Mickey Steps Out

Last updated

Mickey Steps Out
Directed by Burt Gillett
Produced by Walt Disney
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • July 10, 1931 (1931-07-10) [1]
Running time
7:31
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mickey Steps Out is a 1931 Mickey Mouse animated short film directed by Burt Gillett, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. [1] It was the thirtieth short in the Mickey Mouse film series, and the sixth of that year. [2]

Contents

Plot

At home, Mickey Mouse gets ready for a date with Minnie, shaving and singing "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy from Dumas". Doffing a straw hat and carrying a cane, Mickey sets out on his date. His dog Pluto wants to accompany him, but Mickey sends the dog back, tying him to his doghouse. As Mickey dances his way to Minnie's, Pluto comes along anyway, dragging his doghouse behind him.

Approaching Minnie's house, Mickey hears her playing the piano. He pokes his head in the window, whistling along with Minnie's pet canary. Pluto begins chasing a cat as Mickey enters the house. Minnie plays "Sweet Georgia Brown" as Mickey dances, showing off by balancing a broom on his nose and spinning plates.

The song-and-dance is interrupted when Pluto chases the cat into the house, knocking Mickey over. The chase causes chaos in the house, wrecking the piano and knocking over Mickey, who's hit by a falling cuckoo clock. The cat jumps into the stove with Pluto close behind, and the animals' battle sends soot flying everywhere. With all four characters now in blackface, Mickey cries, "Minnie!"; Minnie cries, "Mickey!"; Pluto cries, "Mammy!"; and the cat shouts "Whoopee!"

Production

This short is one of the only two Mickey Mouse cartoons in which Pluto speaks; the other is The Moose Hunt (1931). [3]

The cartoon ends with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto as "blackface stereotypes". [4] The blackface sequence has sometimes been cut on television airings. [5]

Reception

In a contemporary review, Motion Picture Herald said: "Mickey, the animated mouse, goes jazz with a vengeance while Minnie supplies the music and inspiration. Gained a number of laughs in New York, and good synchronization does its part." [6] Motion Picture Reviews said that the cartoon contains "moderately entertaining misadventures", although "a few vulgarities might be dispensed with". [7]

In Mickey's Movies: The Theatrical Films of Mickey Mouse, Gijs Grob writes of the ending: "This two-minute sequence is the first well-constructed finale in animation history." [2]

Animated Short Films: A Critical Index to Theatrical Cartoons called it a "mediocre Mickey cartoon". [8] However, Michael Barrier in Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age praised the improvement in the studio's animation: "Mickey moves with none of the monotonous rhythmic twitching so typical of the early Disney sound cartoons; instead, Mickey's movements have some of the variety, within the rhythmic framework of the music, that a human dancer's would have." [9]

Voice cast

Home media

The short was released on December 3, 2002 on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White . [11]

Television

The Delivery Boy was included in the TV show The Mickey Mouse Club (season 1, episode 68). [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Wild Waves</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Wild Waves is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on December 18, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the fifteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the twelfth of that year, as well as the last to be released by Celebrity Productions before Columbia Pictures took over distribution.

<i>The Barn Dance</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Barn Dance is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on March 15, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series; it was the first of twelve shorts released during that year. It was directed by Walt Disney with Ub Iwerks as the head animator. The title is written as Barn Dance on the poster, while the full title is used on the title screen.

<i>The Karnival Kid</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Karnival Kid is a 1929 Mickey Mouse short animated film released by Celebrity Productions, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks, with music by Carl W. Stalling. It was the ninth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the sixth of that year.

<i>When the Cats Away</i> (1929 film) 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

When the Cat's Away is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on May 3, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was directed by Walt Disney and animated by Ub Iwerks and Ben Sharpsteen. It was the sixth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the third of that year. In this cartoon, Mickey and Minnie are the size of regular mice, and Tom Cat is the size of a person.

<i>Mickeys Choo-Choo</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Mickey's Choo-Choo is a 1929 Mickey Mouse short animated film released by Celebrity Pictures, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. Ub Iwerks was the animator. It was the eleventh Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the eighth of that year, and was one of the series of early Disney cartoons that led Mickey Mouse to become a national fad by the end of 1929. Originally produced in black and white, this cartoon was one of 45 Mickey Mouse cartoons colorized by American Film Technologies in 1991.

<i>Mickeys Follies</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Mickey's Follies is a Mickey Mouse animated short film first released on August 28, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was directed by Ub Iwerks and Wilfred Jackson, with music by Carl Stalling. It was produced in black and white by The Walt Disney Studio and released to theaters by Celebrity Productions. It was the tenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the seventh of that year.

<i>Plutos Christmas Tree</i> 1952 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Pluto's Christmas Tree is a 1952 Mickey Mouse cartoon in which Pluto and Mickey cut down a Christmas tree that Chip n' Dale live in. It was the 125th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the second for that year. While the chipmunks are usually antagonists of Donald Duck, they have pestered Pluto before, in Private Pluto (1943), Squatter's Rights (1946) and Food for Feudin' (1950).

<i>The Haunted House</i> (1929 film) 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Haunted House, also known as Haunted House, is a 1929 Mickey Mouse short animated film released by Celebrity Productions, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. The cartoon was produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Celebrity Productions. It was the fourteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the eleventh of that year.

The Gorilla Mystery is a 1930 Mickey Mouse animated film produced by Walt Disney for Columbia Pictures, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-second Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the seventh of that year.

The Beach Party is a 1931 Mickey Mouse animated short film directed by Burt Gillett, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was the thirty-fourth short in the Mickey Mouse film series, and the tenth produced that year.

<i>Traffic Troubles</i> 1931 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Traffic Troubles is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on March 7, 1931, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-sixth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, and the second of that year.

The Barnyard Broadcast is a 1931 Mickey Mouse animated short film directed by Burt Gillett, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was the thirty-third short in the Mickey Mouse film series, and the ninth produced that year.

The Moose Hunt is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on April 30, 1931, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-eighth Mickey Mouse short to be produced and the fourth of that year.

The Picnic is a 1930 American animated short film directed by Burt Gillett and produced by Walt Disney. It was first released on October 9, 1930, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-third Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the eighth of that year.

Fishin' Around is a 1931 American animated short film directed by Burt Gillett, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was the thirty-second short in the Mickey Mouse film series, and the eighth produced that year.

The Birthday Party is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on January 2, 1931, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-fifth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the first of that year.

The Delivery Boy is a 1931 Mickey Mouse animated short film directed by Burt Gillett, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was the twenty-ninth short in the Mickey Mouse film series, and the fifth of that year.

The Barnyard Concert is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on April 5, 1930, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the seventeenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the second of that year.

The Fire Fighters is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on June 20, 1930, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the nineteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the fourth of that year.

Pioneer Days is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on November 20, 1930, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-fourth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the ninth of that year.

References

  1. 1 2 Kaufman, J.B.; Gerstein, David (2018). Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History. Cologne: Taschen. pp. 66–68. ISBN   978-3-8365-5284-4.
  2. 1 2 Grob, Gijs (2018). "Mickey Steps Out". Mickey's Movies: The Theatrical Films of Mickey Mouse. Theme Park Press. ISBN   978-1683901235.
  3. ↑ Blumberg, Arnold T. (2006). Pop Culture with Character: A Look Inside Geppi's Entertainment Museum. Gemstone Publishing. p. 85. ISBN   978-1-888472-68-4 . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ Sampson, Henry T. (1998). That's Enough, Folks: Black Images in Animated Cartoons, 1900-1960. Scarecrow Press. p. 230. ISBN   0-8108-3250-X . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ Cohen, Karl F. (1997). Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America. McFarland & Company. p. 69. ISBN   0-7864-0395-0 . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Shorts". Motion Picture Herald . 105 (1): 34. October 3, 1931. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Short Subjects". Motion Picture Reviews. 11 (10): 9. October 1931. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Boroweic, Piotr (1998). Animated Short Films: A Critical Index to Theatrical Cartons. Scarecrow Press. p. 110. ISBN   0-8108-3503-7 . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation In Its Golden Age. Oxford University Press. p. 76. ISBN   0-19-503759-6 . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Scott, Keith (2022). "The Walt Disney Cartoon Voices, 1928-70". Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. Bear Manor Media.
  11. ↑ "Mickey Mouse in Black & White Volume 2 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Mickey Steps Out". Internet Animation Database. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.