June 9, 1939 – The Donald Duck Short Film Beach Picnic is Released to Theaters
“Boy! Time for my swim! Come on, Seabiscuit! Let’s go!”
On June 9, 1939, the Donald Duck short film Beach Picnic was released to theaters. This was the first short to be directed by Clyde Geronimi, who would go on to win an award for his work on the 1941 short film Lend a Paw. Although this is a Donald Duck short, more attention is given to Pluto, his co-star. The flypaper gag used in this short is reminiscent of the 1934 short film Playful Pluto.
Donald is enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, setting up a picnic. He then decides to go for a swim, taking his inflatable horse into the water with him. He struggles to stay on the inflatable animal, continuously sliding off into the water. He soon is distracted by a strange noise, and sees Pluto taking a nap, with the tide coming in and covering the dog. Getting an idea, Donald sends the inflatable horse sailing to shore to scare Pluto, mimicking a horse noise for greater effect. The inflatable creature ends up behind a rock, and Pluto walks out to investigate, only to be frightened by the sounds it makes, much to Donald’s glee. Pluto battles with the creature, only to find that it will literally bounce back from his punches. Finally, Pluto chomps down on the inflatable’s nose, but finds himself being filled with air and sent flying around the beach, landing in a shipwreck and having a bell land on his head.
The ants quickly gather the food left out by Donald as he went for a swim
Meanwhile, an ant is surveying the scene of the beach and, seeing Donald’s unattended picnic, alerts all the other ants to “come and get it.” The food is soon carted away, but Donald spots the ants and chases them away. As he devises a plan to catch the ants with flypaper, one lone ant tries to run away with a piece of cake, but is spotted by Pluto, who is still stick in the shipwreck. He frees himself and begins to follow the ant, and the ant finds himself stuck between the flypaper and Pluto, but manages to get Pluto stuck to the flypaper instead. Pluto continues to try and free himself, but manages to remain completely stuck to the flypaper, with Donald laughing hysterically. While Donald’s back is turned, Pluto ends up sending himself flying in the duck’s direction, with the two of them getting stuck to the flypaper. Pluto tries to free Donald, and when he does, Donald ends up rolling all over the flypaper, completely covered. Pluto then licks the duck’s face as Donald throws a tantrum.
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