Release Date:

December 31, 1938

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A group of boy mice hang around and have fun in a closed laboratory at night. Meanwhile, a white female mouse named Susie is imprisoned in a cage to be used for an experiment. She sends a distress note via paper airplane where one mouse, Johnny, catches it and frees her. After they escape, she reveals she loves him. He reciprocates her feelings and they get married.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “Three Blind Mice” played over the opening credits. Additionally, the original title card exists, albeit in poor quality. The credits were:

Supervision: Fred Avery

Story: Jack Miller

Animation: Sid Sutherland

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

This is the last cartoon to use the late 1938 Merrie Melodies opening theme.

This was one of the few Warner cartoons to be released on New Year’s Eve.

In one scene, there is an eye test chart that reads, “FHA, WPA, CCC”. This is a reference to then president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Federal Housing Program, Works Progress Administration, and Civilian Conservation Corps.

This was the last Warner cartoon to have animation by Irven Spence. He would then move on to MGM where he would eventually become one of the main animators on the Tom and Jerry cartoons.

What I Like About This One:

The unseen owner of the lab’s name being “Dr. I.M. Nutts”.

When the mice quietly sneak out of the hole, Johnny’s shadow hits a metal bar. He then shushes his shadow! (animated by Irven Spence).

The mice yelling “Hey! Anybody here?” (animated by Spence) before running back to the wall and gnawing out the words, “Gone with the Wind”.

The mice looking at a bacteria slide under a microscope, where they see red and white corpuscles against each other in a football game, chicken pox germs being germs that act like chickens, and whooping cough germs resembling purple worms that have coughing fits.

When Johnny listens to another mouse’s heartbeat, the other mouse is fed a heart pill that makes his heart beat like a crazy drum rhythm (animated by Spence).

Johnny drinking “neon fluid” and walking away, while lighting up like a neon sign (animated by Spence).

A mouse becoming cross-eyed when he puts on large glasses to read an eye test chart and sees the words “$30 Every Thursday”.

In what is easily the cartoon’s funniest scene, three mischievous mice sneak up behind Johnny and attempt to prick him in the behind with a syringe. Just as they’re about to do so, a silhouette of an audience member pops up and yells, “DON’T DO THAT!” Annoyed, the mice walk away and pout, “Awww, we never have fun!” (animated by Spence).

When Johnny reads Susie’s distress note, he says “Gee, she must be in trouble!” A PS then appears, “You said it, big boy!”

During the climax of the cartoon with Johnny and Susie’s wedding, a mouse trio sings “Here Comes the Bride” before switching to “Don’t Spare the Rice”. In addition, their singing is quite catchy.

Throughout the cartoon, a hungry cat has been sneaking up on them. When he finally reaches them, Susie comments that now she and Johnny are married, “maybe there’ll be lots and lots and lots of little fat mice!” Hearing this, the cat decides to wait.

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕