Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip 1940

Mickey Mouse (played by Walt Disney) and Pluto (portrayed by Lee Millar) head out for a vacation and arrive at a train station in Burbank, California—the home of Walt Disney Productions. They plan to board a westbound train to Pomona, but their plans are halted when the conductor, Pete (portrayed by Billy Bletcher), tells them dogs aren’t allowed and kicks them off.

Not willing to give up, Mickey decides to smuggle Pluto on board by tucking him into a suitcase, and the duo manages to slip aboard the caboose just as the train begins to pull away. Inside the passenger car, Mickey urges Pluto to stay quiet to avoid getting tossed off, briefly freeing him from the suitcase before the moment requires him to tuck Pluto back in as Pete collects tickets. When Pete spots the suitcase peeking from the seat, he forcefully hurls it into an overhead baggage net, and Pluto’s bark raises suspicion.

To cover his tracks, Mickey hides behind a large newspaper and pretends the barking is coming from him. Pete, growing more suspicious, demands to know if Mickey is alone. Realizing Pluto has been concealed, Pete fabricates a story about owning a little cat that would cry if left alone, mimicking a cat to illustrate his tale—causing Pluto to leap out and bark at the “cat.” The ruse collapses, Pluto darts back into the suitcase, and Pete quickly catches on. Before they can be nabbed, Mickey and Pluto sprint away, triggering a chase that weaves through the train.

The pair first duck into a sleeping car, where Pete accidentally intrudes on a female passenger and gets knocked around. He then stumbles into another bed, only to find Mickey and Pluto (disguised as infants) hiding there. Pete apologizes for the interruption but soon uncovers Pluto’s tail, and the would-be capture resumes. A sudden blackout, caused by the train rushing through a tunnel, gives Mickey and Pluto a narrow escape as Pete tires himself out by beating the mattress and the springs.

With a clever pivot, Mickey and Pluto slip into Pete’s own coat and hat, posing as the conductor and slipping past him. Mickey even directs Pete with a deep voice to mislead him, but the deception backfires when Pete once again disturbs a passenger. The pair then try a more elaborate disguise: Mickey pretends to be an American Indian chief, with Pluto tucked in a papoose. Pete sees through this ruse after Pluto bites his hand, ending that undercover gambit.

Next, as they ride beside an open window, Pluto becomes tangled with a passing mail hook and is swept away from the train. Mickey hurries after his companion through the cars and narrowly manages to grab Pluto as he’s pulled back in from the outside. Enraged, Pete orders them to stay out and throws their luggage after them, sending both tumbling to the ground when the mail hook snaps them free.

The train finally arrives, and Mickey’s eyes light up at the Pomona station sign, signaling that their vacation voyage has reached its intended stop. The two friends end their escapade by exchanging a firm, hopeful handshake, marking the end of a chaotic but triumphant journey on the rails.