First Aiders

This is a pretty funny cartoon short that features both Pluto and Figaro, trying to impress Minnie into helping her learn about first aid. But, Pluto and Figaro's love/hate relationship have them getting each other into trouble for help. Their antics, them taunting each other while Minnie's back is turned and slapstick comedy will send laughs to the audience.

From Figaro chasing a spool of bandages rolling away under a rocking chair to Pluto getting entangled in splinters, they find themselves being the ones that really need first aid themselves.

A funny little cartoon with great animation. One of the better ones featuring Minnie, Pluto and Figaro together.

Grade A-

A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon.

FIRST AIDERS Pluto & Figaro are eager to help Minnie Mouse learn how to apply bandages - until their dog/cat rivalry threatens to make a shambles of everything.

This was one of a handful of cartoon shorts Figaro appeared in after his success in PINOCCHIO (1940). The film is humorous, but nothing out of the ordinary. Poor Minnie never could seem to get a starring role of her own - here she gets third place ranking after the two pets.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a storm of naysayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

First Aiders is not one of my favourites, but it is more than worthwhile. Routine story-wise perhaps, but so much compensates. It is beautifully animated, with character designs that look professional and don't look too cute and fluid, colourful background art. First Aiders is rousingly and dynamically scored, always enhancing the gags and orchestrated beautifully. The pace is crisp, and throughout the cartoon is very humorous and imaginatively timed. All three characters are always worth watching, Minnie is good, but she is outshone by Pluto and Figaro. Both cute and energetic characters with great chemistry and priceless facial expressions too.

All in all, very worthwhile, always cute and fun without going overboard in either area. 9/10 Bethany Cox