Mickey Mouse in "The Grocery Boy" (1932)

 

The Grocery Boy may not be the best remembered or most praised Mickey Mouse cartoon of its era. However, it is a perfect example of what the average Mickey Mouse film of the early 30's was like. It is a fast paced and unpretentious romp that still brings a smile to Disney fans today. One of the highlights is Mickey and Minnie's flirting, which proves that they are one of the most adorable couples in the history of the movies. I think all of us wish we could have a relationship just like theirs. The adorableness of their relationship helps give this film a real irresistible charm. 

The director for this cartoon was Wilfred Jackson (born January 24, 1906; passed away August 7, 1988). Jackson was one of the finest Disney directors of the 1930's. After he saw his first cartoon, Jackson immediately decided that he somehow wanted to work in animation. He approached Walt Disney and told Walt that he would even work for free if he had to. Jackson started by doing odd jobs around the studio and over time moved into becoming an animator than a director. He directed a wide variety of the classic Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies shorts. His Silly Symphonies included three Oscar winners; The Tortoise and the Hare (1935), The Country Cousin (1936), and The Old Mill (1937). He would be a sequence director on such classic Disney features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941) and Saludos Amigos (1943). He would also be co-director on the feature length movies Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady and the Tramp (1955). As well as working on the Disney films, he also worked on the Disneyland TV series. Due to health issues, Jackson had to retire from the Disney studio in 1961. Biographer, Ross Care would state, "I think Disney recognized Jackson’s devotion to animation and, perhaps more importantly, his willingness to try his hardest to understand and work to achieve what Walt wanted to do in the developing medium. They were both detail oriented, which I think also helped. Though the animators may not always have appreciated that latter quality in Jackson, he was (and is) highly respected among them." Care went on to state, "Two overriding impressions I got of Wilfred over the years were how much he loved animation and how much he respected and was devoted to Walt. That never really changed. But in the 1950s when Disney’s interests expanded, you might say shifted, to live-action films, television, and, of course, Disneyland, I believe Jackson felt his first love, animation, was getting side-tracked."

Many of the animators on this cartoon would become directors. David Hand would direct the classic Disney shorts Building a Building (1933), The Flying Mouse (1934), Who Killed Cock Robin? (1935), Three Orphan Kittens (1935), and Thru the Mirror (1936). He was also the supervising director of the Disney features Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi (1942). Tom Palmer would direct the Warner Brothers cartoons Buddy's Day Out (1933) and I've Got to Sing a Torch Song (1933) as well as the Van Beuren Felix the Cat shorts Felix the Cat and The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg (1936) and Neptune Nonsense (1936). Rudy Zamora would not direct any films for Disney but directed on quite a few of the Hanna-Barbera TV shows and TV movies of the 1980's and before that at the Jay Ward Studio on The Bullwinkle Show. Gerry Geronimi would direct multiple Disney shorts as well as being a co-director on the Disney features Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. Ben Sharpsteen would be the supervising director for the Disney features Pinocchio and Dumbo as well as directing quite a few of the Disney shorts of the 1930's. Jack King is best known for his work as a director, both on the 1930's Looney Tunes and at the Disney studio (directing many of the best Donald Duck cartoons). Dick Lundy would direct a few Disney shorts, but is best known for his work at Walter Lantz (where he directed some of the best Woody Woodpecker cartoons) and MGM (where he directed many of the Barney Bear cartoons). 

The climax of this film would later be adapted into the Mickey Mouse newspaper comic strip, a common practice at the time. 

Motion Picture Reviews called this film, "one of the best of these amusing cartoons. Delightful for the whole family." National Board of Review Magazine stated, "Mickey as a grocery boy - with his hilarious dog playing a prominent role." 

Movie Makers, 1937

This short film would not have its TV debut until the 73rd episode of Mickey's Mouse Tracks. This series ran on the Disney channel from 1992 to 1995 and was comprised of various classic Disney shorts as well as clips from classic Disney features, all from the time when Walt was alive. The other cartoons in this episode were How to Play Football (1944) and Traffic Troubles (1931). 

The cartoon was released to theaters on February 11, 1932. The production number was CM-23. This cartoon is also available on the DVD set, Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume 2. 

Animation

Note: As per usual Ben Sharpsteen supervised and worked with a group of junior animators. One of these junior animators is credited as "Hutch." According to A. Film L.A. (the ultimate resource for Disney animation), "Hutch" is Andrew Charles Hutchinson. Hutchinson had worked on some of the Ted Eshbaugh cartoons as well as the Disney films The Fox Hunt (1931), The Ugly Duckling (1931), The Duck Hunt (1932), The Mad Dog (1932).

Dave Hand (M.L.S. Mickey weighing spuds; M.C.U. Mickey spills spuds and phone rings; C.U. phone ringing; M.C.U. Mickey treads on spuds; M.L.S. Mickey climbs up on Pluto to answer phone)

Tom Palmer (C.U. Mickey answers phone; C.U. Minnie at phone -- tells Mickey to hurry with her groceries; C.U. Mickey says, "Ok honey" and kisses phone; C.U. Minnie hangs up, mad -- then kisses phone; Mickey and Pluto come in -- Mickey dumps groceries on table; Minnie stirring icing; Minnie says, "goodbye"; Pluto crawls under stove; Mickey backs over to door -- embarrassed; Mickey embarrassed -- Minnie looks at him and smiles; Mickey gets hit by flat iron; Minnie runs to Mickey; Minnie kisses bump on Mickey's head; Turkey skeleton) 

Rudy Zamora (M.L.S. Outside grocery - Mickey and Pluto run to L. on pan; M.L.S. Minnie's backdoor - Mickey stops to slick up)

Ben Sharpsteen (Minnie powders nose & says "Come in"; Pluto running with Mickey on his back (with Johnny Cannon); Desk socks Mickey (with Harry Reeves); Pluto runs under table and stops (with "Hutch") Mickey runs at Pluto; Pluto runs; Mickey gets a hold of tablecloth (with Johnny Cannon); Go thru nest tables; Statue falls on Mickey; Minnie pulls leg off turkey; Cuckoo clock on Pluto (with Johnny Cannon); Pluto pulling table; Minnie sees cake in danger; turkey skeleton)

Les Clark (M.C.U. Minnie takes turkey out of oven; C.U. Mickey gets stuffing out of turkey; M.C.U Mickey starts chopping vegetables to rhythm)

Jack King (Minnie stirring; Mickey cuts celery and uses garter; C.U. Mickey shell peas; Rpt. Minnie stirring; Mickey pours mixture into garbage can)

Albert Hurter (M.C.U. Pots and pans boiling to rhythm; C.U. Mush boils to rhythm; Napoleon thru stove)

Johnny Cannon (Mickey and Minnie make cake; Pluto running with Mickey on his back (with Ben Sharpsteen); Mickey gets a hold of tablecloth (with Ben Sharpsteen); Cuckoo clock on Pluto (with Ben Sharpsteen))  

Gerry Germoni (Pluto smells turkey; Pluto smells turkey; Pluto grabs turkey and runs)

Dick Lundy (Mickey puts flower on cake and dances out of room with it; Minnie sees Pluto and screams)

Gilles Armand "Frenchy" de Trémaudan (Pluto picks up Mickey and Minnie and catches cake)

Motion Picture Herald, 1932

Story: Mickey is a grocery boy and he and Pluto are preparing an order. He gets a call from Minnie who is upset about how late her order is. Mickey assures her that it will be there soon. Mickey and Pluto hurry on their way, while Minnie acts like a schoolgirl excited that her crush is coming over. Mickey and Pluto come over. Minnie and Mickey spend most of this time flirting while Pluto and Mickey's clumsiness ruins Minnie's order. 

-Michael J. Ruhland 

Resources Used

Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia by Dave Smith.

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

https://lantern.mediahist.org/

https://mmfolliesbw.blogspot.com/2010/02/grocery-boy-february-11-1932.html

https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/questions-author-ross-care

https://afilmla.blogspot.com/search/label/Shorts_Columbia

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