The Haunted House (1929) is Mickey at his most terrified

If you have seven minutes to spare and want to see Mickey Mouse genuinely lose his mind with fear, you should probably watch this today. It is perfect for anyone who likes old-school animation where things just bounce for no reason.

People who hate high-pitched whistling or repetitive music will probably want to skip it though. It is very much a product of its time, scratches and all.

The movie starts with Mickey out in a storm that looks like someone just drew lines over the film with a marker. He looks so much smaller and more vulnerable here than the corporate mascot we know now.

He finds this house, and the moment he walks in, the door locks itself. It is a classic trope, but the way Mickey reacts by shaking so hard his ears wobble is pretty funny.

There is this one shot of his shadow on the wall that feels way too big and scary for a cartoon. Then the lights go out and you just see his eyes darting around in the dark.

Suddenly, these skeletons appear out of nowhere. They aren't really mean, they just seem like they want to party in a very specific way.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Haunted House (1929) through its definitive frames.

One of the skeletons has a voice that sounds like a gravelly old man, which is kind of unsettling if you think about it too much. He tells Mickey to play the organ, and Mickey is too scared to say no.

The middle of the film is just a long music sequence. Mickey’s fingers turn into these long, noodly things as he hits the keys.

I noticed that the skeletons use their own ribs like a xylophone. It is a bit macabre but the animation is so stretchy and fluid that you don't really mind the graveyard vibes.

Compared to other 1929 releases like The Great Divide, this feels much more energetic. Even if it is just a bunch of bones dancing in a circle.

There is a weird bit where a skeleton hides in a grandfather clock. It just stands there ticking, which felt like a joke that went on a couple seconds too long.

The music is catchy, I guess, but it gets stuck in your head in a way that is almost annoying. It’s that old-timey jazz that feels like it’s vibrating inside your skull.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Haunted House (1929) through its definitive frames.

I like how the skeletons don't really have a motive. They don't want to eat him; they just want a soundtrack for their dance routine.

It reminds me a little bit of the vibe in Spring, mostly because of how everything in the environment seems to have a heartbeat. Even the furniture seems to be moving slightly to the beat.

The ending is a bit of a mess, to be honest. Mickey just sort of jumps out a window and runs away while the skeletons keep doing their thing.

It doesn't really have a lesson or a big finish. It just... stops.

But that is okay because the animation has this crunchy, hand-drawn soul that you don't see anymore. You can tell someone really sat there and obsessed over how a skeleton's pelvis would jiggle.

If you enjoy seeing early Disney before it got too polished, this is a neat little relic. It’s spooky but in a way that feels like a haunted hayride at a local farm. 🎃

I did find myself wondering why Mickey was out in the middle of nowhere anyway. But the movie doesn't care about logic, so I shouldn't either.

It’s a fun watch if you’re bored. Just don’t expect a deep story or anything like that.