Lonesome Ghosts



One of the most popular Classic Disney Shorts, this Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1937 is centered around Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy, who are running a Ghost Exterminating business as they are tricked into looking around a haunted house by the titular quartet of ghosts, who proceed to unleash their wrath upon our heroes. Unlike previous shorts themed around spooky stuff, Hilarity Ensues.

On a side note, these ghost characters (or at least ghosts similar in appearance) would later make an appearance, not in a Disney cartoon, but in a Walter Lantz cartoon "A Haunting We Will Go", featuring the Mel Blanc voiced Lil' Eightball being tricked into coming into their house. That short was also directed by the same director of this short, Burt Gillet.

This short, while it did not make it onto the actual list, made it as a runner up on Jerry Beck's The 50 Greatest Cartoons.


 * Animation Bump: This is a very lavishly animated short in general, even by Classic Disney Shorts standards. The ghosts in particular have very impressive glow effects, transparency and fading.
 * Coincidental Accidental Disguise: Mickey and friends get covered with molasses and flour, making them look like ghosts, which scares away the real ghosts.
 * Cross-Dressing Voices: Done in the actual short by one of the ghosts in order to trick Mickey and co. into coming to the house.
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Not quite. The ghosts in question aren't so much lonesome as they are just bored that there wasn't anybody around their house to scare.
 * Ghost Butler
 * Haunted House: Doy!
 * Horrifying the Horror: see Coincidental Accidental Disguise above.
 * Mind Screw: The part where Mickey is messing with the door, only for it to peel off the wall, fall on him, and then open up to have the Ghosts marching out of the floor to a classic army tune.
 * Mirror Routine: One of the ghosts does this to Goofy.
 * Off-Model: Pay attention to the door when Mickey and co. enter the house-the doorknob appears on the wrong side when it flips up and returns to its frame! (it was to the left from the outside)
 * Scenery Porn: This short has some very lovely backgrounds. Just look at the opening shots!
 * Too Dumb to Live: Gee Goofy, you didn't get the hint that your reflection was really one of the ghosts sooner?
 * Who You Gonna Call?