Goofy and Wilbur

Goofy and Wilbur is a 1939 animated cartoon short produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures on March 17, 1939.[1] Although the cartoon is billed as a Mickey Mouse cartoon (as said on the theatrical poster), it was the first cartoon which featured Goofy in a solo role without Mickey Mouse and/or Donald Duck.

Goofy and Wilbur
Original theatrical poster
Directed byDick Huemer
Story byOtto Englander
Produced byWalt Disney
StarringDanny Webb
Music byPaul J. Smith
Animation byArt Babbitt
Izzy Klein
Ed Love
Wolfgang Reitherman
Bernard Wolf
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • March 17, 1939 (1939-03-17)
Running time
8 minutes 5 seconds
LanguageEnglish

In this cartoon Goofy goes fishing with his pet grasshopper, Wilbur, only for persistent bad luck to befall the duo. This cartoon has a violent depiction because Wilbur is nearly, or perhaps actually, killed.[2]

Plot

Goofy and his friend Wilbur, a tame grasshopper, team up for a fishing expedition. Goofy decides to use Wilbur as bait, but has second thoughts when he realizes too late, that his friend might actually get eaten by a fish.[3] Goofy has a row boat and a net, but no fishing rod. Wilbur, being a live bug, becomes the perfect choice for bait inside the net, which will lure fish when the boat approaches.[4]

Wilbur's life depends on the hapless and incompetent Goofy to save the little bug, who becomes the bait for a half-dozen fish.[5] As Wilbur gets tricked again and again, he is even swallowed by a frog; then that frog gets eaten by a stork, all while Goofy desperately attempts a chasing rescue.[4] In the end Wilbur hatches out of the stork egg, and to Goofy's relief, is unharmed.

Reception

The Film Daily wrote, "Wilbur, the grasshopper, is a new character among Disney creations, and will immediately have millions of cheering fans.. The affection between him and his master, Goofy, is something beautiful to behold... The characterization of Wilbur is so real, that one seems to have known him a long time. All Disney followers will welcome him."[6]

Voice cast

Releases

Home media

The short was released on December 2, 2002 on Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Goofy.[8] It was be released to Disney+ on August 11, 2023.[9]


Additional releases include:

References
  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 86–87. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. "Cartoons of 1939: 035 Goofy and Wilbur". The Cartoons of Project: 1939. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  3. "Goofy and Wilbur A Goofy Cartoon". The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  4. "Goofy and Wilbur (1939) Plot Summary". IMDb / plot summary. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. "Goofy And Wilbur: Synopsis". The Big Cartoon Database. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  6. "Short Subject Reviews". The Film Daily. 74 (81): 8. October 12, 1938. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  7. "The Age - Google News Archive Search".
  8. "The Complete Goofy DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  9. The D23 Team (June 19, 2023). "Disney+ to Debut 28 Restored Classic Walt Disney Animation Studios Shorts". D23. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
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