Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) Even if the title "Mickey's Polo Team" could make you think it is. This is a color cartoon from Disney 1936, so it had its 80th anniversary last year. To put it in perspective that it's maybe easier to imagine is that this was the year when Hitler held the Olympic Games in Berlin three years before WWII. Director is prolific Disney animator David Hand and this film he made here is a tribute to some of the biggest stars of the 1930s. Admittedly, it is difficult for me to think of a more boring sport than polo really, but these characters make it somehow worth checking out. Mickey despite being the title character is really insignificant here though, even the Wolf has more material with his blowing scene and this scene also shows right away that several familiar faces are also in the stands. But Donald has a couple baity scenes and the film stars steal the show otherwise. I liked that the animals look exactly like (or symbolize) the characters sitting on them, not just Donald's, but especially when it comes to the silent film stars like Laurel, Hardy or Chaplin of course too. Anyway, I maybe do not really like this film that much because of the action because after all it is really just polo still, but I think it is a nice tribute to its era and also includes a lot of worth by today's standards and helps this generation and future generations in not forgetting who these icons were, like in my case already I had no idea who they guy with the blond curls was. Shame on me, I guess. I highly recommend these slightly under 10 minutes, one of 1936's finest.

TheLittleSongbird One of my personal favourite Disney cartoons without a doubt. I have always had a soft for the Disney cartoons, and Mickey's Polo Team is no exception. Apart from Donald and Goofy looking cruder than they do usually, though not as much as On Ice, the animation is colourful and fluid(Big Bad Wolf is the best animated of the characters), and the music is typically energetic and action enhancing. The story is simple, but goes by quickly with not a dull moment. As with Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, the gags and the characters are the real stars of Mickey's Polo Tem, plus it was really interesting to see Disney's characters and caricatures of famous stars of the time playing polo. I enjoyed seeing Mickey(though he doesn't get much to do), Goofy, Donald, Clarabelle Cow and Big Bad Wolf, as well as caricatures of Clark Gable, Shirley Temple, Harpo Marx, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Robin. Stars of the likes of Peculiar Penguins, Who Killed Cock Robin and The Golden Touch can also be seen. The gags overall are not as clever or as hilarious as Mother Goose Goes Hollywood, but there is still much to enjoy. The best of the laughs come from Laurel & Hardy(reminiscent of their films but still very funny) and Donald(very outlandish), though it was interesting to see Charlie Chaplin with his cane rather than a polo stick and the Clark Gable vs.Clarabelle Cow moments are amusing, likewise with Harpo. Overall, simply great. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

Petri Pelkonen Mickey Mouse and the gang go and play some polo.On Mickey's team there are Donald Duck (on a mule), Goofy and The Big Bad Wolf.They're playing against some well known comedians of that time.That team includes Charles Chaplin, Harpo Marx (on an ostrich), Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.The referee is Jack Holt.Also in the audience there are some big names such as Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, W.C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, Greta Garbo and Harold Lloyd.The Disney characters include Pluto, Clarabelle Cow and the Three Little Pigs.It's a lot of fun to watch The Big Bad Wolf huff and puff and blow.There are many other funny parts in this Disney short, like when Hardy is under his overweight horse and Laurel not being too helpful.Or when Donald loses his nerve (again).And it's fun to watch Chaplin with his cane and Harpo with the ostrich.In David Hand's Mickey's Polo Team from 1936 Walt Disney is the voice of Mickey Mouse and Clarence Nash is the voice of Donald Duck.This cartoon is a fine piece of history.

ccthemovieman-1 Now playing is a polo match between "Movie Stars" and "Mickey's Mousers." On the stars team is Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Harpo Marx and Charlie Chaplin. Playing for Mickey's team is Mickey, "The Goof," Big Bad Wolf and Donald Duck. Jack Holt is the referee.In the crowd are such luminaries as Porky Pig, W. C. Fields, Minnie Mouse, Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Temple and a bunch of other famous people. That is fun to look at, trying to spot as many people and caricatures as you know.The players are introduced. Those intros are funny. For instance, Harpo comes out on a ostrich, Chaplin uses a cane instead of a polo stick, etc.That's the good news. The bad news is that the rest of the cartoon, the last 65 percent, is not very funny. We see some Laurel & Hardy bits, some Harpo stuff and Donald Duck get pummeled by everyone. None of it is very funny.A good premise and a great start but overall, a disappointing animated short.