Mickey’s Rival: Why Mortimer is the Worst

Is it worth your time?

If you have eight minutes and a need to see a cartoon character absolutely lose his cool, then yes. It’s a classic case of the 'annoying guy from out of town' trope. If you hate watching someone get bullied by a guy in a flashy roadster, maybe skip it. It’s not exactly deep, but it’s meaner than most of the shorts from that era.

Mickey starts off so happy. He’s got the picnic basket, the blanket, the whole works. Then Mortimer rolls up in that car that looks like a giant lemon on wheels. The way he honks the horn is legitimately grating.

I noticed that Minnie spends a weirdly long time laughing at Mortimer’s terrible jokes. It’s uncomfortable to watch, honestly. Mickey just stands there, shrinking into his own shorts. We’ve all been that guy at the party.

The slapstick hits different

There’s a moment with a bull in a field that goes on way longer than it needs to. The animation on the bull is surprisingly fluid, but the pacing is chaos. It’s like the writers just decided, 'Let’s throw a bull in here because why not?'

Compared to something more grounded like Sprucin' Up, this feels like a fever dream. Mortimer is just so tall. He towers over everyone in a way that feels intentional and creepy.

• The car gag where the engine basically spits out a bunch of junk is pretty great.
• Mortimer’s laugh sounds like someone dragging a fork across a plate.
• The way the bull ignores everyone except Mickey is classic, if a bit predictable.

I found myself actually feeling bad for Mickey. Usually, he’s the hero who saves the day, but here he’s just taking Ls for the first five minutes. It’s a bold choice to make your mascot look like such a chump. 🐭

Anyway, the ending happens. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a 1936 short. I don't know if I’d call it a masterpiece, but it’s definitely memorable for how much Mortimer gets under your skin. He's a real piece of work.