When Disney released the first six volumes of its Animation Collections it wasn’t surprising to see Mickey and the Beanstalk or The Prince and the Pauper headlining two of the releases. After all, they represented two of the crown jewels of Disney’s short films collection. What was alarming was the omission of Mickey’s Christmas Carol, the beautifully animated take on Dickens’ seminal classic using some of the best old time Disney characters. There are a precious few animated Christmas films worthy of annual viewing. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Merry Christmas Charlie Brown are two of them and Mickey’s Christmas Carol rounds out the trio.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Directed by Burny Mattinson and written by Burny Mattinson and Tony Marino
Starring Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith, Will Ryan, Eddie Carroll, Patricia Parris, Dick Billingsley
Ebenezer Scrooge, ghosts of Christmas past, present and future and a morality tale about generosity – Mickey’s Christmas Carol works hard to preserve Dickens’ vision and does little straying from the characters or plot. It’s not unusual for people to take creative liberties with the source material, but this short feature really works hard to keep on message. Little bits of levity are sewn into the story’s fabric (casting Goofy as the ghost of Jacob Marley) but otherwise it’s just an easily digestible retelling that kids and adults alike can enjoy year after year. The animation is quite beautiful and the colors and shading have retained their brilliance in the 26 years since.
The Small One (1978)
Directed by Don Bluth and written by Vance Gerry and Charles Tazewell
Starring Sean Marshall, William Woodson, Olan Soule, Hal Smith, Joe Higgins, Gordon Jump
It’s not common for these collections to feature two features longer than 20 minutes so the presence of The Small One makes the collection more memorable. Also, a decent level of production on the animation helps make it stand out despite its rather slow and plodding story. A young boy looks after the runt donkey in the farm crew affectionately known as Small One. The boy’s love for Small One is put to the test when the father intends to pull an Obi-wan and have Small One sold in the nearby village. The boy volunteers to sell Small One himself and spends the next day looking for a kind buyer who has nothing but the best intentions for the landspeeder…err…donkey. There are a few brief musical numbers but none are all that memorable outside of the “Small One, Small One” ditty.
Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952)
Directed by Jack Hannah and written by Bill Berg and Milt Schaffer
Starring Edward Brophy, Ruth Clifford, Pinto Colvig, Dessie Flynn, James MacDonald, Clarence Nash
One of those brilliant six-minute shorts of yesteryear, Pluto takes on Chip and Dale who have stowed away on a Christmas tree chopped down and taken into Mickey’s house for festivities. Dog versus rodential duo makes for a few amusing incidents of slapstick fun.
Santa’s Workshop (1932)
Now we’re really going back into the Disney vaults. Good old-fashioned Disney animation follows the troupe of elves working in Santa’s workshop as they prepare on Christmas Eve for the big night ahead. It’s all a nice little reminder of older times and it’s told in a way that rhymes. So there’s that. It’s the least of the shorts on the disc but still worth a viewing for the older Disney fan in your household.
The disc would have benefitted from at least one or two more shorts as it feels awfully short with only four. Even if The Small One seems to stretch on for well more than its twenty-some minute duration, it still feels like the disc is far too brisk even for Disney’s meager asking price. It’s a nice collection, but it would have been a no-brainer purchase for Disney lovers had they given the disc a few more features.
DVD Bonus Features
There are none.
"Walt Disney Animation Collection: Volume 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol" is on sale September 29, 2009 and is rated NR. Animation, Children & Family. Directed by Burny Mattinson, Don Bluth, Jack Hannah. Written by Bill Berg, Milt Shaffer, Vance Gerry, Charles Tazewell, Burny Mattinson, Tony Marino. Starring Alan Young, Eddie Carroll, Hal Smith, Joe Higgins, Olan Soule, Ruth Clifford, Sean Marshall, Wayne Allwine, William Woodson.
