Mickey's Good Deed

Just saw Mickey's Good Deed on YouTube. In this one, Mickey reluctantly agrees to sell his dog to a rich man's bratty son in order to buy presents for a poor cat family that ran over his bass violin. Having equal parts humor and pathos (loved the Jimmy Durante Jack-in-the-Box), this is a winning animated short from Walt Disney Productions from the early '30s. What a wonderful first Christmas cartoon from the House of Mouse. While the rich kid was indeed pretty cruel to Pluto, I felt sorry for him when his father spanked him. Nothing more to say except that this Mickey Mouse, far from being the corporate symbol he is presented as today, is very much a Depression-era character whose only companion is his faithful dog he loves unconditionally. Merry Chirstmas, Mickey and Pluto.

Mickey and Pluto are poverty stricken themselves. Mickey plays the cello while Pluto sings, but people only throw screws and nails in their bucket. At some point the cello is destroyed and they are truly destitute. Mickey is forced to sell Pluto to a rich family where their bratty child never has enough. During this time he comes to a house where the father is in prison and the little cat children have nothing. So he takes the Pluto money and buys them gifts anonymously. It's quite a touching film.

For many, this will be an unhappy short, as it has "cruel" slapstick and Mickey Mouse and Pluto are often sad. Other people will find it funny because they will like slapstick. Some people will love it because it is beautiful and emotional.

In this Mickey is trying to earn money at Christmastime with some music, with Pluto as (probably) his only companion. Meanwhile, a spoilt and horrible toddler spots Pluto out the window and declares, "I WANT DOGGY!" Later (when poor Mickey's instrument is broken) he sees a poor family with no Christmas merriment and Mickey is determined to do something...

This short is emotional, beautiful, sad, well-animated, well-plotted and exciting in places. Good for any Mickey Mouse fan and good for people who are not too upset by sad and emotional things. If you are particularly a despiser of upsetting slapstick (especially with the lovely Mickey Mouse), this is not the thing for you. Otherwise, you will (almost definitely) enjoy the lovely "Mickey's Good Deed" for this coming Christmas day!

SOME HAVE MADE the comparison between Charlie Chaplin's 'Little Tramp" character and Walt Disney's rodent creation 'Mickey Mouse. Where there would doubtless be at least some influences, no where is it more obvious than in this cartoon short, MICKEY'S GOOD DEED.

THE SETTING WAS the city, it is Christmas and a down on his lucky is trying desperately trying to eek out a meager existence by performing " Come All Ye Faithful" on his bull fiddle. Accompanied by Pluto, for moral support, things aren't going so well as the Depression Era crowds seem to lack the Spirit of the Season. After some time, his tin cup has been filled with old nuts & bolts; rather than the coin of the realm.

CHANCING UPON THE house of a rich anthropomorphic pig-man character, Mickey agrees to sell the man Pluto; enabling him to render aid to a destitute cat mother and her large and equally brood. The Mouse takes the ca$h from the man's butler and treats the family to a Merry Christmas, all quite anonymously. He leaves and sobs for the loss of Pluto in his life.

MEANEWHILE, BACK AT the Mansion, the wealthy Pig Daddy (done up in the best tradition of a Frank Capra rich man)rapidly tires of the bratty Pig Boy's rough and bratty behavior toward Pluto. After first casting the dog out into a snow pile, the father proceeds to give the bratty child a much needed spanking.

BEING DISPATCHED FROM the house in such rapidity, Pluto fails to notice that he has the Christmas turkey attached to his tail. When he meets up with the quite depressed Mickey, who is roasting a sole hot dog over a campfire, the two are joyfully reunited.

THIS PARTICULAR CARTOON Short manages to provide us with good portions of both the pathos and the belly laughs; both in proportional amounts. To this we have the added delight of a sort of Christmas Greeting from Walt and the whole crew.

NOTE: The shawl clad Mother Cat is the same feminine feline who abandons a basketful of kittens on Mickey's doorstep in MICKEY'S ORPHAN'S (1931) the previous year.

Mickey Mouse and his dog, Pluto, are playing Christmas-carols. Nearby, a spoiled brat wants a dog for Christmas. Mickey sells Pluto to the spoiled brat, and uses the money to buy Christmas-presents for a poor family. These are the kind of movies that made Disney the leading cartoon-creating company in the world, and is worth seeing over and over again, and is a warmhearted classic that everybody will love. 10/10