This is a black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon from the Disney studio. There will be spoilers ahead:
The cartoon starts out with some great night scenes, making it look as though this will be a suspense/thriller type of cartoon. The opening shot is great and the use of shadows is excellent, which is the norm for Disney shorts of the period.
Mickey is inside reading a spooky story, which further creates the impression that this is a suspense cartoon-until you learn that what's happening on screen is that someone is leaving a child on Mickey's doorstep.
The baby (named Elmer, as a note left with the basket in a touching scene) cries out, which of course terrifies Mickey and Pluto. There follows a great scene of Mickey and Pluto, shaking in their shoes as they investigate the noise. They finally meet young Elmer and attempt to cheer him up, but Elmer is having none of it, screaming even louder. Mickey tries to entertain Elmer by doing an impersonation of Charlie Chaplin, which bores little Elmer.
The attempts to curry Elmer's favor devolve into a comedy of errors, as both Mickey and Pluto coming to grief because they're trying to amuse Elmer. The resolution of Mickey's problem leads to pleasing Elmer with an impersonation of Jimmy Durante, which Elmer eats up with a spoon. Go figure.
This short is available on the Disney Treasures Mickey Mouse In Black and White, Volume Two and is worth looking for. Recommended.
The cartoon starts out with some great night scenes, making it look as though this will be a suspense/thriller type of cartoon. The opening shot is great and the use of shadows is excellent, which is the norm for Disney shorts of the period.
Mickey is inside reading a spooky story, which further creates the impression that this is a suspense cartoon-until you learn that what's happening on screen is that someone is leaving a child on Mickey's doorstep.
The baby (named Elmer, as a note left with the basket in a touching scene) cries out, which of course terrifies Mickey and Pluto. There follows a great scene of Mickey and Pluto, shaking in their shoes as they investigate the noise. They finally meet young Elmer and attempt to cheer him up, but Elmer is having none of it, screaming even louder. Mickey tries to entertain Elmer by doing an impersonation of Charlie Chaplin, which bores little Elmer.
The attempts to curry Elmer's favor devolve into a comedy of errors, as both Mickey and Pluto coming to grief because they're trying to amuse Elmer. The resolution of Mickey's problem leads to pleasing Elmer with an impersonation of Jimmy Durante, which Elmer eats up with a spoon. Go figure.
This short is available on the Disney Treasures Mickey Mouse In Black and White, Volume Two and is worth looking for. Recommended.