Building a Building
Encyclopedia
Building a Building is a 1933 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Production and released by United Artists
. A remake of the 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
film Sky Scrappers, the cartoon depicts Mickey Mouse
working at a construction site under the supervision of Peg-Leg Pete while Minnie Mouse
is selling box lunches to the workers. It was directed by David Hand, his first directoral assignment at Disney, and features the voices of Walt Disney
as Mickey, Marcellite Garner
as Minnie, and Billy Bletcher
as Pete.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 6th Academy Awards
, but lost to Disney's own Three Little Pigs
.
at a construction site. Minnie appears on a cart pulled by Pluto
; she is selling box lunches to the workers for 15¢.
Mickey accidentally throws dirt from the steam shovel onto Peg-Leg Pete, the foreman
, making him angry. Mickey hurriedly brings up a load of bricks in a wheelbarrow
, meanwhile Pete sees Minnie and flirts with her. Mickey, distracted by Minnie, accidentally drops the bricks on Pete, who literally shouts out the words "Blankety blank!
"
Finally Mickey himself falls through Pete's blueprint
. Pete has had enough and starts to strangle Mickey, but just then it is noon and an anthropomorphic steam whistle
sounds "Lunch!! Lunch!! ..." Mickey settles down to eat a fish sandwich, but it is stolen by Pete. Minnie offers to give him a box lunch for free (with "baloney, and macaroni
, and a huckleberry
pie"). As Mickey is eating the lunch, Pete abducts Minnie from above with a crane.
Mickey chases after Pete, and finally wrestles with him high up on the building. Minnie grabs a pan of red-hot rivets
and drops them down Pete's pants. This gives the mice enough time to run away as Pete pours water down his pants.
In the process of chasing Mickey and Minnie, Pete has an anvil fall on his head and fires rivets at them with a handheld pneumatic hammer. This turns on him when the hammer falls into his pants and gets attached to his peg leg. The mice escape down a chute riding a wheelbarrow, while Pete falls into a cement mixer
and accidentally dismantles a large portion of the building.
At last Pete fires Mickey. But instead he goes into business with Minnie selling box lunches.
and this cartoon. The students said that Building a Building was better. Michael Barrier disagreed about their decision, but he said that the students did have a point.
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. A remake of the 1928 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is an anthropomorphic rabbit and animated cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney for films distributed by Universal Pictures in the 1920s and 1930s...
film Sky Scrappers, the cartoon depicts Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
working at a construction site under the supervision of Peg-Leg Pete while Minnie Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an animated character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. The comic strip story "The Gleam" by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse. Minnie has since been a recurring alias for her. Minnie is currently voiced by actress Russi...
is selling box lunches to the workers. It was directed by David Hand, his first directoral assignment at Disney, and features the voices of Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
as Mickey, Marcellite Garner
Marcellite Garner
Marcellite Wall was an American artist and voice actress. She is most remembered as the first regular voice of Minnie Mouse during her time working at Walt Disney Productions and has been partially credited with defining Minnie's personality.-Early life:Garner was born in Redlands, California in...
as Minnie, and Billy Bletcher
Billy Bletcher
William "Billy" Bletcher was an American actor, comedian, and voice artist, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
as Pete.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 6th Academy Awards
6th Academy Awards
The 6th Academy Awards were held on March 16, 1934 at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Will Rogers and Rogers also presented all of the awards....
, but lost to Disney's own Three Little Pigs
Three Little Pigs (film)
Three Little Pigs is an animated short film released on May 27, 1933 by United Artists, produced by Walt Disney and directed by Burt Gillett. Based on a fairy tale of the same name, Three Little Pigs won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons. In 1994, it was voted #11 of the 50...
.
Plot
Mickey is operating a steam shovelSteam shovel
A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads...
at a construction site. Minnie appears on a cart pulled by Pluto
Pluto (Disney)
Pluto, also called Pluto the Pup, is a cartoon character created in 1930 by Walt Disney Productions. He is a light brown , medium-sized, short-haired dog. Unlike Goofy, Pluto is not anthropomorphic beyond some characteristics such as facial expression...
; she is selling box lunches to the workers for 15¢.
Mickey accidentally throws dirt from the steam shovel onto Peg-Leg Pete, the foreman
Construction foreman
A construction foreman is the worker or tradesman who is in charge of a construction crew. While traditionally this role has been assumed by a senior male worker, the title in the modern sense is gender non-specific in intent...
, making him angry. Mickey hurriedly brings up a load of bricks in a wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
, meanwhile Pete sees Minnie and flirts with her. Mickey, distracted by Minnie, accidentally drops the bricks on Pete, who literally shouts out the words "Blankety blank!
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
"
Finally Mickey himself falls through Pete's blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
. Pete has had enough and starts to strangle Mickey, but just then it is noon and an anthropomorphic steam whistle
Steam whistle
A steam whistle is a device used to produce sound with the aid of live steam, which acts as a vibrating system .- Operation :...
sounds "Lunch!! Lunch!! ..." Mickey settles down to eat a fish sandwich, but it is stolen by Pete. Minnie offers to give him a box lunch for free (with "baloney, and macaroni
Macaroni
Macaroni is a variety of moderately extended, machine-made, dry pasta made with durum wheat. Macaroni noodles do not contain eggs, and are normally cut in short, hollow shapes; however, the term refers not to the shape of the pasta, but to the kind of dough from which the noodle is made...
, and a huckleberry
Huckleberry
Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...
pie"). As Mickey is eating the lunch, Pete abducts Minnie from above with a crane.
Mickey chases after Pete, and finally wrestles with him high up on the building. Minnie grabs a pan of red-hot rivets
Rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
and drops them down Pete's pants. This gives the mice enough time to run away as Pete pours water down his pants.
In the process of chasing Mickey and Minnie, Pete has an anvil fall on his head and fires rivets at them with a handheld pneumatic hammer. This turns on him when the hammer falls into his pants and gets attached to his peg leg. The mice escape down a chute riding a wheelbarrow, while Pete falls into a cement mixer
Cement mixer
A cement mixer is a shot drink. It often consists of:*1 part Bailey's Irish Cream *1 part Lime juice...
and accidentally dismantles a large portion of the building.
At last Pete fires Mickey. But instead he goes into business with Minnie selling box lunches.
Reception
Piotr Borowiec said that this cartoon has better animation, stronger story lines, and better gags than the previous ones. Don Graham taught a class where students studied live-action films and compared Disney cartoons. In the class, the students compared Elmer ElephantElmer Elephant (Disney)
Elmer Elephant is a Silly Symphonies cartoon short produced by The Walt Disney Company, directed by Wilfred Jackson and released on March 28, 1936....
and this cartoon. The students said that Building a Building was better. Michael Barrier disagreed about their decision, but he said that the students did have a point.