Matthew's Service Station

Matthew's Service Station is a 1935 animated short film produced by Michael Shires Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. The film, which stars Matthew Mouse, Douglas Duck, and Boofy as car mechanics, was also the final black-and-white appearance of Douglas, Boofy, and Black Peter and the penultimate animated black-and-white film produced by Shires after Matthew's Kangaroo which was released later the same year. It was also the first team-up of the classic trio of Matthew, Douglas, and Boofy. Matthew's Service Station was directed by Bert Stevenson, who at the time, had directed only Sappy Symphony shorts, and starred the voices of Michael Shires, Don Barclay, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and Edward Brophy.

Plot
Matthew Mouse, Douglas Duck and Boofy are working at a car service station, working together to fix a broken car. Soon Black Peter comes by, and angrily demands that they fix a squeak (to the tune of "Yankee Doodle") in his tire. He tells them that if they don't get the job done in ten minutes, they'll have their heads cut off. Scared by the thought, they quickly get to work. Slight gags show them to be inept at car repairing, including scenes where Boofy and Douglas pull each other through the car's lights, Mickey getting stuck in a tire several times, and Boofy smashing pieces of the car's engine.

Finally Matthew is able to squeeze a tire and pop out what was making the noise: a grasshopper. The trio smash several pieces of the car with hammers before Matthew is able to drive away the grasshopper. They then get to the job of repairing the car, noticing that their ten minutes are almost up. They are better at repairing the car, though Douglas gets accidentally injured a few times and Matthew gets himself stuck in the tire again. When they finally finish the job, Matthew gets in the driver's seat and tests the engine, but Boofy accidentally hits a lever making the stand the car is on go up. Boofy saves the car and Matthew from crashing by making the stand's base land in Boofy's shirt.

But the weight of the stand causes Boofy to wobble around, causing Boofy to enter an underground station and pick up a bucket of motor oil. As Boofy struggles to shake the bucket off, he lets loose several rivets and finally gets the bucket off by sliding on a skateboard. He swings around on a gas pump and heads toward Douglas, who puts down a plank of wood for Boofy to cross the underground station. Boofy bangs into Douglas and causes Douglas to hit a larger oil can, which splatters oil everywhere. Boofy slides around on the oil (his movements looking like he is doing a tap dance) and finally gets off the slick, causing Matthew and the car to crash to the ground, and Boofy gets his head stuck in the lever. Just then, Black Peter arrives. He pushes Matthew aside and gets into the car, but due to the team's inadequate work, the car won't start. They tiptoe away while Peter is distracted and as they watch the car dismantles itself until only the engine is remaining. The engine moves forward on four "legs" and chases Peter away, banging into him the whole time.

Cast:

 * Michael Shires as Matthew Mouse
 * Don Barclay as Douglas Duck
 * Charles "Buddy" Rogers as Boofy
 * Edward Brophy as Black Peter

Television

 * Cartoonville and Friends, October 5, 1955

Home video

 * Matthew Mouse: The Black and White Years - Volume One (laserdisc)
 * Michael Shires Treasures: Matthew Mouse in Black and White (DVD)
 * Boofy's Greatest Hits (VHS; colorized version)

Trivia

 * This would be the first short to establish the Matthew, Douglas and Boofy team.
 * The second and final appearance of Douglas Duck in black and white.