Yeah, it's one of those shorts...
Mickey's Mellerdrammer is a Mickey Mouse cartoon that was first released on March 18, 1933.
In it, Mickey and Co. stage a low-budget production of Uncle Tom's Cabin, starring Minnie Mouse as Little Eva, Clarabelle Cow as Eliza, Horace Horsecollar as Simon Legree, and, of course, Mickey Mouse as Uncle Tom and Topsy.
Goofy also appears in this short as a stagehand.
Tropes:
- Ash Face: This is how Mickey dons his blackface, by allowing a stick of dynamite to explode in his face.
- Blackface: Blackface gags were commonplace at the time this cartoon was made, so it's probably not surprising:
- Clarabelle Cow dons her makeup as Eliza using lantern soot.
- Mickey himself takes a more comedic approach, using a stick of dynamite that explodes in his face.
- Finally, Goofy gets subject to two blackface gags, both of which involve chocolate pies.
- Crosscast Role: Here, Mickey is not only Uncle Tom, but the slave girl Topsy as well.
- Dastardly Whiplash: Horace Horsecollar portrays Simon Legree in this manner.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Literally; a chicken resembling Clara Cluck appears as an audience member here.
- End of an Era: This was the last short to have "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" in the ending titles. All subsequent shorts will end with an original fanfare.
- Hate Sink: The trope is parodied with Horace Horsecollar playing the evil Simon Legree. His costumed appearance is so ugly a mirror shatters from it; the audience boos at him whenever he shows up on stage; and when he begins to whip Uncle Tom (played by Mickey Mouse himself in Blackface), they start pelting him with all kinds of rotten fruit even when he stops playing the character for a curtain call. Ironically, Horace as Legree is perhaps the only part that modern audiences could enjoy in this outdated and racist short.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: Horace Horsecollar portrays the overseer Simon Legree. Unfortunately, his performance is so convincing that he ends up pelted with rotten produce.
- Minstrel Shows: Mickey and Co.'s performance of Uncle Tom's Cabin is in fact an in-universe minstrel show, complete with Mickey Mouse and Clarabelle Cow performing in blackface.
- Mirror-Cracking Ugly: While Horace Horsecollar isn't normally unpleasant to look at, his costumed appearance as Simon Legree gives him the looks to match his role's personality thanks to the permanent sneer on his face. After Horace puts on his costume, he snarls before his mirror, which shatters to his dismay.
- Non-Fatal Explosions: Mickey dons his blackface using a stick of dynamite.
- Produce Pelting: Horace Horsecollar is on the receiving end of this trope due to his all-too-convincing performance as Simon Legree.
- Shout-Out: After donning his blackface, Mickey shouts "Mammy!"
- The Show Must Go Wrong: Played for Laughs when some untrained dogs, playing the bloodhounds, get distracted by a frightened cat.
- Vaudeville Hook: Goofy gets one when he is accidentally flung onto the stage by Horace Horsecollar.
