''Traffic Troubles'' is a

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...

short animated film first released on March 7, 1931, as part of the ''

'' film series. It was the twenty-sixth Mickey Mouse short to be produced, and the second of 1931.

Plot

Mickey is driving an anthropomorphized

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

in the city, and picks up an enormous pig who is so fat that he weighs down the car. An angry cat traffic cop browbeats Mickey for holding up traffic, and Mickey drives away as best he can. Mickey gets in a conflict with a tiny car driven by a dog, and cut each other off until the dog's car sinks into a water-filled pothole. Driving over rough road, the pig falls out of the car, and—after a rather violent parking job—Mickey discovers that his fare is gone. For his next fare,

Minnie Mouse Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasionally w ...

is in a hurry to get to her music lesson, and the pair whistle and play the accordion during the journey. Mickey gets a flat, and has a hard time filling up the tire again.

Peg-Leg Pete Pete (also called Peg-Leg Pete, Bad Pete and Black Pete, among other names) is a fictional character of The Walt Disney Company. Created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, Pete is traditionally depicted as the Archenemy, arch-nemesis of Mickey Mouse ...

, wearing a top hat and ragged tuxedo, comes by driving a tricycle marked "Dr. Pep's Snake Oil". He insists on filling up the car with his miracle cure. The car instantly comes to life and speeds away, leaving Mickey behind. By the time he catches up with it, it's careening into a final disastrous crash through a barnyard.

Production

According to animator

Ben Sharpsteen Benjamin Sharpsteen (November 4, 1895 – December 20, 1980) was an American film director and producer for Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment con ...

, the short was inspired by an incident in which

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

was fined by a traffic cop. Animator David Hand remembered drawing the scene of the taxicab blowing a tire several times for Disney, who wasn't satisfied and said that it didn't have enough exaggerated action. Hand finally drew a sequence so extreme and exaggerated that he thought Disney would get the point, but when Disney saw the sequence, he smiled, "There! You've got it! Why didn't you do it that way in the first place?" The short was used as the basis for a week-long story arc in Floyd Gottfredson's ''

'' comic strip, published January 12–17, 1931. (This was immediately after a week of strips inspired by another short, '' The Picnic''.) The week of strips includes a gag cut from the film, with Mickey avoiding a ticket for parking in front of a fire hydrant by disguising the hydrant as a customer.

Reception

In ''Mickey's Movies: The Theatrical Films of Mickey Mouse'', Gijs Grob writes: "''Traffic Troubles'' is a genuine gag cartoon without any songs or dances, but with fast action, plenty of gags building to a grand finale, and spectacular and flexible animation. A particular highlight is a funny scene in which a police officer asks Mickey many questions while silencing him at the same time... ''Traffic Troubles'' is the best Mickey Mouse film from 1931, and Mickey's first really great cartoon since ''

Steamboat Willie ''Steamboat Willie'' is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celeb ...

''." On the ''Disney Film Project'', Ryan Kilpatrick agrees: "All very well done and extremely funny. This may have been the funniest of the Mickey shorts so far." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' (May 6, 1931): "Not so much talk and music in this one but plenty of action around a taxi. Neither above or below others in this series. Mickey Mouse has a cab which behaves in a human manner, jumping out of the way of other cars, etc. Some novelty derived from that and the way the car runs away in a fit after trying a tonic. Drawing well defined, photog clear and recording passable." ''

The Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...

'' (May 10, 1931): "Funny. The traffic problem is well handled by Mickey in this humorous release. Walt Disney has gathered a score of new and novel gags that are sure-fire laugh-getters. Mickey starts out as a taxi driver but finds travel somewhat difficult with a large hog as his fare. The action is fast and the synchrony and effects well done."

Theatrical release

''Traffic Troubles'' was Disney's first cartoon to be featured at New York's Roxy Theatre.

Home media

The short was released on December 7, 2004 on '' Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two: 1929-1935''.

Television

The short was included in the TV shows ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...

'' (Season 1, Episode 83) and ''

Mickey's Mouse Tracks ''Mickey's Mouse Tracks'' is an American animated television series on The Disney Channel which ran from 1992 to 1995, and featured Disney cartoons and animated short films, dating from before the advent of The Disney Channel. A similar show was ...

'' (Season 1, Episode 73).

Voice actors

* Mickey Mouse, Peg-Leg Pete:

* Minnie Mouse:

Marcellite Garner Edna Marcellite Garner ( ; July 3, 1910 – July 26, 1993) was an American artist and voice actress. She is most remembered as the first regular voice of Minnie Mouse during her time working at Walt Disney Productions and has been partially c ...

* Officer: unknown

References

External links

* * {{Burt Gillett Mickey Mouse short films 1930s Disney animated short films 1931 short films American black-and-white films 1931 animated films 1931 films Films produced by Walt Disney American comedy films Columbia Pictures short films Columbia Pictures animated short films Films directed by Burt Gillett Films about taxis 1930s English-language films 1930s American films