Clock Cleaners
Encyclopedia
Clock Cleaners is a 1937
American animated
short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
. The cartoon follows Mickey Mouse
, Donald Duck
, and Goofy
working as janitors
in a tall clock tower
. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen
and features original music by Paul Smith
and Oliver Wallace
. The voice cast includes Walt Disney
as Mickey, Clarence Nash
as Donald, and Pinto Colvig
as Goofy.
Clock Cleaners is one of Disney's most critically acclaimed short films. In 1994, 1000 members of the animation field voted Clock Cleaners as the 27th greatest cartoon of all time.
. Mickey is outside cleaning the face
with a mop by riding on the second hand. Goofy is inside the building cleaning gear teeth with a large toothbrush. Donald (singing "Hickory Dickory Dock
") starts to mop the mainspring
, ignoring several warning signs. He gets the mop caught and springs it loose.
Meanwhile Mickey, now cleaning inside the clock, comes across a sleeping stork
which he tries unsuccessfully to remove. Mickey is left hanging on a rope outside the tower.
Back inside, Donald is getting the mainspring back into place with a mallet, but he struggles to get the very last piece in place. Donald gets furious at the spring and asks "What's the big idea?" The spring seems to respond with an echo of Donald's question. Donald gets into an argument with the spring, but it knocks him off. Donald get's his head stuck in a gear on the balance wheel
shaft. When he finally is free from it, the oscillation makes his body continue to move
.
Now outside, Goofy (singing "Asleep in the Deep
") is cleaning the outside bell. While he is cleaning the interior of the bell, it becomes 4:00 pm, causing two mechanical statues to come from inside the tower and ring the bell four times. The first figure, resembling Father Time
, startles Goofy, but when he looks out he sees no one and continues cleaning. The second figure, representing Lady Liberty
, rings the bell from the other side. After the third ring, Goofy is determined to be ready for the next time. He is ready to attack, but when he sees Lady Liberty, he chivalrously apologizes. But Goofy is standing between her torch and the bell, and gets a big knock to the head.
This puts Goofy in a dizzy lovestruck stupor for the rest of the film. ("Spring Song") He becomes tipsy and almost falls off the tower. Mickey is alarmed when he sees Goofy almost fall and tries to save him. At each turn Mickey is just barely able to save Goofy. At last the two of them fly through a window, land on the mainspring which Donald has finally managed to put back together, then all three land in the same gear in which Donald was stuck earlier.
and the American Family Association
persuaded Wal-Mart
to discontinue the sale of the VHS tape "Cartoon Classics: Fun on the Job!" which contained the film. The reason for this was that during his argument with the main spring in the image to the left, Donald Duck allegedly shouts "Fuck you!" yet in Clarence Nash's semi intelligible voice
, he actually says "Says you!", which is made clear by the spring's reply, "Says I!" Additionally the Motion Picture Production Code, popularly known as the "Hays Code," adopted in 1930, would never have allowed the language in the first place.
Due to this controversy, when the cartoon was included on the Walt Disney Treasures
DVD set Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Donald's line was redubbed with the line, "Awww, nuts!", originally said in On Ice
. The edit is made obvious by the fact that the viewer can hear Pluto
barking when Donald says this. The same edit also occurs on the DVD release of The Great Mouse Detective
(which includes the cartoon as a bonus feature, in reference to the film's final battle in Big Ben) and the later DVD Funny Factory with Goofy, as well as the bonus Epic Mickey
DVD; however, the scene is shown with its original dialogue in the TV special One Hour in Wonderland
, which is included as a bonus feature on the Alice in Wonderland
: Masterpiece Edition DVD
. Additionally, recent broadcasts of the cartoon on the Disney Channel
have reinstated the original line. In addition, the DVD release of Have a Laugh!
, Volume 2 contains the cartoon with the original line reinstated, as well as its original RKO titles and illustrated title card.
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
American animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
. The cartoon follows Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
, and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
working as janitors
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
in a tall clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen
Ben Sharpsteen
Ben Sharpsteen was an American film director and producer for Disney. He directed 31 films between 1920 and 1980....
and features original music by Paul Smith
Paul Smith (composer)
Paul J. Smith was an Academy Award-winning American music composer. He was born in Calumet, Michigan. Smith spent much of his life working at Disney as composer for many of its films' scores, animated and live-action alike, movie and television alike...
and Oliver Wallace
Oliver Wallace
Oliver George Wallace was a British composer and conductor. He was especially known for his film music compositions, which were written for many animation, documentary, and feature films from Walt Disney Studios....
. The voice cast includes Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
as Mickey, Clarence Nash
Clarence Nash
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for the Walt Disney Studios...
as Donald, and Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig was an American vaudeville actor, radio actor, newspaper cartoonist, prolific movie voice actor, and circus performer whose schtick was playing clarinet off-key while mugging....
as Goofy.
Clock Cleaners is one of Disney's most critically acclaimed short films. In 1994, 1000 members of the animation field voted Clock Cleaners as the 27th greatest cartoon of all time.
Synopsis
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are assigned to clean a tall clock towerClock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
. Mickey is outside cleaning the face
Clock face
A clock face is the part of an analog clock that displays the time through the use of a fixed numbered dial or dials and moving hands. In its most basic form, recognized universally throughout the world, the dial is numbered 1–12 indicating the hours in a 12-hour cycle, and a short hour hand...
with a mop by riding on the second hand. Goofy is inside the building cleaning gear teeth with a large toothbrush. Donald (singing "Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock
"Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6489.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:Hickory, dickory, dock,The mouse ran up the clock....
") starts to mop the mainspring
Mainspring
A mainspring is a spiral torsion spring of metal ribbon that is the power source in mechanical watches and some clocks. Winding the timepiece, by turning a knob or key, stores energy in the mainspring by twisting the spiral tighter. The force of the mainspring then turns the clock's wheels as it...
, ignoring several warning signs. He gets the mop caught and springs it loose.
Meanwhile Mickey, now cleaning inside the clock, comes across a sleeping stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
which he tries unsuccessfully to remove. Mickey is left hanging on a rope outside the tower.
Back inside, Donald is getting the mainspring back into place with a mallet, but he struggles to get the very last piece in place. Donald gets furious at the spring and asks "What's the big idea?" The spring seems to respond with an echo of Donald's question. Donald gets into an argument with the spring, but it knocks him off. Donald get's his head stuck in a gear on the balance wheel
Balance wheel
The balance wheel is the timekeeping device used in mechanical watches and some clocks, analogous to the pendulum in a pendulum clock. It is a weighted wheel that rotates back and forth, being returned toward its center position by a spiral spring, the balance spring or hairspring...
shaft. When he finally is free from it, the oscillation makes his body continue to move
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
.
Now outside, Goofy (singing "Asleep in the Deep
Asleep in the Deep (song)
"Asleep in the Deep" is a song written by Arthur J. Lamb and composed by Henry W. Petrie in 1897. It is titled for a refrain found in its chorus:* * -External links:**...
") is cleaning the outside bell. While he is cleaning the interior of the bell, it becomes 4:00 pm, causing two mechanical statues to come from inside the tower and ring the bell four times. The first figure, resembling Father Time
Father Time
Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device...
, startles Goofy, but when he looks out he sees no one and continues cleaning. The second figure, representing Lady Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
, rings the bell from the other side. After the third ring, Goofy is determined to be ready for the next time. He is ready to attack, but when he sees Lady Liberty, he chivalrously apologizes. But Goofy is standing between her torch and the bell, and gets a big knock to the head.
This puts Goofy in a dizzy lovestruck stupor for the rest of the film. ("Spring Song") He becomes tipsy and almost falls off the tower. Mickey is alarmed when he sees Goofy almost fall and tries to save him. At each turn Mickey is just barely able to save Goofy. At last the two of them fly through a window, land on the mainspring which Donald has finally managed to put back together, then all three land in the same gear in which Donald was stuck earlier.
Censorship and bans
During the 1990s, Donald WildmonDonald Wildmon
Donald E. Wildmon is an ordained United Methodist minister, author, former radio host, and founder and chairman emeritus of the American Family Association and American Family Radio.-Biography:...
and the American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
persuaded Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
to discontinue the sale of the VHS tape "Cartoon Classics: Fun on the Job!" which contained the film. The reason for this was that during his argument with the main spring in the image to the left, Donald Duck allegedly shouts "Fuck you!" yet in Clarence Nash's semi intelligible voice
Donald Duck talk
Donald Duck talk, officially called buccal speech, is an alaryngeal form of vocalization which uses the inner cheek to produce sound rather than the larynx...
, he actually says "Says you!", which is made clear by the spring's reply, "Says I!" Additionally the Motion Picture Production Code, popularly known as the "Hays Code," adopted in 1930, would never have allowed the language in the first place.
Due to this controversy, when the cartoon was included on the Walt Disney Treasures
Walt Disney Treasures
The Walt Disney Treasures is a two-disc DVD set of classic Disney works. They cover work from the studio's earliest days to their more recent work...
DVD set Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Donald's line was redubbed with the line, "Awww, nuts!", originally said in On Ice
On Ice (Disney)
On Ice is a Mickey Mouse cartoon released in 1935.-Synopsis:The cartoon revolves around three different storylines that all take place on a frozen lake during wintertime. In the first, Mickey helps Minnie learn how to skate. The second storyline has Goofy attempting to catch fish by dropping...
. The edit is made obvious by the fact that the viewer can hear Pluto
Pluto (Disney)
Pluto, also called Pluto the Pup, is a cartoon character created in 1930 by Walt Disney Productions. He is a light brown , medium-sized, short-haired dog. Unlike Goofy, Pluto is not anthropomorphic beyond some characteristics such as facial expression...
barking when Donald says this. The same edit also occurs on the DVD release of The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
(which includes the cartoon as a bonus feature, in reference to the film's final battle in Big Ben) and the later DVD Funny Factory with Goofy, as well as the bonus Epic Mickey
Epic Mickey
Epic Mickey is a 2010 Mickey Mouse action-adventure platforming video game designed by Warren Spector and developed by Junction Point Studios for the Wii console...
DVD; however, the scene is shown with its original dialogue in the TV special One Hour in Wonderland
One Hour in Wonderland
One Hour in Wonderland is a 1950 television special made by Walt Disney Productions. It was first seen on Christmas Day, 1950, over NBC for Coca-Cola, and was Walt Disney's first television production...
, which is included as a bonus feature on the Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (1951 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New...
: Masterpiece Edition DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. Additionally, recent broadcasts of the cartoon on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
have reinstated the original line. In addition, the DVD release of Have a Laugh!
Have a Laugh!
Have a Laugh!, also known as Mickey Mouse - Have a Laugh, is an animated series produced by The Walt Disney Company. The program started in October 2009 and features many Mickey Mouse characters and shorts...
, Volume 2 contains the cartoon with the original line reinstated, as well as its original RKO titles and illustrated title card.
Releases
- 1972 – The Mouse Factory, episode #1.15 "Back to Nature" (TV)
- 1984 – "Mickey's Crazy Careers" (VHS)
- 1992 – "Cartoon Classics: Fun on the Job!" (VHS)
- 1997 – Ink & Paint Club, episode #1.22 "Classic Mickey" (TV)
- 2001 – "Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color" (DVD)
- 2002 – The Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures...
(DVD)