The Mad Doctor
“The Mad Doctor” (1933) probably takes the title as the darkest cartoon in the Mickey Mouse series. What makes the film so effective is its total embracement of the horror and suspense genres. Underneath the macabre theme the storyline is ultimately about the lengths an owner will go to save his dog which speaks of their enduring relationship. The film plays very much like a 1930’s horror film before the intrusive Hays Code was imposed on the industry which explains why they were able to get away with the stuff the animators did. The short seldom gets shown on TV these days because of its dark and disturbing subject matter…and the fact that Disney Channel does not air old Disney cartoon anymore, but I digress. The mad doctor himself is not only a maniac but an insane animal abuser. The doctor even wields a dagger at Pluto which causes the poor mutt to fall apart inside. He plays God in his dungeon by experimenting with the animals and saws them apart in order to create the perfect hybrid animal. And that’s not all folks…he also wants those now screwed up creatures to give birth to a hybrid mutant as well. If that sounds like what you would expect from a sick modern day horror film than from a Disney film then you are right. The big difference however is that this short is actually great in its terror whereas today’s chiller films do it simply for the sake of showing off mindless gore like torture porn. The mad doctor’s design gleefully reflects his evil through his long beard, thin body, bulgy eyes, and thick mustache. His voice sounds a lot like Peg-leg Pete; only with a bit of a Russian accent detected which all together makes for a more terrifying voice. The disguise that he used to kidnap Pluto seemed similar at first to the famed Phantom Blot from the Disney comics of the day. When I think about it now thought the cloak’s demonic like appearance foreshadows those eerie phantom workers at Pleasure Island in “Pinocchio” (1940). The animation seen throughout the picture is awesome. There is a fantastic sequence where Mickey is walking through the mysterious corridor alone as he eventually falls down the steps. Today that scene would naturally be done on the computer, but in 1933 they did not have that luxury. The animators actually drew that entire scene by hand with absolute precision which is amazing to see in today’s context. Horror films back then were highly influenced by German Expressionism with its emphasis on casting dramatic shadows and lighting to really create an eerie mood for the picture. Two examples of this motif include Mickey being greeted by the larger than life shadows in the dungeon and how the doctor is cutting up Pluto’s body through the dog’s shadow. And I really can’t see this film being done in color. It was made to be in black & white which is perfect for any classic horror film to emphasize fear and terror. Had it been made the other way around then chances are the film would not have been as effective as it is now.
