Moving Day (film)
Encyclopedia
Moving Day is a 1936
American animated
short film produced in Technicolor
by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists
. The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression
, follows the antics of Mickey Mouse
, Donald Duck
, and Goofy
as they franticly pack their belongings after being dispossessed
from their home. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen
and includes the voices of Walt Disney
as Mickey, Clarence Nash
as Donald, Pinto Colvig
as Goofy, and Billy Bletcher
as Pete.
arrives, played by Pete, and serves them a "Notice to Dispossess" authorizing him not only to evict them, but to sell off their belongings as collateral
. He menacingly strikes a match on Donald's bill to light his cigar and leaves.
While Pete is outside putting up signs for cheap furniture, Donald and Mickey decide to move before Pete can take everything away from them. Soon Goofy, employed as an iceman
, arrives with a delivery and Mickey and Donald enlist his help.
While Mickey struggles with an overloaded suitcase, Goofy tries to load an upright piano onto his ice truck, but he can't manage to keep the piano in the truck without it rolling out. Goofy eventually discovers the piano to have a mind of its own. Meanwhile Donald, in his haste to pack everything he can find, grabs a gas heater
which was attached to a gas line in the wall. Seeing the leaking gas, he casually plugs it with a toilet plunger
, but the pressure in the line shoots the plunger out and it sticks to Donald's bottom. He struggles to remove the plunger, but soon finds himself grappling with a fishbowl instead.
Just as Donald is able to free himself, he gets his bill stuck in the leaking gas line. His body fills with gas like a balloon until he finally shoots off the pipe and flies around the room. Outside Pete hears the commotion, comes inside, and orders them off the property. Unaware of the gas leak, he again strikes a match on Donald's bill to light another cigar. The catastrophic explosion which follows destroys the house, yet miraculously seems to throw most of Mickey and Donald's possessions into the back of Goofy's truck. As they are driving away, Pete calls after them from a second story bathtub. He accidentally turns on the shower head drenching himself. As Donald laughs at Pete's misfortune, the same toilet plunger from before lands on his bottom.
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
American animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
short film produced in Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists
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....
. The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, follows the antics of 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...
, Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
, and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
as they franticly pack their belongings after being dispossessed
Eviction
How you doing???? Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, eviction may also be known as unlawful detainer, summary possession, summary dispossess, forcible detainer, ejectment, and repossession, among other terms...
from their home. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen
Ben Sharpsteen
Ben Sharpsteen was an American film director and producer for Disney. He directed 31 films between 1920 and 1980....
and includes 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, Clarence Nash
Clarence Nash
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for the Walt Disney Studios...
as Donald, Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig was an American vaudeville actor, radio actor, newspaper cartoonist, prolific movie voice actor, and circus performer whose schtick was playing clarinet off-key while mugging....
as Goofy, and Billy Bletcher
Billy Bletcher
William "Billy" Bletcher was an American actor, comedian, and voice artist, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
as Pete.
Synopsis
Mickey and Donald are six months behind on their rent payments. As they worriedly pace the floor, a sheriffSheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
arrives, played by Pete, and serves them a "Notice to Dispossess" authorizing him not only to evict them, but to sell off their belongings as collateral
Collateral (finance)
In lending agreements, collateral is a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan.The collateral serves as protection for a lender against a borrower's default - that is, any borrower failing to pay the principal and interest under the terms of a loan obligation...
. He menacingly strikes a match on Donald's bill to light his cigar and leaves.
While Pete is outside putting up signs for cheap furniture, Donald and Mickey decide to move before Pete can take everything away from them. Soon Goofy, employed as an iceman
Iceman (occupation)
An iceman is someone who sells or delivers ice from a wagon, cart, or motor-truck.The profession was formerly much more common. From the late 19th century to mid 20th century, in cities and towns icemen would commonly make daily rounds delivering ice for iceboxes before the electric domestic...
, arrives with a delivery and Mickey and Donald enlist his help.
While Mickey struggles with an overloaded suitcase, Goofy tries to load an upright piano onto his ice truck, but he can't manage to keep the piano in the truck without it rolling out. Goofy eventually discovers the piano to have a mind of its own. Meanwhile Donald, in his haste to pack everything he can find, grabs a gas heater
Gas heater
A gas heater is a device used to heat a room or outdoor area by burning natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas. Indoor household gas heaters can be broadly categorized in one of two ways: flued or non-flued, or vented and unvented...
which was attached to a gas line in the wall. Seeing the leaking gas, he casually plugs it with a toilet plunger
Plunger
A plunger is a common device that is used to release stoppages in plumbing. The tool consists of a rubber cup with an attached stick "shaft", usually made of wood or bronze. Before use, any objects such as hair in the plug grate should be removed and, if possible the overflow hole should be...
, but the pressure in the line shoots the plunger out and it sticks to Donald's bottom. He struggles to remove the plunger, but soon finds himself grappling with a fishbowl instead.
Just as Donald is able to free himself, he gets his bill stuck in the leaking gas line. His body fills with gas like a balloon until he finally shoots off the pipe and flies around the room. Outside Pete hears the commotion, comes inside, and orders them off the property. Unaware of the gas leak, he again strikes a match on Donald's bill to light another cigar. The catastrophic explosion which follows destroys the house, yet miraculously seems to throw most of Mickey and Donald's possessions into the back of Goofy's truck. As they are driving away, Pete calls after them from a second story bathtub. He accidentally turns on the shower head drenching himself. As Donald laughs at Pete's misfortune, the same toilet plunger from before lands on his bottom.
Releases
- 1936 – original theatrical release
- 1955 – "The Goofy Success Story (TV)
- c. 1960 – "Walt Disney Character Films" (8mm)
- 1986 – "Mickey Knows Best" (VHS)
- c. 1992 – Donald's Quack AttackDonald's Quack AttackDonald's Quack Attack was a television series on the Disney Channel which featured Disney animated short films, especially those with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy...
, episode 16 (TV) - 1997 – Ink & Paint Club, episode 26 "Classic Donald" (TV)
- 2000 – A Goofy MovieA Goofy MovieA Goofy Movie is a 1995 American animated musical comedy film, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Animation France S.A. and Walt Disney Animation Australia , and released in theaters on April 7, 1995 by Walt Disney Pictures...
, bonus feature (DVD) - 2004 – "Mickey Mouse in Living Color" (DVD)
- 2005 – "Classic Cartoon Favorites: Starring Mickey" (DVD)
External links
- Moving Day at The Encyclopedia of Animated Disney Shorts