Tag Archives: Donald Duck

October 14, 1949 – The Donald Duck Short Film The Greener Yard is Released to Theaters

“It was a paradise all right, just full of fancy foods.”

On October 14, 1949, the Donald Duck short film The Greener Yard was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Bill Berg and Milt Banta.

The story begins next to the yard of Donald Duck, where Bootle Beetle is preparing a meal for his son. His son is upset that they’re having beans again for dinner, and Bootle Beetle warns him that the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. In Donald’s yard, Donald is feeding his birds, which Bootle Beetle calls a land of plenty – except for beetles. He then recalls a story from his youth when he travels to Donald’s yard to savor the foods in the garden. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realize that Donald is coming to work in his garden, and is caught unawares. Donald tries to smash Bootle Beetle, but the beetle ends up escaping into the hose. Donald manages to get him out of the hose, but knocks himself out on a tree branch in the process. Donald rouses and chases him across the yard, as do the chickens, but the resourceful beetle manages to save himself from being eaten. Two birds run off with Bootle Beetle, and he manages to slip out of their grasp as they argue who will eat him. He falls into his home, and relays that there is no place like home. His son rushes to gratefully eat his beans, but when he hears the clucking of chicken, he looks up in surprise to find his father has stolen some watermelon from Donald’s yard for dessert.

September 12, 1947 – The Donald Duck Short Film Wide Open Spaces is Released to Theaters

“Sweet repose.”

On September 12, 1947, the Donald Duck short film Wide Open Spaces was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack King, with story by MacDonald MacPherson and Jack Huber.

At the Hold-Up Motel, Donald screeches to a halt in front and wearily makes his way inside, only to find that there’s nothing available but the cot on the porch for $16. Donald is furious, and gets kicked back into his car by the management. He drives away and decides to set up an air mattress in the woods, but has little luck in keeping the mattress inflated. Donald finally manages to get it inflated, only to find a rock under the mattress. He throws the rock up a hill, which accidentally starts an avalanche. Donald flees from the scene in his car, but gets crushed against a tree by a giant boulder. Weary, Donald tries to get back to sleep, but ends up snoring himself into the nearby river, where he shares his sleep with a giant fish. He gets back to the mattress, but ends up getting slapped in the face by a branch that moves with his snoring. He props the branch up to keep it from swinging into him, but his snoring once again causes the branch to move, landing on the air pump and inflating the air mattress to the point that it flies away, sending Donald straight to the door of the motel, where he owes the owner $16. Donald pays him in his sleep, and when the owner forcibly removes Donald from the cot, he lands into a cactus, where he continues to doze happily.

August 27, 1948 – The Donald Duck Short Film Inferior Decorator is Released to Theaters

“Stick around, bud. Stick around.”

On August 27, 1948, the Donald Duck short film Inferior Decorator was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Lee Morehouse and Bob Moore.

Spike the Bee is buzzing happily amongst the flowers, when he hears a horrible singing inside the huse. He sees Donald plastering some flower wallpaper and, thinking that these are real flowers, he runs into the wall. Donald, observing Spike, plays a cruel prank on the bee, capturing him in a bucket of wallpaper paste. Spike tries to escape, and Donald cuts the paste that is attached to Spike, sending him hurtling into the ceiling. Donald sends the dizzy bee outside, but Spike angrily makes his way back in tries to sting Donald’s tail, but gets caught on the sticky wallpaper. As Donald tries to shake Spike off, he gets the wallpaper and himself stuck on the ceiling, leaving himself open for Spike’s attack. Donald is able to dodge the attack with a well-placed cork, but Spike is able to free himself and once again ready himself for a sting. Spike calls in reinforcements from his hive, and they all go sting Donald one by one.

August 22, 1947 – The Donald Duck Short Film Bootle Beetle is Released to Theaters

“Just think of it: the famous Professor Duck!”

On August 22, 1947, the Donald Duck short film Bootle Beetle was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Bill Berg and Milt Banta.

The narrator opens the short with an introduction of the “Bootle Beetle,” a once plentiful bug whose numbers diminished due to their love of travel. One beetle is seen getting ready to travel, when he is stopped by an older bug. He warns the kid that so many beetles before him traveled across the stream and never came back, then starts telling him a story of when he was a younger bug, setting out for adventure. At first, the journey is enjoyable, until he comes Donald, an entomologist. Donald, who has been looking for the elusive Bootle Beetle, celebrates his good fortune, but the poor beetle manages to escape. Donald continues to chase after the beetle, and finally manages to trap it in a jar, taking it home. However, when Donald takes another look at the beetle, he thinks it has disappeared. The beetle manages another escape, and makes his way back home, determined to stay. The kid beetle is convinced to stay home, and it is revealed that Donald is still searching for the beetle all those years later.

August 9, 1946 – The Donald Duck Short Film Wet Paint is Released to Theaters

“Why, that dirty…”

On August 9, 1946, the Donald Duck short film Wet Paint was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack King, with story by Roy Williams.

A beautiful day finds Donald painting his car a nice red color. As he turns to get more paint, a bird flies by, accidentally catching her string on the car’s hood ornament. She flies down to retrieve it, and gets her feet stuck on the paint of the car. As she walks away, she leaves a trail of footprints behind. Donald notices and irritably paints over the prints, accidentally painting his windshield and not realizing he’s leaving his own marks. The bird watches Donald curiously, and Donald chases after it before angrily realizing that he’s left hand prints all over the new paint job. The bird gets her string caught in the car’s antenna, which hits Donald and ends up with him tied on the car. Donald gets out and throws a paintbrush fill of paint at the bird, who cleans herself off in the paint remover before shaking herself dry over the car, ruining the new paint job. She grabs a string from a hole in the front seat and flies off, but pulls out all of the stuffing in the process when Donald tries to grab the string back, giving the car a final “sheepdog” look.

Donald manages to remove the stuffing from the car, but finds the bird in the tailpipe. The bird spies another string, but Donald prevents her from taking it. The string, however, is an exposed wire, which shocks Donald and sends him bouncing among the paint cans. His tail covered in paint, he ends up giving the car a splotchy tie-dye paint job. Fed up, he chases after the bird once more, and accidentally sends the car zooming across the yard, where it crashes and loses its paint job. The bird finally takes a string from Donald’s hat, unraveling it. Angered, he chases after her with an axe and begins to chop down her tree, when she sees her nest and babies. Softened, he lets her keep the string, and the birds congregate on his head.