Mickey Mouse Short: Stayin' Cool

Season 1, Episode 6: “Stayin’ Cool” 7/19/13
Starring: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy
A Cameo by: Horace Horsecollar(?)
Setting: Generic urban setting

Plot:
On the hottest day of the year, Mickey, Donald and Goofy are relaxing in the pool at a large mansion sitting atop a hill.  However, this is not their mansion and the owner releases his pack of dogs on the gang and chases them off the premises.  

Now, out in the heat, Mickey is tasked with keeping his promise to the gang of keeping them cool. They try various methods such as a carwash, a propeller from a plane and hanging out in a meat locker but none garners much success.  But, it’s when an angry butcher chases them out of his meat shop that the trio finds cool refuge in the back of a parked ice cream truck.  

All is great until the gang’s celebrating jars the parking break loose and sends the ice cream truck careening downhill and out of control.  After going airborne the truck lands safely on a fire hydrant.  This lucky bounce causes the hydrant to burst, filling the truck with water, until the water shoots Mickey, Donald, Goofy and all the trucks contents out the roof.  The combination of the water, the frozen treats and the pressure from the hydrant creates a frosty fountain that puts the city in an ice cream and Popsicle filled winter wonderland.    

Sort Stuff:
Six episodes is waaaay too long to wait for the classic, comedic triumvirate of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.

This also marks the first time we’ve seen Donald since the premiere as well as finally getting a Goofy as “Goofy” performance.

As far as cameos go, it’s a pretty uneventful one from friend-of-the-shorts, Horace Horsecollar, as we seem him sticking his head out the window trying to cool off (if it even is him).

In the same vein as the whole “Why does Donald wrap a towel around his waist after a shower?” question: why does Donald wear swim trunks when he swims?

The owner of the mansion looks to be an overweight, shaved poodle.  And, judging by the gold jewelry and gold records on his wall, he also cuts the figure of a successful Hip Hop artist. Keeping in with the theme of the series, he also has bosomy bosoms and prominent nipples.

Periodically during the short you can hear musical riffs from “Steamboat Bill” – the theme from Steamboat Willie (1928).

I lol’d when Donald is about to get chopped in two and asks the butcher “How about this heat, huh?”

I also laughed when Mickey self-services himself with the soft-served ice cream and lets out a “Ohhh, Mamma!”

Speaking of “self-service”… that whole scene in the ice cream truck where the gang is deriving pleasure from the various frozen treats has a rather “adultish” soundtrack. 

When the ice cream truck goes airborne we get to hear Goofy’s famous holler!

The number/placement of buttons on Mickey, Donald and Goofy’s snowmen match that of their own outfits.

The way winter freezes over summer reminds me of how spring thaws out winter in “Yodelberg.”

The short ends perfectly with the curmudgeonly Donald’s saying “Hey, I’m freezing!”

Final Grade: B+
After too much Mickey and Minnie and not enough Donald and Goofy, the reunion of the “Big Three” is just what the doctor ordered.  This also proves that the chronology/spacing of the shorts (rightly or wrongly) is affecting my grading methods.  Sure, we got a generic, boring setting and nary a Disneyland/classic Disney reference (of which I get entirely too excited about) but I almost feel the short played better this way.  The chemistry and comedic genius of this trio is just so important to the Disney brand that all the gimmicky bells and whistles could’ve cramped their style and served as an unnecessary distraction – especially in their introductory episode.