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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

  • Walt Disney Cartoon Classics - Special Edition: Happy Summer Days/Fun on the Job!/The Goofy World of Sports

DVD

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

During the 1990s, 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 who?" 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 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), and 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! broadcasts of the cartoon on the Disney Channel and the Have a Laugh!: Volume 2 DVD have reinstated the original line (though a different title card was made for this release).

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 who?" line was restored, 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
Mickey Mouse Short logo 3
1920s
Plane CrazyThe Gallopin' GauchoSteamboat WillieThe Barn DanceThe Opry HouseWhen the Cat's AwayThe Barnyard BattleThe PlowboyThe Karnival KidMickey's FolliesMickey's Choo-ChooThe Jazz FoolJungle RhythmThe Haunted HouseWild Waves
1930s
Fiddling AroundThe Barnyard ConcertThe Cactus KidThe Fire FightersThe ShindigThe Chain GangThe Gorilla MysteryThe PicnicPioneer DaysThe Birthday PartyTraffic TroublesThe CastawayThe Moose HuntThe Delivery BoyMickey Steps OutBlue RhythmFishin' AroundThe Barnyard BroadcastThe Beach PartyMickey Cuts UpMickey's OrphansThe Duck HuntThe Grocery BoyThe Mad DogBarnyard OlympicsMickey's RevueMusical FarmerMickey in ArabiaMickey's NightmareTrader MickeyThe Whoopee PartyTouchdown MickeyThe Wayward CanaryParade of the Award NomineesThe Klondike KidMickey's Good DeedBuilding a BuildingThe Mad DoctorMickey's Pal PlutoMickey's MellerdrammerYe Olden DaysThe Mail PilotMickey's Mechanical ManMickey's Gala PremierPuppy LoveThe Steeple-ChaseThe Pet StoreGiantlandShanghaiedCamping OutPlayful PlutoGulliver MickeyMickey's Steam-RollerOrphan's BenefitMickey Plays PapaThe DognapperTwo-Gun MickeyMickey's Man FridayThe Band ConcertMickey's Service StationMickey's KangarooMickey's GardenMickey's Fire BrigadePluto's Judgement DayOn IceMickey's Polo TeamOrphans' PicnicMickey's Grand OperaThru the MirrorMickey's RivalMoving DayAlpine ClimbersMickey's CircusMickey's ElephantThe Worm TurnsMagician MickeyMoose HuntersMickey's AmateursHawaiian HolidayClock CleanersLonesome GhostsBoat BuildersMickey's TrailerThe WhalersMickey's ParrotBrave Little TailorSociety Dog ShowMickey's Surprise PartyThe PointerThe Standard Parade
1940s
Tugboat MickeyPluto's Dream HouseMr. Mouse Takes a TripThe Sorcerer's ApprenticeThe Little WhirlwindThe Nifty NinetiesOrphan's BenefitA Gentleman's GentlemanCanine CaddyLend a PawAll TogetherMickey's Birthday PartySymphony HourPluto and the ArmadilloSquatter's RightsMickey and the BeanstalkMickey's Delayed DateMickey Down UnderMickey and the Seal
1950s
R'Coon DawgPluto's PartyPluto's Christmas TreeThe Simple Things
1980s-Present
Mickey's Christmas CarolThe Prince and the PauperRunaway BrainGet a Horse!Mickey in a MinuteOnce Upon a Studio
See Also
The Mickey Mouse ClubThe Mouse FactoryGood Morning, MickeyMickey's Mouse TracksMickey Mouse and Friends (TV Series)Disney's The Twelve Days of ChristmasMickey's Fun SongsMickey's Once Upon a ChristmasHouse of MouseMickey Mouse WorksMickey's Magical ChristmasMickey's House of VillainsMickey's Twice Upon a ChristmasMickey Mouse ClubhouseMickey MousekersizeMickey Mouse (TV series)Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up AdventuresMickey's 90th SpectacularThe Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse
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