Goofy and Wilbur
Goofy and Wilbur is a 1939 animated cartoon short produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures on March 17, 1939.[1] Although the cartoon is billed as a Mickey Mouse cartoon (as said on the theatrical poster), it was the first cartoon which featured Goofy in a solo role without Mickey Mouse and/or Donald Duck.
| Goofy and Wilbur | |
|---|---|
Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Dick Huemer |
| Story by | Otto Englander |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Starring | Danny Webb |
| Music by | Paul J. Smith |
| Animation by | Art Babbitt Izzy Klein Ed Love Wolfgang Reitherman Bernard Wolf |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 minutes 5 seconds |
| Language | English |
In this cartoon Goofy goes fishing with his pet grasshopper, Wilbur, only for persistent bad luck to befall the duo. This cartoon has a violent depiction because Wilbur is nearly, or perhaps actually, killed.[2]
Plot
Goofy and his friend Wilbur, a tame grasshopper, team up for a fishing expedition. Goofy decides to use Wilbur as bait, but has second thoughts when he realizes too late, that his friend might actually get eaten by a fish.[3] Goofy has a row boat and a net, but no fishing rod. Wilbur, being a live bug, becomes the perfect choice for bait inside the net, which will lure fish when the boat approaches.[4]
Wilbur's life depends on the hapless and incompetent Goofy to save the little bug, who becomes the bait for a half-dozen fish.[5] As Wilbur gets tricked again and again, he is even swallowed by a frog; then that frog gets eaten by a stork, all while Goofy desperately attempts a chasing rescue.[4] In the end Wilbur hatches out of the stork egg, and to Goofy's relief, is unharmed.
Reception
The Film Daily wrote, "Wilbur, the grasshopper, is a new character among Disney creations, and will immediately have millions of cheering fans.. The affection between him and his master, Goofy, is something beautiful to behold... The characterization of Wilbur is so real, that one seems to have known him a long time. All Disney followers will welcome him."[6]
Voice cast
- Goofy: Danny Webb
Releases
- c. 1939 – Original theatrical release
- c. 1956 – Disneyland, episode #2.22: "On Vacation" (TV)
- c. 1977 – Donald Duck's Summer Magic (theatrical)
- c. 1983 – Good Morning, Mickey!, episode #59 (TV)
- c. 1989 – Turner & Hooch (Australian theatrical re-release)[7]
- c. 1992 – Mickey's Mouse Tracks, episode #46 (TV)
- c. 1992 – Donald's Quack Attack, episode #32 (TV)
- c. 1997 – The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.25: "Goofy Goofs Around" (TV)
Home media
The short was released on December 2, 2002 on Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Goofy.[8]
Additional releases include:
- c. 1981 – "Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections Volume Two" (laserdisc)
- c. 2006 – "Walt Disney's Funny Factory with Goofy" (DVD)
- c. 2006 – The Fox and the Hound 2 (DVD; special feature)
References
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 86–87. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "Cartoons of 1939: 035 Goofy and Wilbur". The Cartoons of Project: 1939. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ . The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ a b "Goofy and Wilbur (1939) Plot Summary". IMDb / plot summary. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "Goofy And Wilbur: Synopsis". The Big Cartoon Database. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "Short Subject Reviews". The Film Daily. 74 (81): 8. October 12, 1938. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "The Complete Goofy DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
External links
- at
- Goofy and Wilbur at IMDb