December 4th, 2020 
Michael Lyons 
When fans of Mickey Mouse look for the perfect, classic way to celebrate Christmas with the iconic star, they usually turn to the 1952 short, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, or the “From All of Us to All of You” episode of the Disneyland TV Show, or even 1983’s featurette, Mickey’s Christmas Carol. However early in his career, Mickey starred in a Christmas-themed cartoon short that, like a holiday decoration hidden in the back of a storage box, has become somewhat forgotten through the years and deserves to be re-discovered.
Mickey’s Good Deed, produced in 1932, is a wonderfully animated, black and white short that’s not just a perfect example of Mickey’s early days, it’s also brimming with seasonal cheer and a thoughtful message.
As the short opens. Mickey has fallen upon some tough times, as he is on a snowy street corner, playing “O Come All Ye Faithful” on his bow fiddle, while his trusty pal Pluto howls along to the song. Passersby drop coins into a cup and soon the two have what they think is enough for food.
When they arrive outside a restaurant, Mickey discovers that the cup is filled with nothing but nuts and bolts and they have to start all over.
Mickey and Pluto then stand outside a beautiful house and begin playing again. Inside the house, a father and son (both pigs, literally) are attempting to celebrate Christmas in front of their tree. The father keeps showering gifts on his son, but unfortunately the child is incredibly spoiled and keeps whining and crying as he throws the toys aside.
They hear Mickey and Pluto outside and the young piglet runs to the window. As he sees Pluto, he suddenly starts screaming, “I want doggie!” The father, looking to placate him, turns to their patient butler (ironically, an anthropomorphic dog) and orders him to buy the dog.
The butler comes out with a handful of cash, but can’t convince Mickey to part with Pluto. The two soon run away and as they do, Mickey drops his bow fiddle, which is then run over and destroyed by a horse drawn sleigh, as all of the occupants gleefully declare, “Merry Christmas!”
Mickey and Pluto then walk by a dilapidated house and as they peek in the window, they see what looks like a bed full of orphaned kittens, sleeping happily as they all have “visions of St. Nicholas” in their collective minds. It’s obvious that they don’t have any money (a skeletal gold fish swims around a fish bowl) and Mickey’s kind heart soon takes over.
He brings Pluto back to the “rich pig’s” house and begrudgingly agrees to sell Pluto, so that he can use the money to help the poor little orphans. Mickey buys a sack full of toys (including, unfortunately, one that is very politically incorrect by today’s standards and a jack-in-the box that bears a resemblance to Jimmy Durante, a popular comedian of the time).
Mickey disguises himself as Santa, sneaks into the orphans’ house and delivers the toys, making it a very happy Christmas morning there.
Meanwhile, back at the “rich pig’s” house, it’s utter chaos, as the spoiled brat tortures Pluto to the point that house is trashed as the poor dog attempts to get away. The father orders the butler to get Pluto out of the house and as the dog runs out, the turkey dinner becomes entangled in his tail and he takes it with him.
Appropriately, the father then puts his son across his knee and he is given a well-deserved spanking.
After this, we see Mickey sitting alone in the snow, roasting a hot dog by a lonely fire. To add to the sadness of this, he has created a snowman version of Pluto to keep him company.
Fear not, there is soon a happy ending, as Pluto burrows under the snow, emerging in place of the “snow Pluto,” with a turkey in tow, which they both enjoy as Mickey declares, “Merry Christmas, Pluto!”
Mickey’s Good Deed has surfaced and re-surfaced through the years. It was included as a segment of “From All of Us to All of You” one year and was even re-issued to theaters in 1974, with a special “extended preamble” filled with big, splashy letters that was shown before the short, that declared:
“Your Attention Please! The Management of This Theatre is Proud to Present…The Original! Uncut! All Talking! All Singing! Sound Cartoon! From the Flirty Thirties! A Rare Vintage Film featuring Yesterday’s Hero…Today’s Superstar…The One and Only…Mickey Mouse! In Glorious Black and White!”
This intro, (which can be found on You Tube) then led into the start of Mickey’s Good Deed. And, although the short is in “glorious black and white,” it was eventually colorized. But if you’ve never seen it, make sure it’s the original, black and white version. The short has been part of several home video compilations, including Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two.
For several home movie releases, the short was also retitled Mickey’s Lucky Break and Mickey Plays Santa in certain versions.
Originally released just prior to Christmas on December 17th, 1932, Mickey’s Good Deed was directed by Burt Gillett, who helmed many of the Studio’s memorable short subjects, such as Lonesome Ghosts (1937) and Three Little Pigs (1933).
In addition to humor, Gillett brings a sense of warmth and heart to the short subject, which is particularly seen in the sequence in which a heartbroken Mickey makes the difficult decision to sell Pluto. As Mickey can barely request of the butler that Pluto has a good home, money is given, Pluto is pulled inside and the door is slammed in Mickey’s face. We then see and feel Mickey’s sadness as he makes his way from the house without his pal.
The voice of Mickey is provided by Walt Disney himself here, a role he performed until 1947. And, as the voice of Pluto in the short is Pinto Colvig, most famous for being the original voice of Goofy.
It’s interesting to watch Mickey’s Good Deed today, as it was released during The Great Depression and, in many ways, seems to be commenting on what was happening to so many at the time. In addition to this, the short subject speaks to selflessness and giving that are the heart of what the Christmas Season is all about.
This makes Mickey’s Good Deed a perfect Mickey Mouse gift from “days gone by” to help celebrate the Season today.
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