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Pluto's Judgement Day

Release date: 31. Aug 1935 | Running time: 00:08:13

Released on August 31, 1935, Pluto’s Judgement Day is a surprisingly dark and haunting Mickey Mouse cartoon from Walt Disney Productions. In this surreal short, Pluto falls asleep and dreams he’s dragged to the Underworld by a group of ghostly, vengeful cats, where he’s put on trial for his past cruelty toward felines.

While it begins as a standard Mickey-and-Pluto outing, the cartoon quickly transforms into a gothic courtroom drama - with fire, shadows, and intense visuals that feel closer to The Skeleton Dance than a lighthearted pet story.


🎬 Why is it worth watching?

  • A rare example of morality-themed animation in Disney shorts
  • Features striking expressionist visuals, flames, and spooky imagery
  • Pluto is the star, undergoing a complete emotional arc
  • Surreal dream sequence recalls early horror-influenced Disney
  • A memorable blend of comedy, darkness, and redemption


🎨 Trivia:

  • Directed by David Hand, who also worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • This was one of the few cartoons to give Pluto a speaking role—though only in the dream
  • The “cat jury” includes various parodies of courtroom and musical characters
  • Demonstrates Disney’s willingness to explore moral and psychological themes during the 1930s
  • Often considered one of the most intense Pluto cartoons ever made
Technicolor

Where to watch?

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