Mortimer Mouse based on Disney himself?

Cafe Society
1

I’m watching the rerun of The Century and I can’t help but notice how much young Disney resembles the arch rival of Mickey, Mortimer. Tall, big ears, big nose and the mustache.

Any truth to this or am I just seeing things?
Euty, where are ya?

2

Where’s Euty? He’s in Cafe Society, just where this thread will be in a minute. :wink:

bibliophage
moderator, GQ

3

I could easily see Cecil answering this but, what they hay. So long as I get an answer.
And it’sThe Wonderful World of Disney that it was on, not The Century. Whoops.

4

Yes. His bio was on ABC tonight, and he did the voices and the key artwork and the direction and the producer credits for the mouse until he became too ill.

5

That is, Mortimer based Mickey on Disney. (Hope that’s clearer)

6

I couldn’t find anyhtring “official” in any of the literature I have that mentions that this is a caricature of Walt, but it wouldn’t surprise me. If you have a copy, compare the facial features of Mortimer with those of another admitted Disney caraicature, the matador in Ferdinand the Bull. There’s a definate resemblance. Another Walt caricature which is never mentioned in any literature is King Midas in The Golden Touch; not so much in the physical features, but in the way he cocks a single eyebrow when he’s questioning something. This was a definite Disney trait. So, I’d have to say yes, one of the artists was apparently sucessful in sneaking something past Walt.

And AM/PM you’re wrong. Disney stopped doing any artwork altogether on any shorts or features back in the mid-20’s, before Mickey Mouse was even developed. And he only stopped doing Mickey’s voice when he got too busy, not too ill.

7

There’s an episode of “Fractured Fables” from _The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show" which is a parody of Sleeping Beauty. Instead of kissing Sleeping Beauty and waking her up, Prince Charming decides to open a theme park called Sleeping Beauty Land around her. He’s clearly been drawn to look like Walt Disney.

8

Jay Ward cartoons often made fun of Disney, since Disney’s show aired immediately after Bullwinkle.

9

I’d read one time that Walt stopped doing Mickey’s voice because his voice had changed from all his smoking.

[hijack]
In last night’s show, they interviewed an artist who helped organize the 1941 strike. He was wearing a Warner Brothers cap; either no one at Disney noticed or they didn’t mind. Both possibilities are difficult to accept.
[/hijack]