One of the more well-known Classic Disney Shorts, this short is centered around Mickey getting surprised on his birthday by Minnie and all of his friends. After opening his present, an electric organ, he and the others launch into a series of musical and dance routines, while Hilarity Ensues in the kitchen as Goofy attempts to bake a cake.
Tropes used by this short:
- Birthday Episode: While Mickey's "official" birthday is in November, this cartoon was released in February 1942. Nevertheless, it is often promoted on or around Mickey's birthday in recent years.
- Carrying a Cake: At the end, Goofy comes out of the kitchen with Mickey's cake, but the door swings into him from behind, making him fall forward and spill the cake all over the birthday boy.
- Covered in Gunge: Goofy ends up covered in batter lava after his third attempt at baking the cake results in it becoming a volcano.
- At the end of the short, Mickey gets covered in cake after Goofy spills it through his usual clumsiness.
- Eat the Camera: Mickey does a memorable one during his dance routine, shimmying first into the camera until his mouth engulfs it, and then bouncing back again.
- Endangered Soufflé: During Goofy's second attempt at baking the cake, he tries to tiptoe away from the oven to avoid making any sudden noises that could cause it to sink. Unfortunately, he trips over a rolling pin, and the cake not only collapses, but becomes so heavy that it falls right through the floor!
- Everything Dances: At one point during Mickey's dance, his cane dances alongside him.
- Happy Birthday to You!: The gang sings this to Mickey at the end. This was before the song's copyright status became an issue, so Disney had no problem using it.
- Hat Damage: When Mickey is surprised and vigorously greeted by his friends, his brim of his hat winds up ripped. It's fine in the next scene, though.
- Idea Bulb: Goofy has one when he gets the idea to simply buy a birthday cake, and he then turns it off by pulling its chain. It currently provides the page image.
- Lampshade Wearing: When Mickey arrives for his surprise birthday party, Donald hides by putting on a lampshade and passing himself off as a lamp.
- Off-Model: Because Mickey's dance routine came from a piece of Recycled Animation (see below), his porkpie hat suddenly has a larger and flatter brim like a straw hat.
- Oven Logic: Goofy's third attempt at baking the cake has him turning the oven all the way up to "volcano heat" in an effort to save time. This results in the batter literally forming into a miniature volcano and erupting all over the kitchen.
- Recycled Animation:
- The animation of Minnie applying her makeup before answering the door was taken from the 1939 commercial short Mickey's Surprise Party.
- Mickey's dance routine was lifted from a scene what was allegedly animated by Ward Kimball for, but dropped from, The Reluctant Dragon. The animation was reworked by Riley Thompson to give Mickey the polo shirt and tennis shoes he wears here, whereas the original had him wearing his standard red shorts and yellow shoes.
- Right Out of My Clothes: At the end of the conga sequence, Clara Cluck vigorously shakes Donald around until she tosses him into the air. She hangs onto his shirt while an exhausted (and nude) Donald is dangling from the chandelier.
- Sombrero Equals Mexican: When the party goes into a conga, Donald wears a sombrero and serape. It should be noted that this short was made while Walt and his artists were on a goodwill tour of Latin America to do research for several shorts and films, the latter of which became Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Donald's partner in the conga dance is Clara Cluck, who is easily twice his size.
