Day 4: Baked in a Pie…
When both of our children were younger, they loved Mickey Mouse, specifically Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So, when Darling and I watched the 2017 “The Scariest Story Ever: a Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular”, we were unprepared.
October 4, 2022
Dear Disney,
When both of our children were younger, they loved Mickey Mouse, specifically Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So, when Darling and I watched the 2017 “The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular”, we were unprepared.
“The Scariest Story Ever” is a Halloween special of the most recent Mickey Mouse series. The most recent rendition of Mickey Mouse is both nostalgic and modern. The art style is modern, akin to more mature-themed cartoons like Ren and Stimpy, and that is not a bad thing. The opening title card was reminiscent of the older Disney shorts. We loved each of those small touches.
The story is that after trick-or-treating, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy bring Donald’s Nephews, Huey, Duey, and Luey, and Mickey’s nephew’s, Mordy and Ferdy, back to Mickey’s house so that Mickey can tell the “scariest story ever”. Mickey attempts to tell two stories and fails to tell the scariest story. Finally, after seeing how candy-filled and spoiled the kids are, Mickey, fueled with anger, tells a story in which 5 children get trapped by a witch and get baked into pies. This story scares, not only the kids, but Goofy and Donald as well. Everyone, but Mickey, hid under blankets. Then, Mickey hears his doorbell, opens the door, only to be greeted by a witch with a pie. This scares Mickey and he hides with everyone else. The show cuts back to the witch on the doorstep who happens to be Minnie and Daisy.
As I stated earlier, we had never seen this special before. We had never seen any of the new Mickey Mouse shorts before. I was both astonished and amazed at how risqué the cartoon was. There were moments of body horror that made Darling and I shudder with disgust and horror. This short did exactly what it needed to do for a Halloween special.
Some of the things I noticed were also charming and allowed the part of my brain that likes to say “I know where that is from” to come right out in the open. Since we watched “Trick or Treat” yesterday, it was great to see Huey, Duey, and Luey’s costumes being the same in this Halloween special as they were in 1952. In one of the scenes where we were able to see Mickey’s living room there was a bust that can also be found in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride.
We really liked this special. It is enjoyable to watch Disney shorts and features that we have not watched in a long time or have never watched. This experience, these 31 days of Halloween, makes me feel good and excited for the future.
Sincerely,
Jim Dear and Darling
Day 1: Them Bones
When I was four, my mother would take me to the local Carnegie Library to pick out a book that she would read to me and to participate in the children’s programs.
October 1, 2022
Dear Disney,
When I was four, my mother would take me to the local Carnegie Library to pick out a book that she would read to me and to participate in the children’s programs. The library would set up a projector and play three cartoon shorts for anyone, but specifically children, to watch.
The first time I watched “The Skeleton Dance” was in one of those children’s programs. It was early October, the live oak trees that flanked the path towards the library had already dropped most of their leaves. An early fall rainstorm had come the night before and I remember my mom telling me not to get wet as I jumped into the puddles on the way into the library.
Through the eyes of my four-year-old self, I remember the steps being grand and many. I walked up those steps and into the library. My mom walked me the rest of the way into the library's small auditorium, guided me to my seat, and told me that she would be back soon. I remember that I watched three shorts that day, just like I watched every week, but the only short that I remember was “The Skeleton Dance.”
I remember that the songs and visuals both captivated me and frightened me. Four-year-old me was not very brave. I remember when the skeleton came forward as if to lunge or bite the audience, I shrieked.
It had been years since I watched “The Skeleton Dance.” I pulled up the Disney+ app to watch it for our reviews of Halloween movies and was frustrated that it was not on the app. Thankfully, the Walt Disney Animated Studies YouTube page had the short in its entirety for everyone to enjoy. I watched it as an adult, trying to see it through the lens of a four-year-old and as an adult.
The 1929 short film “The Skeleton Dance” was Silly Symphonies first of 75 shorts. The films originally focused on whimsical animations combined with pieces of classical music. “The Skeleton Dance” brought the music of Edvard Grieg’s “March of the Trolls” together in a delightfully macabre piece of art.
Ub Iwerks was a genius. The animations are smooth and spooky. The “March of the Trolls” is perfect as well. The timing is wonderful between the animations and the music.
When the short was originally released the populace found it too macabre for general audiences. For four-year-old Jim, the short awakened something in my imagination that has never been fully realized. For modern audiences, the piece is quaint and delightful and, still, a bit spooky. The short brings me back to memories of the Halloween season. “The Skeleton Dance” is a great start to any harvest and Halloween festivities.
Sincerely yours,
Jim Dear