Short animated comedy

Mickey’s Circus (1936): Cast & Plot

Name: Mickey’s Circus
Genre: Comedy, Animation
Released: 1936-08-01
Duration: 8 min
Cast: Walt Disney, Clarence Nash

Mickey’s Circus is a 1936 short animated comedy directed by Ben Sharpsteen, starring Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse (voice) (uncredited) and Clarence Nash. It runs 8 minutes.

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Read the plot summary

Released: August 1, 1936
Runtime: 8 min
Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Genres: Comedy , Animation
Original language: English
Studio: Walt Disney Productions
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Mickey’s Circus About?

The premise of Mickey’s Circus without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Mickey is the ringmaster of an orphan circus, and Donald performs a trained sea‑lion act while juggling. A mischievous baby sea lion keeps stealing fish and the show, sparking a frantic battle. Donald and Mickey then stumble into an unrehearsed high‑wire routine that goes haywire when an orphan electrifies the wire, culminating in a daring high‑dive into the seals’ tank.

Mickey’s Circus Themes & Keywords

· 37 tags

half dressed cartoon animal
barefoot cartoon animal
animal character name in title
donald duck character
mickey mouse character
horn the musical instrument
cartoon short
featurette
animated short
cartoon
one reeler
orphan

+25 more

fish
circus
high dive
juggling
seal the animal
oil
slipping and falling
handgun
gun
fight cloud
electrocution
dog
delayed gravity
defying gravity
conductor
bicycle
band
ball
anthropomorphism
anthropomorphic animal
mouse
duck
human cannonball
one man band
tightrope

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Cast & crew

Mickey’s Circus Cast & Characters

Walt Disney leads the cast as Mickey Mouse (voice) (uncredited), with Clarence Nash as Donald Duck (voice) (uncredited). Directed by Ben Sharpsteen.

Director Ben Sharpsteen

Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse (voice) (uncredited)
Clarence Nash as Donald Duck (voice) (uncredited)

From the director

More from Ben Sharpsteen

More films directed by Ben Sharpsteen, best-rated first: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Mysteries of the Deep.

Full filmography

Plot

Mickey’s Circus Plot Summary

What happens in Mickey’s Circus from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Clarence Nash voices Donald Duck, while Walt Disney lends his voice to Mickey Mouse, as they host a bright, bustling circus featuring a lively trio of sea lions. Children from all over the area stream in, eager to witness the spectacle, and the ring fills with color, sound, and the comic chaos that always seems to follow these two iconic performers. The show begins with the duo introducing the lineup, and the audience settles in for a sequence of wacky, floaty, high-energy moments that blend vaudeville-style tricks with underwater animal whimsy.

Full summary

The whole story of Mickey’s Circus, scene by scene

Read the full summary