Mail Dog

A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon.

Crossing the chilly wastes to Quagmire Airport, MAIL DOG Pluto is hampered in his mission by a rabbit desperate to get warm.

Fun though unremarkable, this little film features Flutter Foot the rabbit in his only Disney appearance.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Peter Pan and Mr. Toad. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

I read another comment about this short and this is not flutter foots only apperance but he made a cameo in 'Primetive Pluto.' I saw this short many times on a home video,i rented it from blockbuster when i was a young lad and as a matter of fact i rented it so many times that i wore it out. My favorite part is seeing pluto turning from yellow to blue that also happened in several other shorts. I liked the ending music.

Mail Dog has a routine story and while sweet the conflict(between trying to get warm and staying warm) between Pluto and the rabbit is a little forced. On the other hand, the animation is excellent with vibrant colours and fluid backgrounds. The music maintains that character and energy that the Disney shorts excel at, it's also very pleasant to listen to especially at the end. At no time does Mail Dog feel dull, and there are some funny gags especially with the totem pole and when Pluto turns from yellow to blue. The first half is funnier and crisper and has more of Pluto's personality coming out as he struggles with things that are not part of his routine as a mail man. Pluto is still a likable and compelling enough character, though Donald and Goofy are much funnier lead characters. In all fairness for a character who doesn't speak Pluto is the kind of character who relies on expressions and the like to make him interesting, and on the most part Disney do nobly on that front. The rabbit is admittedly cute too. All in all, very nice short, not a favourite and Pluto has done better but does its job in entertaining very well. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I have no idea if this cartoon debuted in 1949 as the title screen says or if is correct and it came out in 1947. Regardless, it's a pleasant and enjoyable Pluto cartoon.

When the story begins, a mail plane is forced to turn around due to bad weather. Instead, Pluto is expected to take the mail pouch to its destination...though snow and mountains. Along the way, he picks up a rival, a bunny, and Pluto doesn't realize that the bunny is actually trying to help.

This is not a great short...but it is enjoyable and has a sweet ending....making it well worth your time.