This Disney cartoon is a treat for buffs: it's a clever mini-musical with a fast-moving plot, good "production values," and cute gags, made when the enormous popularity of Mickey Mouse was reaching the level of a worldwide phenomenon. Walt's animators were really hitting their stride by the early '30s, and were continually developing new techniques and promptly improving them. In the best Mickey entries, and even in the routine ones, the filmmakers achieve a level of finesse that is pleasurable to experience, in and of itself. These shorts still look great, even after all the decades of technological advances that have taken animation to new realms. Ye Olden Days may not be the funniest or most dazzling cartoon from this rich period, but it wins the day on sheer charm.
The opening credits set the tone: we're in the age of Ivanhoe, and the familiar Disney characters are all playing roles in a Medieval pageant. "Ye Caste" includes Mickey Mouse in the lead as "Ye Wandering Minstrel," Minnie is "Ye Princess," etc. It's also notable that Goofy hasn't yet evolved into the character we know; here he's playing a Prince and is billed as Dippy Dawg, the name for his earliest incarnation. As it turns out he's Mickey's nemesis and rival for Minnie's hand—which would be unthinkable later on, once his persona was fully established. Minnie's father, "Ye Olde Kinge," is a large furry creature who seems villainous at first, in part because he resembles Peg Leg Pete. In the opening scene it's established in fairy tale style that the King has decreed his daughter must marry a Prince from a neighboring kingdom this very day. Unfortunately, the Prince is a fool and the Princess refuses to follow her father's wishes. So the King has his daughter locked in a jail cell in the tower, along with her lady-in-waiting (a nice character role for Clarabelle Cow). Mickey the wandering minstrel shows up riding his humble mule at this juncture, and immediately sets about to rescue the Princess.
In this film Mickey is endowed with almost magical powers, suggestive of Felix the Cat. For instance, once he reaches the castle he effortlessly shinnies up a tree alongside the tower, pausing only long enough to serenade Minnie and win her heart. That accomplished, Mickey steps onto a branch which bends down and then swings slowly upward, sending him smoothly through Minnie's window. It's like he's flying. Things like this only happen in our dreams, or in the movies. Complications set in when Mickey attempts to spirit the Princess away and is caught, and nearly guillotined. Soon he must fight a duel with the Prince, and this event is celebrated with a peppy song. It wasn't until I saw this cartoon a second time that I caught all the lyrics: "We're gonna have a duel, we're gonna have a duel/Which ever one survives the slaughter, wins the hand of my fair daughter!" That's a little surprising for a Disney cartoon, and so is a quick sight gag towards the end, involving a portrait of a horse. But this was still the early '30s; the Production Code wasn't being enforced yet, and filmmakers could get away with things that would be red-penciled a year or two later, even in cartoons.
In any case, Mickey and Goofy (or "Dippy") engage in spirited combat with lances, while their steeds duke it out with their hooves. It's quite a rousing finale, even if we're pretty sure that Mickey is ultimately going to prevail, and when the fight is over another cute gag wraps up the show. Anyone who wants to know why Mickey was a folk hero in the 1930s should give Ye Olden Days a look. There's a reason the Disney studio became such a powerhouse: these films made a lot of people happy at a desperate time, and in the best ones the magic still works.
The opening credits set the tone: we're in the age of Ivanhoe, and the familiar Disney characters are all playing roles in a Medieval pageant. "Ye Caste" includes Mickey Mouse in the lead as "Ye Wandering Minstrel," Minnie is "Ye Princess," etc. It's also notable that Goofy hasn't yet evolved into the character we know; here he's playing a Prince and is billed as Dippy Dawg, the name for his earliest incarnation. As it turns out he's Mickey's nemesis and rival for Minnie's hand—which would be unthinkable later on, once his persona was fully established. Minnie's father, "Ye Olde Kinge," is a large furry creature who seems villainous at first, in part because he resembles Peg Leg Pete. In the opening scene it's established in fairy tale style that the King has decreed his daughter must marry a Prince from a neighboring kingdom this very day. Unfortunately, the Prince is a fool and the Princess refuses to follow her father's wishes. So the King has his daughter locked in a jail cell in the tower, along with her lady-in-waiting (a nice character role for Clarabelle Cow). Mickey the wandering minstrel shows up riding his humble mule at this juncture, and immediately sets about to rescue the Princess.
In this film Mickey is endowed with almost magical powers, suggestive of Felix the Cat. For instance, once he reaches the castle he effortlessly shinnies up a tree alongside the tower, pausing only long enough to serenade Minnie and win her heart. That accomplished, Mickey steps onto a branch which bends down and then swings slowly upward, sending him smoothly through Minnie's window. It's like he's flying. Things like this only happen in our dreams, or in the movies. Complications set in when Mickey attempts to spirit the Princess away and is caught, and nearly guillotined. Soon he must fight a duel with the Prince, and this event is celebrated with a peppy song. It wasn't until I saw this cartoon a second time that I caught all the lyrics: "We're gonna have a duel, we're gonna have a duel/Which ever one survives the slaughter, wins the hand of my fair daughter!" That's a little surprising for a Disney cartoon, and so is a quick sight gag towards the end, involving a portrait of a horse. But this was still the early '30s; the Production Code wasn't being enforced yet, and filmmakers could get away with things that would be red-penciled a year or two later, even in cartoons.
In any case, Mickey and Goofy (or "Dippy") engage in spirited combat with lances, while their steeds duke it out with their hooves. It's quite a rousing finale, even if we're pretty sure that Mickey is ultimately going to prevail, and when the fight is over another cute gag wraps up the show. Anyone who wants to know why Mickey was a folk hero in the 1930s should give Ye Olden Days a look. There's a reason the Disney studio became such a powerhouse: these films made a lot of people happy at a desperate time, and in the best ones the magic still works.