The Gallopin' Gaucho
The Gallopin' Gaucho | |
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Cinephone (recorded) | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 6 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Gallopin' Gaucho is a 1928 American animated short film and the second short film featuring Mickey Mouse to be produced, following Plane Crazy and preceding Steamboat Willie. The Disney studios completed the silent version in August 1928, but did not release it in order to work on Steamboat Willie.[1] The Gallopin' Gaucho was released, with sound, after Steamboat Willie on December 30 of the same year.[2]
Both Mickey and Minnie Mouse had already made their initial debuts with the test screening of Plane Crazy on May 15, 1928, but that film had failed to catch the attention of distributors when first produced as a silent film. The Gallopin' Gaucho was a second attempt at success by co-directors Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The latter also served as the sole animator for it.
Roy O. Disney wrote down the total budget of the short in his ledger book, which ended up costing $4,249.73, which was about $720 more than the costs of Plane Crazy's $3,528.50 budget.[3]
The short was intended as a parody of Douglas Fairbanks's The Gaucho, a film first released on November 21, 1927. Following the original film, the events of the short take place in the Pampas of Argentina with Mickey cast as the gaucho of the title.
The short entered the US public domain on January 1, 2024.[a]
Plot
Mickey is introduced riding on a rhea. He soon reaches local bar and restaurant Cantino Argentino (sic). He enters the establishment with the apparent intent to relax with some drinking and smoking. On the wall, a wanted sign for Mickey saying El gaucho, meaning Mickey Mouse is a bandit or a crook.
Already present are resident barmaid and dancer Minnie Mouse and a fellow customer. The latter is Black Pete, who is introduced as a wanted outlaw.
Minnie performs the
Characters
In later interviews, Iwerks would comment that Mickey as featured in The Gallopin' Gaucho was intended to be a swashbuckler, an adventurer modelled after Fairbanks himself.[citation needed]
Pete had already been established as an antagonist in both the Alice Comedies and the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series, but this short marks his first encounter with either Mickey or Minnie. The latter pair also appears unfamiliar to each other. The short apparently depicts their initial encounter.
The feature characters of The Gallopin' Gaucho were obscure. When the cartoon starts, Mickey and Minnie have the same eyes as they have in Plane Crazy, but once Black Pete appears they suddenly have the dot eyes from Steamboat Willie. Mickey was at first thought to be much too similar to Oswald the Rabbit, which may have helped to explain the audience's apparent lack of interest in him. The mostly adult audience had become bored with what came to be called
Reception
The Film Daily (January 6, 1929) said: "This features Mickey Mouse, the demon hero who has his ups and downs trying to rescue his sweetie who has been kidnapped by the villain Cat. In this one he takes a regular Doug Fairbanks part as a hard riding gaucho of the South American pampas. It is good burlesquing all the way, and the cartoon work of Walt Disney is clever in the extreme. It has some neat comedy effects through the addition of sound, which make the film far more enjoyable and laughable than it could possibly be in silent form."[6]
Variety (January 9, 1929) said: "Good six minutes for the big programs because the animated drawings do some giggle getting stuff. This is Walt Disney penmanship, programmed as introducing a new cartoon character, 'Mickey Mouse', with Powers having synchronized via Cinephone. Sound effects won some laughs here on their own, but after it's all over the impression remains that any alert pit drummer can duplicate... Value in this one comes from the antics Disney makes his figures perform during a chase and a duel. Familiar enough as a plot, but some new wrinkles in body gymnastics and the fantastic means to gain numerous ends. Audience liked it and although enhanced by the effects the reel is strong enough to stand in the A houses plus just an organ or orchestra. If the musicians are smart enough to keep pace with it so much the better. An unusual cartoon in being good with or without sound."[7]
Music
The short's music was arranged by
Home media
The short was released on December 2, 2002 on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White.[9]
See also
Notes
- ^ Some reporting has cited the short, or alternatively only the sound version, as entering the public domain on January 1, 2025 due to the copyright date on the title card of the sound version.[4] The sound version of the short was released on December 30, 1928 per The Walt Disney Archives via D23,[5] meaning regardless of the copyright year in the title card, both versions entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.
References
- Disney D23
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Secrets of Steamboat Willie by Jim Korkis
- ^ Jenkins, Jennifer. "Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: a 95-year Love Triangle". web.law.duke.edu. Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ "The Gallopin' Gaucho is Released". D23. December 30, 1928. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Short Subjects". The Film Daily: 11. January 6, 1929. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Talking Shorts". Variety: 10. January 9, 1929. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Mickey Mouse in Black and White DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
External links
- Media related to The Gallopin' Gaucho at Wikimedia Commons
- The full text of The Gallopin' Gaucho at Wikisource
- The Gallopin' Gaucho at IMDb
- The Gallopin' Gaucho at Disney A to Z
- The Gallopin' Gaucho at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts