In this film Norm Ferguson handles the majority of the Pluto animation (appropriate since his animation help define the character in the cartoon, Playful Pluto (1934)). Some of Fergy's animation of Pluto having trouble with a hat would be reused in the short Mickey's Delayed Date (1947). A brief exception to Fergy animating Pluto is the dog's experience with a tuba and a frog, which were animated by Dick Lundy. Lundy does the majority of animation of Donald Duck (again appropriate because Lundy's animation helped define Donald's personality in Orphan's Benefit (1934)). Future part of the Nine Old Men, Les Clark animates the majority of Clara Cluck's action. Dick Lundy animating Donald and Les Clark animating Clara, creates as much of a duet between the two animators as there is among the two characters' voices (Clarence Nash and Florence Gill). The cartoon was directed by Wilfred Jackson.
In the live action part of the Disney feature film, The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Robert Benchley watches Clarence Nash and Florence Gill record the soundtrack for this film. However like much of the live action portion of that movie this scene is obviously staged.
The following is a review of the film from an issue of The Film Daily (Dated March 12, 1936)
"Mickey's Grand Opera
(Mikey Mouse Cartoon)
United Artists 8 Minutes
A ScreamAll the leading characters in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons appear in this 'glorified' take off of grand opera in Technicolor. Mickey himself conducts the orchestra, while Donald Duck and Clara Cluck are the singers. Donald's sword gets stuck through a set-piece in the scenery and all kinds of untoward incidents dog his steps - including Pluto, Mickey's dog, who is intrigued by a magician's tall hat, out of which rabbits and pigeons appear. Pluto stalks the hat upon the stage in the mist of the duet. The hat takes refuge in the mouth of a tuba and all the concealed rabbits and pigeons are blown out, wrecking the duet and the scenery. A stiff dose of laughing gas for every member of the family."
The following is what one exhibitor wrote into the Motion Picture Herald (issue dated June 13, 1936)
"Mickey's Grand Opera - Mickey Mouse - An excellent Mickey Mouse. Will please all. - C.L. Niles, Niles Theater, Anamosa, Iowa. General Patronage."
AnimationCy Young (MLS - Sign)
Paul Hopkins (LS - Interior of theater; CU - Eye in curtain; LS - Mickey in pit -- audience applauds)
Norm Ferguson (MCU - Mickey at peep-hole -- Pluto in; CU - Mickey yells off stage -- Pluto scrams; MCU - Pluto into prop room; MCU - Pluto and hat; MCU - Pluto follows hat onto stage; MCU - Mickey directing -- Pluto and hat in (split with Frenchy De Tr'emaudan); MCU - Pluto sniffs hat -- Mickey yells again (split with Frenchy De Tr'emaudan); MLS - Orchestra yells "go home!" (split with Frenchy De Tr'emaudan); MCU - Pluto into wings -- Chases hat out again; MCU - Hat into tuba -- animals out)
Frenchy De Tr'emaudan (MCU Mickey directs fiddles and flute; LS Mickey directs curtain up; MLS Musicians up and look; Mickey directing -- Pluto and hat in (split with Norm Ferguson); CU - Mickey says "go home"; MCU - Pluto sniffs hat -- Mickey yells again (split with Norm Ferguson); MLS - Orchestra yells "go home!" (split with Norm Ferguson); LS - Orchestra pit -- animals running around; MCU - Mickey fighting off rabbits; MCU - Pigeon turns pages -- flies away with music; MLS - Pigeons lift and spin Mickey)
Les Clark (MCU - Hen out -- calls -- look; MCU - Hen sings sad; MCU - Hen sings soft -- "shhhh"; MCU - Hen sings soft - "shhhhhhhh"; MCU - Hen catches flowers -- sings happy; MCU - Pigeons swipe Mickey's shirt; CU - Rabbit grabs baton -- directs jazz; MCU - Mickey grabs rabbit -- directs; MCU - Hen sings -- pigeons bother her; MCU - Hen reaches for high note; MCU - Hen stabbed --balcony sags (split with Dick Lundy); MLS - Balcony falls (split with Dick Lundy); MCU - All sing last chord (split with Dick Lundy))
Story: Our mouse has come a long way from whistling Turkey in the Straw. He is now leading the orchestra at the high class opera event of 1936. Backstage Pluto is having trouble with a magician's equipment, a various rabbits and birds are making his life difficult. This leads Pluto to run on stage during a particularly moving duet. With this Pluto manages to wreck this important event (if Donald's sword getting stuck in a prop tree didn't already.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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