Goofy, driving through Mexico, deals with a stubborn bull on the road who eventually charges, and Goofy unwittingly subdues the bull. Mexicans who are watching the scene believe that Goofy is "the great Matador" and the minute Goofy arrives in Mexico City, they dress him like a matador and make him do battle with another bull. The reluctant Goofy tries to escape the enormous bull although after a while, once again, he triumphs over the bull by accident.
Pippo torero, Wem die Stunde schlägt, Dingo Toréador, Für wen die Stunde schlägt, Гуфи: По кому ревет бык, Långben som tjurfäktare
USA
USA
All Disney Features and Shorts in Release Order - a challenge?
Film #559
“Its depiction of Mexican villagers,” said Leonard Maltin in a 2002 DVD introduction, “might be considered stereotypical.” Combine that with a plotline focusing on bullfighting, and you have a very uneasy viewer right here.
Yet, as Maltin also hastens to mention, there are reasons not to dismiss this so quickly. The legendary Eyvind Earle joins Disney as an assistant background painter on this short. In those long and winding vistas, you can see the pop stylings, angles and experimental backgrounds that indirectly led to his defining work on Sleeping Beauty. The other factor is the presence of Mexican trumpeter Rafael Mendez, with his horns infusing the whole…
Interesting how For Whom the Bulls Toil primarily focuses on Goofy as a sort of ugly American, before he learns the cultures of Mexico—and while he's not exactly doing this willingly, it's much better than just falling into cliches and stereotypes. Which yes, For Whom the Bulls Toil does have some of these, but it never feels mean-spirited, or like Disney is making fun of Mexican culture. If anything, this feels to me like a celebration of Mexican culture, as seen through the eyes of a foreigner.
Also, at this point, how many times has Goofy come face-to-face with a bull? He should know what to do when in this situation by now.
The original version dubbed to spanish had Eulalio González "Piporro" as a narrator, a mexican comedy icon of the golden age, but it was censored and not released in latam to avoid controversy. It might be cancelled asap if it was released nowadays, but as a mexican, it was actually pretty fun to watch
Pretty standard Goofy vs.Bull stuff with a lot of questionable depictions of Mexicans included. I have to wonder how this would have played if this used the “goofy verse” we see in the sports shorts…it’s rare (and kind of weird) to see Goofy interact with humans.
