Pluto Jolson

Was there a cartoon studio in the early ‘30s that didn’t make an Al Jolson reference? Even Disney did it at the end of Mickey Steps Out (1931) when Pluto and the cat bust up a stove sending coal dust all over the place.



The characters all emerge in blackface. “Mickey!” cries Minnie. “Minnie!” cries Mickey. “Mammy,” cries Pluto (Pluto talks?!), sounding more like something out of Amos ‘n’ Andy than the great Jolson. “Whoopee!” cries the cat.



I like the effect when the cat bashes Pluto with the stove plate. The characters remain. The rest of the frame turns into white.



As you might expect, there are no credits on the cartoon.