The Castaway (film)

Last updated

The Castaway
Castaway Mickey Mouse.jpeg
Directed by Wilfred Jackson
Produced byWalt Disney
StarringWalt Disney
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • March 27, 1931 (1931-03-27) [1]
Running time
7:26
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Castaway is a Mickey Mouse animated short feature released on March 27, 1931, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. [2] It was the twenty-seventh Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the third of that year. [3]

Contents

The Castaway was the first cartoon directed by Wilfred Jackson, who would go on to direct many Disney feature films, including Cinderella , Alice in Wonderland , Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp . The circumstances were far from ideal: under pressure from distributors for another film and with little time to produce one, Disney tapped Jackson to produce a short made up of reused animation from other films. [1] The short uses recycled footage of a dancing gorilla (from 1929's Jungle Rhythm ), a lion getting eaten by a crocodile (cut from Jungle Rhythm) and dancing seal lions (from 1929's Wild Waves ). [2]

The short is also the first to be scored by Frank Churchill, who went on to write the songs for Three Little Pigs , Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , Dumbo , Bambi and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad . [1]

Plot

Mickey mouse the castaway.jpg

Stranded on a lonely raft in the ocean, Mickey Mouse spies an island ahead. He reaches the island with the unwilling help of a local swordfish. Hungry, he shakes a banana tree, and down falls a banana. Then he gets frightened away by a spider. A waterlogged piano is washed up on the shore, and Mickey plays for a trio of dancing seals. A young tiger tries to help by banging on the keys, and Mickey tries to shoo him away. The pair are interrupted by a giant ape, who turns out to be an accomplished pianist himself, but ends up smashing the piano. Mickey tries to fight back, but is intimidated and dances away. He gets chased by a lion, who accidentally jumps into a crocodile's mouth. Mickey finds himself riding on a turtle, which swims away.

Voice cast

Reception

In Mickey's Movies: The Theatrical Films of Mickey Mouse, Gijs Grob writes: "The Castaway was a short built around reused, inferior material, and it shows: the cartoon is enjoyable, but Mickey's looks are wildly inconsistent, there's not even a hint of a story, and the whole film feels like a throwback to 1929." [2]

In contrast, on the Disney Film Project, Ryan Kilpatrick praises the short: "This is a very fun short, although there are not a ton of gags, and none nearly as good as Traffic Troubles or some of the other funny Mickey shorts. There is a tone of happiness that is set almost from the beginning, as Mickey is tossed by the waves on his little raft. Even though things are bleak, Mickey is smiling. It is this cheerful optimism that makes Mickey so appealing." [4]

Home media

The short was released on December 7, 2004, on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two: 1929-1935 . [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Chain Gang</i> (1930 film) 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Chain Gang is a 1930 Mickey Mouse animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions for Columbia Pictures, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twenty-first Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the sixth of that year. It is one of a group of shorts of strikingly uneven quality produced by Disney immediately after Ub Iwerks left the studio.

<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>Plutos Party</i> 1952 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Pluto's Party is a cartoon in the Mickey Mouse series, produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures on September 19, 1952. It was the 124th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the first for 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>Fiddlin Around</i> 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Fiddlin’ Around is a 1930 animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Columbia Pictures as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the sixteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the first of that year.

<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.

<i>Jungle Rhythm</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Jungle Rhythm is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on November 15, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the thirteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the tenth of that year.

<i>The Cactus Kid</i> (1930 film) 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Cactus Kid is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on May 10, 1930, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the eighteenth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the third of that year.

<i>The Jazz Fool</i> 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Jazz Fool is a Mickey Mouse short animated film first released on December 21, 1929, as part of the Mickey Mouse film series. It was the twelfth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, the ninth of 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.

<i>The Moose Hunt</i> 1931 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>The Picnic</i> (1930 film) 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>Fishin Around</i> 1931 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>The Birthday Party</i> (1931 film) 1931 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>The Delivery Boy</i> (1931 film) 1931 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>The Barnyard Concert</i> 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>The Fire Fighters</i> (1930 film) 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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.

<i>Pioneer Days</i> (1930 film) 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon

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 3 Kaufman, J.B.; Gerstein, David (2018). Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History. Cologne: Taschen. pp. 65–66. ISBN   978-3-8365-5284-4.
  2. 1 2 3 Grob, Gijs (2018). "The Castaway". Mickey's Movies: The Theatrical Films of Mickey Mouse. Theme Park Press. ISBN   978-1683901235.
  3. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 108–109. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. Kilpatrick, Ryan. "Traffic Troubles". Disney Film Project. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  5. "Mickey Mouse in Black & White Volume 2 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  6. "The Castaway". Internet Animation Database. Retrieved February 16, 2020.