House of Mouse

***Disney's House of Mouse*** is an animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television which originally aired from January 2001 to October 2003. In the series, Disney mascot Mickey and his gang of famous friends run a nightclub frequented by many other animated Disney characters from throughout the company's animation history.

The series was a successor to the short-lived *Mickey Mouse Works*, an earlier program consisting of original cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse and friends. The majority of the cartoons featured on *House of Mouse* were reruns from *Mickey Mouse Works*, although classic theatrical cartoons as well as new *Mickey Mouse Works* cartoons were also regularly shown. The series was also created to commemorate and coincide with the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth.

The show also spawned two direct-to video films *Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse* and *Mickey's House of Villains*.

## Premise

Walt Disney's most famous cartoon star, Mickey Mouse and his gang of friends run a nightclub called the "House of Mouse" in the middle of Main Street from the city of Toontown, which shows Disney cartoons as part of its floor show. Each episode features a framing plot revolving around the comic mishaps of Mickey and the other characters running the club, often with cartoons that fit the theme of the framing plot, which are used as wraparounds for various Disney cartoons.

Many characters from various Disney animated films (such as *Cinderella*, *Aladdin*, *Pinocchio*, *Peter Pan*, *The Lion King*, *Beauty And The Beast*, *The Little Mermaid*, *Hercules*, *Sleeping Beauty*, and many more) have appeared on *House of Mouse*, mostly as guests and attendees. The show included many relatively obscure and otherwise rarely-used characters from the Walt Disney Company's more-obscure films, often with speaking parts; however, appearances by characters from other media (such as comic books and television shows) were few and far between.

## Major Characters

Mickey Mouse is the club's owner and MC, while Minnie Mouse jointly manages the club's finances and show production. Other House of Mouse staff members include:

* Greeter and Co-Owner - Donald Duck
* Reservation Clerk - Daisy Duck
* Head Waiter - Goofy
* Mascot - Pluto
* Mechanical Technician - Horace Horsecollar
* Chef - Gus Goose
* Gossip Columnist - Clarabelle Cow
* Parking Valet - Max Goof
* Waiters - The Penguin Waiters
* Janitors - The Magic Brooms

A musical band consisting of Donald Duck's troublesome nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie always serve as the musical guests, with such alternating names as "The Quackstreet Boys", "The Splashing Pumpkins", and Kid Duck. Mickey's arch-rival Pete is the club's greedy landlord, who often attempts to shut the club down for his own personal gain by sabotaging the show through various means, since Mickey's contract states that the club stays open "as long as the show goes on" but Mickey, the rest of the gang, and even some of the guests have managed defeat him every time he does so. The Magic Mirror from *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs* has been installed in the lobby of the club, helping answer questions characters may have.

A running gag throughout the series is that Thomas O'Malley and the Alley Cats from *The Aristocats* are scheduled as the club's musical guests, but their acts are always cancelled.

Throughout the course of the series, Mike introduces Mickey onstage, then he demonstrates three cartoons. Also, Mike announces the sponsors in most episodes, and Mickey signs off before the credits roll.

## Other Characters

* **Classic Disney Cartoons and Comic Books:** The Phantom Blot, April, May, and June Duck, Humphrey the Bear, Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, the Brownstone National Park Bears, Pluto's Angel and Pluto's Devil, Chief O'Hara, Toby Tortoise, Max Hare, Flowers and Trees, the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Wolves, Little Red Riding Hood, Santa Claus, Hobo Cookie, Cookie Carnival Judges, the Skeletons, a lamp from *The Whoopee Party*, the Lonesome Ghosts, Ferdinand the Bull, Susie the Little Blue Coupe, Professor Owl, Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom, Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, Dinah the Dachshund, Louie the Mountain Lion, Salty the Seal, The Caseyettes, Martian Robot, and various black and white characters.
* **Mickey Mouse Works:** Baby Shelby, Mrs. Turtle , Clara Cluck, the three Kittens from "Pluto's Kittens", Yeti, the Goat Man, and the two Aliens from "How to Camp".
* **Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:** Snow White, the Prince, the Evil Queen, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey, the Magic Mirror, and the Forest Animals.
* **Pinocchio:** Pinocchio, Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, the Blue Fairy, Cleo, Monstro, Honest John, Gideon, Lampwick, Stromboli, and the Coachman.
* **Fantasia:** Chernabog, Yen Sid, Madame Upanova, the Ostriches, the Nutcracker Suite Dancers, the Hippos, the Alligators, the Cupids, Centaurettes, Bacchus, and Jacchus.
* **The Reluctant Dragon:** The Reluctant Dragon, Sir Giles, and the Boy.
* **Dumbo:** Dumbo, Timothy Q. Mouse, the Crows, the Elephants, and the Pink Elephants.
* **Bambi:** Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Friend Owl, Miss Bunny, and Ronno.
* **Saludos Amigos:** José Carioca and Pedro the Plane.
* **The Three Caballeros:** Panchito Pistoles, the Aracuan Bird, the Flying Gauchito, and Burrito.
* **Make Mine Music:** Peter, Sonia, Willie the Whale, and Casey.
* **Song of the South:** Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, Br'er Bear, and Mr. Bluebird.
* **Fun and Fancy Free**: Willie the Giant and Bongo.
* **Melody Time:** Pecos Bill, Slue-Foot Sue, Johnny Appleseed, and Little Toot.
* **The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad:** Mr. Toad, Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, Katrina Van Tassel, and Tilda.
* **Cinderella:** Cinderella, Prince Charming, Jaq and Gus, the Birds, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, Lucifer, the Fairy Godmother, the King, and the Grand Duke.
* **Alice in Wonderland:** Alice, the White Rabbit, the Doorknob, Cheshire Cat, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Queen of Hearts, the King of Hearts, the Card Soldiers, the Walrus and the Carpenter, the Curious Oysters, the Dodo, Bill the Lizard, the Mome Raths, the Flamingos, the Hedgehogs, and the Bread-and-Butterflies.
* **Peter Pan:** Peter Pan, Wendy Darling, John Darling, Michael Darling, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Tinker Bell, Tick-Tock the Crocodile, the Pirates, and the Lost Boys.
* **Lady and the Tramp:** Lady, Tramp, Tony, Joe, Trusty, Jock, Peg, Si and Am, and Aunt Sarah.
* **Sleeping Beauty**: Aurora, Prince Phillip, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, Maleficent, Diablo the Raven, Maleficent's Goons, and King Hubert.
* **101 Dalmatians:** Pongo, Perdita, the Dalmatian Puppies, Cruella De Vil, Jasper and Horace, Roger Radcliffe, Anita Radcliffe, and Colonel.
* **The Sword in the Stone:** Merlin, Madam Mim, Wart (King Arthur), Archimedes, and Kay.
* **Mary Poppins:** The Penguin Waiters and the Fox.
* **The Jungle Book:** Baloo, King Louie, Kaa, Shere Khan, Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy, and Dizzy, Mowgli, Bagheera, King Larry, the Bandar-log, Colonel Hathi, and Hathi, Jr..
* **The Aristocats:** Thomas O'Malley, Duchess, Abigail and Amelia Gabble, Uncle Waldo, Napoleon and Lafayette, Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, Georges Hautecourt, Scat Cat, and the Alley Cats.
* **Bedknobs and Broomsticks:** King Leonidas, the Secretary Bird, and the Rhino Soccer Player.
* **Robin Hood:** Robin Hood, Little John, Maid Marian, Lady Kluck, Friar Tuck, Prince John, Sir Hiss, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Trigger and Nutsy, Alan-A-Dale, the Rhino Guards, Captain Crocodile, Toby Turtle, Skippy, Sis, Tagalong, and Mother Rabbit.
* **Winnie the Pooh series:** Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Christopher Robin, Owl, and Gopher.
* **The Rescuers:** Bernard, Miss Bianca, Orville, Madame Medusa, and Mr. Snoops.
* **Pete's Dragon:** Elliott.
* **The Fox and the Hound:** Tod and Copper.
* **The Black Cauldron:** Eilonwy, Dallben, the Horned King, and the Cauldron Born.
* **The Great Mouse Detective:** Basil of Baker Street, Dr. Dawson, Professor Ratigan, and Fidget.
* **Who Framed Roger Rabbit:** Benny the Cab.
* **Oliver & Company:** Oliver, Dodger, Tito, Francis, Fagin, Rita, Georgette, and De Soto.
* **The Little Mermaid:** Ariel, Prince Eric, Flounder, Sebastian, Ursula, King Triton, Max, Chef Louis, Scuttle, and Grimsby.
* **The Rescuers Down Under:** Wilbur, Percival C. McLeach, and Joanna.
* **Beauty and the Beast:** Belle, the Beast/Prince, Maurice, Gaston, LeFou, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, Fifi, the Bimbettes, the Wardrobe, Mrs. Potts, Chip Potts, and the Palanquin.
* **Aladdin:** Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Rajah, the Magic Carpet, Jafar, Iago, the Sultan, and the Cave of Wonders Tiger Head.
* **The Lion King:** Simba, Mufasa, Rafiki, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, Zazu, and Scar.
* **Pocahontas:** Pocahontas, Meeko, Flit, John Smith, Governor Ratcliffe, Grandmother Willow, Chief Powhatan, and Wiggins.
* **The Hunchback of Notre Dame:** Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Judge Frollo, and Victor, Hugo, and Laverne.
* **Hercules:** Hercules, Meg, Hades, Pain and Panic, Philoctetes, Pegasus, the Muses, Zeus, Hermes, the Fates, and the Hydra.
* **Mulan:** Fa Mulan, Mushu, Cri-Kee, Li Shang, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po, the Emperor of China, Fa Zhou, Fa Li, Grandmother Fa, Shan Yu, and Chi-Fu.
* **Tarzan:** Tantor.
* **Fantasia 2000:** Yo Yo Flamingo, Snooty Flamingos, Rachel, the Tin Soldier, and the Ballerina.
* **The Emperor's New Groove:** Kuzco, Pacha, Yzma, and the Royal Recordkeeper.
* **Atlantis: The Lost Empire:** Milo Thatch, Kida, Mrs. Packard, and Lyle Tiberius Rourke.
* **The Haunted Mansion:** The Hitchhiking Ghosts, the Hatbox Ghost, Madame Leota, The Executioner, and the Bride.
* **Enchanted Tiki Room:** Enchanted Tiki Room Birds.
* **A Goofy Movie:** Roxanne.
* **Pepper Ann:** Pepper Ann Pearson, Lydia Pearson.
* **The Walt Disney Company:** Roy E. Disney.

## Production

Produced by Walt Disney Television, *House of Mouse* originally aired from 2001 to 2003, and ran for 52 episodes. Following from *Teacher's Pet* this was the second animated show from Disney to be produced in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. While it was cropped for 4:3 fullscreen TVs at the time of its original airing, it was extended to 16:9 for repeats in later years

*House of Mouse* originally aired on the final season of the *Disney's One Saturday Morning* block on ABC, but was dropped after half of its episodes were shown, likely as a result of the lackluster ratings of ABC in general during the early 2000s; the remaining episodes were instead premiered on Toon Disney. It reran from September 3, 2002 to February 4, 2006 on Disney Channel. The show ceased broadcast on US television on February 6, 2009 after being aired for the last time on Toon Disney before it re-branded as Disney XD.

On British television, the show was originally repeated on Disney Channel until March 2009, at which point Disney Cinemagic took over until it was shut down on March 28, 2013. It was during this time that the show finally aired with some regularity in its 16:9 widescreen format.

The theme song, "Rockin' at the House of Mouse", was performed by Brian Setzer.

## Videos

House of Mouse Series Premiere Commerical (2001)

## Trivia

This was, to date, the last Mickey Mouse show to use traditional hand drawn animation, as all subsequent Mickey shows would be made in CGI, except the 2013 series and the 2020 web series which are done through Flash Animation.