Reel by reel · since 1928
The classic Disney shorts, watched closely.
A fan-run archive that takes the old cartoons seriously — one short at a time, with the release facts pinned down and an honest opinion attached.
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All the shorts →Eight of the shorts in the collection, from Mickey's black-and-white years through Donald's wartime run. Each page pairs the verified release record with a full review.
1929 A close look at The Jazz Fool (1929), the twelfth Mickey Mouse short: a musical two-hander that trades story for showmanship, plus its recycled gags and Jolson title.
October 15, 19295:57
1929 A review of Jungle Rhythm (1929), the thirteenth Mickey Mouse short: an accordion, a hula-dancing lion, five borrowed tunes and almost no story to speak of.
November 15, 19296:53
1929 Notes on The Haunted House (1929), the fourteenth Mickey Mouse short: a stormy-night horror comedy built from borrowed skeletons and censor-baiting gags.
December 2, 19297 min
1930 Fiddlin' Around, also known as Just Mickey (1930), reviewed: the first Mickey short made without Ub Iwerks, a solo violin recital and a close study of a face.
March 6, 19306:50
1930 The Cactus Kid (1930) reviewed: Mickey's cantina western, Pete's first peg leg, Minnie's first voice, and the last short Walt Disney directed for five years.
May 10, 19307:25
1930 The Fire Fighters (1930): Mickey, Horace and a firehouse crew race to save Minnie from a burning apartment block. The first plotted Mickey short in a year.
June 20, 19307:13
1930 Pioneer Days (1930): Mickey and Minnie's wagon train under attack, with set pieces by Ferguson, Sharpsteen and Jackson, a 1940 cut and a stereotype problem.
November 20, 19307:13
1931 Traffic Troubles (1931): Mickey drives a taxi with a mind of its own, with a fat pig, a flat tire and Pete's snake oil. Born from Walt Disney's traffic fine.
March 17, 19317:33
The stars of the shorts
See them at work →A handful of characters carry almost every cartoon in this archive. Here is who they are and when they arrived.
Mickey Mouse
13 in the archive 1929 October 15, 19295:57
1929 November 15, 19296:53
1929 December 2, 19297 min
1930 March 6, 19306:50
1930 May 10, 19307:25
1930 June 20, 19307:13
1930 November 20, 19307:13
1931 March 17, 19317:33
1931 March 27, 19317:26
1931 April 30, 19317:22
1931 August 7, 19317 min
1931 December 5, 19317 min
1935 August 3, 19358 min
Donald Duck
4 in the archive
Goofy
1 in the archive
Wartime
2 in the archive
Animation Vault is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Walt Disney Company. Titles and characters are named for identification and commentary. More about this archive →