House of Mouse : Season 2 Episode 13
"Dennis the Duck"

Air Date May 18, 2002

Synopsis

Donald has never thought the old black n' white cartoon characters were funny, but when a vintage character, Dennis the Duck, shows up he does his best to win over Donald.

Shorts Shown

The Whoopee Party

Mickey and the Goatman

Comments

From Lee Suggs : This week's House of Mouse was perhaps the series' most creative and interesting show. It's black and white day, and to celebrate a crowd of black and white characters are invited to the club. These characters look like the background characters from the old Alice, Oswald, and early Mickey Mouse shorts. Whoever drew these toons must have watched the classic shorts, because the characters move and behave just like the characters from those cartoons. The leader of the retired cartoons is Dennis the Duck. He is drawn like the original Mickey Mouse, if Mickey was a duck. Donald, of course, doesn't like Dennis, or any of the old style cartoons. (Donald first appeared in "The Wise Little Hen" (1934) which was in color, as all Silly Symphonies were after 1932.) As soon as the audience is seated Mickey introduces: The Whoopee Party.

When we return to the club The Rubber Hose Band (a phrase that describes the early form of black and white animation) is playing "Turkey in the Straw". Since this tune was featured in "Steamboat Willie" many of the band members are characters from that short. When the band completes its set, Mickey introduces another cartoon "Pioneer Days".(1930) We only see a clip from the cartoon as Dennis chooses this moment to confront Donald. Dennis does his gag for Donald (Which consists of saying "Have a Sandwich!" and slamming a sandwich in your victim's face. Ha, ha, I guess.) Donald loses his temper (imagine that) and tells Dennis he hates black and white cartoons because they aren't funny. This crushes Dennis which will have a very negative effect..., a bit later.

We end the episode with Donald feeling bad about hurting Dennis. Donald goes to find Dennis and catches him erasing himself. In an amusing sequence Donald redraws Dennis (several times!) and they become friends. Our last scene is an ad for "Inkwell Springs Resort, featuring the Iwerks Lounge."

While this episode had its weaknesses, it was a bold move to try something like this. Mickey Mouse was at the height of his greatness when he was a black and white cartoon. It was wonderful to see an attempt to capture the spirit of those exciting times.

From Juan F. Lara : I don't know for sure which of the black-and-white guests were actual characters from that era, if any. The group did include a Skeleton Dance Skeleton, and I think the ostrich was the same ostrich that appeared in several early Mickey shorts. But Dennis the Duck was an original character invented for the show. Unfortunately he was a lousy character. He really had only one joke which he kept repeating. I lost count of how many times I heard that inept catchphrase, "Have a sandwich!". (Catchphrase? Nobody in "The Whoopee Party" used any catchphrase to be funny.) Dennis himself was a Roger Rabbit clone. He just wanted to make people laugh, and when he found out Donald didn't like him he got really crushed. The problem was that Dennis really WASN'T funny and so I felt no pathos for him.

Then again I did laugh at the weird sight gag of Dennis using that giant pencil to rub himself out. Donald could draw very well actually. And that scene had the one "Have a sandwich!" gag that did make me laugh. Daisy had it coming to her.

I also liked the Rubber Hose Band, making music from body parts like they did in the black and whte era. My favorite gag was them using the goat from "Steamboat Willie" to make music again. Also funny and endearing was the ad for the Inkwell Springs Resort.