"A Mickey Mouse Cartoon

Release Date (August 28, 1929)

Running time 6:16

Synopsis

Mickey and his barnyard pals put on a show that includes dancing ducks, opera singing by Patricia Pig, and Mickey's own rendition of his theme song, "Minnie's Yoo Hoo."

Characters

Mickey Mouse

Minnie Mouse

Patricia Pig

Credits

Director : Wilfred Jackson

Music : Carl Stalling

Milestones

The first performance of "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo" which eventually was also used as a theme song for the "Mickey Mouse Club."

Cut Scenes

Patricia Pig's entire number as well as some outhouse gags were cut at one time but have probably been reinstated.

Laserdiscs

United States

Mickey Mouse : The Black and White Years

Japan

Mickey Mouse : The Black and White Years

DVD

Disney Treasures : Mickey Mouse in Black and White

Television

The Ink and Paint Club : #60 : Mickey's Boogie

Donald's Quack Attack : Episode #29

Technical Specifications

Color Type : Black and White

Animation type : Standard

Sound mix : Cinephone; mono

Aspect ration : 1.33 : 1

Negative format : 35mm

Print format : 35mm

Cinematographic process : Spherical

Original language : English

Released by Celebrity Productions, Inc.

Gallery

Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized picture

Comments

From Jerry Edwards : The main interest in this cartoon is the "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" song. One fun gag I enjoyed was a hen having to quit in the middle of her act in order to lay an egg.

From Ryan : Like "The Karnival Kid", this is also an important milestone in Mickey's career. In his musical career that is. This is where he first sings his theme song, "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" that is used in the opening titles of many of his early cartoon shorts. I wonder why Disney stopped using it when Mickey began making color cartoons. There were several funny scenes like the pig doing an opera and her skirt keeps falling down. I guess that is why that scene was censored, but thank God it has been reinstated.

From Bill : I think one of the nicest features of the Mickey shorts is the music. No matter what the short, you can always expect to hear some lively tune with all the characters dancing and bobbing in time. This short stands out for me as the premiere of "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" which always started the shorts for the first few years. This is still the time when Mickey is rough and ready and Minnie is not yet the sugar sweet gal she eventually turns into (nothing wrong with that.) I personally like the shorts with the music in them. I guess today they just don't make 'em like they used to.

From Gijs Grob : Mickey and his friends give a concert on the barnyard. First we see dancing ducks, then a rather tough 'French apache dance' between a rooster and a hen, followed by a pig singing in an ugly operatic style. The latter is probably the first character in animation history who is funny because of a typical voice. Highlight, of course, is Mickey himself who performs his own theme song (which is announced as such!), titled 'Minnie's Yoo-Hoo'. It's the first time we see Mickey sing and this song seems to be the raison d'etre of this otherwise quite dull cartoon.

From Christian : What the heck is up with Mickey's voice in this?! He sounds totally freaky! If Walt did his his voice in this one, did he have a cold or something? My rating: 4 out of 10 because of the voice.

Referenced Comments

Plane Crazy (1928)

Hells Bells (1929)

Just Mickey (1930)

Minnie's Yoo Hoo (1930)

This is the sign the funny little bird shows to announce Mickey's performance in the silly and a bit awkward "Mickey's Follies." (1929) Who'd have thought such a silly little song could be a theme song? In this short, the theme starts the short, and then Mickey sings it in full. Then of course he plays a few instruments and plays it on himself. His singing is almost in crooner style. There are a few short numbers before his solo, but the short is mainly a vehicle to present this theme song, "Minnie's Yoo Hoo." The catchy music was written by the talented Carl Stalling and the lyrics by Walt Disney. It is clear of the latter's involvement as the song feels like it is something Mickey would sing, and Walt really was Mickey. When you hear Minnie's Yoo Hoo it completely invokes Mickey Mouse, even more so than the later song heard in conjunction with him, Mickey Mouse Club March. Minnie's Yoo Hoo is quite frankly, an adorable song.

Disney has had a long history of sheet music distribution, but Minnie's Yoo Hoo was the very first piece of music released. (in 1930, even before the notable "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" in '33) It went on to be the beginning and end theme for all Mickey Mouse shorts of the early '30's, each time being played different. It ended its reign with shorts in the mid '30's. It was not given a long hiatus as it was heard on the original Mickey Mouse Club, before the Mickey Mouse Club March came to be so popular. Once the march came into popularity in the mid '50's, Minnie's Yoo Hoo was rarely heard again in Walt's lifetime. (though it was heard on a few "Disneyland" shows and that show's many subsequent names.) However, in 1972 the song was revived with the Ward Kimball directed and produced show The Mouse Factory. This was a delightful show that interspersed bits of live action with the Fab 5 and their agent with shorts. Two decades later, the song still has a place. It is heard daily as area music in Disneyland's home of the classic characters, Mickey's Toon Town. And seventy years after its debut in a Mickey short, Mickey will be starring in a series again. And what is the theme song of the new Mickey Mouse Works? Minnie's Yoo Hoo of course!

-- MaryBeth Malone and Princess Pepper

Lyrics

I'm the guy they call little Mickey Mouse
Got a sweetie down in the chicken house
Neither fat nor skinny she's the horse's whinny
She's my little Minnie Mouse

When its feeding time for the animals
And they howl and growl like the cannibals
I just turn my heel, to the henhouse steel
And you hear me sing this song

Oh the ol' tomcat with his meow meow meow
Old hounddog with his bow wow wow
The crow "caw caw" and the mule "he haw"
Gosh what a racket like an old buzz saw
I have listened to the kookoo koo his "koo koo"
And I've heard the rooster's "cock a doodle doo"
With the cows and the chickens they all sound like the dickens
When I hear my little Minnie "yoo hoo!"

Oh the blue bird down in the cherry tree
And the busy buzz of the bumble bee
Evening bells a ringin, whip-poor-will's a singin
Well they don't mean much to me

For my heart is down in the chicken house
Where I long to be with my Minnie Mouse
And I'll meet her there mid that fragrance rare
Sing to her this melody

Oh the ol' tomcat with his meow meow meow
Old hounddog with his bow wow wow
The crow "caw caw" and the mule "he haw"
Gosh what a racket like an old buzz saw
I have listened to the kookoo koo his "koo koo"
And I've heard the rooster's "cock a doodle doo"
With the cows and the chickens they all sound like the dickens
When I hear my little Minnie "yoo hoo!"