The Mad Doctor (1933 film)

Last updated
The Mad Doctor
The Mad Doctor (1933) Poster.jpg
Directed by David Hand [1]
Produced by Walt Disney
StarringWalt Disney
Allan Watson
Pinto Colvig
Music byBert Lewis [2]
Animation by Art Babbitt
Les Clark
Ben Sharpsteen
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists Pictures
Release date
January 20, 1933 (1933-01-20) [3]
Running time
7 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Mad Doctor is a Mickey Mouse cartoon released in 1933. It is known as the first appearance of the title character "The Mad Doctor", or "Dr. XXX". It was the 52nd Mickey Mouse short film, and the second of that year. [4]

Contents

This short is in the public domain, because Disney did not renew the copyright as was required at the time. However, elements of the short, including Pluto and aspects of Mickey's design, remain under copyright until 2029 at the latest.

Plot

The titular Mad Doctor Mad Doctor, The (1933 Character).png
The titular Mad Doctor

The plot centers on the title character, a mad scientist who has kidnapped Mickey's dog, Pluto. Mickey tries to rescue him before the doctor can perform his experiment: putting Pluto's head onto the body of a chicken in order to see if a puppy will hatch from an egg. Mickey battles his way through booby traps and animated skeletons before eventually getting caught and strapped onto a table to get cut open by a buzz-saw, forcing Mickey to suck in his belly, trembling. The scene then fades to Mickey asleep in bed and suddenly woken up by a fly, whose buzzing resembles the whirring of the saw. Not yet realizing the events were only a nightmare, Mickey shouts for Pluto, who eagerly jumps onto Mickey's bed with his doghouse and chain still attached to his collar.

Voice cast

Reception

The short's horror genre overtones made it unusual for a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Some theaters refused to show it, believing it to be too scary for kids. At one time, for this reason, it was banned entirely in the United Kingdom, [6] as well as Nazi Germany. [7] Due to the perceived scariness, the short was never reissued. [8]

In February 1933, The Film Daily said: "One of the liveliest animated cartoons to come along, and plenty comical." [9]

Later analysis

Further study of the short suggests that it serves as a spoof of Universal's Horror films of the time, in particular Frankenstein and the horror genre more broadly. [10] [11] [12] Other analysis purports that the short is an examination of "the machine age and its discontents" as Mickey encounters the "horror of science technology" when facing The Mad Doctor. [13] The short is also indicative of the evolution of Mickey's character from a more mischievous one to an "innocuous hero, devoid of obvious desire and aggression" as the character selflessly attempts rescuing Pluto. [14] To this end, Mickey is only allowed to engage in the "surreal and absurd situations" that the short portrays by having the ending reveal that it was all a dream. [14]

This cartoon is one of a few Disney shorts that is in the public domain as of 2024. It did not have a proper copyright renewal. However, aspects of the short such as Pluto remain under copyright until 2026.

The Mad Doctor character is in the public domain in accordance with his appearance in this short under American copyright law.

Legacy

A photo of the Mad Doctor can be seen on a hospital wall during the Roger Rabbit short Tummy Trouble. [15] In 1988, a cel from the short featuring Mickey looking down "a staircase of skeletons and included the background scenery" sold at an auction for $63,800. [16] In 1992, more artwork from the short was sold at auction for $18,700. [17]

Video games

The Mad Doctor short also served as the basis for, and title of, the second level in the video game, Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse . [18] A depiction of the Mad Doctor is also used as the cover art for the game, and the Mad Doctor is a boss that Mickey must defeat. [19] He also appears as a major character in Epic Mickey and its sequel; the cartoon appears as a bonus in the first game. [20] The video game Kingdom Hearts III features a Game & Watch style mini-game based on the short. [21]

Home media

The short was released on December 2, 2002 on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White . [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mouse</span> Disney cartoon character and mascot

Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves. Inspired by such silent film personalities as Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, Mickey is traditionally characterized as a sympathetic underdog who gets by on pluck and ingenuity in the face of challenges bigger than himself. The character's depiction as a small mouse is personified through his diminutive stature and falsetto voice, the latter of which was originally provided by Disney. Mickey is one of the world's most recognizable and universally acclaimed fictional characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pluto (Disney)</span> Disney cartoon character

Pluto is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. He is a yellow-orange color, medium-sized, short-haired dog with black ears. Unlike most Disney characters, Pluto is not anthropomorphic beyond some characteristics such as facial expression. He is Mickey's pet. Officially a mixed-breed dog, he made his debut as a bloodhound in the Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang. Together with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy, Pluto is one of the "Sensational Six"—the biggest stars in the Disney universe. Though all six are non-human animals, Pluto alone is not dressed as a human.

<i>Plane Crazy</i> 1928 Mickey Mouse short by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks

Plane Crazy is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The cartoon, released by the Walt Disney Studios, was the first appearance of Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, and was originally a silent film. It was given a test screening to a theater audience on May 15, 1928, and an executive from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer saw the film, but failed to pick up a distributor. Later that year, Disney released Mickey's first sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, which was an enormous success; Plane Crazy was officially released as a sound cartoon on March 17, 1929. It was the fourth Mickey film to be given a wide release after Steamboat Willie, The Gallopin' Gaucho and The Barn Dance (1929).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie Mouse</span> Disney cartoon character

Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue polka-dotted dress, white bloomers and low-heeled shoes occasionally with ribbons on them. The Mickey Mouse comic strip story "The Gleam" by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse, although this is seldom used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mouse universe</span> Fictional universe involving Mickey Mouse and related Disney characters

The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional shared universe which is the setting for stories involving Disney cartoon characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy as the primary members, and many other characters related to them, being most of them anthropomorphic animals. The universe originated from the Mickey Mouse animated short films produced by Disney starting in 1928, although its first consistent version was created by Floyd Gottfredson in the Mickey Mouse newspaper comic strip. Real-world versions also exist in Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, called Mickey's Toontown.

<i>Runaway Brain</i> 1995 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Runaway Brain is a 1995 American animated comedy horror short film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, the short centers on Mickey attempting to earn money to pay for an anniversary gift for Minnie. He responds to an advertisement to work for Doctor Frankenollie, only to find out that he is looking for a donor to switch brains with the monster he created. Featuring animation by animator Andreas Deja, it was first released in 1995 attached to North American theatrical showings of A Kid in King Arthur's Court and in 1996 attached to international theatrical showings of A Goofy Movie. It would be the final original Mickey Mouse theatrical animated short until Get a Horse! in 2013.

<i>Mickey Mania</i> 1994 video game

Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse is a 1994 platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Sony Imagesoft for the Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Sega CD. In the game, the player controls Mickey Mouse, who must navigate through various side-scrolling levels, each designed and based on classical Mickey Mouse cartoons. The game was later released on the PlayStation in 1996 as Mickey's Wild Adventure in PAL regions by Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Imagesoft's successor. A second game, Mickey Mania 2, was intended to be released but was cancelled due to Traveller's Tales focusing on other games.

<i>Society Dog Show</i> 1939 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Society Dog Show is a Mickey Mouse cartoon short produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures on February 3, 1939. The animated short was directed by Bill Roberts and animated by Al Eugster, Shamus Culhane, Fred Moore, John Lounsbery, Norm Ferguson, and Leo Salkin. It was the 104th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the first for that year.

<i>Lend a Paw</i> 1941 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Lend a Paw is an animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and released to theaters on October 3, 1941. Lend a Paw was directed by Clyde Geronimi and features original music by Leigh Harline. George Nicholas, Kenneth Muse, Nick Nichols, William Sturm, Eric Gurney, Norman Tate, Chick Otterstrom, Morey Reden, and Emery Hawkins animated the film. The voice cast includes Walt Disney as Mickey and Teddy Barr as Pluto. It was the 115th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the sixth for that year.

<i>Playful Pluto</i> 1934 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Playful Pluto (1934) is a Walt Disney cartoon, directed by Burt Gillett. It was the first cartoon to showcase Pluto as a major character. It was the 65th Mickey Mouse short film, and the third of that year.

<i>Steamboat Willie</i> 1928 American animated short film

Steamboat Willie is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Studio and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, although both characters appeared several months earlier in a test screening of Plane Crazy. Steamboat Willie was the third of Mickey's films to be produced, but it was the first to be distributed, because Disney, having seen The Jazz Singer, had committed himself to produce one of the first fully synchronized sound cartoons.

<i>Building a Building</i> 1933 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Building a Building is a 1933 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Production and released by United Artists. A remake of the 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit film Sky Scrappers, the cartoon depicts Mickey Mouse working at a construction site under the supervision of Peg-Leg Pete while Minnie Mouse is selling box lunches to the workers. It was directed by David Hand, his first directorial assignment at Disney, and features the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey, Marcellite Garner as Minnie, and Pinto Colvig as Pete. It was the 51st Mickey Mouse short film, and the first of that year.

Mickey's Surprise Party is a 1939 American animated short film directed by Hamilton Luske, produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by National Biscuit Company. It was the 105th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the second for that year. Mickey's Surprise Party is the first cartoon with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their current designs, created by animator Fred Moore.

<i>Squatters Rights</i> 1946 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Squatter's Rights is a 1946 animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions. The cartoon is about a confrontation between Pluto and Chip and Dale who have taken up residence in Mickey Mouse's hunting shack. It was the 119th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the only one produced that year.

<i>The Pointer</i> 1939 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Pointer is an American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures on July 21, 1939, shown in theaters with Way Down South. The short was directed by Clyde Geronimi and animated by Fred Moore, Frank Thomas, Lynn Karp, Seamus Culhane, Ollie Johnston, Preston Blair, Lester Norvi, John Lounsbery, Claude Smitha, Art Palmer, and Josh Meador. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoon) in 1940. It was the 106th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the third for 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.

<i>Alpine Climbers</i> 1936 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Alpine Climbers is a 1936 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon follows Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto climb the side of a mountain. The film was directed by David Hand and includes the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey, Clarence Nash as Donald, and Lee Millar as Pluto. It was the 9th Mickey Mouse short to be released that year. As a work published in 1936 and a proper renewal notice filed within 28 years, the short will enter the American public domain in 2032.

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.

References

  1. ↑ Borowiec, Piotr (1998). Animated Short Films - A Critical Index to Theatrical Cartoons. Scarecrow Press. p. 195. ISBN   978-0-8108-3503-0.
  2. ↑ Bohn, James (2017). Music in Disney's Animated Features - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Jungle Book. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   978-1-4968-1215-5.
  3. ↑ Kaufman, J.B.; Gerstein, David (2018). Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History. Cologne: Taschen. ISBN   978-3-8365-5284-4.
  4. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 108–109. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Scott, Keith (3 October 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media. p. 508.
  6. ↑ "3 Classic Walt Disney World Rides Darker Than Anything at Universal Orlando Resort". 28 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Leslie, Esther (11 July 2018). Hollywood Flatlands: Animation, Critical Theory and the Avant-garde. Verso. ISBN   9781844675043 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ Stathes, Tommy (October 29, 2014). "Halloween Horror: "The Mad Doctor" (1933) |". cartoonresearch.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  9. ↑ "Short Subjects". The Film Daily. Feb 10, 1933. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  10. ↑ Wells, Paul (2000). The Horror Genre - From Beelzebub to Blair Witch. Wallflower. p. 102. ISBN   9781903364000.
  11. ↑ Goodrum, Michael; Smith, Philip (2021). Printing Terror: American Horror Comics as Cold War Commentary and Critique. Manchester University Press. ISBN   9781526135940 . Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  12. ↑ Sinyard, Neil (1988). The Best of Disney. Portland House. p. 15. ISBN   9780517653463.
  13. ↑ Watts, Steven (2013). The Magic Kingdom - Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. University of Missouri Press. p. 75. ISBN   9780826273000 . Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Harrington, Seán (2015). The Disney Fetish. John Libbey Publishing. p. 48. ISBN   9780861969081 . Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Every Hidden Reference in Roger Rabbit's "Tummy Trouble"". Laser Time. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  16. ↑ Kishi, Russell (October 19, 1988). "Passion for cels puzzles artists". The Bryan Times. p. 12. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Animated art sold at auction in London". Kentucky New Era. April 30, 1992. p. 48. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ Scullion, Chris (2020). The SNES Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN   9781526737847 . Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Tested- CIB- SNES Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse 735009214508". eBay. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  20. ↑ "THE MAD DOCTOR". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  21. ↑ zetasoldier (2019-02-08). "The Mad Doctor Mini-Game Guide (Classic Kingdom)". SAMURAI GAMERS. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  22. ↑ "Mickey Mouse in Black and White DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
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.