Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "The Sleepwalker" is another Disney cartoon from the days of World War II, 1942 to be specific, which means this one had its 75th anniversary last year already and it was directed like so many others by Clyde Geronimi and Pinto Colvig is on board too as always with the Disney doggy characters. It is of course in color and runs for minimally over 7 minutes like they usually do. Pluto is the star in here, but the real star is probably the female dachshund with her little puppies. I can see why some may see this film as a bit repetitive and boring as a consequence as the plot for the first 5 minutes or so is really very linear I'd say. But I still ended up liking it because of Dinah. It's a shame we don't see her in any other cartoons as far as I remember, but yeah at least we got her here. Her sadness, starving and misery are really touching to watch and this is a little movie that definitely melted my heart thanks to her. And the ending is nice too as we see that Pluto really is a good guy after all after seeming like a true beast at times in here. You don't see him too often like that and it was pretty scary on one occasion even. So this is one of the best cartoons from 1942 and it is far from being one of the most known Pluto cartoons, criminally underseen and if I say it is among the best from its year, then you must know that animation and cartoons were really as good as it gets during that time. I highly recommend checking it out. A must-see for lovers of old cartoons. From the comedy perspective, I loved how they constantly made funny references about the dachshund's anatomy depicting her as a stretchable sausage.

OllieSuave-007 Pluto is trying to take an afternoon nap while having his dog bone as a treat, but it is taken away by Dinah the Dachshund; she is sad she doesn't have any food or treats in her dog plate. After Pluto takes his bone back, he falls into a deep sleep and sleepwalks, giving the bone back to Dinah; this happens at least twice in the process.I know you really shouldn't take things from other people without asking first, but Pluto was pretty mean in this one by frightening away poor Dinah, chasing her and stomping on her doghouse. But, Pluto does show heart eventually when he discovers Dinah has a little of pups she is trying to protect.This is a charming little cartoon which is not the laugh-out-loud kind, but is funny nonetheless. The animation is bright and colorful and the background music has a soothing and heartfelt feel to it. A nice one overall featuring Pluto.Grade B+

John T. Ryan DISDAINING THE INCLUSION of any other more "human-like", anthropomorphic characters, such as Mickey, Donald or Goofy, this short is one beautiful example of Pluto's being handled at his very best. Although this ploy is an oft used plot element and not necessarily new at this period (the first full year of WWII for the U.S.A), it possibly was never better applied.IN OTHER CARTOONS the absence of on-screen speaking characters is supplemented by using the narrator. The latter day production of the Pluto starring vehicle, THE LEGEND OF COYOTE ROCK, is a prime example.IN THIS PARTICULAR short animated subject, we start with a basic premise; that being Pluto's love of his hoarded collection of bones. He even keeps track of the current one in his dish as he sleeps. He is portrayed as even licking the very chomp-able portion of calcium & marrow and keeping tabs of its whereabouts and proximity to his doghouse by use of taste & tongue.ENTER HIS NEXT door neighboring Daschound, Dinah. She stealthily maneuvers her short but lengthy body around our slumbering hero and relieves him of it. Upon waking, Pluto immediately traces it down; and recovers it with the use of implied physical force.THE SITUATION IS then complicated when Pluto begins sleepwalking, which is accompanied with his subconsciously returning the bone to the petite, little pooch. Upon his waking, Pluto immediately reverses his seeming generosity. He has an automatic knee-jerk reaction of forcefully reclaiming his crunchy chewable.THIS SITUATION CONTINUES that way until it comes to light that Dinah has a litter of pups to care for. Feeling like a real heel (literally illustrated on screen), Pluto not only brings his entire stash of crunchies to her family, but also offers his own doghouse in place of hers; which he has angrily destroyed. He does so just as a rainfall is starting; even though he has to take refuge under some old newspapers.THE PRODUCTION TEAM manages to at once give us a laugh romp, while at the same time, they add a little touch of pathos. It is, after all, Wartime and we all have to stick together even more so than in better, more peaceful days.IF THERE IS one element in THE SLEEPWALKER that we find that reminds us of any previous film's plot it is that of having Pluto behave so radically different when awake and while sleepwalking. Freely giving the little dog his bones when sleepwalking is followed up with his not remembering his kindly deed while fully awake, he repeatedly took them back. DOES THIS PARTICULAR bit of plot business remind the reader of anything that was done prior in a movie? WELL, WHAT ABOUT the millionaire who befriends Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character in CITY LIGHTS (1931)? When he was inebriated, the rich man was Charlie's pal; giving him anything, even his expensive automobile. Upon his awakening from his state of intoxication, the millionaire has no recollection of his friendship his generous "gifts" to Charlie.SO, WHETHER OR not he was aware of it, Pluto was now on the same plain as Chaplin!

soymilk 'The Sleepwalker' is probably the one single Disney short which, for me anyhow, best epitomises everything that kept their classic workings head and shoulders above most of Warner Bros' output. Not that Bugs and his posse weren't slick enough in their own right, but, with a few exceptions, it wasn't often that they deviated from their standard dog-eat-dog routines, what with always being so intent on blowing each other up with dynamite or pulping each other with mallets – entertaining when you're in the right frame of mind, but so, so formulaic, and I always found it a lot harder to warm to the characters.Walt's short films, while still blessed with their fair share of calamity, were never as dependant on that constant slew of matches, TNT and anvils to keep things going – just straightforward yet engaging stories all chiefly driven by the characters behind them. Above all, the Disney ensemble had a real sense of heart that you rarely detected in the Warner Bros creations, and this may well be the most potent example I've ever seen. I had 'the Sleepwalker' - concerning Pluto's dispute with a pretty female dachshund named Dinah over the ownership of a bone - somewhere on videotape when I was very young, so I sorta grew up watching it, and really came to appreciate the heartfelt messages it contained about redemption, sharing and selflessness.It's hard not to be swayed by the charming simplicity of Pluto's own non-dialogue cartoons – the orange-coloured mutt may have lacked the same power of speech of most of his Disney comrades, but he was easily as expressive and well-defined, and you could always count on his shorts to achieve that exemplary balance between slapstick and warmth. As a character, he could be naïve, self-centred and even outright aggressive at times, but deep down Pluto was always a friendly and sensitive dog, as 'the Sleepwalker' deftly showcases. Whilst awake, he viciously guards that bone of his, but when asleep, almost willingly carries to the hungry Dinah, much to her confusion, because (I presume), subconsciously, he wants her to have it.The entire story is lovingly crafted, the 1940s animation top notch, and the lively instrumental score suits the action perfectly. The end result is one of the most thoroughly touching and feel-good little films to arise from the Disney canon. Well, what can I say – Pluto and Dinah were a winning combination.Grade: A+