THE site on classic animation research, hosted by cartoon historian Jerry Beck.įrank Beef analyzes classic cartoons. Topical blog on animation film, led by animation historian Amid Amidi.Īmid Amidi’s blog on modern design cartoon art from the forties, fifties and sixties. Kept until 2016.Īnimation historian Jerry Beck’s animation film news blog. Kept until 2011.Ī blog dedicated to background paintings from animation films. ‘The Mail Pilot’ is available on the DVD ‘Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in black and white’Ī great blog on Disney’s top animators, old and new. To the next Mickey Mouse cartoon: Mickey’s Mechanical Man To the previous Mickey Mouse cartoon: Ye Olden Days Watch ‘The Mail Pilot’ yourself and tell me what you think: Later, some scenes of the cartoon were combined with elements from ‘Shanghaied’ (1934) in Floyd Gottfredson’s classic comic strip ‘Mickey and the Pirates’ (or ‘The Captive Castaways’, 1934). Floyd Gottfredson greatly expanded on the cartoon’s story, substituting the mail pilot for a much more exciting pirate dirigible with a magnetic web to ensnare the mail planes. The story (now also labeled ‘The Mail Pilot’ ran from February 27 (months before the release of the cartoon ) until June 10. ‘The Mail Pilot’ has an exciting adventure plot, and it’s not surprising that it spawned a comic book story, which arguably was Mickey’s most exciting adventure thus far.
‘The Mail Must Go Through’, forms the main musical theme, which composer Bert Lewis develops in classical fashion in the rest of the score to glorious effects. ‘The Mail Pilot’ belongs to Disney’s operetta period (see also ‘ The Mad Doctor‘ and ‘ Ye Olden Days‘ from the same year), and all dialogue is sung. Pete shoots Mickey’s wings and propeller to pieces, but Mickey manages to fly nonetheless, capturing the bandit on the way. Unfortunately, at the other end of the mountains he’s confronted by evil mail robber Pete, who has both his legs in this cartoon. The design of the anthropomorphized sun is the same as in the Silly Symphony ‘ Father Noah’s Ark‘ from one month earlier. On his way he has to deal with a thunderstorm and a blizzard before he sees the sun again. In ‘The Mail Pilot’ Mickey is a mail pilot who has to carry a chest with money across the mountains. It’s astonishing to watch the ease with which its strong story is told, and how many events the animators could squeeze into the seven minute cartoon. None of that in 1933! In that year Mickey is still in prime form, with ‘The Mail Pilot’ as a perfect example. Moreover, Mickey was still the top star himself, although with ‘ Mickey’s Pal Pluto‘ he would give screen time to Pluto, the beginning of a trend that would take severe turns in the rest of the 1930s, when Pluto, Donald and Goofy would all but eclipse Mickey’s career. In his fifth year Mickey Mouse was at the top of his game: practically every Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1933 is a winner (the sole exception arguably being ‘ Mickey’s Mechanical Man‘).
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