Mickey Mouse, Mad Scientist...The Worm Turns (003)

 The Worm Turns...A Mickey Mouse Cartoon

SYNOPSIS: Mickey Mouse makes the food chain stand on its head, and makes a "Courage Builder" potion that makes the prey attack the predator!

ORIGINAL RELEASE: January 2nd, 1937
SUPERVISION: Ben Sharpsteen
STORY: Otto Englander
ANIMATION: Pete Burness, Chuck Couch, Al Eugster, and many other people I don't feel like listing
MUSICAL DIRECTION: Frank Churchill
STUDIO: Walt Disney Productions (producer), United Artists (distributor)

Pre-Show Remarks

We have approached the first Disney cartoon of the year...very unsure what to expect. I read somewhere that this cartoon was a test for the laboratory scene in Snow White. If the cartoon does suck, at least it'll look pretty.

(By the way, you keen-eyed readers might have noticed a slight update in the information chart. From here on out, this will be used in all future reviews. And yes, I know this review is rather...late. But life happens.)

In My Opinion...

Competent Cartoon, But Curious And Creepy

This is a very...interesting cartoon. The premise is fun, but the execution here could be a little better. I find it curious that the cartoon's title card features a worm and a bird, but neither are featured in the short proper. Mickey is a mouse, but there is another feral mouse in Mickey's(?) living room--they both look nothing alike. The music feels inappropriately circus-y in some scenes. There are quite a few nice looking shots, though--the very beginning with Mickey's lab, for example. And the animation is very wacky and fun--the screenshots don't do it justice.

Next time...Various Terrytoon animals go out to sail in Salty McGuire