12 Days of the Big Three, Day 11: The Whalers

Day 11: The Whalers (1938)
Starring: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy
Setting: The Arctic Ocean
Plot: Mickey, Donald and Goofy man a whaling vessel in freezing waters to middling results.

Yada, Yada, Yada…

This is the second in the unofficial trilogy of nautically themed shorts within the series.

After getting his pants burnt, Goofy actually flashes us a bit of flesh coloured butt crack.

Of course, if anyone was going to get the pointy end of the harpoon, it had to be Donald.

The scene where Goofy inadvertently launches himself along with the harpoon when his foot gets tangled in the rope inspired a nearly identical scenario in the live action/animated Disney classic Pete’s Dragon (1977).  In the latter, the villain, Dr. Terminus, attempts to harpoon Elliott the Dragon and, when he’s sent flying, he even lets loose with the famed “Goofy Holler” in what was surely a tribute to the 1938 cartoon. Parenthetically, Goofy wouldn’t introduce his Holler until 1941’s The Art of Skiing. 

Goofy once again delivers the hammer with the closing line of “Gosh, he must’ve shrunk!”

Just like with Boat Builders, the short ends with the destruction of their vessel.  Only here, the circumstances appear to be much more dire as they’ll be left floating in freezing waters without much hope for help.  #RIP
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A Short About Nothing
Again, Mickey’s role is sparse while Goofy and Donald (but mostly Goofy) do all the heavy lifting.  It really was a showcase for Goofy though as he went toe-to-toe with the whale and, once again, delivers the punchline of the episode.