Mickey Mouse in "The Mad Doctor" (1933)

 

The Mad Doctor is a fan favorite for many classic Disney fans and with good reason. This short film is a horror spoof that perfectly captures the atmosphere of horror movies of the time. The creepy atmosphere here is even more effective than some of the serious horror movies of the time. In fact, some at the time felt that this cartoon was too scary for children. Some theaters refused to show the short for this reason and the film was even banned in Great Britian. Much of this sense of atmosphere comes from the wonderful background art by Mique Nelson. Nelson was a brilliant background artist, who worked on many of the best Silly Symphonies as well as such Disney features as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Pinocchio (1940). 

The director of this cartoon was Dave Hand. Dave Hand directed such classic Disney cartoons as Building a Building (1933), The Flying Mouse (1934), Who Killed Cock Robin (1935), Pluto's Judgement Day (1935), Mickey's Polo Team (1936), Thru the Mirror (1936), The Country Cousin (1936) and Magician Mickey (1937). He also served as the supervising director on two of the Disney studios most popular animated features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). 

A working title for this film was The Mysterious Castle. This cartoon reached movie theaters on January 20, 1933. At the same time this film was in theaters, Mickey Mouse was having another adventure in a spooky castle. The Mickey Mouse daily newspaper comic strip was currently running a storyline entitled Blaggard Castle. Blaggard Castle is often considered by Disney fans to be one of the best storylines of the comic strip. 

This cartoon's spooky themed storyline revolves around a recent popularity of horror films. A couple years earlier Universal released Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931). This caused a while slew of horror movies to hit theaters including Paramount's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Warner Brothers' Doctor X (1932), MGM's Freaks (1932) and many more as well as all the Universal monster films to follow. As such this Mickey Mouse cartoon was simply inspired by a trend of the time. 

The following is a review from Motion Picture Review (which was published by The Women's University Club of Los Angles), "Mickey is not to be outdone by the present rage for horror films - and goes to the rescue of his dog in the clutches of a 'mad doctor' in heroic and sensational fashion. It is perhaps too nightmarish for children; the fad for thrills goes to great lengths even in cartoons." 

This film would have a surprising legacy. Decades after this short, the title character would become the villain in the video game, Epic Mickey (2010) and its sequel Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (2012). Because of the musical nature of this cartoon, he often spoke or even sang in rhyme in those video games. He would also have a cameo in the Roger Rabbit short, Tummy Trouble (1989), appeared occasionally in the Italian Disney comic books and was a boss in the video game, Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse (1994) in a level based off of this black and white cartoon short. 

This cartoon is available on the DVD set, Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White. Due to its public domain status, it also appears on various public domain VHSs and DVDs. 

Animation

Note: Ben Sharpsteen often had a group of junior animators working under him. I am not aware of who these animators were for this film. 

Ben Sharpsteen (L.S. Mickey's house - doghouse in f.g. - Pluto snoring - storm atmosphere - truck up and X-diss; interior bedroom - Mickey asleep - sound effects - Pluto howls - manic laugh - Mickey out window; dark figure slinks away - Mickey finds dog stolen - starts after him; figure dragging dog thru woods; Mickey on trail; L.S. Castle - silhouette of figure dragging Pluto - sound effects - X. Diss. to; C.U. Door - figure and dog into sc. - other castle; Mickey reaches bridge - planks fall - door planks gone - Mickey enters; Mickey inside - spooky atmosphere and spooky situations; C.U. door and panel - door locks; S.C.U. Mickey surprised - truck back to L.S. Creepy chamber - Mickey continues; lab shot - Pluto dragged thru sc. by dark figure - struggles; Mickey sneaking down hall - falls down stairs; Still sc. - Mickey at bottom of stairs - rolls into brightly lighted scene - sees something terrifying; S.C.U. Well - dragon shadows menace him; Mickey scared - sees fire - relieved - gets sparks in pants - exits; Mickey backing on short pan into dark corner - hears clock - lights match on pants; skull pendulum - skeleton hands - skeleton bird cuckoos; Skelton appears from behind picture and blows match out - Mickey scared - backs away; Mickey into stone pillar - skeleton tries to hit him - Mickey hears howl - exits; Mickey starts upstairs - slides down again - exits; S.L.S. Lab - doctor puts Pluto in X-Ray - menaces hen and Pluto; Turns on X-Ray; C.U. Pluto X-Rayed - heart beating - Pluto worried; C.U. Pluto - heart jumps into throat - beats rapidly; C.U. Pluto - heart and ribs drop - dog yowls; Mickey hears yowls - starts up ladder - falls - runs on pan inside skeleton; Mickey crashes into wall; Pluto hanging by tail - Dr. cuts shadow; Mickey hears dog - runs on short pan - multiple doors - Mickey into lab)

Tom Palmer (Dr. starts song - sings first two lines; C.U. chart - pan along - sings next two lines off-stage; Dr. continues song - sings next two lines; C.U. Chart - doctor sings last two lines off stage; Dr. takes out knife starts for Pluto; S.C.U. Machinery - Dr. pushes button; Doc. throws big electric switch - looks up)

Johnnie Cannon (Bumps into closet - skeletons throw heads; Mickey ducking heads - one grabs him - rolls on others)

Hardie Gramatky (S.C.U. door - skeleton handshakes Mickey - lasso yanks him)

Les Clark (S.L.S. Skeleton spider attacks Mickey - Mickey jumps forward floor; Floor and stairs - Mickey lands - spider on him - tickles spider - released - throw balister - boomerang - spider runs)

Jack King (Lab shot - Mickey lands on table - straps buckle down; Mickey kicking - whisk broom dusts off turkey; Buzz saw starts down - buzz sound - pan down - Mickey sees saw coming - draws in tummy - yells; X-Diss to Mickey in bed - mosquito gag - Mickey calls dog; Pluto hears Mickey calling; Mickey in thru window with dog house - licks Mickey - Iris out)

Story: This film opens on a dark and stormy night. A cloaked figure kidnaps Pluto. Mickey runs after to save his pal. The cloaked figured turns out being a mad scientist who wishes to perform an experiment that will fuse Pluto with a chicken. As Mickey tries to save Pluto he must do battle with various skeletons to save his pal. While Mickey escapes these skeletons, he finds himself being caught by the Mad Doctor, who ties Mickey up as he is being propelled towards a buzz saw that will cut him in half. Just when it looks like Mickey is a goner, he wakes up from his nightmare. He whistles for Pluto who comes jumping to the window and licks Mickey's face. 

Here is the cartoon below. 

Here is a colorized version of the film. 

Now for a little videogame fun. Below is the Mad Doctor level from the Mickey Mania video game, the Mad Doctor boss fight from the first Epic Mickey game and some cut scenes involving the character from Epic Mickey 2. 

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mad_Doctor

https://afilmla.blogspot.com/search/label/Shorts_UA?updated-max=2008-11-18T21:00:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=8&by-date=false

https://mediahistoryproject.org/