This is an early Disney short featuring Mickey Mouse. There will be spoilers ahead:Despite the title of the short, this isn't so much about a birthday party as it is an excuse to play music, as there really isn't any plot to this short. It's simply a series of musical interludes strung together with some interesting animation and some character interaction.Minnie gives Mickey a surprise party, with their friends hiding and then yelling "Surprise!" when he comes in. Minnie gives Mickey a piano and they then sit down at their pianos when Minnie starts to sing, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (and, obviously, a piano). Mickey blowing out the candles on a cake is the only other indication that this is a birthday party.There's a nice pairing of Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow dancing at one point and a couple of nice gags connected with a fishbowl. Otherwise, it's Mickey and/or Minnie playing musical instruments, with Mickey doing battle with a xylophone.This short is available on the Mickey Mouse In Black and White Disney Treasures DVD set and is well worth seeking out.

This short really isn't anything more than another "Mickey sings and dances" routine, but I found myself really enjoying it this time around, probably because there's a bit more personality this time around. At the beginning, Minnie greets Mickey at the door and they have this awkward, but cute exchange. They also share an adorable number called "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby". Horace and Clarabelle engage in a funny dance sequence (how I wish they were both used more often in Disney material nowadays).It's nothing outstanding, but something about it really put a smile on my face. It's one of the better music-themed Mickeys (miles ahead of the dull "When the Cat's Away"), and I wouldn't mind revisiting it.

I have always enjoyed Disney cartoons, and I have always liked Mickey Mouse. The Birthday Party is not one of his best, but even with a somewhat routine story it is a nice, entertaining cartoon regardless. The beginning is a little too slow and awkward for my tastes, and while it is a lovely, energetic song and the chemistry between Mickey and Minnie very sweet and inspired I did think the I Can't Think of Anything But Love, Baby was too long and slowed the cartoon down. However, the animation is great, with smooth backgrounds and Mickey's character design really shows that the animators were developing more over-time, and the music is jaunty and dynamic with each scene. I enjoyed the dance between Horace and Clarabelle, and was further pleased to see them highlighted(for a while until the TV series House of Mouse they faded into obscurity), and Mickey and Minnie are both likable characters. The gags are very funny and imaginative, the best being Mickey blowing out the candles and the cake blows into the chef's face, Percy Pig trying to hide under a chair unsuccessfully so Minnie puts a tablecloth and vase over him to disguise him and especially the whole finale with the xylophone coming to life. The whole dancing feel gives a joyous and totally fun quality to The Birthday Party, so excepting a slow start and an overlong if lovely musical number it is a cartoon worth looking for if never going to be one of the treasures. 7/10 Bethany Cox