L'orologio della torre

Though it is yet another 'everything goes wrong' cartoon (pretty much EVERY Disney short) this one has enough imagination to keep you amused. I remember watching it as a kid and being impressed with the set-pieces and hijinks even then.

Basically Mickey, Donald and Goofy are cleaning a huge clock tower, taller than all the little skyscrapers (surely no one would be able to tell the time from down on the street) at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It's a risky dangerous job but they seem to all know what they're doing and never loose their footholds. But a big stork, an angry spring and a sleepwalking Goofy all make it end in disaster. Funny!

This short features Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as clock cleaners cleaning a very tall clock tower (possibly Big Ben). What was interesting about this short was that each of the three characters had some sort of problem. Mickey kept trying to get a nesting stork out of the clock and the stork wouldn't cooperate, Goofy was hit on the head by a figure resembling the Statue of Liberty and knocked unconscious, and Donald was having troubles with a spring that seemed to talk back to him. In fact, Reverend Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association thought he heard Donald say a naughty four-letter word that began with the letter "F" followed by the word "you" to the spring. He succeeded in getting Wal Mart to remove all copies of a video containing this short off of their shelves and return them to Disney. Donald was actually saying "Says you!" to the spring. Interesting to note that.

This is a truly magnificent cartoon, with the real star being the clock, with a strong supporting effort from a sleeping stork. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are fine, but the detail work on the backgrounds and the design of the clock are exceptional. The gags are hilarious, if somewhat familiar (probably because they've spurred frequent imitation by others) and the ending is priceless. Various bits are reminiscent of some great silent comics like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, particularly the opening shot and an extended bit featuring Goofy on walkabout. Well worth having. Most highly recommended.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy share the stage in what is one of the most memorable short films of this trio. It is a classic animated comedy of the time in which the three characters must clean a clock in what seems like something inspired by Charles Chaplin's Safty Last. One of the things that can be remembered most from this short film is Donald dealing with a metal band that seems to emit words through sounds. This is a clear reminder of how fantastic the use of sound effects can be in the world of animation. Without the need to argue much, Clock Cleaners is another of Disney's small works of art in its golden age. My final rating for this short film is an 8/10.

Classic Disney short teaming their three stars of the time: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. This time the trio are supposed to clean a clock at the top of a high tower in the middle of a big city (presumably New York City since one of the mechanical figures that rings the clock bell is the Statue of Liberty). They each run into some difficulty and even danger, as you might expect, but it's all light and fun. Goofy's near-falls had my head spinning, though. The animation is gorgeous! Well-drawn characters and backgrounds, exciting action, and jaw-droppingly beautiful Technicolor. Great voice work from Clarence Nash, Pinto Colvig, and Walt Disney himself. Lively, bouncy music from Paul Smith and Oliver Wallace. It's a fantastic cartoon, imaginative and funny. It's totally deserving of its reputation as one of the best shorts these three starred in together.