To start with, this is the most expressive and well acted Mickey I’ve seen in a while. Some of the previous shorts in 1932 featured Mickey in some side roles or focused on other actions, but here, Mickey is front and center. He and Pluto start off the short begging in the snow, looking for money by playing a large bass.
Their hunger and desperation leaks through, even though Mickey has a smile on his face the majority of the time. You feel sorry for Mickey and Pluto, which is quite an accomplishment. The animators work hard here to establish Mickey as the underdog. That’s a big task when he’s the star of the short.
From there, we see a young child who is not interested in any of his toys. The child is the prototypical spoiled brat, not satisfied with anything his father or butler tries to provide. Again, this is all communicated in a brief vignette, meaning the animation works extra hard to get the point across.
Here is where the dilemma comes up. The child hears Pluto’s barking, and decides that he must have Mickey’s dog. The butler is sent after Mickey to get Pluto, but Mickey runs away, refusing to sell. But, Mickey and Pluto come across a household of small children (cats in this case) who are poor, and waiting for Christmas. Again, with no dialogue or signage, the animators get the plight of these cats, with shots of the house, including a fish that is so hungry that it’s literally a head with a skeleton.
Mickey decides that he must sell Pluto and help these children. The pathos of that moment is amazing. At that point, you completely forget that these are drawings on a sheet of paper. These are living, breathing characters, and you feel horrible for Mickey at losing his dog, and Pluto for having to leave his master.
Mickey returns to the poor kittens’ house with a load of toys, and surprises them, all while dressed in a Santa costume. Pluto, meanwhile, gets tortured by the boy and his family, causing his trademark chaos by running all over the place. The juxtaposition of the happiness the kittens show when they discover the toys and the unhappy home of the rich people is a great artistic choice.
Finally, the rich family has had enough, and tosses Pluto out, and spanks the spoiled brat. We see Mickey up on a hill, greeting Christmas by grilling a sausage over a campfire, and he’s built a small Pluto out of snow to keep him company. Our favorite dog surprises him by bursting through the snow, and we have our happy ending.
This short is fantastic. The emotions involved take you on a roller coaster, from sympathy for Mickey and Pluto, to disgust at the spoiled brat, empathy for the poor kids, sadness and pride when Mickey gives up Pluto, ending with happiness as they’re reunited. This is Mickey at his best, a loveable underdog who wins in the end, despite the odds.
All images copyright Disney. All rights reserved.
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