"A Mickey Mouse Cartoon"
Synopsis
Characters
Credits
Laserdiscs
DVD
Television
Technical Specifications
Released by United Artists Pictures
Animator's Drafts
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Gallery
Mickey steps out to his big premiere!
Courtesy of Animation Celection
Congratulations, Mickey!
Sketch courtesy of Acme Animation Galleries
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Joe E. Brown |
Joe E. Brown and Buster Keaton |
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Clark Gable, Harold Lloyd, |
John Barrymore |
Animation sketches courtesy of Van Eaton
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Released in 16mm form under the title "Movie Star Mickey."
Contains the short within a short - "Galloping Romance." It's more or less an update of the basic "Cactus Kid" scenario (right down to Horace appearing in an uncharacteristically animal-like role as Mickey's horse), but contains no reused animation.
Real Hollywood personalities characterized include Ben Turpin, Harry Langdon, Chester Conklin, John Gilbert, Laurel and Hardy, Sid Graumann, The Marx Brothers, Maurice Chevalier, Eddie Cantor, Edward G. Robinson, Jean Harlow, William Powell, Monty Hale, Rudy Vallee, Adolphe Menjou, Jimmy Durante, Janet Gaynor, John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon, Douglas Fairbanks, Joe E. Brown, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Mae West, Harold Lloyd, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Wheeler & Woolsey, Joan Crawford, Ed Wynn, Will Rogers, George Arliss, and Marlene Dietrich.
From Calvin Daprice : I taped this cartoon off the Disney Channel last summer. I could really identify quite a few of the stars such as the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin. Others, I just didn't have a clue. Mickey sure was popular with the Hollywood stars as I am with my fellow students. Too bad he was only dreaming.
From J. D. Weil : This inquiry is about the Mickey Mouse short Gallopin' Romance. Don't look for it in the filmographies, it isn't there. Gallopin' Romance is the cartoon-within-the-cartoon Mickey's Gala Premiere and here hangs this inquiry. Since 1928 Walt Disney has steadily refused to have any distributor place his name over Walt's. Yet, on the title card of Gallopin' Romance the name of Joseph M. Schenck can clearly be seen. Joe Schenck was the CEO of United Artists (Disney's distributor at the time). So how did his name get there? I don't believe this was an error nor do I believe that this was some kind of inside joke, but I would like to know the reason for having this happen.
From Jerry Edwards : I enjoy this mainly for the oddity of a "cartoon within a cartoon." It does appear to me that, although the "Premiere" cartoon does contain some new animation, there is much recycled animation from the 1930 "The Cactus Kid" and the 1931 "The Birthday Party." The chase scene from the "Premiere" is fun - Mickey keeps changing "vehicles" - a galloping xylophone, a turtle, an octopus, and a kangaroo. The animators doe a nice job of making very recognizable caricatures of the movie stars of that time. I especially loved a scene in which Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein are shown in the audience - all three laughing hysterically. The colorized version is fun in that it keeps the "premiere cartoon" in black and white. I do dislike that this is yet another "just a dream" cartoon. I feel the short would have been much more effective if it had been shown as if it really happened.
From Ryan : I absolutely loved this short. When I first saw it, I thought Mickey really was having one of his pictures shown at the Mann's Chinese Theater. It was quite a surprise to find out that he was only dreaming. I could identify quite a few of the stars like Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Greta Garbo (she was the one who was kissing Mickey right?). I would like to know who that actor was that had that "monkey mouth" and when he laughed, he sounded like a hyena.
From Bill : I loved this short! The concept of a cartoon in a cartoon, plus the story of Mickey being honored by his peers in Hollywood shows that the storywriters in the 30's have it all over today's talent. All I hear is that they have a hard time developing stories for Mickey! They should let us fans send in stories; they will have plenty. Back to the short: the caricatures of the era's stars drawn by the animatiors were great, Even Joe E. Brown was so well done. And to see them laughting in the aisles over Mickey just showed how popular The Mick was and always will be! Even the cartoon in the cartoon, "Galloping Romance", was pretty good. The best scene I liked was in the beginning when Mickey and Minnie and of course, Pluto, were getting out of the limo. Just classic Holleywood.
From Gijs Grob : One of the greatest of all Mickey Cartoons. "Mickey's Gala Premiere" both celebrates Mickey's popularity as establishes him as one of the leading actors of the period. The cartoon which is shown at the premiere, "Galloping Romance" is an early and fantastic self-parody. This short only exists within "Mickey's Gala Premiere" and is a ridiculous variation on "Gallopin' Gaucho", in which Mickey rides a number of silly animals in his persuit of Peg Leg Pete. This self-consciously silly cartoon is way more old-fashioned than 'Mickey's Gala Premiere" itself. Nevertheless, the crowd, which consists solely of well-known perfomers of the time, laugh their heads off and, after the show, all try to congratulate Mickey. Mickey's wet dream appears to be being kissed by Swedish actress Greta Garbo, because it is the cartoon's climax before it's being revealed that all has been just a dream.
The self-conscious nature of this cartoon would remain rare at Disney's but would become one of the key features of the Warner Brother Cartoons who would produce similar cartoons as "You ought to be in Pictures" (1940) and "What's Cookin' Doc?" (1944). Both cartoons are tributary to "Mickey's Gala Premiere", as is Warner Brothers' "Coo-Coo Nut Grove" (1936) which features a number of charicatures of movie stars, as well.
Among the stars featured in 'Mickey's Gala Premiere" I managed to identify The Keystone Cops, Marie Dressler, Laurel & Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Maurice Chevalier, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, Harold Lloyd, Edward G. Robinson, Clark Gable, Joe E. Brown, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mae West, Greta Garbo, Bela Lugosi, Frederic March and Boris Karloff. Also featured is some guy who has a striking resemblance to Prince Charles of Wales and who's dressed up as a king.
Referenced Comments
