Just about every studio has seen the visual possibilities inherent in doing cartoons involving firemen and fires. This is one of the early ones and it works exceedingly well. While I don't know that they started here, a number of the standard gags are here and they work to perfection. Disney was basically firing on all cylinders during this period and was more or less the only studio on top of the mountain in 1935, given that Fleischer was starting a slow fade, though still doing good work, as the new Code's requirements began taking its toll on the Betty Boop series. Warner Brothers and MGM were not yet as good as Disney or Fleischer and Lantz didn't really hit his stride until Andy Panda and Woody Woodpecker came along. Disney was king and precise, very technically excellent shorts like Mickey's Fire Brigade were the result. Disney spent more time and effort on a seven-eight minute cartoon than some studios took with their feature films! Great cartoon (and very funny) well worth watching. Most highly recommended.
Review of Mickey's Fire Brigade
Mickey's Fire Brigade
(1935)
Exceptional sight gags in a technically well-executed short that's also funny!
26 December 2003