance on May 15, 1928. It was silent cartoon.
Mickey Mouse first appeared in
his signature white gloves on March 28, 1929, in "The Opry House," a
musical short in which he performs a series of vaudeville acts such as
snake charming and belly dancing.
The first SOUND Mickey Mouse
cartoon was "Steamboat Willie" released on September 19, 1928.
It premiered at the Colony
Theatre in New York City on November 18, 1928.
Mickey would express himself vocally by whistling, laughing,
crying, etc... but he never actually spoke.
Mickey Mouse was the FIRST
talking cartoon character. [His original voice was Walt Disney.] On May
23, 1929, Mickey Mouse spoke his first words -- "Hot dogs!" -- in the
short "The Karnival Kid," a short which featured Mickey selling hot dogs
at a carnival.
The first merchandise item
featuring Mickey Mouse was a children's writing tablet in 1929.
Mickey Mouse made his first
comic strip appearance in the New York Mirror on January 13, 1930. The
first few strips -- loosely based on "Plane Crazy," Mickey's first short
film -- were drawn by Ub Iwerks and written by Walt Disney himself.
Mickey Mouse's sister is Amelia
Fieldmouse. She has two children (Mickey's nephews), Morty and Ferdie
Fieldmouse.
Mickey Mouse was the first
non-human to win an Oscar in 1932 [for his creation by Walt].
In the 1933 cartoon short,
"Mickey's Mellerdrammer" the
following quotes appear...
Horace: [as
Simon Legree] Bow down to your master! I own your body and soul!
Mickey Mouse: [as Uncle Tom] You may own
this body, but my soul belongs to the Lord!
In 1934, the Encyclopedia
Britannica gave Mickey Mouse his own encyclopedia entry.
In 1935, the League of Nations
awarded him a medal for being an ambassador of good will.
In 1935 Mickey was honored by
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a fifty-five foot high Mickey
Mouse.
The phrase "Mickey Mouse"
became common slang for "being too easy" or "being cheap and tacky."
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
In 1939, Mickey's body
shape is redesigned. The cartoon short, "The Pointer" saw a bold,
new design for Mickey as his body became more pear-shaped and pupils
were added to his eyes to increase his range of expression. The pie eyed
Mickey is no more.
The code word used during World
War II by the Allied forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944, was "Mickey Mouse."
The Mickey Mouse Club debuted
on ABC TV on October 3, 1955.
In 1978, in honor of his 50th
anniversary, Mickey Mouse was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. He is between the stars
of Elton John and Jack Nicholson.
My Favorite Walt Disney quote:
"There has to be a wienie at the end of every street."
Mickey Mouse traditionally
wears yellow shoes, red shorts, and white gloves.
Walt Disney never
actually drew Mickey for any theatrical cartoons.
Mickey was drawn by
Walt's chief animator,
Ub Iwerks. By 1928, Walt was no longer animating for the feature shorts,
but had instead moved into story work and direction. The only Mickeys ever
drawn by Walt were at the request of autograph seekers. |
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Mickey Mouse's Filmography List
They are listed below by year. |
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1928 |
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Walt Disney becomes Mickey
Mouse's official voice starting with "Steamboat Willie" and continuing
until 1946. |
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Plane
Crazy
Mickey's first silent
short feature. It was the third cartoon to be released. It is a black and white film and was released on May
15, 1928. It is a parody of Charles Lindbergh's influence on the
world. It was later re-released as part of "Milestones for Mickey"
in 1974. Directed by Walt Disney. |
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The Gallopin'
Gaucho
The second short to be
produced, it was released later in 1928 after sound had been added. This black and white
short is a silent parody of Douglas Fairbanks' popular swashbuckling
movies. Directed by Walt Disney. Release date unknown. |
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Steamboat
Willie
The first synchronized
sound cartoon and first cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse to be shown
publicly. It was released on November 18, 1928 at the Colony Theater
in New York. This date has become
Mickey Mouse's official birth date. It was later re-released as part
of "Milestones" in Animation in 1973. It features Mickey as a
mischievous deckhand on Captain Pete's steamboat. Directed by Walt
Disney. |
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The
Barn Dance
This fourth cartoon to be
released, it was a silent black and white
short featuring Mickey and Pete fighting over Minnie's attentions.
Directed by Walt Disney. Release date unknown. |
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1929 |
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The Mickey Mouse
Club originated in 1929 at the Fox Dome Theatre in Ocean Park, California.
It eventually spread to hundreds of other theaters. Clubs met on
Saturday mornings and featured cartoons, club elections, live music,
prizes and sing-a-longs. "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" was the Mickey Mouse Club song. |
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The
Opry House
A black and white short,
Mickey wears white gloves for the first time.
He closes the film with an
impersonation of Polish pianist, Ignace Jan Paderewski. This is considered
to be the first real Disney musical. It shows Mickey as the owner
and pianist for a small town vaudeville show.
Directed by Walt Disney.
Release date unknown. |
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When
the Cat's Away
The first black and
white short cartoon to show Mickey and Minnie at their actual rodent
size. It features Mickey and Minnie tap dancing on a piano keyboard
much to the dismay of the house's resident cat. Directed by Walt
Disney. Release date unknown. |
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The
Barnyard Battle
A black and white short
showing Mickey playing a soldier
defending his farm from Pete and his army of cats. Directed by Walt
Disney. Release date unknown. |
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The
Plow Boy
Mickey's first
encounter with Horace Horsefly. Horace flirts with Minnie and chaos
ensues. Directed by Walt Disney. This black and white short is released on May 9, 1929. |
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The
Karnival Kid
Mickey speaks his first
words... "Hot Dogs!" [Voiced by Walt Disney] Mickey sells hot
dogs at the carnival while serenading shimmy dancer, Minnie. This black and
white short is released on May 23, 1929. Directed by Walt Disney. |
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Mickey's
Follies
This black and white short features Mickey singing for the first
time... "Minnie's Yoo-hoo", but not with Walt's voice. A
musical revue, this short features a pig who sings opera, two
dancing chickens and a song by Mickey. Directed by Wilfred Jackson.
Release date unknown. |
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"Minnie's
Yoo Hoo" serves as the new theme song for the Mickey Mouse series of
cartoon shorts. The music was written by Carl Stalling and the
lyrics by Walt Disney. Animation historians have pointed
out that it seems to be the first song with original lyrics created by
Walt's studio. |
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Mickey's
Choo-Choo
Mickey's run-away
train puts Minnie in danger. This black and white short is released on June 20,1929.
Directed by Walt Disney. |
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The
Jazz Fool
This black and white
short shows Mickey performing in a traveling "Big Road Show".
Directed by Walt Disney. Release date unknown. |
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Jungle
Rhythm
Mickey on safari soothes savage beasts
in this black and white short. Directed by Walt Disney. Release date
unknown. |
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The
Haunted House
Mickey caught up in a storm
seeks refuge for himself in a haunted house with skeletons and the
Grim Reaper, in this black and white
short. Directed
by Walt Disney. Release date unknown. |
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Wild Waves
This black and white
short shows Mickey saving Minnie at the beach. First cartoon to be
directed by Burt Gillett. Release date unknown. |
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1930 |
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Barnyard
Concert
Mickey plays a conductor leading a band of
barnyard animals. It features "Poet and Peasant Overture." It
was released on April 10, 1930.
Directed by Walt Disney.
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Just
Mickey
Mickey gives a violin
concert. Originally called "Fiddling Around", it was released on
April 21, 1930. Directed by Walt Disney |
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The
Cactus Kid
Mickey as the Cactus Kid must try to
save cantina hostess Minnie from the foul clutches of evil bandito
Peg-leg Pete. It was released on May 15, 1930 and
directed by Walt Disney. |
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The
Fire Fighters
Fire
Chief Mickey & Horace Horsecollar
save Miss Minnie from a blazing fire. It was released on June 25,
1930 and was directed by Burt Gillett.
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The
Shindig
Mickey has barn dance,
where Minnie plays
piano; Mickey plays fiddle, then percussion, then harmonica. Mickey
finally dances with the huge Patricia Pig. It was released on July
29, 1930 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Chain Gang
For unknown reasons, Mickey Mouse is
in prison. It features a musical sequence with the prisoners dancing
around the prison yard and Mickey's attempt to escape. It was
released on September 5, 1930 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Gorilla Mystery
Mickey comes to the rescue when an
escaped ape causes mayhem in poor Minnie's house. It was released on
October 10, 1930 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Picnic
Mickey romances Minnie during a
picnic in the country. Music includes "Minnie's Yoo Hoo!" - one of
Mickey's earliest theme songs. Pluto is Minnie's dog this time
around. It is released on October 23, 1930 and directed by Burt
Gillett. |
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Pioneer
Days -
Mickey and Minnie are on a wagon
train; where they are attacked by Indians and Minnie is captured. It
is released on December 5, 1930 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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1931 |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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1932 |
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The
Duck Hunt
Mickey and Pluto go on a
duck hunt and anger the ducks. It was released on January 28, 1932
and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Grocery Boy
Mickey makes a delivery to Minnie, but is interrupted by Pluto's interest in the baked turkey in
Minnie's oven. It was released on February 11, 1932 and directed by
Wilfred Jackson. |
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The
Mad Dog
Bath day for Pluto turns
into chaos., but Pluto eventually gives in. It was released on March
5, 1932 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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Barnyard
Olympics
To coincide with the Los
Angeles Olympics of 1932, Mickey & Pete
compete in the Cross Country Bicycle event all in the hope of
winning Minnie's
attention. It was released on April 15, 1932 and directed by Wilfred
Jackson. |
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Mickey's
Revue
Mickey and Minnie put on a show. This
marks the first appearance of a character named Dippy Dawg, who
would soon evolve into Goofy. It was released on May 25, 1932 and
directed by Wilfred Jackson. |
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Musical
Farmer
Mickey does his farm
chores set to music. Chores include stopping crows from eating his
seeds and caring for the hens. It was released on July 9, 1932 and
directed by Wilfred Jackson. |
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Mickey
in Arabia
Mickey and Minnie vacation in Arabia
where Minnie is kidnapped by Black Pete and it's Mickey to the
rescue. It is released on July 18, 1932 and directed by Wilfred
Jackson. |
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Mickey's
Nightmare
Mickey dreams of married life to
Minnie and his home overrun by countless ill-behaved offspring. It
was released on August 13, 1932 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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Trader
Mickey
Mickey and Pluto travel down an
African river with their cargo when they are captured by cannibals.
This cartoon is rarely seen because it has never been released.
since it's original showing. It was released on August 20, 1932 and
directed by Dave Hand.
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The
Whoopee Party
Police break up
a house party, while Minnie plays
piano and the guests dance. Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" is
featured. It was released on September 17, 1932 and directed by
Wilfred Jackson. |
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Touchdown Mickey
Mickey's team the "Mickey's Manglers"
play football against the "Alley Cats." It was released on
October 15, 1932 and directed by Wilfred Jackson. |
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The
Wayward Canary
Mickey gives Minnie a canary and the
bird causes chaos. This short features an autographed pictures of
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, founders of United Artists,
Disney's distributor at the time. It was released on November 11,
1932 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Klondike Kid
Mickey plays piano in the Klondike
Bar when he rescues a half-frozen Minnie from Peg Leg Pierre. It was
released on November 12, 1932 and directed by Wilfred Jackson.
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Mickey's Good Deed
Mickey and Pluto are playing
Christmas-carols when a spoiled brat wants a dog for Christmas.
Mickey sells Pluto to the spoiled brat, and uses the money to buy
Christmas-presents for a poor family. Pluto escapes and returns to a
deeply saddened Mickey. It was released on December 17, 1932 and
directed by Burt Gillett. |
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Walt Disney is awarded an
Honorary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for
creating Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney holds the record for most Oscars
received by one man at 32.
Mickey Mouse Club membership
reaches 1 million people in 1932. |
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1933 |
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First Mickey
Mouse watch is made by the Ingersoll Watch Co. and sells for $3.25.
The watch pictured here is an M1 first sold
by Ingersoll Watch Co. in Chicago. |
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Building
a Building
Mickey plays a shovel operator and
laborer at a construction site where Minnie is delivering box lunches.
Foreman Pete steals Mickey's lunch, so Minnie offers him one on the
house. While he's eating, Pete kidnaps Minnie. It was released on
January 7, 1933 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Mad Doctor
On a stormy night, Pluto is spirited away
to the spooky mansion of an evil genius for a mad transplant scheme to
put his head on the body of a chicken. Mickey gives chase, but find
himself threatened severely by the house and its denizens. It was
released on January 21, 1933 and directed by Dave Hand.
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Mickey's
Pal Pluto
Pluto rescues several tiny kittens from
drowning and then becomes jealous of the way they are welcomed into
Mickey's home. It was later remade as Lend A Paw in 1941. It was
released on February 18, 1933 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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Mickey's
Mellerdrammer
Mickey and his friends put on the play
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" with Mickey as Uncle Tom, Minnie as Little Eva,
Clarabelle Cow as Eliza and Horace Horsecollar as Simon Legree. It was
released on March 18, 1933 and was directed by Wilfred Jackson.
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Ye
Olden Days
Princess
Minnie is to wed the Prince Goofy [still known as Dippy Dawg] against
her wishes. She is rescued by Minstrel Mickey. Mickey wins the joust,
and they live happily ever after. Release date unknown. It was directed
by Burt Gillett. |
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The
Mail Pilot
Mickey knows his postal cargo must get
through but he is menaced by Pete in his own plane. It was released on
May 13, 1933 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
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Mickey's
Mechanical Man
A boxing robot, built by Mickey engages
in the battle against The Kongo Killer, who's a real ape. It was
released on June 17, 1933 and directed by Wilfred Jackson. |
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Mickey's
Gala Premier
Mickey's film, "Galloping Romance" gets a
Hollywood premiere, and all the stars turn out to the Chinese Theatre.
Among those shown: Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jimmy Durante,
Clark Gable, Sid Grauman, Mae West. After, everyone comes on stage
to congratulate Mickey; Garbo smothers him with kisses. It was released
on July 1, 1933 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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Puppy
Love
Mickey's in trouble when Pluto and
girlfriend, Fifi eat Minnie's chocolates, while Mickey and Minnie enjoy
some romantic time. It was released on September 2, 1933 and directed by
Wilfred Jackson. |
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The
Steeple Chase
When the old Colonel's horse, Thunderbolt
becomes inebriated just before the big race, it is up to jockey Mickey
to come up with an outrageous solution to still win the race. It was
released on September 30, 1933 and directed by Burt Gillett. |
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The Pet Store
Tony, the store owner watches as Mickey,
Minnie and the entire menagerie dance around frantically. The climax
features a spoof of 1933's King Kong. It was released on
October 28, 1933 and directed by Wilfred Jackson. |
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Giant-land
Mickey tells a young group of orphans how
he climbed a beanstalk into the clouds and confronted the King of
Giant-land. It was released on November 25, 1933 and directed by Burt
Gillett. |
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1934 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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". |
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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. |
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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. |
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1935 |
1935 through 1940 were considered the Golden Age
of Disney Animation.
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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This marks the end of the black and white
cartoon era at the Disney Studios. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
|
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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. |
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1936 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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. |
|
All
Together
The entire Disney stable of
characters appears in a parade urging the Canadian citizens to
purchase war bonds. It was released on January 13, 1942 and was made
for the National Film Board. |
|
1943 |
|
Pluto
and the Armadillo
This segment was originally part of the full length feature "Saludos
Amigos", but ended up being released separately. Mickey and Pluto make a
short stopover on a South American flight. Mickey throws Pluto's ball into
the jungle, and he chases it but it looks exactly the same as an armadillo
that's rolled up into a ball. This, of course, greatly confuses Pluto for
a while. But he eventually makes friends with the armadillo. He chases the
critter into a cave right behind his ball, and rips the ball apart
thinking it's the armadillo, which makes him very sad until the armadillo
shows up again. It was released on February 19, 1943 and directed by Clyde
Geronimi. |
|
1945 & 1946 |
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
1946 |
|
Jim Macdonald
becomes the 2nd person to do Mickey's voice. He replaces Walt Disney. |
|
Squatter's
Rights
Chip 'n Dale have set up house in the wood stove of Mickey's cabin. Pluto
knows they are there, but Mickey only knows his matches keep going out
when he tries to light a fire. One of the earliest Chip and Dale with
Mickey appearances, if not the first. It was released on June 7, 1946 and
directed by Jack Hannah. It was nominated for an Academy Award. |
|
1947 |
|
Mickey's
Delayed Date
Mickey accidentally oversleeps and is awakened by Minnie's call from the
dance he should be at. He dresses quickly in his Sunday best and rushes to
the dance hall, but has forgotten the tickets. Pluto sees the tickets and
races to find Mickey who ends up rolling in a trash can. This ruins his
suit, but it works out, because the dance is a "hard times" costume party.
And Pluto saves the day. It was released on October 3, 1947 and directed
by Charles Nichols. |
|
Fun & Fancy Free
Mickey's 2nd full length feature is released.
It includes a segment called Mickey & the Beanstalk and is narrated by
ventriloquist, Edgar Bergen.
Beginning with this feature, Jim Macdonald
takes over doing Mickey's voice for Walt. It was released to video in
1988. |
|
1948 |
|
Mickey's Down Under
Mickey runs a banana plantation, where a frightened Pluto gets tangled up
with Mickey's boomerang. Meanwhile, Mickey has found an ostrich egg
whose owner isn't at all happy that Mickey wants to take it. This is the
first cartoon to officially feature Jim McDonald as the voice of Mickey.
It was released on March 19, 1948 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
|
Mickey and the Seal
Mickey visits the zoo, where he makes friends with a baby seal by feeding
it a couple of fish from his picnic basket. The seal stows away in the
basket and goes home with Mickey, where for a while, only Pluto sees it.
Eventually it climbs into Mickey's bath, and he eventually figures it out
and returns the tot. He tells his elders of the wonders of Mickey's bath
and scrub-brush, and Mickey returns home to find a welcoming committee. It
was released on December 3, 1948 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
|
Pluto's Purchase.
Mickey sends Pluto to the butcher store for sausage, but Butch [the enemy]
sees this and plans to take Pluto's sausage. Pluto manages to retrieve the
prize and get it safely home, only to discover it's a birthday present for
Butch. It was released on July 9, 1948 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
|
1949 |
|
Pueblo
Pluto
Mickey goes shopping at a souvenir shop in the southwest and leaves Pluto
with a buffalo bone to chew on. A small dog comes to take it away and runs
into a ring of cactus with it. Pluto is too big to reach her, so he comes
in from above and finds himself stuck inside until the small dog helps. It
was released on January 14, 1949 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
|
1950 |
|
Crazy
Over Daisy
It's the 1890's, and Donald is riding his penny-farthing bicycle to see
Daisy when Chip 'n Dale make fun of him. It quickly escalates into a
full-fledged war between Donald and the chipmunks. Mickey's appearance in
this short is very brief. It was released on March 24, 1950 and directed
by Jack Hannah. |
|
1951 |
|
Plutopia
Mickey's goes on vacation to Camp Utopia. At first Pluto thinks it really
is utopia because there are trees everywhere and a cat to chase. The cabin
rules turn Pluto's utopia into a prison camp: no dogs indoors, and dogs
must be muzzled and leashed. The cat taunts him while Pluto falls asleep
and dreams of his perfect "Plutopia" with a cat begging Pluto to bite him
and catering to his every need. Once again, Mickey's appearance is very
limited in this short. It was released on May 18, 1951 and directed by
Charles Nichols. |
|
R'coon
Dawg
Mickey is hunting raccoons, with help from Pluto. The raccoon outsmarts
Pluto, with help from a vine, a stream, and ultimately by grabbing
Mickey's coonskin cap and using it as a puppet baby coon. It was released
on August 10, 1951 and directed by Charles Nichols. |
|
1952 |
|
Pluto's
Party
Pluto's birthday party is filled with
Mickey's dozens of nephews who seem to be having all the fun. Their
present is a wagon so Pluto can pull them; the "Pin the Tail on Pluto"
game doesn't go quite right, and everything seems to prevent Pluto from
having his birthday cake. Fortunately, Mickey has planned ahead. It was
released on September 19, 1952 and directed by Milt Schaffer.
|
|
Pluto's
Christmas Tree
Pluto helps Mickey get a Christmas tree. Chip 'n Dale make fun of Pluto,
but Mickey chops down the very tree they take refuge in. Troubles ensue
between the dog and the chipmunks. Minnie, Donald, and Goofy drop by to
sing carols. It was released on November 21, 1952 and directed by Jack
Hannah. |
|
1953 |
|
The Simple Things
Mickey and Pluto go fishing. Pluto has a
run-in with a clam, who eventually lodges in Pluto's mouth. After they
get rid of the clam, Mickey's attempts to use his minnows as bait are
thwarted by a hungry seagull. he brings his friends, and they chase our
heroes away. It was released on April 18, 1953 and directed by
Charles Nichols. This was the
last Mickey Mouse cartoon that Walt Disney worked on, as his attentions
were now drawn away by the creating of Disneyland. This would also be
the last Mickey Mouse feature short to be produced for the next 30
years.
Editors
Note: I find it ironic that my favorite cartoon character's last cartoon
short was made a month after I was born. |
|
Artist John Hench paints Mickey's
official portrait in honor of his 25th birthday. |
|
1954 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
1955 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
On July 17th, Disneyland in Anaheim,
California, Walt's first themed amusement park opens and Mickey Mouse
becomes the official host. |
|
The Mickey
Mouse Club
A children's television show in
black & white debuts featuring it's host, Mickey Mouse. It features
cartoons, Children's serial programs [such as Spin and Marty] and
educational shorts, as well as live children singing and dancing. It
premiered on October 3, 1955 and ended on September 25, 1959. The show was
hosted by Jimmy Dodd and Roy Williams. It featured the now famous "Mickey
Mouse March" as it's club theme song, which was written by show host,
Jimmie Dodd. Children from the show including Annette Funicello and Bobby
Burgess. Daily shows included Monday's "Fun with Music Day", Tuesday's
"Guest Star Day", Wednesday's "Anything Can Happen Day", Thursday's
"Circus Day", and Friday's "Talent Round-up Day". The show returned to
syndication from 1962 to 1965 and also in 1977 and in 1983 for the launch
of the Disney Channel. These reruns proved so successful that a new
version was launched in 1977.
|
|
1956
- 1967 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
On December 15th, 1966, Mickey loses his beast
friend and creator, Walt Disney to cancer. |
|
On October 1st,
1971, Mickey Mouse opens Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and becomes it's
official host. |
|
1968
|
|
The Mickey
Mouse Anniversary Show
A made for television special
that featured host, Dean Jones showing 40 years of Mickey Mouse cartoons
clips and a reunion of the original Mouseketeers. It aired on December 22,
1968. |
|
1969
- 1976 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
1977 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
The New Mickey Mouse Club
A
new color version of classic children's television series using the same
type format with new children. It premiered on January 14, 1977 and ran
until December 1, 1978. Monday became "Who, What, Where, When and Why Day",
Tuesday was "Let's Go Day", Wednesday was "Surprise Day",
Thursday was "Discovery Day", and Friday was "Showtime Day". |
Wayne Allwine
becomes the 3rd person to do Mickey Mouse's voice. He replaces Jim
McDonald. |
|
1978
- 1979 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
|
On November 3rd, in honor of his 50th
birthday, Mickey Mouse is awarded a star on Hollywood Blvd.
|
|
He is the
first animated cartoon to receive one. |
|
1980 |
|
Mickey Mouse
Disco
A film cartoon compilation of
old footage from Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoons that were set to new
soundtracks. It become the idea for the Disney Channel's DTV music videos
where old cartoon footage is married to modern music. It was released on
June 25, 1980. |
|
1981
- 1982 |
|
No
Mickey Mouse shorts were produced during this time. |
Suddenly,
after 30 Years of Retirement......
|
1983 |
|
Mickey's
Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens classic story features an all star
Disney cast. Uncle Scrooge McDuck plays Scrooge and is visited by his dead
partner [Goofy] and 3 spirits on Christmas Eve to help him remember the joys
of Christmas. Mickey stars as Scrooge's clerk, Bob Cratchit. It was released
on December 16, 1983 and directed by Burny Mattinson. It was released to
video in 1984. This is the last film where
Clarence Nash provides the voice of Donald Duck and the first where Wayne
Allwine provides the voice of Mickey Mouse. This is also the first time that
Alan Young provides the voice of Scrooge McDuck. The first animated short
with Mickey Mouse since The Simple Things (1953). The theatrical release of
this film was as part of the reissue of
The Rescuers
(1977). |
|
1984 |
|
The Mickey,
Donald and Sport Goofy Show
A series three half hour
programs developed for television that included Mickey Mouse cartoons. It
aired during September - December of 1984. |
|
1985 - 1986 |
|
No Mickey Mouse cartoons
are made during this time. |
|
1987 |
|
Mickey's Field Trips
A
series of four educational films including "The Police Station", "The Fire
Station", "The Hospital" and "The United Nations". It was released in
September of 1987 and again in July of 1989. |
|
1988 |
|
No Mickey Mouse cartoons
are made during this time. |
|
Who
Framed Roger Rabbit?
The first multi-studio
collaboration, this live action cartoon features both Disney and Warner
Brothers characters. It won 3
Oscars. Cartoon star, Roger Rabbit is worried that his wife Jessica is
playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective
Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. The stakes are quickly raised when Marvin
Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect. This feature exhibits
groundbreaking interaction between the live and animated characters, and
lots of references to classic animation. It premiered on June 21, 1988 at
Radio City Music Hall in New York and was released to the general public on
June 22, 1988. It was directed by Robert Zemekis. Visual effects were
created at Industrial Light and Magic. It won 4 Academy Awards including
Film Editing, Sound Effects Editing, Visual Effects and a special
achievement award in Animation Direction to Richard Williams. |
|
Mickey Mouse: Safety Belt Expert
Mickey starred in an educational film encouraging students to wear
seatbelts. It was released in September of 1988. |
|
Mickey's 60th
Birthday
A television special shown on
November 13, 1988 in celebration of Mickey's 60th birthday. Mickey is
missing and everyone is looking for him all over Disneyland. It was directed
by Scot Garen. |
|
1989 |
|
No Mickey Mouse cartoons
are made during this time. |
|
On July 17th, Disneyland in Anaheim,
California, Walt's first themed amusement park opens and Mickey Mouse
becomes the official host. |
|
Mickey
Mouse Club
An
all new version
of the children's television show is
premiered on the Disney Channel. Mickey has very little to do with this
show other than as a corporate logo. It premiered on April 24, 1989. The
last episode was taped in the Fall of 1994. This version featured future
stars Brittany Spears, J. C. Chavez and Justin Timberlake.
|
|
Mickey's Happy Valentine Special
A
television show featuring Prof. Ludwig Von Drake telling the story of love
via old cartoon shorts in MTV video fashion. It was shown on February 12,
1989. |
|
Mickey's
Safety Club
A series of four educational
films that included "Halloween Surprises", "Playground Fun", "What To Do At
Home", and "Street Safe, Street Smart". It was released in September of
1989. |
|
1990 |
|
The
Prince and the Pauper
Classic retelling of Mark Twain's The
Prince and the Pauper, Mickey plays the heir to the throne as well as
a pauper lad. Pauper Mickey dreams of plenty and an easy life as
Royalty while the Prince dreams of the freedom as a subject. They meet
by accident and exchange places. That the grass is not always greener
on the other side. It was released on November 16, 1990 and directed
by George Scribbner. It was re-released to video in 1991. |
|
A Goofy Movie
On the last day of school, Max [Goofy's
teenage son] wants to catch the eye of the cute Roxanne. Max finds it
hard to be cool when your dad's Goofy? Through the movie, Goofy
tries to bring Max out of his shell, while Max resents being taken
away, and lying to Roxanne about the trip . It was released on April
7, 1995 and directed by Kevin Lima. It was re-released to video in
late 1995. |
|
1991 |
|
Mickey's Big
Break
A short film made for use at
Disney MGM Studios in Florida, this short featured Mickey Mouse auditioning
for Walt Disney [played by nephew, Roy Disney] and starring Mel Brooks, Ed
Begley Jr. and Dom DeLuise. It was shown during the summer of 1991 and
directed by Rob Minkoff. |
|
1992 - 1994 |
|
No Mickey Mouse cartoons
are made during this time. |
|
1995 |
|
Runaway Brain
-
Mickey's first true theatrical short in over
42
years with the exception of Mickey's Christmas Carol, which is considered
to be a full length feature and not a short.
Mickey in need of money to buy a gift for Minnie gets mixed up with a mad
scientist and mayhem that previously was only witnessed in Warner cartoons
occurs. Its every horror movie cliché turned on its head.
It was released on August 11,1995
as an opening short for A Kid in King Arthur's Court.
The tune that
Mickey Mouse whistles is the song that he whistled from Steamboat Willie
(1928). |
|
1996 - 1997 |
|
No Mickey Mouse cartoons
are made during this time. |
|
1998 |
|
In 1998, Mickey
presented an envelope to actor Tom Selleck at the Academy Awards.
|
|
1999 |
|
Mickey's
Mouse Works (TV)
An animated Television series on
ABC that ran from May 1, 1999 until January 6, 2001 and featured new
cartoons starring Mickey and the gang. |
|
Mickey's Once Upon A
Christmas
A direct to video film that features a series of Christmas shorts starring
Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey and Minnie in The Gift of the Magi. released
on November 9, 1999.
|
|
2000 |
|
Fantasia 2000
An updated re-release of the original
Fantasia, Mickey is once again featured in the digitally enhanced version
of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. It premiered on December 15, 1999 at
Carnegie Hall in New York and December 31, 1999 at the Pasadena Civic
Auditorium in Pasadena, California. It opened in IMAX form to the
general public on January 1, 2000 and to general movie theaters on
June 16, 2000. It was directed by Hendel Butoy and personally
surprised by Walt's nephew, Roy E. Disney. The soundtrack was provided
by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was released to video in
November of 2000. |
|
2001 |
|
House
of Mouse [TV]
Mickey stars in a weekly TV
series on the Disney Channel.
|
|
Mickey's Magical Christmas
After everyone is snowed in at the House of
Mouse, Mickey suggests they throw their own Christmas party. Everyone is
happy, except for Donald who just isn't in to the Christmas spirit. So
Mickey shows a series of cartoons that show just what Christmas is all
about. It features a star studded cast of Disney characters from everyone's
favorite animated Disney movies.
|
|
2002 |
|
Mickey's House of Villains
A direct to video film that pits Mickey
against Disney's greatest villains as they try to take over the House
of Mouse. It was released on September 3, 2002. |
|
2003 |
|
In 2003, Mickey
also presented the award for Best Animated Short with actress Jennifer
Garner.
|
|
On November 18,
Mickey's 75th birthday is
celebrated with a year long tour of 75 Mickey Statues painted by
celebrities called "75 InspEARations". |
|
A
Merry Mickey Celebration
An hour long television special
celebrating Mickey Mouse on his 75th birthday through music. It was shown on
December 20, 2003. Also shown during that program was Mickey's Christmas
Carol. |
|
2004 |
|
The Three Musketeers
Best buddies Mickey, Donald, and Goofy
are small-time janitors with big dreams of becoming Musketeers.
Peg-Leg Pete, captain of the Musketeers, points out why they'll never
make it, because Donald is a coward, Goofy is a dim-wit, and Mickey is
short. But things change when Princess Minnie demands Musketeer
bodyguards when assassins, hired by Pete so he can be king, nearly
drop a safe on her. Knowing real Musketeers are too-well trained, Pete
hires Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, the clumsy janitors as Musketeers and
Minnie's bodyguards. Pete underestimates the little fellows though.
The first feature length movie
starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy together.
When Disney was trying to develop a
Mickey Mouse feature film in the early 1940s, one of the ideas
considered was "The Three Musketeers", but it was abandoned because
the original novel requires four main characters (the titular
musketeers and D'Artagnan) and the filmmakers found it difficult to
come up with a good combination of established characters to fill the
parts. Sixty-plus years later, the problem was solved by having
Mickey, Donald and Goofy not play the original Three Musketeers and
thus tell a story that parallels the original but is not strictly an
adaptation of it. The original Musketeers, incidentally, are the ones
who saved the gang in the beginning of the film, and their autographs
are in the hat they give Mickey.
Pete sports his once-trademark peg
leg for the first time since the 1930s.
Mickey's first direct to video full length feature is released.
|
|
Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas
Mickey and his friends are animated for the first
time using CGI (computer generated images) giving them a realistic 3D
effect. Released on November 9, 2004.
|
|
Here
are a few of my favorite Disney & Mickey Mouse links:
|
|
The
Official Disney Web Site;
Official Disney
Information about theme parks, movies, resorts, Disney Store, stockholder
info, etc. |
Laughing
Place.com:
International
news stories, feature articles and information about Disney theme parks,
events, TV, and movies.
This
is a really great link!!! |
Disney
Beanies:
A site for Disney
Beanie collector's like me, plus links to Beanie Baby and Pokemon
sites |
30 Years of
Disneyland Collectables
Mark Atkinson's webpage featuring 50
Years of Disneyland collectables |
|
Yesterland
Information about
extinct, but beloved rides from Disney past. This site provides a loving
tribute to Disney
land the way it use to be......This
is a really great link, too!!! |
Ron
and Marie's Disney Web Page and Trivia:
A fun page for
Disney-o-philes with trivia games, a message board, Disney greeting card
links and a chat room. |
|
Useful Trivia about Mickey Mouse
A fun trivia
link page with useful Mickey Information. |
Urban
Reference Disney Page:
A must see for fans
seeking confirmation about various urban legends and rumors involving
Disney. |
|
Walt
Disney: His Life and Works:
A site dedicated to
the memory of Walt Disney. |
Disneyland:
Inside and Out:
Unofficial,
but informative Disneyland information
including
the new Disney's California Adventure
|
|
The
Disney Future:
Information about
future planned resorts, attractions, and theme park construction. Also,
upcoming video releases and a chat room . |
The
Bertino Disney Archives;
Disney-themed Icons,
midis, ride scripts and much more. |
|
Return
to Jan's World
Don't
forget to get your hand stamped! |
|
 |
10's of 1000's of
happy
guests have visited Mickey
here
at Jan's Mickey Mouse Page.
|
|