Mickey's Follies

Mickey's Follies (1929)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Once sound came into play all sorts of studios were releasing "follies" so that they could show off various acts in hopes of finding someone that would eventually become big. This take-off on that has Mickey Mouse hosting a show in his backyard where various farm animals put on acts. This all leads up to Mickey's big singing debut. There's no doubt that the animation here is extremely good and there's actually more plot than your typical Mickey short but at the same time this thing contains very few laughs. I think the biggest reason that there aren't any laughs is that the farm acts simply weren't very well-written and this here pretty much sunk the film. Mickey's sounding like what Betty Boop would eventually sound like so you might want to keep ear plugs handy.

'Mickey's Follies' sees cartoonland's favourite mouse putting on a show in true vaudeville style, but this time in the barnyard.

So a rooster and a hen dance apache, there is an operatic pig (and a subsequent hoist and underwear gag which would be repeated many times over the live of these shorts), before Mickey introduces his theme song Minnie's Yoo-Hoo. And anyone who has seen the short which presented this song for the Mickey Mouse Club will realise that whoever sang the song in 'Mickey's Follies', it certainly wasn't Walt Disney (who did croak it in the short for the Clubs!).

Minnie makes one of her brief appearances here and the short is not without charm. Mickey is still in early design mode as a circular character with rubber legs and arms, but his personality already shines through.

This is one of those collections of acts. The barnyard has become a showplace and Mickey is in charge. There are several acts involving the animals. None of them is spectacular. However, Mickey does a command performance in the second half. He sings, dances, and generally displays his talents. He also sings his theme song which we will hear off and on throughout history.

Mickey's Follies is not among the best or worst cartoon shorts I've seen. The plot is rather thin on the ground and a couple of scenes are on the routine side especially the ducks. This said, Mickey's Follies is definitely worth seeing. The quality of the animation is truly excellent, beautifully synchronised with the music particularly in the chicken fight sequence. The barnyard setting is not the most interesting setting of all, but serves its purpose. The character designs are nicely rounded and the backgrounds are smooth. The music is not only a pleasant listen, but also brings so much energy to every gag and scene. Minnie's Yoo-Hoo is one of the best Disney theme songs, it is so darn catchy. The gags are a lot of fun also, the best being with Patricia the operatic pig, not just with her bloomers falling down but also because of how bad her singing is and how everyone reacts to it. Mickey is very likable, Minnie likewise in her brief appearance and the supporting characters also shine. Overall, not wholly remarkable but fun cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Regardless of whatever merits or demerits of this cartoon, it is in my opinion a must see for the début of Minnie's Yoo Hoo; Mickey Mouse's theme song! (As they clearly introduce it by in the film). I thought I might have seen this one before, but this morning was my first time seeing it. I was definitely confusing it with another one which is not so good. I agree with Bethany Cox's review - not the best or worst, but certainly worth seeing for the historical significance alone. To me the most remarkable part of this was Mickey's singing! It really surprised me because his voice is again so much different from what I'm used to, given that it's not Walt's voice! The animation also looks different from what I'm used to. Very interesting stuff!