Donne la patte

Directed in 1941, "Lend a Paw" has the heart-warming feel of a Christmas special with a white and cold winter as a backdrop and a chimney fire but without any Christmas tree in the background. It's a tale of acceptance, charity and fraternity that transcends the boundaries of animal species, in fact it's a tale of morality centering on Mickey's best friend: Pluto. I wonder by the way why it was not Pluto's face to appear on the title card because Mickey doesn't exactly play a pivotal role in the picture. Anyway is is a very special episode, starting with its dedication to the Tailwagger Foundation which -from what I read- is still around today.

It is also a special episode as the only Mickey Mouse picture that ever won an Oscar. I guess there had to be one. Walt Disney had already swept off all the Oscars during the 30s: the 80s generation might remember that VHS special featuring all the animated films that won an Oscar: "Flowers and Trees", "The Three Little Pigs", "Ferdinand the Bull". I remember it from a pre-school video session in 1988. I also remember a Disney Home Video about Disney's dogs (the one with the golden collar), unfindable on Youtube so I'm glad I still have the videocassette.

Giving honor where honor is due, the program started with Disney's number-one dog: Pluto, it featured clips from "The Moose Hunt", the first moment where Pluto stole Mickey's thunder by playing death, Pluto's finest hour when he saved Fifi the Peke from a fire and then came "Lend a Paw", which I remember was my first introduction to the word 'Oscar'. For an Oscar buff, that's a personal connection if there's ever one. And so I could enjoy a good chunk of the cartoon starting from the moment Pluto gets into the house, bringing an unexpected visitor in the form of a the cute little kitten he just rescued from a floating bag.

To be honest, as much as I enjoy the cartoon, it does lack a little sparkle of originality, it's very traditional in form and content, with a satisfying ending but even as a kid, it didn't impact me like what I consider one of the most haunting Pluto's cartoons: "Pluto's Judgment Day". However I think the presence of the devil and the angel are the reason to watch the cartoon for the way they embody the conflicting feelings of Pluto who's a good dog but not too enthusiastic about sharing the house with the little intruder. His first burst of jealousy, with his eyes turning so green the devil literally erupts from his head, isn't much about hatred but about sharing Mickey's love.

And I must say Pluto is a really special character, he's the only seminal Disney character who's not anthropomorphic so the challenge is to humanizing him without verbalizing his emotions. It's his limitations that make him quite an endearing character and unlike comic-books, you can't just put bubbles that express his thoughts, it's all in the expressiveness of his eyes, his smiles and his voicing by Pinto 'Goofy' Colvig. This is why Pluto is the perfect half of a duo, he let's the other do the talking so we can focus on his reactions. The irony this time is that the guys who talk to him are his own good and self alter-egos, the street-smart cocky devil (John Dehner) and the rhyme-talking well-meaning angel (John McLeish). Mickey is of course by Walt Disney.

The angel and devil is a good trope and works even better in animation as it's an eloquent illustration of one character's duality. But it works even better with Pluto who adopts the same posture with his 'angels' as if they were his master. The bad one is arrogant, calling him 'stupid' and slapping him right after he licked his face, "cut the sentiment", he says while the good one is a sort of Mickey counterpart. Of course, Pluto is more obedient to the one who tickles his temptation and inspires him to frame the kitten by putting him next to the bowl of third Mickey's pet, Cleo's twin sister Bianca, a plot that will backfire and get him thrown out of the house. Pluto's cries are heartbreaking and I like the touch of the devil blaming the fish for snitching on them. Then the cute kitten accidentally gets stuck in the well bucket confronting Pluto to a life-and-death situation.

The climax might be the best part of the film, with the angel finally getting the final word and Pluto risking his own life to save the kitten. And when Mickey got Pluto off the well, breaking the ice he was stuck in and hugged him, calling him "good old boy", I must say I was deeply moved. You could tell no animal would ever take Pluto's spot in Mickey's heart. And so it is a good short with good animation. I liked the opening rescuing sequence which I suspect might have inspired a few key scenes in "101 Dalmatians", I also liked the animation of Pluto's face, his naughty gaze after the first incident or his extreme possessiveness with his bed, as if he was Scrooge McDuck with a bag full of coins. And I liked the cute happy ending with the obligatory reconciliation and the final line: "Kindness to animals, my friend, will be rewarded in the end". Well it was sure rewarded by the Academy in a turbulent year where America was seeking comfort in traditional values.

The following year, America would join the war and it would be Donald Duck getting the statuette after Mickey, with the wackier but superior "Der Fuerher's Face" marking a last triumph for the Disney team before a certain cat-and-mouse duo would dominate the decade.

This is a touching cartoon featuring Pluto, where he finds his attention from Mickey turned away to care for a newly found kitten left in a bag floating on ice. Pluto wasn't too pleased to see the kitten and his inner angel and devil sides battle it out to offer him the best advice in dealing with the situation.

It's a classic little tale of good vs. evil and conscience vs. mischief as we see Pluto wondering what he should do with the kitten, whose adoring personality and kindhearted innocence will tug at your heartstrings. Pluto learning to be on the good side and save the kitten from danger is the highlight of the story and serves as a good moral about helping others. Great cartoon!

Grade A

This is my review of the tenth Oscar-nominated cartoon of 1941 having previously done the same for George Pal's Rhythm in the Ranks, Friz Freleng's Rhapsody in Rivets, Walter Lantz' Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B, Rudolf Ising's The Rookie Bear, Hanna-Barbera's The Night Before Christmas, Jack King's Truant Officer Donald, Dave Fleischer's Superman, Paul Fennell's When War Came, and Friz Freleng's Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt. This was also the eventual winner of Best Short Subject, Cartoon award. And it deserved it! Directed by Clyde Geronimi, it has pet dog Pluto finding a kitten in the river. He picks it up and lets it go on it's way but that creature decides to follow the dog home where master Mickey Mouse makes it his new pet leading Pluto to get jealous. That also results in his good side (an angel version of him) and bad side (devil, natch) to appear in front of him. I'll stop there and just say there's both laughs and touching drama throughout with Geronimi handling both parts well. This nearly marked the end of Walt Disney Studios' dominance in this particular category of the Academy Awards. Starting the following year after next, M-G-M takes over with the Tom & Jerry series. It's also the only time a short starring Mickey & Pluto got the win. Since it's still a few days before the actual Oscars, I'll next review an animated short in which Bugs Bunny campaigns for the award. It's called What's Cookin' Doc?

Disney provides the voice of Mickey and gets the Oscar.A short that makes you laugh and maybe shed a tear that friendship and compassion are iportant in our lives.

It took 115 cartoons to get the treasured Oscar, but Mickey Mouse finally received one during the 14th Academy Awards in Best Animated Short Film for his October 1941 "Lend a Paw." The win was a stunner for Mickey, although a well deserved one for the mouse that built the Disney empire. Mickey's voice was none other than Walt Disney's.

"Lend a Paw" was a remake of 1933 'Mickey's Pal Pluto.' In both cartoons, Mickey's dog Pluto has a split conscious in the form of a devil and an angel both vying for him to do either right or wrong in saving a kitten. It's winter time when Pluto rescued a kitten inside a bag floating on a river's ice flow. Pluto's none too happy with the kitten when it follows him home. The canine becomes upset when owner Mickey treats the newfound cat to his dog food. Things go completely off the rails for Pluto and the kitten when both end up inside an outdoor well.

The kitten in "Lend a Paw" was drawn similarly to the character Figaro in 1940's "Pinocchio." In the short's preface the cartoon is dedicated to a charity called "Tailwagger Foundation." This non-profit foundation, established in 1929, has helped save the lives of many sick and injured animals through life-saving treatments. It also assists rescue groups in their efforts to find homes for pets. Actress Bette Davis lent the organization a huge boost in publicity when she was elected president for the Southern California region. Also, huge donations from Howard Hughes and Walt Disney infused well-needed money to get the organization going into high gear.