The Mad Doctor (1933)

Memorable, crazy movie

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

"The Mad Doctor" is a 7-minute Disney cartoon from 1933, so this one will have its 85th anniversary next year already and if you read this review past 2018, then it already did and to put it all into perspective this is from the year that Hitler came into power in Nazi Germany. That's how old it is. And while Disney made some propaganda films too, the mad doctor reference here is not yet connected to the Führer. The film is in black-and-white and it is one of the earlier Mickey cartoons and even earlier for Pluto, but not one of the very earliest for this famous duo. Pluto gets abducted by an evil doctor who has plans to create a creature half-dog half chicken. And Mickey is of course out to save his dog quickly, but not only does he have to deal with the mad doctor, there's also tricky doors, clingy skeletons and a lot more getting in the way of his mission. Is it really doable in 7 minutes? Watch for yourself. Or don't as early Mickey was not that great to be honest, at least not before the color cartoon era. Dream sequences also weren't really that new anymore, even in the 1930s. Here the action and comedy feel rather random and confusing. Sure it is a cartoon and a mix of creepy fantasy and horror, but realism is completely MIA here. I wasn't too entertained by this one. Yes I do like Mickey, but it's not his fault this one was underwhelming. Thumbs down. Don't watch.

After an evil scientist dognaps Mickey's pet and friend Pluto, the courageous mouse embarks on a rescue mission into a haunted castle where it turns out that the wacko scientist who conducts his fiendish experiments within literally has quite a few skeletons in his closet, and they ain't exactly dead! For 1933 the animation of this short is terrifically fluid and superbly fun to watch and is so suspenseful, with lots of dynamic fixed angles and deep shadows, it's very classically spooky and Gothic, much like in Mickey's The Haunted House and The Skeleton Dance, and to me this short is just as awesomely atmospheric and well done as those two. There's some excellent 'set' pieces in it, like the huge creepy castle that's built on a giant skull-shaped rock with the little drawbridge and lightning thundering above as the ocean waves crash below.. I so love that! It's such grand and dramatic macabre imagery, to my tastes very beautiful and timeless. The tone of this short distinctly feels a lot more early Fleischer than Disney, it almost feels like it should be sweet Betty getting terrorised by those mischievous skeletons! There are some great weird spooky sight gags to enjoy like when the door locks itself and the door within a door within a door, and the sequence where Mickey's making his way through the stone corridor is incredibly well detailed and impressively done, having an almost 3-Dimensional effect to it. And I love all the inventive gags they did with the skeletons - like a skeleton staircase of coffins, a skeleton cuckoo clock, a bizarre skeleton spider- everything! And they were some well detailed and proportioned skeletons! This is a cartoon short that feels especially well-polished, it has tons of rich details poured into its animation, not least the mad doctor's lab which is a homage to 1931's Frankenstein. Something else that I couldn't help noticing was that when the doc was wearing his black cloak disguise he looked very much like the figures that close the massive gates of cursed Pleasure Island in Pinocchio. I did feel a bit let down by the old "it was all a dream" surprise twist at the end.. But hey perhaps it wasn't so done and dusted back in 33! It was made so long ago but it's still so much scary great fun to watch, the truly classic stuff never grows old x

This has to be one of the best Mickey-Pluto cartoons. It is quite dark for a Disney Silly Symphony, with some parts scaring me as a kid(such as Pluto's heart being at his throat). As a young adult I still enjoy it while admiring its technical values. The story is simple, but still manages to be engaging with a lot of suspense. The animation is just fantastic, the black/dark and white/light shades are some of the best I've seen, helping at times to give some depth to Mickey's design as he enters the Mad Doctor's castle. I also loved the animation for the catacombs, recalling Egyptian Melodies, and the skeletons that Mickey has a constant battle with, imaginatively animated and very expressive even for skeletons. Mickey has more depth animation-wise than he has ever had before and is as likable as ever, Pluto is cute and energetic and the Mad Scientist immediately makes an impact by how frightening he is. The gags are clever, the creatures are suitably creepy and the cartoon goes at a terrific pace. Overall, while some MAY find themselves cheated by the "it's all a dream" ending, this cartoon is an absolute must see for Disney and animation fans. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Mickey is in bed when he hears some noise outside--a mad scientist has stolen Pluto! And, when you see this nut back in his lair, you see that he's abducted other animals on which to experiment! Obviously this is NOT your typical Mickey Mouse cartoon!! So, Mickey springs into action and runs to the castle--where he encounters skeletons and other ghastly creatures. However, by the end of the cartoon, all is right and poor 'ol Pluto is just fine! The print for this one is very poor--and in need of restoration. Perhaps the Disney folks haven't done this because it's such a dark and potentially disturbing cartoon. As for me, the more disturbing the better! After all, by the 1940s and 50s, Mickey was a wimp and I liked the darker and more morally ambiguous Mickey cartoons as they had a sharp edge--and none sharper than "The Mad Doctor"!