The Whalers (1938)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

MADE AT WHAT was possibly the zenith of the Disney "Team-Up" cartoon shorts. The sub-genre is exemplified with such titles as THE CLOCK CLEANERS, ALPINE CLIMBERS, LONESOME GHOSTS and HAWAIIAN HOLIDAY. Although these short subjects featured ample on-screen time by all of the trio (and sometimes Minnie, herself), they were officially MICKEY MOUSE Cartoons and belonged to that series.AS WAS THE case with others like it, THE WHALERS zeroed in on a particular occupation, activity or other area of human endeavor and went from there. Usually the early sequences of the cartoon would feature Mickey, Donald or Goofy isolated in solo activity against any one of a topically specific adversary. After each character does his time in she spotlight, the action switches to their joint efforts and how they ultimately wrap it all up.KNOWING THAT THE sensitivities of our people were far different in the pre-war year of 1938 than today in the 21st Century. Therefore, the subject of Whaling as a livelihood or even an Industry would generate little or no opposition as to its being a fit topic for "family viewing." The notions of Animal Rights, potentially Endangered Species and ecological co-dependence were a long way off.IN THE PARTICULAR case of this short the trio is challenged by their equipment, some frisky sea-birds, the weather and ultimately a semi-anthropomorphic Sperm Whale. And this is indeed the only whale to make an on-screen appearance.OTHER THAN THESE truly minor criticisms, we must say that THE WHALERS is enjoyable and quite lively. The color work is rich and a fine example of how the animation art had advanced in the past decade. Likewise, the musical scored had made similar strides in keeping up with the visual aspects.ALTHOUGH WE MUST put this to the rear of the class of the team-ups, it isn't so far back as to render it unfit. After all, Schultz, whenever there is any sort of classification or grouping, there will be some who are fetter than the others and some who aren't quite as funny, action-filed or "classy" even! ONE INTERESTING FACT that we must make note of concerns the cast of Voice Actors. While Clarence Nash did his best Donald Duck and Pinto Colvig did likewise for Goofy, Mickey's lot in this film was to remain silent throughout. It must have been that the Mouse had a special guy to create his dialog, a highly exclusive man indeed. And his name was........drum roll.............WALT Disney!WE CAN ONLY surmised that Uncle Walt was unavailable, due to some important business to take care of (Schultz says maybe Mr. Disney was playing hookie that day!)

"The Whalers" is an 8-minute color cartoon from over 75 years ago. This one was released a year before the beginning of World War II. The directors are David Hand and Dick Huemer and this duo worked on some of Disney's most known films from back in the day such as "Dumbo", "Alice in Wonderland", "Fantasia", "Bambi" and "Snow White". So I was a bit disappointed by this short film here, especially also as Colvig, Nash and Disney reunited for the voice acting. But the story simply wasn't too interesting and the jokes and slapstick weren't that great here either. The only thing slightly memorable was the Jonah reference about Goofy here. The rest is fairly forgettable and there are many other superior Disney short films from that era, also some of them including the same trio just like this one. Check out another is my suggestion. Oh and a final word about whaling. This is obviously a very cruel and unacceptable activity, but people did not perceive it this way in the 1930s I guess. Well, it's fine anyway as our three heroes here are far too incompetent to ever succeed in that profession.

I am somewhat confused that this one is classified as one of the "Mickey Cartoons". Sure, Mickey Mouse is in it, but he doesn't really do anything here and he barely speaks something here. Plus, the story focus more on Goofy, Donald Duck and a whale than Mickey Mouse.It's a generally enjoyable cartoon. The only thing I have to criticize is that they want to hunt the whale. But that doesn't happen. Fortunately, it turns out to be a comical story, especially the bits inside the gigantic whale and the bit when the whale destroys the boat.I love that whale. The whale is the main interest in this story. Without the whale, this would have been probably nothing special.Although quite old-fashioned, for something that is from the year 1938, it doesn't look as dated as it could be (except for some minor clues, such as the older appearance of Goofy and Mickey Mouse).

A Walt Disney MICKEY MOUSE Cartoon.Mickey, Donald & Goofy go looking for the elusive leviathan.THE WHALERS is an excellent little film, with lots of laughs and topnotch animation propelling its plot. Outside of a hilarious sequence attempting to empty a bucketful of bilge, Mickey has very little to do. The Goof & the Duck dominate the proceedings - delightfully. Donald's frustrations with hungry seabirds and Goofy's ineptitude with the harpoon cannon are just two of their misadventures. Clarence Nash supplies Donald's unique voice.Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.