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