Director: Wilfred Jackson
Release Date: September 17, 1932
Stars: Clarabelle Cow, Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse
Rating: ★★½
Review:
After three years of musical cartoons, consistent story lines where reintroduced to the Mickey cartoons with a remarkable success in 1932 (good examples are ‘Barnyard Olympics‘ and ‘Touchdown Mickey’). In this era the musical cartoon ‘The Whoopee Party’ with its total lack of story seems to be quite old-fashioned.
The short contains numerous elements that were used many times earlier: a public dancing, Minnie singing behind the piano and alive inanimate objects (although the latter feature was more common practice in the Fleischer and Iwerks cartoons of that time). Nevertheless, the sheer fun with which everything is executed, makes this cartoon a delight to watch.
‘The Whoopee Party’ marks Goofy’s second appearance after his debut in ‘Mickey’s Revue’ earlier that year. In ‘The Whoopee Party’ Goofy (or Dippy Dawg, as he was still known at that time) gets the looks he would maintain until Art Babbitt redesigned him for ‘On Ice’ (1935). He’s more than just a silly laugh now, but he’s still more weird than likeable. Goofy’s character would remain rather vague until 1935. Only with ‘Mickey’s Service Station’, he would become the likeable Goof we know today.
‘The Whoopee Party’ contains some nice effect animation of confetti and flying feathers. It also reuses some animation of Clarabelle Cow dancing and mooing from ‘The Shindig‘ (1930).
Watch ‘The Whoopee Party’ yourself and tell me what you think:
This is Mickey Mouse cartoon No. 46
To the previous Mickey Mouse cartoon: Trader Mickey
To the next Mickey Mouse cartoon: Touchdown Mickey
