The Sleepwalker (1942 film)

The Sleepwalker is a cartoon starring Mickey's dog Pluto. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1942.[1] The short marks the debut of Dinah the Dachshund, who later appears (with a design change) in Canine Casanova (1945), In Dutch (1946), Pluto's Heart Throb (1950) and Wonder Dog (1950), becoming Pluto's recurring love interest.[2]

The Sleepwalker
Pluto is walking in his sleep.
Directed byClyde Geronimi
Produced byWalt Disney
StarringPinto Colvig
Music byLeigh Harline
Color processTechnicolor
Production
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Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • July 3, 1942 (1942-07-03) (USA)
Running time
7 min (one reel)
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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Pluto is seen, happily sleeping while licking his bone. Dinah the Dachshund (in her first cartoon appearance), watching from a hole in a fence also wants the bone too, so she sneaks up and carefully pulls away Pluto's bowl which contains the bone from him and takes it herself. Pluto's tongue detects that the bone is gone before he wakes up and is shocked to see that Dinah is licking his bone. Furious, Pluto chases after Dinah through the neighbourhood and takes the bone back.

Soon after, Pluto goes back to sleep and soon begins sleepwalking and, while in this state, gives his bone to Dinah, but every time he wakes up, he thinks she has stolen it again, and angrily takes it back. Pluto finally snaps when he catches her trying to burry the bone, and not only chases her back to her doghouse, but also destroys the house in rage.

It is here that Pluto makes a shocking discovery, Dinah has puppies, and now have no shelter (it begins to rain and the puppies desperately attempt to cover themselves under their mother). Overcome with guilt for his actions, Pluto quickly gives Dinah and her puppies his doghouse to stay in, along with a pile of his bones. Greatful, Dinah gives Pluto a kiss, and an overjoyed Pluto happily goes back to sleep in the rain.

Voice cast

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Releases

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Home media

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The short was released on December 7, 2004, on Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Pluto: 1930-1947.[3]

Additional releases include:

References

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  1. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 119–120. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.
  2. ^ Grant, John (1998). Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters (2nd ed.). Hyperion. p. 42. ISBN 978-0786863365.
  3. ^ "The Complete Pluto Volume 1 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
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