House of Mouse : Season 1 Episode 12
"Thanks to Minnie"

Air Date April 7, 2001

Synopsis

When Minnie thinks that she's not wanted at the club she quits, making everyone realize just how important she is to the show.

Credits

Writer

Tracey Berna

Editor

Kevin D. Campbell

Directors

Robert Gannaway

Tony Craig

Storyboard Supervisor : Rick Schneider

Storyboard

Robert McKnight

Carlos Baeza

Chong Suk Lee

Thomas Bernardo

Jerry Eisenberg

Kurt Anderson

Todd Kurosawa

Additional Storyboard

Robert Griffith

Calvin Suggs

Gregory Peters

Dublin Evans

Shorts Shown

Minnie Visits Daisy

Mickey's Big Break

Comments

From Juan F. Lara : Only the club sequence was new, and that sequence was below average.

The club sequence didn't have much of a premise. The sequence was just halfway over when the resolution started. That resolution came in a long talk between Minnie, Mickey and Clarabelle. They just needed that. A story where the characters spend all their time talking can't work as a cartoon. I was also put off by their repeating the "Gossip is always true!" catchphrase. That phrase made this ep feel like an FCC-Friendly show where everyone had to learn a lesson about gossip. The "Parrots of the Caribbean" song was fun to watch, though. (Were those other parrots really from the "Pirates" ride, or the Tiki Room instead? And what's the original source of that song?) And one image stuck in my mind for being so unusual: Pocahontas and Robin Hood in the same scene, as gossips. This was the first ep that featured Clarabelle Cow in her role as a gossip reporter. I think the real reason she dates Goofy in this show is to get inside information from him. Clarabelle sure seems considerate for a gossip reporter, though.

From Lee Suggs : I wasn't as impressed with this week's episode, maybe because it has no new cartoons. However, there are some nice moments. We begin with one of these as Clarabelle begins her career as a gossip columnist. (Her best tidbit is that Dopey is leaving the Seven Drawfs "to pursue other interests". We then see a picture of Dopey on the bow of the Titantic.) After her act, Clarabelle goes backstage to see what rumors she can sniff out there. (Clarabelle is equipped for sniffing.) Mickey tells her "with Minnie on the job we don't need to worry about anything".

Clarabelle spreads this word throughout the club, (another clever sequence involving several characters) and when it gets back to her Mickey has now said something like "we don't need Minnie for anything". Clarabelle shares this with Minnie who believes Mickey said this because "gossip is always true". (Clarabelle's tag line) Hurt, Minnie quits running the HOM. The club then promptly falls apart. No special musical act, no big screen for the cartoons, (Minnie paid the rent) and numerous other problems. Mickey ends up showing the two cartoons with a reel to reel projector on a pull up screen (shades of elementary school.)

As the club gets close to shutting down. (Remember that "show must go on clause".) Minnie finally confronts Mickey about what he said. Discovering her mistake she swiftly puts the club back on track. (Sounds dramatic, huh!) Immediately the "Parrots of the Caribbean" take the stage, and perform an interesting version that similar (to their name) sounding ride's theme song. (A House of Mouse first, poking fun at two Disney attractions. Pirates of the Caribbean, of course, but also WDW's Tiki Room, one of the parrots is Iago on his perch.) All well that ends well, and speaking of ending, we end with "Gossip by Clarabelle, don't believe everything you hear, and half of what you read". (Hey, that would be a good Disney Internet Site warning. j/k)