What do Mr. Walker, Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Geef, Jacob Marley’s Ghost, and Dippy Dawg all have in common? They were all portrayed by Goofy! Over the years, the bumbling human dog took on various personalities and appearances. In the 1950s, for example, he appeared in several cartoons as Mr. Geef, with a wife and son, but his true talents were tested in 1950’s Motor Mania, where he portrayed a bit of a schizophrenic. First he is mild-mannered Mr. Walker, who wouldn’t hurt a fly or step on an ant. To confuse matters, if you listen closely in one scene when somebody walks by him, he replies, “Good morning, Mr. Geef.” Then, as we hear in the cartoon short, “Once behind the wheel, a strange phenomenon takes place. Mr. Walker is charged with an overwhelming sense of power. His whole personality changes. Abruptly he becomes an uncontrollable monster! A demon driver! Mr. Walker is now Mr. Wheeler…a motorist!” Mr. Wheeler portrayed road rage long before the term was even coined. Ever since, Motor Mania has been a favorite in driver’s training classes. And while it’s been years since this film was first released, the message remains as relative as ever…drive safely!
