Squatter's Rights is a 1946 cartoon from Disney, directed by Jack Hannah.
It is the second appearance of the mischievous chipmunks Chip 'n Dale. Mickey Mouse takes Pluto to a rustic vacation cabin in the snowy forest. Apparently Mickey hasn't been there for a while, because Chip and Dale have made a home in the wood-burning stove. A terrified Chip and Dale blow out Mickey's matches when he tries to light a fire in the stove. This draws the attention of Pluto, and the latter portion of the cartoon is the war between Pluto and the wily chipmunks.
Tropes:
- Agony of the Feet: Chip and Dale pull the old "hot foot" prank on Mickey, putting a lit match under his foot, and then make it seem like Pluto did it.
- Butt-Monkey: Pluto definitely gets outwitted by Chip and Dale.
- By the Lights of Their Eyes: Chip and Dale peeking out of the stove top, seeing Mickey and his matches. That's when Pluto first notices them.
- Dramatic Gun Cock: Comic hijinks lead to Pluto precariously balanced between a chair and a rifle on the wall, with his nose stuck in the rifle barrel. As gravity slowly pulls Pluto to the ground, he realizes that one of the pegs on which the gun is mounted is right in front of the trigger, and Pluto, as he slowly falls, is slowly pulling on the trigger. The hammer of the rifle makes the Dramatic Gun Cock noise as it sloooowly pulls back.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: In this short the two chipmunks look and act basically identical. Later Chip & Dale shorts both changed them physically (Dale got a red nose) and gave them more distinct personalities, with Chip being more methodical and Dale being more impulsive.
- Gray-and-Gray Morality: On one hand, Chip and Dale are in the wrong for squatting in Mickey's cabin. On the other hand, Mickey hadn't been to that cabin for a long period of time and the chipmunks only retaliated when Mickey and especially Pluto tried to light the stove that could have burned them to death.
- Jerkass: Pluto here seems rather keen on having the two chipmunks burned to death.
- Mouse World: Chip and Dale have made themselves a cozy little home in the stove. They use a matchbox for a bed, and the back of a spoon as a mirror.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: The rifle goes off. Pluto crashes to the ground unhurt, though, with the rifle falling on top of him. Chip and Dale dump some ketchup on Pluto so it looks like he's shot. Mickey comes back to see what the gun shot was, spots Pluto on the floor seemingly covered in blood, and panics. He barrels out the door and runs away with Pluto in his arms, as the chipmunks celebrate inside.
- Pietà Plagiarism: Mickey does this with Pluto after thinking he got shot.
- Recycled Animation: The scene where Mickey scolds Pluto and then says "I can't stay mad at you" is borrowed from the 1939 short "The Pointer", down to using the same sound clip for Mickey's line.
- Slasher Smile: Pluto sports this a few times, just to make it clear how much he wants the chipmunks dead. Is it little wonder why Chip and Dale are so scared?
- Vacation Episode: Mickey takes Pluto off to his seldom-seen cabin in the woods, where Pluto does battle with two chipmunks.
