In celebrating the month of horror, it's time to look at one of the creepiest cartoons from Mickey Mouse's lineup, The Mad Doctor. Released in early 1933, the cartoon has gone down in infamy as one of the scarier Disney cartoons of its time, down to the point where the short was banned in countries like England and Germany due to its seemingly unsuitable content for children. Nowadays, it could be best looked at as a tribute to the Universal horror movies of the early '30s, something that Walt Disney would not often do compared to the more upbeat whimsical shorts his studio was making.
The main synopsis of the cartoon itself centers on Mickey trying to save his dog Pluto from an evil scientist who wants to experiment on the poor pup. Much of the short focuses on multiple set pieces relating to Mickey roaming through the scientist's domain, with plenty of frightening creatures and bone crunching machinery on display. What could have been ruined by prodded pacing is thankfully saved by the various booby traps Mickey encounters in trying to rescue Pluto. Speaking of Pluto, although his role is more or less a macguffin, the genuine amount of despair in the poor dog's capture is enough to send shivers down one's spine, especially with how terrifying the doctor's experiment truly is. Considering the mad doctor himself would go on to be a prominent antagonist in the acclaimed Epic Mickey games, his presence in this cartoon alone clearly left an impact on those who saw it growing up. By engaging viewers in a surreal environment for the leader of the club who's made for you and me, the cartoon successfully takes a creepy route not often explored in Mickey Mouse's filmography.
Thanks in part to director Disney legend David Hand's direction, the short itself is a strong example of short subject filmmaking executed through atmospheric horror rather than comical set pieces. The factor of the short being in black & white adds into the horrifying tone set in place, with freaky effects animation and background layouts sporadically layered throughout the runtime. Bert Lewis contributed well to the music accompaniment as far as creating genuinely unsettling melodies as Mickey roams around from one scary environment after another, complete with many creepy sound effects to add into the suspense of everything. In addition to Walt Disney and Pinto Colvig lending modestly simple vocals to Mickey and Pluto, Allan Watson's cunning performance as the mad doctor practically breathes terrifying as he cuts around the scenery. Perhaps the only real downside to the short is that its admittedly relieving ending might not be quite as effective as other cartoons that would later feel more gratifying in their payoff, but it still works as being an early trope example.
In delivering more thrills than laughs, The Mad Doctor works solidly in placing a famous cartoon character into a genre one wouldn't think he would be in most of the time. It's debatable whether or not this is the scariest Mickey Mouse adventure out there, but it still remains a successful thriller for both its time and even now to an extent. As Halloween is approaching its way more and more, this cartoon is absolutely your time to get into the spooky spirit. Whether or not you find it scary is obviously depending on your tastes, but it's definitely not like the typical storylines Mickey normally falls into.
The main synopsis of the cartoon itself centers on Mickey trying to save his dog Pluto from an evil scientist who wants to experiment on the poor pup. Much of the short focuses on multiple set pieces relating to Mickey roaming through the scientist's domain, with plenty of frightening creatures and bone crunching machinery on display. What could have been ruined by prodded pacing is thankfully saved by the various booby traps Mickey encounters in trying to rescue Pluto. Speaking of Pluto, although his role is more or less a macguffin, the genuine amount of despair in the poor dog's capture is enough to send shivers down one's spine, especially with how terrifying the doctor's experiment truly is. Considering the mad doctor himself would go on to be a prominent antagonist in the acclaimed Epic Mickey games, his presence in this cartoon alone clearly left an impact on those who saw it growing up. By engaging viewers in a surreal environment for the leader of the club who's made for you and me, the cartoon successfully takes a creepy route not often explored in Mickey Mouse's filmography.
Thanks in part to director Disney legend David Hand's direction, the short itself is a strong example of short subject filmmaking executed through atmospheric horror rather than comical set pieces. The factor of the short being in black & white adds into the horrifying tone set in place, with freaky effects animation and background layouts sporadically layered throughout the runtime. Bert Lewis contributed well to the music accompaniment as far as creating genuinely unsettling melodies as Mickey roams around from one scary environment after another, complete with many creepy sound effects to add into the suspense of everything. In addition to Walt Disney and Pinto Colvig lending modestly simple vocals to Mickey and Pluto, Allan Watson's cunning performance as the mad doctor practically breathes terrifying as he cuts around the scenery. Perhaps the only real downside to the short is that its admittedly relieving ending might not be quite as effective as other cartoons that would later feel more gratifying in their payoff, but it still works as being an early trope example.
In delivering more thrills than laughs, The Mad Doctor works solidly in placing a famous cartoon character into a genre one wouldn't think he would be in most of the time. It's debatable whether or not this is the scariest Mickey Mouse adventure out there, but it still remains a successful thriller for both its time and even now to an extent. As Halloween is approaching its way more and more, this cartoon is absolutely your time to get into the spooky spirit. Whether or not you find it scary is obviously depending on your tastes, but it's definitely not like the typical storylines Mickey normally falls into.