1931 - Character Development

by Craig D. Barton

“By 1931, the Mickey Mouse Club had a million members, and Mickey was known in every civilized country of the world. Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., ingratiated himself to Polynesian natives by showing them Mickey Mouse cartoons, and Mary Pickford declared Mickey her favorite star. In London, Madam Tussaud’s museum enshrined Mickey in wax. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt write to Walt from the White House: ‘My husband is one of the devotees of Mickey Mouse… Please believe that we are all of us most grateful to you for many delightful evenings.’ “ – Bob Thomas, Walt Disney: An American Original

Mickey was the star of not just the Walt Disney Company, but the world, as it seemed. With Mickey, of course, was Minnie, by his side, sharing in his adventures. Adventures that often pitted the two against Pete the Cat, a recurring foil for Mickey. Clarabelle Cow had made a few appearances, as had Horace Horsecollar. Through the adventures of one Mouse, Disney had been building a stable of characters. Of course, they didn’t always start out as the characters they became, such as the evolution of Pete - from a Bear in Alice Comedies to a brute of a boss cat in Steamboat Willie, development continued.

One of these character developments started in 1930, but didn’t become the character we know and love today until 1931. Walt told the story: “We were doing a short with Mickey Mouse. I think it was called THE CHAIN GANG—where he escaped from prison and they sent the hounds after him. And one of these hounds—we were foolin’ around with this hound—it was on the trail of this… runaway mouse, and we…out of that came this friendly hound character. And from there on we said, ‘Well, we can use him.’ And before we knew it, we had him in as Mickey’s pal. Oh, we had changed him a little bit form the hound, but that’s how it started.“ This “friendly hound” would next be seen in “The Picnic,” but as Minnie’s dog, Rover.

Random Dog, no resemblance to anyone, in "The Chain Gang."

1931 saw Mickey decide to go on a “Moose Hunt” and bring along his trusty dog, Pluto. Pluto was the name that finally stayed with him, much like Pluto the Pup would stay by Mickey’s side from that point on. But why the name Pluto? While there’s been lots of speculation (the Planet? The Greek God?), the answer from animator Ben Sharpsteen is one that stands out. “"We thought the name [Rover] was too common, so we had to look for something else,” Sharpsteen recalled. “We changed it to Pluto the Pup ... but I don't honestly remember why.” Regardless of reason, the name Pluto stuck with him, and the character of this loyal friend stuck in the hearts of fans worldwide.



Mickey and Pluto the Pup, finding what they were looking for in "The Moose Hunt."

Toward the end of 1931, the company faced another character development, one on a much more different and personal level. Years of total work immersion, along with the stress of running a company with all of its business dealings and staffing issues had begun to take its toll on Walt. Yes, Mickey was a success, but the financial troubles that had plagued the company as they had with Charles Mintz and Pat Powers were still prominent with his new distribution partner, Columbia Pictures. With times tight and work demands increasing, Walt suffered a nervous breakdown.

While maybe not behind a drawing board as much, Walt was understandably the epitome of all work and no play.

As he put it in an interview with Pete Martin, “In 1931, I had a hell of a breakdown. I went all to pieces. As we got going along, I kept expecting more from the artists, and when they let me down, I got worried. Just pound, pound, pound. Costs were going up, and I was always way over what they figured the pictures would bring in. I just got very irritable. I got to the point that I couldn’t talk on the telephone. I just began to cry at the least little thing. It used to be hard to sleep. It was an emotional thing, so I had to go away. I just finished a picture that I was so sick of. Oh gosh, I was so sick of it! I went to a doctor, and he said, ‘You’ve just got to get away, that’s all there is to it. I can’t do anything for you.’ “

The truth was, if Walt didn’t take a break, things were only going to get worse. Taking the doctors advice, along with encouragement from Roy, Walt and Lilian took a long vacation to travel the world. They traveled to Washington DC to visit multiple monuments (and turned down a chance to meet President Hoover, as Walt thought Hoover was much to busy for something like that!), took a train to Key West, cruised to Cuba, and then traveled through the Panama Canal before returning to California and the studios before the year was up. According to Bob Thomas, Walt returned to the studio relaxed, especially refreshed by the last leg of his trip. 

Walt during his visit to Cuba in 1931. Forget the Mona Lisa, what's behind THAT grin?

More mindful of his own health, both physically and mentally, Walt was ready to get back to work.

Author’s note: I often stand in awe of Walt Disney because of stories like the one shared above. While it’s easy to place the man on a pedestal as a “magic maker” and a “dreamer who made dreams come true” (and let’s face it – there are many myths about him perpetuated based on these views), I love to hear about these very real moments. Not many can relate to growing up in small town Marceline, or creating a mouse character on a train ride home. But how many of us can say we’re let stress get the best of us, have become irritable, and have just plain broken down? While “I had a hell of a breakdown” may not be a Walt quote that appears on coffee mugs, it’s an important reminder to all of us that he had very real struggles. He had to take a step back, take a break, and remember to take care of himself. If he had not, the story could have very well ended with Mickey, Minnie, Pete, Clarabelle, Horace, and Pluto. There wouldn’t be much “magic” left in him. When we look at all of his successes, it’s a reminder for us that above all else, he was human.

And that humanity is character that I truly admire.



1931

• “The Adventures of Mickey Mouse,” he first published hardback Disney book, is released by the David McKay Company.
• Mickey’s Dog gets a name – Pluto – in “The Moose Hunt.”
• Walt Disney suffers a nervous breakdown.

1931 Animated Releases:

   Mickey Mouse - The Birthday Party - January 6

   Silly Symphonies - Birds of a Feather - February 4

   Mickey Mouse - Traffic Troubles - March 14

   Mickey Mouse - The Castaway - April 6

   Silly Symphonies - Mother Goose Melodies - April 17

   Mickey Mouse - The Moose Hunt - May 8

   Silly Symphonies - The China Plate - May 25

   Mickey Mouse - The Delivery Boy - June 15

   Silly Symphonies - The Busy Beavers - June 27

   Mickey Mouse - Mickey Steps Out - July 16

   Silly Symphonies - The Cat's Out - July 28

   Mickey Mouse - Blue Rhythm - August 18

   Silly Symphonies - Egyptian Melodies - August 27

   Mickey Mouse - Fishin' Around - September 14

   Silly Symphonies - The Clock Store - September 30

   Mickey Mouse - The Barnyard Broadcast - October 9

   Silly Symphonies - The Spider and the Fly - October 16

   Mickey Mouse - The Beach Party - November 4

   Silly Symphonies - The Fox Hunt - November 18

   Mickey Mouse - Mickey Cuts Up - December 2

   Mickey Mouse - Mickey's Orphans - December 9

   Silly Symphonies - The Ugly Duckling - December 19

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*"The Walt Disney Company: 100 Years in 100 Weeks" is a project conceived by Craig D. Barton and presented by Communerdy. It is in no way affiliated with The Walt Disney Company, and any opinions presented within its content are that of the author(s). For more updates, follow us on https://www.instagram.com/disney100in100/ .