Das tapfere kleine Schneiderlein

The next short in the Disney Plus 'Shorts' section was "The Brave Tailor", a Mickey Mouse effort from 1938, that is a loose retelling of the Brothers Grimm Fairy tale.

A Kingdom has been terrorised by a giant (Eddie Holden) and requires a brave knight to eliminate him. Mickey Mouse (Walt Disney) kills seven flies in one go in his workshop and opens his window to brag about it, the villagers he speaks to are already talking about killing the giant and when Mickey says he "killed seven with one blow" a misunderstanding sees him hired as a giant killer. Though naturally reluctant, he's offered the hand of Princess Minnie (Marcellite Garner) as a reward and decides to give it a go.

This is one of the absolute undisputed classics and it brought back vivid memories from my childhood seeing it again. The animation style is already iconic, even this early on with the character designs spot on. The audio mix is less successful, with some decisions, such as the realistic rather than stylised performances from the crowd sounding jarringly odd. If you wanted to be hyper critical about the story, it doesn't actually add up to very much once the quest has started.

Those are quibbles really, in a cartoon that is an undisputed classic and well worth the nostalgic occasion.

Mickey Mouse is a tailor in a fairy tale town that has been ravaged by a giant. One day he kills seven flies, all at once. His bragging is mistaken for a claim to have killed seven giants with one blow. He is charged with the task of killing the aforementioned ogre. He is promised great wealth and the princess (Minnie) if he can do the job. He struggles to avoid the task but is soon out there in no man's land. Of course, the giant appears and it is his job to use his skills to accomplish things. The town is wonderfully colorful and the animation excellent. It never ceases to amaze me how brilliant the animation is in something produced in 1938. Very good job.

Not my favourite, but up there. The animation is mostly excellent with beautiful colours and fluid backgrounds. The character designs aren't quite up there, but they are acceptable. The music has always been one of my favourite assets about these Silly Symphonies, and because it is so jaunty and energetic here Brave Little Tailor is no exception. The writing is funny with the parts with the giant amusing and I loved it when Minnie kisses Mickey and the story is charming. Mickey is a very cute and likable hero, and all the support characters make an impression while never bland. All in all, a great cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Watching this in the early 80's as a child I loved this short. And now in 2018 watching it again, I assumed it was at least made in the late 50's. Because of the quality and craftsmanship. Shocked and even more impressed now that I now it was created in the late 30's. Still holds up and should be on the shelf of any Disney or animation fan.

First - for the seductive crafte, the care for details being one of the best points. Second - for atmosphere and humor. Not the last - for a great, great giant. So, just lovely.