Motor Mania (1950)

People are voting emotionally.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Leaving a long gap between disc 1 and 2 of the Completely Goofy collection, my interest got re-awakened by the delightful Goofy Gymnastics,which led to me going out on the road.The plot:Resting after work at home, Mr. Walker gives everyone the image of being relaxed and mild-mannered. Getting behind the wheel of a car,Mr. Walker completely changes into being a speed demon.View on the film:Standing out from all the shorts of the era which had Goofy on his own, director Jack Kinney draws a vibrant town of Goofy's, each being given their own quirk to stand out. Taking over from Goofy regular Pinto Colvig, Jim Backus gives his version a gruffness, which fits in perfectly with the hilarious speed demon in the screenplay by Milt Schaffer & Dick Kinney, which reveals the drive angry Goofy.

When I was a kid, my grandmother ran a driving school and it worked out of the same office as my mom and uncle's shared insurance office (in other words a family business right in Manhattan). I would sit around without too much to do, except that there was always this short, Motor Mania, on a VHS tape - students had to watch a video as part of the class to get their licenses (still do fyi in New York state) - and I would watch it many, many times to the point where I could recite it by heart. But it wasn't simply boredom and it being the only cartoon-centric thing available (there was also a Phil Donahue special about drunk driving I watched too, but I digress) - this is genuinely brilliant comedy AND as information.Is it exaggerated? Well, yeah, it's a cartoon! But it doesn't mean that there isn't a sense that someone like "Mr. Wheeler" out there (it's a Jekyll and Hyde scenario where a nice guy, "Mr. Walker", leaves the house and as soon as he's behind the wheel he turns into a hideous, rage-filled MONSTER). It's narration over a lot of mad incidents that happen to "Mr Wheeler" as he goes about on the road getting into accidents, getting impatient and horrible while in traffic, and other nightmare scenarios.What makes it so effective is that its a well-paced and quick movie, except that there is a beat where it shows how the monster Wheeler can be an ass even while being slow on the road (at one point he drives slowly as a giant back-up is behind him honking relentlessly), and that the comedy comes from a very real place, almost too real. If you've been in a family where this kind of thing was normal - having family members who get so mad behind the wheel and anxious even as they have been driving their whole lives and can/should know better - it's relatable. It's not something that is out of place to show at a driving school, even as it has its share of gags, all leading up to Wheeler's (relative) demise In other words, it's a great pre-driving ed for a pre-pubescent, and aside from the personal connection to it it's among the finest work Disney studios did at the time.

Though the 1950s is far from my favorite decade as far as the Disney studios are concerned, there is no denying how awesome the Goofy cartoons were, especially under the direction of Jack Kinney. Motor Mania (1950) is among the best of the bunch. It features Goofy as a mild-mannered fellow who becomes a homicidal, road-raging maniac when put behind the wheel. Not only is it bizarre to see Goofy so malicious, but it's funny too, especially because many of the film's observations about the manners of drivers have not aged or become irrelevant. The pacing is great, gags both surreal and grounded in reality come flying at you with no mercy whatsoever-- a great time!

I first saw this cartoon when it was part of a cartoon compilation episode of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, narrated by Professor Ludwig Von Drake. It stars Goofy who plays a Jekyll and Hyde-type character named Mr. Walker and Mr. Wheeler. When he is walking about any but his car, he is a kind and benevolent man. But, when he takes behind the wheel, he turns into a crazy, wild driver.It is an interesting cartoon short, hilarious to see Goofy act in an ominous and scary demeanor as he crashes into other cars and yells at people in fits of road rage. It's also a lesson to be learned - everybody should drive defensively.The animation is colorful and brilliant and the plot is full of laughs and entertainment. An enjoyable one featuring Goofy.Grade B