The Pointer
Encyclopedia
The Pointer is a 1939 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
. The cartoon follows Mickey Mouse
as he tries to teach his dog Pluto
to be a pointer dog
during a quail hunt. It was directed by Clyde Geronimi
and features the voices of Walt Disney
as Mickey and Lee Millar as Pluto.
The Pointer is considered a milestone in the development of Mickey Mouse as a character. It was his first animated appearance after he was significantly redesigned by animator Fred Moore the previous year. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 12th Academy Awards
in 1940, but untimely lost to Disney's own The Ugly Duckling, the final installment of the Silly Symphony
series.
on toast, and maybe a nice big juicy bear steak" that night. They then set out into the forrest, Mickey carrying a shotgun.
But the first time they see quail, Pluto gets too excited, knocks Mickey over, and scares the birds away. Mickey scolds Pluto, but later softens, realizing that Pluto is a mutt
and won't be able to learn. They set off again, but become separated. Pluto again hears some quail, and points at them. He is careful this time not to move at all, even to the point of letting the quail jump up on him and pull his fur. Mickey however, is unaware that Pluto is not right behind him. He jumps down from a rock and unwittingly wakes a sleeping bear who starts to follow him. Only when Mickey doubles around and comes across Pluto, still in his pointer position, does he realize that there is a bear behind him.
The bear appears to be belligerent, but rather than running away, Mickey first tries to talk to the bear, explaining that he and Pluto were only hunting quail. Mickey even introduces himself to the bear, saying "I hope you've heard of me."
The bear instead chases after Mickey and Pluto, who tear a path across the landscape back to their camp. That night they happily eat a supper of canned beans.
" in 1956. For this appearance, Pluto was omitted, and Mickey was redrawn having different clothes and carrying a fishing pole instead of a shotgun.
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...
as he tries to teach his dog 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...
to be a pointer dog
Pointing breed
A pointing breed is a type of gundog typically used in finding game. Gundogs are traditionally divided into three classes: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. The name pointer comes from the dog's instinct to point, by stopping and aiming its muzzle towards game. This demonstrates to...
during a quail hunt. It was directed by Clyde Geronimi
Clyde Geronimi
Clyde "Gerry" Geronimi was an Italian-American animation director. He is best known for his work at Walt Disney Productions....
and features the voices of 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 and Lee Millar as Pluto.
The Pointer is considered a milestone in the development of Mickey Mouse as a character. It was his first animated appearance after he was significantly redesigned by animator Fred Moore the previous year. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 12th Academy Awards
12th Academy Awards
The 12th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1939, was held on February 29, 1940, at a banquet in the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It was hosted by Bob Hope ....
in 1940, but untimely lost to Disney's own The Ugly Duckling, the final installment of the Silly Symphony
Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies is a series of animated short subjects, 75 in total, produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939, while the studio was still located at Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles...
series.
Plot
Mickey Mouse and Pluto are camping in the woods about to set out hunting. Mickey reads to Pluto from an instructional book how to point at game and not move. Mickey promises that if they are successful they will have "quailQuail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
on toast, and maybe a nice big juicy bear steak" that night. They then set out into the forrest, Mickey carrying a shotgun.
But the first time they see quail, Pluto gets too excited, knocks Mickey over, and scares the birds away. Mickey scolds Pluto, but later softens, realizing that Pluto is a mutt
Mixed-breed dog
A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
and won't be able to learn. They set off again, but become separated. Pluto again hears some quail, and points at them. He is careful this time not to move at all, even to the point of letting the quail jump up on him and pull his fur. Mickey however, is unaware that Pluto is not right behind him. He jumps down from a rock and unwittingly wakes a sleeping bear who starts to follow him. Only when Mickey doubles around and comes across Pluto, still in his pointer position, does he realize that there is a bear behind him.
The bear appears to be belligerent, but rather than running away, Mickey first tries to talk to the bear, explaining that he and Pluto were only hunting quail. Mickey even introduces himself to the bear, saying "I hope you've heard of me."
The bear instead chases after Mickey and Pluto, who tear a path across the landscape back to their camp. That night they happily eat a supper of canned beans.
Use in other media
Animation of Mickey whistling and walking through the woods was reused in the Disneyland episode "The Plausible ImpossibleThe Plausible Impossible
"The Plausible Impossible" is an episode of the Disneyland television program. Originally aired in 1956, it shows Walt Disney explaining how drawings and animation have things that are impossible seem plausible, as evidenced in ancient history and various cartoons with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
" in 1956. For this appearance, Pluto was omitted, and Mickey was redrawn having different clothes and carrying a fishing pole instead of a shotgun.
Releases
- 1961 – Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, episode #8.5 "The Hunting Instinct" (TV)
- 1983 – "Cartoon Classics: Pluto" (VHS)
- 1997 – Ink & Paint Club, episode #1.2 "Mickey's Landmarks" (TV)
- 2004 &dnash; "Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Volume Two" (DVD)
- 2006 – "Walt Disney's Funny Factory with Mickey Mouse" (DVD)
- 2011 – iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
(digital download)