''Squatter's Rights'' is a 1946

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

produced in

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

. The cartoon is about a confrontation between

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

and Chip and Dale who have taken up residence in

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

's hunting shack. It was the 119th short in the ''

'' film series to be released, and the only one produced that year. The film was directed by

Jack Hannah John Fredrick Hannah (January 5, 1913 – June 11, 1994) was an American animator, writer and director of animated shorts. He worked for Disney and Walter Lantz. Biography Hannah was born on January 5, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. After attend ...

and features the voices of Dessie Flynn as Chip and Dale, and Pinto Colvig as Pluto. Mickey Mouse was voiced by both

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

and Jimmy MacDonald, the latter making his debut as Mickey, and would go on to provide Mickey's voice for over 30 years. It was also Mickey's first post-war appearance. Some scenes featured recycled Mickey Mouse animation from the 1939 short '' The Pointer'', with new animation for Mickey almost entirely provided by Paul Murry, who is now largely known for his time as a Disney comic book artist. ''Squatter's Rights'' was released to theaters on June 7, 1946 by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

. In 1947, it was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year ...

at the

19th Academy Awards The 19th Academy Awards were held on March 13, 1947, honoring the films of 1946. The top awards portion of the ceremony was hosted by Jack Benny. ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' won seven of its eight nominations, including Best Picture, Bes ...

, but ultimately lost to '' The Cat Concerto'', an

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series ...

'' cartoon, which shared one of 7 Oscars for the ''Tom and Jerry'' series.

Plot

The chipmunks Chip 'n' Dale wake up one winter morning inside the wood stove they have made their home. The stove is located in

's hunting shack which appears to be unoccupied. Soon after, Mickey and Pluto arrive for the hunting season. Pluto soon discovers that the chipmunks are in the stove, and helps Mickey build a fire to smoke them out. Chip and Dale realize what is happening and manage to blow out Mickey's matches. From a hiding place underneath the stove, the chipmunks take a match and burns Mickey's foot with it. Mickey assumes that Pluto is to blame and scolds him. After Mickey leaves to get more wood, Pluto chases Chip and Dale around the room, across a table, and onto a mantel above the fireplace. Pluto accidentally gets his nose stuck in the muzzle of Mickey's rifle which is hanging over the fireplace. As Pluto tries to pull his nose free, he finds that the rifle is getting closer to going off in his face. Gradually the table which Pluto is standing on with his hind paws starts to slide back. Pluto falls and therefore causes the rifle to fire, which luckily misses him. He lands on the floor, with the rifle landing on his head and arm, momentarily knocking him unconscious. Chip and Dale then come and pour ketchup on him so that it would look like he is bleeding. Mickey returns having heard the gunshot, and he's horrified to see Pluto apparently gravely wounded. Pluto wakes up however and at first starts to comfort Mickey, but when he sees the ketchup, he starts to panic thinking it is his blood. Mickey hurriedly carries him off to find help, and Chip and Dale rejoice over regaining ownership of the property.

Voice actors

* Mickey Mouse:

* Pluto: Pinto Colvig * Chip: Jimmy MacDonald * Dale: Dessie Flynn

Production

Production for ''Squatter's Rights'' began in the spring of 1944, and finished by January 1946 upon the completion of the short film's Technicolor photography.

Releases

* 1946 - theatrical release * 1955 - ''

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

'', episode #2.5: "Adventures of Mickey Mouse" (TV) * 1975 - "Walt Disney's Cartoon Carousel" (TV) * c. 1992 - '' Mickey's Mouse Tracks'', episode #72 (TV) * 1997 - '' The Ink and Paint Club'', episode #1.5: "Chip 'n' Dale" (TV)

Home media

The short was released on December 7, 2004 on '' Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Pluto: 1930-1947''. Additional releases include: * 1984 - "Cartoon Classics: More of Disney's Best 1932-1946" (VHS) * 2010 -

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(digital download)

References