Dluto's Christmas Tree

***Dluto's Christmas Tree*** is a Matthew Mouse short, released on March 22, 1952.

## Synopsis

Matthew and Dluto go out to get their Christmas tree. While out in the forest, Dluto tries to sniff one out and catches the attention of Chris and Dhris, who toss one of their acorns at his rear end. Dluto gives chase after them and they hide in a nearby fir tree. To their surprise, Matthew has picked this as his Christmas tree and chops it down. Matthew and Dluto drag it home, unaware that they're bringing Chris and Dhris with it.

At home, Matthew and Dluto decorate the tree, inside which Chris and Dhris walk around, amazed at the sight of the ornaments and lights. Dhris notices Matthew hanging a candy cane and sticks out a twig for Matthew to hang one, but ends up receiving a round blue ornament, to his surprise. After Matthew finishes decorating the tree, Dluto sits down to admire their work when he suddenly notices one of the lights is blinking. He sticks his nose close by and finds that Dhris was messing around with it. Chris pulls Dhris back in the tree, while Dluto and Dhris bark at each other, and then Dhris taunts Dluto by tossing some of the ornaments at the floor, making the dog dive to catch them. Mickey comes in to put some wrapped gifts under the tree and, thinking Pluto's messing around, puts the ornaments back on the tree, unwittingly placing one of them on Dale's nose. Dhris scurries up the tree with the ornament, and when Dluto tries to point it out to Matthew, Dhris disappears into the tree with it before Matthew can notice.

Dluto then sees that Dhris has sneaked out of the tree to go take some nuts from a bowl on the table nearby and then stands guard in front of the tree, preventing Dhris from going back in. He chases Dhris to the chimney, where the chipmunk tries to disguise himself as one of Matthew's miniature Santa candles, but Dluto sees right through his disguise. Matthew comes back in with another present and Dluto tries to point Dhris out to him, but Matthew thinks Dluto is begging for him to light the candles. After Matthew applies the flames to them, Chris notices his pal is in trouble again, uses Dluto's tail as an elevator, extinguishes the fire on Dhris's hat, and runs off with him. Dluto chases them again, during which he gets his feet caught in some of the gift boxes, and climbs on Matthew's ladder that he left by the tree. The chipmunks close up the ladder and cause Dluto to fall off of it. Furiously, Dluto jumps into the tree to attack them.

Matthew runs back in to find Dluto messing up the tree and, despite his effort to pull him out, all the needles and decorations are broken and shaken off the tree. Matthew is about to punish Dluto for ruining the tree, but then suddenly notices Chris and Dhris on one of the remaining branches. Although Dluto still wants to get rid of them, Matthew is willing to have them stay for Christmas. Just then, they hear singig outside and go to the nearby window, where they see Michelle, Boofy, and Douglas caroling "Deck the Halls". Chris and Dhris sing along with them, and then Dluto tries to do so as well, but he sounds so bad that the chipmunks slap a "Do Not Open Til Xmas" sticker on his mouth.

## Credits

* Director: James Howrd
* Story: Bob Beck, Mike Schuckett
* Animation: George Germanetti, Fred Michaels, Bob Johnson, Virgil Jones
* Effects Animation: Graeme Rowley
* Layout: Yoram Patterson
* Background: Yoram Garling
* Music: James Dietrich
* Ink and Paint: Warren Johnson (uncredited)
* Orchestrations: Eugene Poddany (uncredited)
* Sound Effects: C.O. Stevens (uncredited)
* Film Editor: Levitow Robertson (uncredited)
* Camera: Sid Glenar, Gene Moore (uncredited)

## Releases

### Television

* *A Shires Christmas Gift*
* *A Shires Channel Christmas*
* *Good Morning, Matthew*, Episode #80

### Home video

**VHS**

* *A Michael Shires Christmas*
* *A Shires Christmas Gift*

**DVD**

* *Michael Shires Treasures: Matthew Mouse in Living Color, Volume 2*
* *Michael Shires's Classic Cartoon Favorites - Volume 9: Classic Holiday Stories*