Mickey Mouse Short: You, Me and Fifi

Season 5, Episode 10: “You, Me and Fifi” 3/23/19
Starring: Mickey Mouse and Fifi
Costarring: Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto
Cameos by: Nana, Copper, Tramp, Pongo, Sultan, Peg, and Tito
Setting: Minnie’s urban apartment building (in New York City?)
Plot: Mickey attempts to curry favour with Minnie’s pet Peke, Fifi, with varying results.

Short Stuff

Fifi (full name “Flapper”) made her debut in the Mickey Mouse (1932) comic strip.

Fifi’s breed is a Pekingese and mainly played the role of Minnie’s pet and Pluto’s love interest during her eight-episode-run in classic shorts from 1933 through 1947.  In fact, this is her first cartoon appearance since.

Disney gives us its version of the famous Dogs Playing Poker scene with some of their most prominent dogs from cartoons and movies: Nana (Peter Pan), Copper (Fox and the Hound), Tramp (Lady and the Tramp), Pluto, Pongo (One-Hundred-and-One Dalmatians), Sultan (Beauty and the Beast), Goofy, Peg (Lady and the Tramp), and Tito (Oliver and Company).

While not an exact representation, Minnie’s apartment building is evocative of The Dakota, a famed and historic New York City apartment complex.  Most notably, John Lennon was a tenant and was murdered just outside its entrance. 

Audible action plays over the credits with Minnie as the new object of Fifi’s ire

Final Grade: B+
I’m a huge fan of anytime the series dips into the deep bench of erstwhile and seldom used characters from Disney shorts long ago.  And, Fifi definitely fits that bill.  Other than that, it’s a pretty pat and simplistic plot but Fifi along with the fantastic Disney Dogs Playing Poker scene make up for whatever shortcomings it has.