"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.

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!

The Sleepwalker doesn't see Pluto at his best and is not one of his best shorts. It does have the odd repetitive moment that are effective the first time but not sustained for the others. That doesn't matter, as The Sleepwalker is still very cute and touching and does provide some laughs. They are not the laugh-out-loud-hilarious kind, but they are at least funny which is much more important. The premise was a good, sweet one to begin with, and the storytelling itself is every bit as cute and heartfelt and doesn't underwhelm its premise at all. The ending is very touching, Pluto is an energetic and endearing character who is easy to root for and Dinah makes a most charming debut. The puppies are also very sweet. And visually and musically The Sleepwalker is without complaint either. The animation is of the bright, colourful and fluid quality, while the music is lively, lushly orchestrated and adds so much to what is happening in the gags and the animation. Overall, a just lovely short that does live up to its premise. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A Walt Disney PLUTO Cartoon.Who is THE SLEEPWALKER that's taking all of Pluto's best bones to the pretty new female dog next door?This enjoyable little film is notable chiefly as the debut of Dinah the dainty dachshund, who would appear as Pluto's heartthrob in 5 cartoons from 1942 until her retirement in 1950.Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off.