"A Pluto Cartoon"

Release Date December 27, 1940

Running Time 8:09

Synopsis

Pluto is banished to his doghouse for trying to raid the pantry. But the smell of roast ham is more than he can resist.

Characters

Pluto

Mammy Twoshoes

Credits

Director : Clyde Geronomi

Animation : Ed Love

Cut Scenes

A scene showing the black maid taking Pluto outside and tying him up was cut. Most of the scenes with the maid were cut, as was her shadow singing and most of her conversation.

Videos

United States

Cartoon Classics : Second Series : Volume 5 : Here's Pluto

Germany

Heir ist Pluto

Italy

Winnie Puh a Tu per Tu

Laserdiscs

United States

Here's Mickey / Here's Pluto

DVD

Disney Treasures : The Complete Pluto Volume 1

Television

Mickey's Mouse Tracks : Episode 11

Donald's Quack Attack : Episode 62

Technical Specifications

Color Type : Technicolor

Animation type : Standard

Sound mix : Mono

Aspect ration : 1.37 : 1

Negative format : 35mm

Print format : 35mm

Cinematographic process : Spherical

Original language : English

Released by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Comments

From Ryan : When I owned this cartoon on video as a kid, I used to watch it a lot. Everytime I watched it, I hoped Pluto would get the ham. I always found the scene where Pluto breaths in the soapsuds around the dishes to be suspensful. I was always hoping for them not to break as to get his owner's attention. Speaking of owner, why is he living with that black maid from those two "Orphan Kitten" shorts? Isn't Mickey his owner? Perhaps the woman is just working for Mickey as his housekeeper. I didn't really like that maid. I find it rather irksome that the scenes that show her are censored so that just her shadow appears.

From Candy : I saw "Pantry Pirate" on the Disney Channel and I used to have a video of it, along with three other cartoons. It's weird that these videos only had three cartoons on them. You'd think they could fit just a few more on there. My comment is about the black maid that appeared in the cartoon. She's very politically-incorrect nowdays, and I do think that she's kind of an offensive stereotype. She also appeared in a cartoon called "Figaro and Cleo," where she is called Aunt Delilah. This part of the site calls her "Mammy Two-Shoes," which was the unofficial name of the black maid who always appeared in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. What is an MGM stereotype doing in the gentler, more morally-based Disney cartoons, anyway? I guess she's just a maid who comes in and helps Mickey every now and then. Who knows how she got to be in charge of Pluto, Figaro, and Cleo, not to mention the Three Orphan Kittens. I'm not surprised that she's being censored. I'm not for censorship, but I can see why she's regarded as offensive. Ultimately, I liked this cartoon. The scene with Pluto and the soap bubbles is very entertaining.

From Dino Cencia : I got the Complete Pluto Volume 1 on DVD for Christmas, and my favorite short was this one. My favorite part is when the black maid found out what was going on and seeing the bubbles that Pluto made, Pluto runs out of the house and pretends he's sleeping. Then Pluto's happy and bubbles are coming out of his mouth. This is my favorite Pluto cartoon.

From Michelle I. : I love 'Pantry Pirate.' Despite the controversial inclusion of the maid, the cartoon is very funny. Pluto's escapades in the kitchen trying to get at the roast turkey on the stove are all amusing. Problems with bubbles, an ironing board, and teacups particularly stand out.

From Trae Robinson : This is a very funny Pluto short. I like the way Pluto sneezes in this cartoon. Pluto sneezes 12 or 13 times. Pluto must have been allergic to something in the kitchen. The animation is pretty neat.

From Baruch Weiss : I enjoy this cartoon despite the controversial black maid, but this was common in cartoons of the 1920s ,30s and 40s.

From Matthew Cooper : I have seen this short but once, although I can rember it well. I don't have a lot to say about Pluto in this cartoon, but there is certainly a lot to say abut the stereotypical black maid. I don't understand why she was censored in this cartoon beause she was the same maid in the Three Orphan Kittens cartoons, and they didn't cut her out there because in those cartoons, she was singing "Halleleujah", yelling at the pets and angrily putting them out of the house, just like she was in this cartoon. Also, I think that it would be okay to keep her in the cartoon because the first time I saw it, she was not cut out and I was about 8 so I think that kids who saw her likely wouldn't know about stereotypes until they got older just like I did. The only thing I find bad about the maid in this cartoon and that I think should be cut is her calling Pluto a yellow devil.

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