The Mouse Factory

Last updated
The Mouse Factory
The Mouse Factory.png
Screenshot of the title card for The Mouse Factory
Created by Ward Kimball
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes43
Production
Running time22 minutes
Production company Walt Disney Productions
Original release
Network Syndicated
ReleaseJanuary 26, 1972 (1972-01-26) 
March 5, 1973 (1973-03-05)
Related
Good Morning, Mickey!

The Mouse Factory is an American syndicated television series produced by Walt Disney Productions and created by Ward Kimball, that ran from 1972 to 1973. [1] It showed clips from various Disney cartoons and movies, hosted by celebrity guests (credited as being "Mickey's Friend"), including Charles Nelson Reilly, [2] JoAnne Worley, Wally Cox, Johnny Brown, Phyllis Diller, [3] Joe Flynn, Annette Funicello, [4] Shari Lewis and Hush Puppy, [5] Lamb Chop, Dom DeLuise, Don Knotts and many more visiting the Mouse Factory and interacting with the walk-around Disney characters from the Disney theme parks. The series was later rerun on the Disney Channel in the 1980s and 1990s.

Contents

The theme played over the previews of each episode was a fast instrumental version of "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs .

To start the ending credits, it shows Mickey Mouse in a biplane, flying across the screen carrying a banner than reads "the end". A large ape, resembling King Kong, promptly swipes said plane as well as Mickey out of thin air, dropping them in his mouth and devouring them. In season 2, this was changed to Donald Duck uttering the phrase "it won't work".

The song played over the end credits is "Minnie's Yoo Hoo", the theme song from the original Mickey Mouse Clubs that met in theaters starting in 1929. [6] The version used in the series originated in a 1968 episode of The Wonderful World of Disney celebrating Mickey's birthday.

Due to low ratings and limited distribution, the series was cancelled after its second season.

Premise

The Mouse Factory mixes live-action with animation and features a different theme in each episode. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who plays a new character and interacts with Disney characters such as Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto (appearing in costume form as they do in theme parks), among others. In addition, each episode features several classic short films and clips of feature films (about three short films and clips in each episode). [7]

Records

Disneyland Records released two vinyl 12-inch LP records and three seven-inch 33 1/3 rpm to tie in with series, all containing previously released recordings and no new soundtrack material from the TV show. The Mouse Factory Presents Mickey and His Friends was an LP compilation of songs and sketches. Stories and Songs from The Mouse Factory contained four edited "read-along" recordings of tales seen on the show. The three seven-inch records each presented four songs featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. [8]

List of episodes

43 episodes were produced, including:

Season 1 (1972)

#TitleHostCartoons FeaturedAirdate
1Vacations Charles Nelson Reilly January 26, 1972
2Women’s Lib JoAnne Worley February 2, 1972
3Folk Tale Favorites Johnny Brown February 9, 1972
4Spooks and Magic Phyllis Diller February 16, 1972
5Physical Fitness Don Knotts February 23, 1972 [9] [10]
6The Great Outdoors Dom DeLuise March 1, 1972
7Water Sports Joe Flynn March 8, 1972
8Man at Work John Byner March 15, 1972
9Music Skiles and Henderson March 22, 1972
10Interplanetary Travel Jonathan Winters March 29, 1972
11Homeowners Jim Backus April 5, 1972
12Spectator SportsCharles Nelson ReillyApril 12, 1972 [11]
13HorsesJoAnne WorleyApril 19, 1972
14AviationJohnny BrownApril 26, 1972
15Back to Nature Wally Cox May 3, 1972
16Bullfighting to Bullfrogs Pat Buttram May 10, 1972
17Sports Pat Paulsen May 17, 1972

Season 2 (1972-1973)

#TitleHostAirdate
1AlligatorsJohnny BrownSeptember 11, 1972
2 Paul Bunyan Jim BackusSeptember 18, 1972
3Bullfighting Bill Dana September 25, 1972
4Knighthood Henry Gibson October 2, 1972
5Pluto John Astin October 9, 1972
6 Goliath II Kurt Russell October 16, 1972
7The Mouse Show Dave Madden October 23, 1972
8Cats Shari Lewis and Hush PuppyOctober 30, 1972 [12]
9 Ben Franklin Wally CoxNovember 6, 1972
10Mickey Mouse Annette Funicello November 13, 1972 [13]
11LionsHenry GibsonNovember 20, 1972
12Consciences Harry Morgan November 27, 1972
13Noah’s ArkBill DanaDecember 4, 1972
14HuntingJohn AstinDecember 11, 1972
15Sports Nipsey Russell December 18, 1972
16TugboatsDave MaddenDecember 25, 1972
17Automobiles Ken Berry January 1, 1973
18TrainsHarry MorganJanuary 8, 1973
19HomesJim BackusJanuary 15, 1973
20 The Reluctant Dragon Wally CoxJanuary 22, 1973
21WheelsJohnny BrownJanuary 29, 1973
22Winter FunKurt RussellFebruary 5, 1973 [14]
23PenguinsAnnette FunicelloFebruary 12, 1973 [15]
24ElephantsNipsey RussellFebruary 19, 1973
25 Mickey and the Beanstalk Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop February 26, 1973
26DancingKen BerryMarch 5, 1973

Related Research Articles

<i>The Mickey Mouse Club</i> American variety television show

The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised for four seasons, from 1955 to 1959, by ABC. This original run featured a regular, but ever-changing cast of mostly teen performers. ABC broadcast reruns weekday afternoons during the 1958–1959 season, airing right after American Bandstand. The show was revived three times after its initial 1955–1959 run on ABC, first from 1977 to 1979 for first-run syndication as The New Mickey Mouse Club, then from 1989 to 1996 as The All-New Mickey Mouse Club airing on The Disney Channel, and again from 2017 to 2018 with the moniker Club Mickey Mouse airing on internet social media.

<i>Mickey Mouse Works</i> American animated television series

Mickey Mouse Works is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends in a series of animated shorts. The first Disney television animated series to be produced in widescreen high definition, it is formatted as a variety show, with skits starring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Ludwig Von Drake while Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse, Huey, Dewey and Louie, Chip 'n' Dale, Scrooge McDuck, Pete, Humphrey the Bear, J. Audubon Woodlore, Dinah the Dachshund, Butch the Bulldog, Mortimer Mouse, José Carioca, and Clara Cluck appear as supporting or minor characters. Musical themes for each character were composed by Stephen James Taylor with a live 12-piece band and extensive use of the fretless guitar to which the music of the series was nominated for an Annie Award in both 1999 and 2001. Most of the shorts from the series were later used in House of Mouse.

<i>House of Mouse</i> American animated television series

Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to October 24, 2003, with 52 episodes and 22 newly produced cartoon shorts made for the series. The show focuses on Mickey Mouse and his friends running a cartoon theater dinner club in the fictional setting of ToonTown, catering to many characters from Disney cartoons and animated movies while showcasing a variety of their cartoon shorts. The series is named after a common nickname or epithet for the Walt Disney Company.

<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">Clarabelle Cow</span> Disney cartoon character

Clarabelle Cow is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As an anthropomorphic cow, Clarabelle is one of Minnie Mouse's best friends. She was once depicted as the girlfriend of Horace Horsecollar, although now she is often paired with Goofy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annette Funicello</span> American actress and singer (1942–2013)

Annette Joanne Funicello was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. In her teenage years, she recorded under the name Annette, and had a successful career as a pop singer. Her most notable singles are "O Dio Mio", "First Name Initial", "Tall Paul", and "Pineapple Princess". During the mid-1960s, she established herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre alongside co-star Frankie Avalon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey's Toontown</span> Themed land at Disney parks

Mickey's Toontown is a themed land at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, two theme parks operated by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and The Oriental Land Company respectively. At Tokyo Disneyland, this land is named Toontown. A similar land existed at the Magic Kingdom until 2011 and was named Mickey's Toontown Fair. Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris has a related land called Toon Studio.

<i>Mickey Mouse Clubhouse</i> American animated childrens television series

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is an American animated interactive television series for preschoolers. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was created by Disney veteran Bobs Gannaway. The series originally aired 125 episodes from May 5, 2006, to November 6, 2016, on the Disney Channel's preschool block, Playhouse Disney, making it the longest-running original series to air on the block. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Mickey Mouse Disco</i> 1980 film

Mickey Mouse Disco is an album released by Disneyland Records in 1979. A late entry in the genre of disco, Mickey Mouse Disco included disco versions of Disney songs and Disney-fied versions of disco hits. The album was re-released on CD in 1995, and later as a download. On April 13, 2019, the original LP was reissued for the annual Record Store Day.

D-TV is an old series of music videos created by The Walt Disney Company and produced by Charles Braverman and edited by Ted Herrmann. The series premiered on May 5, 1984, by taking hit songs of the past and putting them together with various footage of vintage Disney animation, created out of the trend of music videos on cable channel MTV, which inspired the name of this series.

<i>The Nifty Nineties</i> 1941 Mickey Mouse cartoon

The Nifty Nineties is an animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released to theaters on June 20, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures. The animated short was directed by Riley Thomson and animated by Ward Kimball, Walt Kelly, Fred Moore, Claude Smith, David Swift, and Les Clark with effects animation by Art Fitzpatrick. It was the 113th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the fourth in that year. The film stars Mickey and Minnie Mouse and romanticizes the decade of the 1890s.

The second wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released December 3, 2002. This was the final wave with the tin's individual number embossed on the tin.

<i>Have a Laugh!</i> American animated comedy series

Have a Laugh! is an American animated comedy series produced by the Walt Disney Company for the Disney Channel. The series is a set of interstitials, presenting edited versions of classic Mickey Mouse cartoons that lasted from 2009 to 2012.

<i>Boat Builders</i> (film) 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Boat Builders is an animated short film produced by Walt Disney, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and released on February 25, 1938. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and animated by Frenchy de Trémaudan, Louie Schmitt, Chuck Couch, Eddie Strickland, Clyde Geronimi, Paul Satterfield, Archie Robin, Don Patterson. It was the 99th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the first for that year.

<i>Minnies Bow-Toons</i> Animated television show

Minnie's Bow-Toons is an American animated preschool television series from Disney Television Animation. The series aired from November 14, 2011, to January 22, 2016, on Disney Junior, as a short-form series targeted at preschool girls, as well as the spin-off from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The series is based on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode "Minnie's Bow-tique". In both the episode and its spin-off, Minnie opens the same boutique from the former - this time with bows and bow-ties.

<i>Hawaiian Holiday</i> 1937 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Hawaiian Holiday is a 1937 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon stars an ensemble cast of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy while vacationing in Hawaii. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen, produced by John Sutherland and features the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey, Marcellite Garner as Minnie, Clarence Nash as Donald, and Pinto Colvig as Goofy and Pluto. It was Disney's first film to be released by RKO, ending a five-year distributing partnership with United Artists.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnie's Yoo-Hoo</span>

"Minnie's Yoo Hoo" is a song introduced in the 1929 Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Follies. The song was composed by Walt Disney and Carl Stalling. It was the first Disney song to be released on sheet music.

Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures is an American animated children's television series that was broadcast on Disney Junior. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series is the successor to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Originally airing as Mickey and the Roadster Racers for its first two seasons, it debuted on its first two episodes consecutively on January 15, 2017.

References

  1. Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television. Hyperion Books. pp. 219–223. ISBN   0-7868-6359-5.
  2. The Mouse Factory - Opening (1973) - YouTube
  3. The Mouse Factory - Episode 4: Spooks & Magic, Hosted by Phyllis Diller, YouTube
  4. Annette Funicello on the Mouse Factory 1972, YouTube
  5. The Mouse Factory "Cats" Open (ft. Shari Lewis and Hush Puppy), YouTube
  6. The Mouse Factory Credits—"Minnie's Yoo Hoo", YouTube
  7. Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 350–351. ISBN   0-8108-1651-2.
  8. Hollis, Tim (2006). Mouse tracks: the story of Walt Disney Records. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   1-57806-848-7. OCLC   61309354.
  9. Mouse Factory - Fitness (1 of 3) - YouTube
  10. Mouse Factory - Fitness (2 of 3) - YouTube
  11. Mouse Factory #12 opening - Spectator Sports - Charles Nelson Reilly - YouTube
  12. The Mouse Factory: "Cats" Open (ft. Shari Lewis and Hush Puppy), YouTube
  13. Annette Funicello on the Mouse Factory 1972, YouTube
  14. Mouse Factory - Snow (3 of 3) - YouTube
  15. Annette Funicello hosts the Mouse Factory 1973, YouTube