| Rhea | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Gallopin' Gaucho (1928) |
|
Original Publisher |
Pat Powers (Celebrity Productions) |
|
Created by |
Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks |
Origin[]
In the 1928 cartoon Gallopin' Gaucho, Mickey Mouse rides on a rhea instead of a horse. Rheas also called a South American ostrich, are moderately sized South American ratites (flightless birds without a keel on their sternum bone) of the order Rheiformes. They are distantly related to the African ostriches and Australia's emu (the largest and second-largest living ratites, respectively), with rheas placing just behind the emu in height and overall size.
In the Pampas of Argentina, Mickey rides along on a rhea. He soon encounters "Cantina Argentina," apparently serving as the local bar and restaurant, as well as his destination. Mickey proceeds to enter the establishment and takes a seat at a window. He apparently just wants to relax with some beer drinking and tobacco smoking.
Also present at the establishment are Pete, a wanted outlaw and fellow customer for the time being, and Minnie Mouse, the barmaid and dancer of the establishment, at the time performing a tango. Both customers soon begin to flirt with Minnie and to rival one another. At some point, Pete proceeds in kidnapping Minnie (and causing her to lose her shoes) and Mickey realized this and tried to fight Pete but he spits at him.
Pete then attempts to escape on his horse, in which it didn’t go well as he accidentally landed on his horse when it jumped over a rock. Mickey gives chase on his weak rhea, in which he quits riding it after thinking put starch on a rhea is a bad idea. He soon catches up to his rival at his house and they proceed to fight with swords.
Mickey emerges the victor of this joust after hitting Pete in the head with a white caldron that he found under a bed. The finale of the short has Mickey releasing Minnie from the chains and he and his new lover riding the rhea as well as kissing for the very first time into the distance.
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928) (silent version only)
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- Although the silent version of The Galloping Gaucho is in the public domain, their sound version are still under copyright until 2025.