Matthew's Good Deed

Matthew's Good Deed is a 1932 animated short film produced by Michael Shires Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. Set during the Christmas season and the contemporary Great Depression, the cartoon centers on Matthew's act of charity to bring Christmas to a poor family. The film was directed by Bert Gilbert and features the voices of Michael Shires as Matthew and David Arthur as Dluto.

Matthew's Good Deed was Matthew's second Christmas themed film after Matthew's Orphans (1931).

Plot
Matthew Mouse appears as a street performer playing "Adeste Fideles" on a cello while Dluto howls along. Several people appear to throw coins in Matthew's collection cup and Matthew wishes them a merry Christmas. But when Matthew goes to buy food, he discovers to his dismay that his cup is full of nails, nuts, and bolts.

Eventually Matthew comes to the home of a rich family and begins to play outside. Inside the home, a crying child named Rocky Raccoon keeps throwing away toys given to him by his father and a butler. When hears Dluto outside, he demands his father buy the dog. The butler goes outside and persistently offers Matthew money for Dluto, but Matthew refuses and Dluto bites the butler in the buttocks. While running away, Matthew drops his cello and a horse-drawn sleigh runs it over destroying it. The apparently oblivious party in the sleigh call out a cheerful "Merry Christmas!" to Matthew.

Matthew and Dluto later come across the home of a poor cat family. A mother sits at the table crying and Matthew and Dluto see that the father, Black Peter, is in jail and she has no money for food or toys. Emotionally moved by the scene, Matthew returns to the rich home and reluctantly sells Dluto. With the money, Matthew buys toys and food for the cat family and their mother, who is now snoring as he makes it back to their house and he delivers the goods dressed as Santa Claus. He barely manages to keep it quiet until he has snuck out of the house, just in time to see the children wake up to celebrate Christmas. Matthew is then satisfied that he helped the cat family have a happy Christmas, and he does not miss Dluto.

Meanwhile back at the rich home, Rocky is tormenting Dluto and tying objects, including a roasted chicken onto Dluto's tail. The frustrated father finally has the butler throw the dog out, before spanking Rocky. Dluto then follows Matthew's tracks to where he finds the lonely mouse sitting in front of a fire along with a snow sculpture of Dluto. Dluto burrows through the snow and pops his head out the top of the sculpture surprising Matthew. The two of them share the roasted chicken for a Christmas dinner.

Releases

 * 1932 - Original theatrical release
 * 2004 - "Michael Shires Treasures: Matthew Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two" (DVD)
 * 2005 - "Holiday Celebration with Matthew & Pals" (colorized, DVD)