02.06
Time for the next batch, and let me say that I fully enjoyed both sets so far and can’t wait to do the next one.
Before I start with the three “new” cartoons I’m reviewing, let me give a special mention to my first repeat short of the series- “Thru the Mirror”, which I reviewed last time.
Besides being on one of the hard-to-find Treasures sets, it has recently been rereleased on Alice in Wonderland‘s Blu-Ray release, and it looks, if I should say so myself, quite good.
And it hasn’t been entirely forgotten by the studio before then, anyway.
Remember this? You should.
Now onto the actual reviews.
Gulliver Mickey (1934)
My first black and white review so far. In this one, Mickey tells the orphan mice he watches over about “the time he was stranded at sea”. Note that he was reading Gulliver’s Travels beforehand, and then notice the story.
I haven’t read the story (or saw that recent Jack Black movie- thank god), so I can’t say how the cartoon compares to it. I can say that this ends with giant Mickey fighting a spider that looks like Pete. The animation during this scene, as well as the majority of the cartoon, is fresh and vibrant. That said, the ending aside, it’s not much of a laugh riot, but it is a charming cartoon regardless.
Mickey’s Grand Opera (1936)
Another short with a bunch of favorites, in this one, Mickey is the director and composer of an opera starring the Wise Little Hen and Donald. Alongside the show, Pluto is chasing a moving top hat. Typical hijinks ensue.
The opera segments themselves aren’t too enjoyable, unless you want to hear Donald Duck quack alongside Hen’s clucking. They aren’t even accompanied by very enticing animation until Pluto jumps up. The dog saves this, as it becomes a funnier cartoon when he shows up, just by being Pluto. Not one of my favorites, but it picks up near the end.
Two-Gun Mickey (1934)
Another classic black and white short, in this one, Mickey and Minnie are cow folk back in the old west, except this time, Minnie is an independent cowgirl who thinks she doesn’t need any help. That is, until Pete comes in, and Mickey comes to the rescue.
Out of the three cartoons I have reviewed this month, this is my personal favorite. It’s a lot of fun from start to finish and captures the western theme well. This was a few years before John Wayne took over as the ideal cowboy, but westerns were still a fairly popular film genre, so there was enough to work with. It’s a fair spoof that works even if you’re not a cowboy fan.
The only real flaw is that Marcellite Garner, the voice of Minnie, doesn’t pull of a very convincing cowgirl accent. Even then, it’s only a minor flaw in an otherwise highly entertaining cartoon. For the time, voice acting wasn’t even that big of a priority for cartoons.
There you go, three reviews, three goodies. So far my only problem is the lack of variety. “The Wise Little Hen” aside, all of my cartoons are Mickey Mouse ones, and all of them come from the 30’s. I’m aware that a lot of Walt’s favorite short subjects come from this era and typically featured Mickey, but there are plenty of good ones made from after then starring Donald, Goofy, and others that I’d love to look over. Maybe next time I’ll get some.
Originally posted on Monday, February 21, 2011.