Product Description

In this final volume, the homage to Mickey's early career is completed with these shorts. From 1928's "The Barn Dance" to his very last black-and-white short, 1935's "Mickey's Kangaroo," his colorful antics in a black-and-white world propelled him to super-stardom. The Mickey craze touched everybody and everything. In this volume, hear Leonard Maltin and Disney Legend John Hench talk about Mickey's official birthday portraits. Visit an unbelievable collection of Mickey collectibles and rare artifacts. Enjoy period photos, publicity, and animation art from the archives. It's all here plus more in this celebration of the mouse who became a global icon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17740 in DVD
• Brand: MICKEY MOUSE
• Released on: 2004-12-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 7 minutes

Amazon.com
By the time "The Barn Dance" (1928), the fourth Mickey Mouse short and the oldest film on this collection, was released, Mickey was well on his way to cartoon stardom. The viewer can see how quickly the Disney animators improved between "The Barn Dance" and "Mickey's Kangaroo" (1935, his last black-and-white film). The characters are so rubbery in "Barn Dance," that when Mickey steps on Minnie's foot, her leg stretches out on the floor. Mickey and Minnie look noticeably more solid by "Mickey's Mechanical Man" (1933). "Playful Pluto" (1934) offers the landmark sequence of Pluto trying to escape from sheet of fly paper: one of the first instances where an animated character actually seemed to think and react to his environment believably. But it's Pluto who gets the laughs--Mickey is already turning into the straight man he eventually became.

The Disney shorts also improved as films during this period. The direction becomes surer, with increasingly imaginative camerawork. If some cartoons look backward, recycling gags from "Steamboat Willie," "The Barnyard Concert" (1929) anticipates "The Band Concert" (1935). In both films, Mickey conducts a group of ragtag musicians in Zampa's "The Poet and the Peasant" Overture, and "Barnyard Concert" feels like a rough sketch for the brilliant "Band Concert," Mickey's first color short.

A few of these films include ethnic imagery that was considered good taste in the early '30s, but is no longer acceptable, as host Leonard Maltin cautions. (Unrated, suitable for ages 6 and older: cartoon violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Rarely Seen Mickey
The contents of this set have been released.

In addition to the below listed 40 Mickey Mouse black and white cartoons, the set contains the following bonus items.

Disc 1 Bonus
Leonard Maltin Introduction
Mickey's Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise
Mickey's Portrait Artist John Hench

Disc 2 Bonus
Leonard Maltin Introduction
Leonard Maltin From The Vault Introduction
Mickey's Sunday Funnies: A Virtual Comic Strip
Still Frame Galleries

The cartoon titles are as follows, with the year they were released.

1. The Barn Dance 1928
2. The Opry House 1929
3. When The Cat's Away 1929
4. The Barnyard Battle 1929
5. The Plow Boy 1929
6. Mickey's Choo-Choo 1929
7. The Jazz Fool 1929
8. Jungle Rhythm 1929
9. The Haunted House 1929
10. Wild Waves 1929
11. Just Mickey 1930
12. The Barnyard Concert 1930
13. The Cactus Kid 1930
14. The Shindig 1930
15. The Picnic 1930
16. Traffic Troubles 1931
17. The Castaway 1931
18. The Moose Hunt 1931
19. The Delivery Boy 1931
20. Fishin' Around 1931
21. The Barnyard Broadcast 1931
22. The Beach Party 1931
23. The Grocery Boy 1932
24. The Mad Dog 1932
25. Barnyard Olympics 1932
26. Musical Farmer 1932
27. Mickey In Arabia 1932
28. Trader Mickey 1932
29. The Wayward Canary 1932
30. Mickey's Good Deed 1932
31. Mickey's Pal Pluto 1933
32. Mickey's Mellerdrammer 1933
33. Mickey's Mechanical Man 1933
34. The Steeple Chase 1933
35. Shanghaied 1934
36. Playful Pluto 1934
37. Mickey's Steam-Roller 1934
38. Mickey Plays Papa 1934
39. Mickey's Man Friday 1935
40. Mickey's Kangaroo 1935

Most of the cartoons are very entertaining and are among my favorite cartoons of all time. Many of the cartoons have never been released on video or shown on the Disney Channel. Some were shown on the Disney Channel, but were censored when shown. Some of the most entertaining cartoons and some of my favorites, such as The Moose Hunt, Mickey In Arabia, Trader Mickey, Mickey's Good Deed, Mickey's Mellerdrammer, and Mickey's Man Friday have not been shown (or shown censored) due to gun violence or racial/ethnic stereotypes. Although such scenes would still be objectionable to some, the cartoons are very special and need to be seen complete and uncensored. Cartoons that are considered to have objectionable scenes will be shown in a special section of Disc 2 called From The Vault. Leonard Maltin will do a special introduction for this section.

I have seen all these cartoons uncensored and look forward to a DVD set with nicer quality picture and sound.

Among the uncensored cartoons, one of my favorites is Mickey's Good Deed - a great Christmas cartoon, which shows the close friendship between Mickey and Pluto.

Ub Iwerks, gone but not forgotten, well almost not forgotten
If you are a fan of vintage cartoons as I am, you have probably already purchased this set or it is on its way. This set makes up the B&W Mickey shorts that were passed over in the first volume, when Disney was unsure of the current popularity of these cartoons. The most important thing about this set is that most of these cartoons have not been shown on television for decades, if at all. The most historically important thing is that most were directed by Ub Iwerks, originator of the Mickey Mouse style and some would say the inspiration for Japan's Manga style for the past half century. These films are rare gems that should be in any collection, and are extremely effective as entertainment for any child. The often overlooked character, Horace Horsecollar is also featured in most of these shorts.

THE BIRTH OF A MOUSE!
The second volume in the Mickey in Black & white from the Disney Treasures collection picks up where volume one left off and gives us all 40 of the remaining mickey mouse shorts.

I'm guessing most of these shorts have not been seen in ages. I personally have always preferred the old style, black-eye only look of mickey to the more modern look of today.

And of course, nothing beats the classic animation from the 30's and 40's before studios started doing things on the cheap.

Among my favorites in this collection are:

"Mickey's Mechanical Man" - Mickey's built a robot named Champ who's going to win Mickey a prize by fighting Beppo the Gorilla, the Kongo Killer, in a boxing ring.

"The Haunted House"

"Mickey's Pal, Pluto"

"traffic Troubles" - Mickey is a taxi driver. He takes Percy Pig to an appointment, but loses him on the way. His next fare doesn't fare much better; Minnie must go to her music lesson, but a detour through a barnyard and an encounter with a snake-oil salesman ruin that plan, too.

Well...there's lots more. This is just fantastic stuff. It's animation the way it isn't done anymore.

Add to that a whole host of extras: Leonard Maltin introductions, "Mickey's Mania: Collecting Mickey Merchandise", "Mickey's Portrait Artist: John Hench", "Mickey's Sunday Funnies: A Virtual Comic Strip", Still Frame Galleries, etc.

Great stuff and highly recommended.