The Picnic

"The Picnic" is an odd blending of ultra-cutesy (yeck!) with good old fashioned cynicism--making for an unusual but very watchable cartoon short.

It begins with Mickey going to pick up Minnie and her dog, Rover*. And, in a scene VERY reminiscent of "National Lampoon's Vacation", they tie the dog's lead to the rear bumper and set out for a picnic. Once there, Rover runs about trying to catch rabbits while Mickey and Minnie and the other animals dance about to the music. It would all have been nauseating except that soon the animals and bugs begin stealing all of the picnic items--which is pretty funny. Overall, compared to the average cartoon of the time, this one is superior and rather clever. Certainly not among Mickey's best but quite good. Also, the print is a bit scratchy but not enough to discourage you from watching.

*Rover is clearly an early version of Pluto and looks exactly like him. But, the sign on the doghouse clearly says 'Rover'.