Mickey's Steam Roller

Mickey's Steam Roller
Theatrical release poster rough draft, showing the working title The Steamroller.
Directed byDavid Hand
Produced byWalt Disney
StarringWalt Disney
Marcellite Garner
Music byBert Lewis
Animation byJack Bailey
Norm Ferguson
Bob Kuwahara
Fred Moore
Bob Wickersham[1]
Color processBlack and white, later colorized
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • June 16, 1934 (1934-06-16)
[2]
Running time
7 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mickey's Steam Roller is a 1934 animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. In the cartoon, Mickey Mouse is the driver of a steamroller which is hijacked by his two nephews. It was directed by David Hand and features the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey and Marcellite Garner as Minnie Mouse and Mickey's nephews.[3] It was the 67th Mickey Mouse short film to be released, and the fifth of that year.[4]

Although this is the third animated appearance of Mickey's nephews, it is the first to show only two of them. The film is therefore considered the first identifiable and most significant animated appearance of Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse, Mickey's twin nephews from the Mickey Mouse comic strip.[5]

The film was also called The Steamroller during production, and Mickey's Steamroller upon its re-release. Disney archivist Dave Smith has also stylized the title as Mickey's Steam-Roller.[3]

Plot

Title card.

Mickey Mouse drives an anthropomorphic steamroller while a group of dogface workmen perform road maintenance. Meanwhile, Minnie Mouse appears as the nanny of a young Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse, pushing them in a stroller and singing "Pease Porridge Hot". Mickey drives by and they wave at him. Mickey stops and gives the boys a ride with the steamroller by attaching the vehicle's tow rope to their stroller.

After this, Mickey flirts with Minnie by giving her some Sweethearts candy and tries to steal a kiss. While they are distracted, Morty and Ferdie climb onto Mickey's steamroller and drive it away. Mickey frantically runs after the nephews, but when he attempts to cut them off, he finds himself being chased instead.

The nephews go on to cause extensive damage with the steamroller. Finally they chase Mickey into a multistory hotel, destroying the entire building except for the bathtub on each floor, each with a current bather. Unhurt in the rubble, Mickey laughs as Morty and Ferdie see-saw on a board balanced on his head.

Voice cast

Releases

  • 1934 - theatrical release
  • 1955 - The Mickey Mouse Club (TV)
  • 1997 - Ink & Paint Club, episode 23: "The 'Other' Mice" (TV)

Home media

The short was released on December 7, 2004, on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two: 1929-1935.[6] It was released to Disney+ on August 11, 2023.[7]

Additional releases include:

  • 2007 "Vintage Mickey" (DVD)

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  2. ^ Kaufman, J.B.; Gerstein, David (2018). Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History. Cologne: Taschen. ISBN 978-3-8365-5284-4.
  3. ^ a b Smith, Dave (1996). Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Hyperion. p. 329. ISBN 0-7868-8149-6.
  4. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 108-109. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  5. ^ Grant, John (1998). Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters (3rd ed.). New York: Hyperion. p. 71. ISBN 0-7868-6336-6.
  6. ^ "Mickey Mouse in Black & White Volume 2 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  7. ^ The D23 Team (June 19, 2023). "Disney+ to Debut 28 Restored Classic Walt Disney Animation Studios Shorts". D23. Retrieved June 19, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)