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Clock Cleaners

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Clock Cleaners is a color Mickey Mouse animated short. It was released in 1937.

Synopsis

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy each face different obstacles while cleaning a giant clock tower. Mickey tries to remove a sleepy stork that is nesting in the gears while the main spring causes trouble for Donald. Later, a conk on the head by a mechanical bell ringer causes Goofy (who mistook it for an actual person) to dazedly stumble along a high ledge and through a perilous trek, while Mickey does his best to make sure his pal doesn't take a nasty fall.

Characters

Releases

Television

Home video

VHS

Laserdisc

  • Cartoon Festival II
  • Mickey's Golden Jubilee
  • Walt Disney Cartoon Classics - Special Edition: Happy Summer Days/Fun on the Job!/The Goofy World of Sports
  • Mickey Mouse: A Star Is Born
  • Mickey's Family Album (censored)

DVD (all censored)

Streaming

Trivia

  • This short was ranked #27 in The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals, a book by animation historian Jerry Beck.
  • This short was featured as a transition level in Epic Mickey.
  • This short was mentioned in the remake of Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse.
  • When visiting Mickey's house in Disneyland in California, this cartoon will often times play in the living room in black and white.

Censorship and Controversy

Clock Cleaners - Donald

Donald arguing with the mainspring

In 1996, Donald Wildmon and the American Family Association forced Walmart to discontinue the sale of the VHS tape Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Fun on the Job, which contained this short. The reason for this was that during his argument with the main spring, Donald Duck allegedly shouts what instead sounds like curse words at the mainspring (Donald actually says "Says you!" and calls the spring a "snake in the grass"). These were misinterpreted as profanity by most people due to Donald's unintelligible "duck voice" provided by Clarence Nash. It should be noted that Disney would not have been allowed to release the cartoon in theaters if such foul language were actually used; the Hays Code was heavily enforced since 1934 and would have prevented Disney from doing so.

Due to this controversy, when the cartoon was included in the Mickey's Family Album compilation and on the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Donald's line was replaced with the line "Awww, nuts!", taken from On Ice (the edit is made obvious because the viewer can hear Pluto barking when Donald says this), but on the Living Color DVD, the "snake in the grass" line was also redubbed with Donald's angry gibberish. This same edit also occurs on the DVD release of The Great Mouse Detective (which includes the cartoon as a bonus feature), the Funny Factory with Goofy DVD, and the Epic Mickey Collector's Edition bonus DVD, and was also present when the short was broadcast as part of Treasures from the Disney Vault on Turner Classic Movies.

However, the scene was shown with its original dialogue in the TV special One Hour in Wonderland, which is included as a bonus feature on the Alice in Wonderland: Masterpiece Edition DVD. Additionally, the Have a Laugh! restoration has the original line cleaned up.

More recently, on Disney+'s version of the cartoon, which uses the 2001 restoration from the Walt Disney Treasures DVD set Mickey Mouse in Living Color, Donald's "Says you!" line is the same as Have a Laugh!, but the "snake in the grass" line was still replaced with Donald's angry gibberish.

Have a Laugh! changes

The following scenes were deleted from the short release due to time constraints:

  • Donald initially starting to wash the mainspring, but gets entangled in it.
  • Mickey's entire struggle with the stork.
  • Donald's argument with the mainspring.
  • Part of Donald's body swaying in a ticking sound.
  • The first time the Lady Liberty bell ringer rings the bell and the second time the Father Time ringer rings it.

Gallery


v - e - d
1920s
Plane Crazy • The Gallopin' Gaucho • Steamboat Willie • The Barn Dance • The Opry House • When the Cat's Away • The Barnyard Battle • The Plowboy • The Karnival Kid • Mickey's Follies • Mickey's Choo-Choo • The Jazz Fool • Jungle Rhythm • The Haunted House • Wild Waves
1930s
Fiddling Around • The Barnyard Concert • The Cactus Kid • The Fire Fighters • The Shindig • The Chain Gang • The Gorilla Mystery • The Picnic • Pioneer Days • The Birthday Party • Traffic Troubles • The Castaway • The Moose Hunt • The Delivery Boy • Mickey Steps Out • Blue Rhythm • Fishin' Around • The Barnyard Broadcast • The Beach Party • Mickey Cuts Up • Mickey's Orphans • The Duck Hunt • The Grocery Boy • The Mad Dog • Barnyard Olympics • Mickey's Revue • Musical Farmer • Mickey in Arabia • Mickey's Nightmare • Trader Mickey • The Whoopee Party • Touchdown Mickey • The Wayward Canary • Parade of the Award Nominees • The Klondike Kid • Mickey's Good Deed • Building a Building • The Mad Doctor • Mickey's Pal Pluto • Mickey's Mellerdrammer • Ye Olden Days • The Mail Pilot • Mickey's Mechanical Man • Mickey's Gala Premier • Puppy Love • The Steeple-Chase • The Pet Store • Giantland • Shanghaied • Camping Out • Playful Pluto • Gulliver Mickey • Mickey's Steam-Roller • Orphan's Benefit • Mickey Plays Papa • The Dognapper • Two-Gun Mickey • Mickey's Man Friday • The Band Concert • Mickey's Service Station • Mickey's Kangaroo • Mickey's Garden • Mickey's Fire Brigade • Pluto's Judgement Day • On Ice • Mickey's Polo Team • Orphans' Picnic • Mickey's Grand Opera • Thru the Mirror • Mickey's Rival • Moving Day • Alpine Climbers • Mickey's Circus • Mickey's Elephant • The Worm Turns • Magician Mickey • Moose Hunters • Mickey's Amateurs • Hawaiian Holiday • Clock Cleaners • Lonesome Ghosts • Boat Builders • Mickey's Trailer • The Whalers • Mickey's Parrot • Brave Little Tailor • Society Dog Show • Mickey's Surprise Party • The Pointer • The Standard Parade
1940s
Tugboat Mickey • Pluto's Dream House • Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip • The Sorcerer's Apprentice • The Little Whirlwind • The Nifty Nineties • Orphan's Benefit • A Gentleman's Gentleman • Canine Caddy • Lend a Paw • All Together • Mickey's Birthday Party • Symphony Hour • Pluto and the Armadillo • Squatter's Rights • Mickey and the Beanstalk • Mickey's Delayed Date • Mickey Down Under • Mickey and the Seal
1950s
R'Coon Dawg • Pluto's Party • Pluto's Christmas Tree • The Simple Things
1980s-Present
Mickey's Christmas Carol • The Prince and the Pauper • Runaway Brain • Mickey and the Goat Man • Get a Horse! • Mickey in a Minute
See Also
The Mickey Mouse Club • The Mouse Factory • Good Morning, Mickey • Mickey's Mouse Tracks • Mickey Mouse and Friends (TV Series) • Disney's The Twelve Days of Christmas • Mickey's Fun Songs • Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas • House of Mouse • Mickey Mouse Works • Mickey's Magical Christmas • Mickey's House of Villains • Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas • Mickey Mouse Clubhouse • Mickey Mousekersize • Mickey Mouse (TV series) • Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures • Mickey's 90th Spectacular • The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse • Once Upon a Studio
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