On this date, in 1950 the very first Goofy driving short was released, Motor Mania. The cartoon was directed by Jack Kinney and produced by Walt himself. The cartoon shows how the character, as the happy-go-lucky “Mr. Walker”, undergoes a change in personality to the violent “Mr. Wheeler” when he gets behind the wheel of his car. As Mr. Walker he’s good natured, while Mr. Wheeler, he is bad-to-the-bone. Upon reaching his destination in town (we are not shown the character’s reason for traveling) and leaving his automobile, he reverts to the mild-mannered Mr. Walker, whereupon he is the victim of other motorists’ unsafe (and sometimes even predatory) driving habits. However, once he returns to his car, he becomes Mr. Wheeler again, seeking to impose his own will upon traffic, to the point of blaming the tow truck that hauls him away for his slow pace after an auto accident.
Now you maybe wondering, why of all the cartoons we are mentioning this one. Well there are a few reason’s. This particular cartoon was the first to feature a redesigned Goofy. He didn’t have the floppy ears or his big front teeth. This film was as a Army commercial film used in 1955. This film, along with 2 other Goofy films, Freewayphobia#1 and Goofy’s Freeway Trouble, have been shown in driving schools across the country. Mr. Walker from the short, makes a cameo reading a newspaper in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. One other thing I noticed in this film, it’s pointed out that road rage was something that was occurring back in 1950 and something we still deal with today.
Here is the full length cartoon I found on Youtube and wanted to share it with all of you. The cartoon is from Disney Shorts
As co-owner and co-creator of The Main Street Mouse.Working in a technical support position for 18 years, it was time for a change.As the Webmaster and Project Planner, I spend most of my time researching everything from the latest Disney News, technology advances and of course keeping up on all the Marvel news that comes out.I never considered myself a writer but I’ve come to like blogging and sharing news with all.I feel blessed everyday that I get to spend my days working with my best friend and love of my life while we continue to grow and expand what started as a hobby all those years ago.
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When I saw this in my Driver’s Education course, 1957, it started my lifelong love affair with all things Goofy. Thanks for posting.