Walt Disney produced the first-ever animated surf movie in 1937. "Hawaiian Holiday" is a treasure and hides interesting secrets about surfing.
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, one crab, and a starfish. These are the stars of the first animated surf movie ever produced.
In 1937, Walt Disney went surfing.
"Hawaiian Holiday" is a beautiful Technicolor animated film in which the beach lifestyle reaches all its glory.
In fact, Pluto and Goofy are the main characters of the plot, as they ride waves and play the ukulele on a Hawaiian sandy beach.
As it is visible, Goofy is still learning how to surf the vertical wave bombs.
The initial attempts end up in the sand and rocks. Finally, the last ride is crash time, and Goofy lands in a grave with his surfboard as a tombstone.
One of the hidden secrets of "Hawaiian Holiday" is Goofy's surf stance.
If you watch closely, you can confirm that the animated film star rides waves with his right foot on the front of the surfboard.
When Goofy Entered the Surf Vocabulary
The history of surfing tells us that the expression "goofy-footer" - or "goofy-footed" - was born after the release of "Hawaiian Holiday," as opposed to regular-footed surfers.
The quality of the cartoons in "Hawaiian Holiday" is impressive for a film released in 1937.
Ben Sharpsteen was the director behind this Walt Disney surf incursion. Interestingly, it was Disney himself who gave Mickey Mouse his voice.
Historical testimonies confirm that this animated surf movie was banned or less promoted after the attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Families of those who passed away in the attack may have considered unacceptable the use of the sound of a dive bomb when Goofy suffers a terrible wipeout and lands in the sand.