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"Mickey's Gala Premier" (1933)

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Offline falsealarms

[youtube=425,350]GbbZpSHoTcI[/youtube]

The description on YouTube:

A new Mickey Mouse cartoon will have its premiere in the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Several Hollywood celebrities all arrive in limousines to attend this special event. Outside The Keystone Cops (Ben Turpin, Ford Sterling, Mack Swain, Harry Langdon and Chester Conklin) are guarding the traffic.

Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore step out of the first limousine (all costumed as in the film Rasputin and the Empress (1932)). Then Laurel and Hardy leave the car and close the door behind them. Inside The Marx Brothers all stick their heads out of the car window.

In the next scene Maurice Chevalier, Eddie Cantor (costumed as in the film The Kid from Spain (1932)) and Jimmy Durante take turns singing in front of a microphone. They are followed by Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford (costumed as in the film Rain) and Bette Davis all singing new lyrics to the chant. Finally Harold Lloyd, Clark Gable, Edward G. Robinson and Adolphe Menjou join in to conclude the song.

Sid Grauman is saluting all the guests. George Arliss and Joe E. Brown simply enter, but Charlie Chaplin sneaks inside. Then Buster Keaton enters the building, followed by The Marx Brothers all hidden under Groucho Marx' coat. Mae West enters (costumed as in the film She Done Him Wrong (1933)) and utters her famous line, "Come up and see me some time", which shocks and embarrasses Grauman.

Then Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow arrive in limousine and are cheered by the audience. Once inside the theatre Mickey's new cartoon, "Gallopin' Romance", premieres. The plot revolves around Mickey and Minnie playing music together, when suddenly Pegleg Pete kidnaps Minnie and drives off on a horse (which happens to be Horace Horsecollar). Mickey chases him and beats Pete in the end, bringing Minnie to safety.

All the guests in the theatre move rhythmically to the music. We can see Helen Hayes, William Powell, Chester Morris, Gloria Swanson and George Arliss in the audience. In the next close-up scenes the viewer can identify Jimmy Durante, Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Rudy Vallee, Joan Crawford, Will H. Hays (dressed as a king in reference to his position as "Censorship Czar") and Greta Garbo. Ed Wynn, Wheeler & Woolsey, Laurel & Hardy all laugh with the cartoon. Bela Lugosi (dressed as Count Dracula), Fredric March (dressed as Mr. Hyde) and Boris Karloff (dressed as the Frankenstein's monster) do the same, but with spooky evil laughter. Joe E. Brown laughs so loud that his enormous mouth opens wide, while Buster Keaton keeps his poker face. Jimmy Durante and Douglas Fairbanks laugh so loud that they roll from their seats. They are joined in by Groucho Marx, Joe E. Brown, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Oliver Hardy. As the cartoon ends the whole audience applauds and congratulates Mickey with his success. But Mickey is so shy that he has to be pulled on the stage by Will Rogers with a rope. All the Hollywood actors now shake Mickey's hands (and feet!) to congratulate him with his success. Then Greta Garbo walks onto the stage and starts covering Mickey's face with kisses. Mickey wakes up in his bed, while Pluto is licking his face.

Other Hollywood celebrities that can be spotted in the crowd scenes: Constance Bennett, Warner Baxter and Walt Disney.


Offline Boid Brain

Fantastic cartoon! So that's where Warner Bros. got the idea for their celebrity cartoon about 10 years later.


Offline BeAStooge

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Fantastic cartoon! So that's where Warner Bros. got the idea for their celebrity cartoon about 10 years later.

Celebrity caricature-characters were common themes in all the studios' cartoons.

Warner was using the concept several years before the toon you refer to, HOLLYWOOD STEPS OUT (1941), in titles like HOLLYWOOD CAPERS (1935) and THE COOCOO NUT GROVE (1936).

Columbia also capitalized on it, and several of its Color Rhapsodies include the home-team Stooges... MERRY MUTINEERS (1936), HOLLYWOOD PICNIC (1937), THE NOVELTY SHOP (1936), more.