Just Dogs

A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short.

It's JUST DOGS escaping from the old pound, into the park across the street. Once there, two of the mutts find a huge bone - which quickly becomes the object of desire for the entire pack...

Lots of canine activity in this fun little black & white cartoon. Yes, that's Mickey Mouse's Pluto the Pup as one of the stars here.

The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most fascinating of all animated series. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.

I've always loved and enjoyed Disney, and Just Dogs is no exception. Even with the slightly routine story and heavy-handed message, the cartoon is still well-animated with great interaction between Pluto and the Boston Terrier, crisp pacing and that it has a fun and cute tone all the time. The Boston Terrier is adorable, and Just Dogs shows a refreshingly different side to Pluto, there is no Mickey, Figaro or Chip 'n' Dale in sight and while I do prefer the cuter and more energetic Pluto, his self-centered side contrasted well with the Boston Terrier. All in all, Just Dogs is not a favourite of mine but it is enjoyable and I do recommend it. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A very early black-and-white Pluto cartoon in which he is locked in a cage in a dog pound. His little cage-mate manages to escape and takes Pluto with him. Pluto doesn't seem too grateful but the rest of the pound puppies are only to happy to have their freedom.

The little doggie still wants to be Pluto's pal though, despite the lack of interest. The other newly-liberated dogs eventually turn on him too, leading to Pluto sharing a big bone with his new pal. And that's pretty much all there is to it.

An animation showcase made slightly more bearable by the presence of a familiar character. Other than this Just Dogs is forgettable.