"A Mickey Mouse Cartoon"

Release Date February 14, 1941

Alternate Titles

Der Kleine Wirdelwind - Germany

Le tourbillon - France

Lilla virvelvind - Sweden

Running Time 8:34

Synopsis

Minnie wants Mickey to clean up her yard - or else he won't get any of her just-out-of-the-oven cake. Mickey cleans the yard, but then wrecks it trying to get rid of a pesky tornado. And does he get his cake? What do you think?

Characters

Mickey Mouse

Minnie Mouse

Mama Whirlwind

Little Whirlwind

Credits

Director : Riley Thompson

Asst. Director : Ray de Vally

Animation

Ward Kimball

Jim Armstrong

Freddie Moore

Les Clark

Ken Muse

John Elliotte

Walt Kelly

Fred Jones (?)

Layout

Charlie Phillippi

Chuck Connors

Videos

United States

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Volume 2

Cartoon Classics : Second Series : Volume 6 : Starring Mickey and Minnie

Italy

Buon Compleanno Topolino

DVD

Region 1 : United States

Disney Treasures : Mickey Mouse in Living Color : Volume 2

Cartoon Classics Favorites: Starring Mickey

Region 2 : United Kingdom

Everybody Loves Mickey

Region 2 : France

Tout le Monde aime Mickey

Region 2 : Germany

Alle Lieben Mickey

Region 2 : Sweden

Alla Alskar Musse

Laserdiscs

United States

Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Volume 1

Starring Mickey and Minnie / Starring Chip 'n' Dale

Japan

Starring Mickey and Minnie

Mickey's Family Album

Cartoon Carousel

Television

Mickey's Mouse Tracks : Episode 27

Donald's Quack Attack : Episode 19

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

Comments

From Ryan : While watching this short, You can't help feeling sorry for Mickey as that annoying "little whirlwind" keeps blowing the leaves away. It is also, however, kind of humorous seeing him get frusterated. Imagine how funny this short would be if Donald were in place of Mickey. All poor Mickey wants is some of Minnie's cake. Well he gets it all right- after her whole yard is scattered with leaves from that pesky whirlwind. Only she just decides to throw the WHOLE cake at him, which splatters all over his face. The animation of this short was great and I liked the way the characters moved. It was animator Fred Moore who invented this style (at least I think he did someone correct me if I'm wrong).

From Erica : This was one of my favorite Mickey shorts when I was growing up! The animation is great and unlike many of his later films in which he is only a supporting character, in this one he gets to take the spotlight. And what an original idea! I mean, who else could imagine a mouse wrestling with a baby tornado? I really liked the scene where he captures it in a sack and bounces around the yard trying to subdue it.

From Brad Bethel : This is probably my favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon.

I liked how crafty Mickey was in this cartoon, even though he wasn't offically "the winner" of this short. It was fun to see Mickey bugging Minnie over how he wanted the cake she was just finishing.

The best parts of this cartoon came when he was having trouble with that troublemaking tornado while doing Minnie's yard work. I liked when the tornado led the leaves in a march, and later when the tornado fetched his mom to take care of Mickey. Mickey didn't speak (nor did he have to) between the time he started the yard work, and the time when Minnie saw the disastrous results from the trouble both whirlwinds caused. This is a good example of how the meat of a story can be presented sans dialogue. Althugh one would have to feel sorry for Mickey, the mischief played between he and the whirlwind made for great fun. The animation was particularly rounded and bouncy, and the music was very creative. In fact, the work of the animators just showed a lot of energy in this presentation.

During the time this cartoon was made, Mickey was getting less attention than Donald Duck and Goofy. But along with Fantasia, the animators still tried to keep Mickey functional as a cartoon character (instead of a corporate logo). Unfortunately, his role as an active character grew pale by the later 1940's (as by that time, he could no longer be seen in a regular cartoon without playing second fiddle to Pluto), and that led to the character's absense from theatrical shorts for about 30 years.

From Keiran Stones : I didn't mind this but I wouldn't call this as my favourite Mickey short.

From Baruch Weiss : I can't belive that Minnie threw the cake at Mickey's face. It's better to have a face on your cake then a cake on your face.

From Nikita : This one was a real knee-slapper. I have the "Mickey & Minnie" Cartoon VHS tape that has this short on it. Brings back memories.

Seeing Mickey fight with that little tornado is really something to crack up about, especially when it never seems to give up. Poor Mickey had to nearly chase it down and then get pummeled by the big tornado, resulting in an angry Minnie and a cake in the face. Hahahaha...

Of course, I've always had a major crush on Mickey, so why wouldn't I like this one? Or was it Donald I had a crush on? CRAP! I'm stuck! I give this one a 9.

From Grace : This is one of my favorite Mickey Mouse cartoons and it is so hilarious! While watching the short you can feel sorry for Mickey that he has to clean up the whirlwind's mess and to fight with him. I would say my favorite part would be Mickey being crafty even though he wasn't the winner, using the wrestling pose on the whirlwind like saying " you want a piece of me? And in the very end poor Mickey really wanted the cake but Minnie actually threw the WHOLE entire cake on his face! Speaking of Mickey that got splattered on the cake I actually thinking that I have a major crush on him or was it Donald? Yikes, pretend you didn't hear that!

From April : We are sharing the Mickey shorts with our two-year-old daughter, and this is by far her favorite. She always asks to see "Mickey and the Leaves." I like it for showing to a very young child because it's a Mickey cartoon that doesn't feature Pluto being picked on and tossed around - some Mickey and Pluto cartoons seem less appropriate for toddlers who are still learning to be gentle to animals.

This cartoon is also unique because it features Mickey and Minnie with three-dimensional ears - ears that change position. It is a style that didn't seem to last long, and looks kind of weird when you compare it to "traditional" Mickey.

From Dino Cencia : This Mickey Mouse short is the best! Mickey is trying to clean Minnie's yard, but a pesky little whirlwind comes and annoys Mickey while trying to clean the yard. My favorite part is when Mickey chases the little whirlwind with a rake to send him out, all of a sudden, Mama Whirlwind comes and chases Mickey all over the countryside, making the yard a huge mess everywhere. Then Mama Whirlwind sucked Mickey into Minnie's fountain and the tornados are gone. Minnie brings Mickey's cake out to give and when she came outside, a big huge mess was all over her yard! Minnie: ''Oh, you clown!'' Mickey: ''Surprise!'' Then last in this cartoon, Mickey: ''Well, I guess I don't get the cake, huh''? Minnie: ''Oh yes you do!'' Then she threw the cake in Mickey's face and covered from head to toe. This is my favorite Mickey and Minnie Mouse cartoon. They are my favorite characters. And I will see them at Disneyland and say: ''Mickey and Minnie Mouse, good to see you! I love you guys and you are my favorite characters and I love your cartoons!'' I give this cartoon 100 out of 100.

Original Animator's Drafts

Gallery

Mickey grounded.
Animation sketch courtesy of Van Eaton Galleries

Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized picture

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