Tag Archives: Donald Duck

July 11, 1941 – The Donald Duck Short Film Early to Bed is Released to Theaters

“Doggone it. I’ll get to sleep if it kills me!”

On July 11, 1941, the Donald Duck short film Early to Bed was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack King.

Donald lets out a long yawn as he stretches and gets ready for bed. He mutters that he has to get up early and mentions how tired he is before singing himself a lullaby. As he tries to land on his pillow, he hits the bed frame with his head. Annoyed, he moves his pillow, only to have all the feathers fly out when he tries once again to rest his head. He finally is able to go to sleep, save for the ticking of his alarm clock, which seems to grow louder every second he tries to sleep. His tail begins to move in rhythm with the clock, and he finally just shoves it into a drawer. The clock, however, continues to tick loudly, and Donald loses his temper and throws it against a wall. It lands in a nearby vase and continues to beat loudly, so Donald throws the clock out the window. The clock lands in a sock on the outside laundry line, and the force of Donald’s throw carries it back into Donald’s apartment, where he accidentally swallows it as it flies through the window.

Donald is shocked to find the clock inside his stomach after throwing it out the window

Donald is alarmed to find the clock in his stomach, and tries to kick it out with little success. He is able to break the clock into pieces, but doesn’t silence it. Finally, Donald is able to get the clock and all of its pieces thrown out of him, silencing the ticking forever. He tries to go back to sleep, only to find that his trundle bed has folded itself – and him – in half. The bed refuses to stay down, as the moment he turns out the light, it folds right up again. The bed’s springs also come out from the padding, launching Donald into his chandelier. The chandelier then falls back onto the bed, which folds up. Donald finally takes desperate measures when he ties down his bed with ropes and chains, and locks himself in at the top. Unfortunately, the broken clock magically reassembles itself and sets off the alarm, waking Donald up and causing the bed to self-destruct.

June 20, 1947 – The Donald Duck Short Film Clown of the Jungle is Released to Theaters

“Here in a jungle paradise, nature’s little songsters blend in unforgettable harmonies.”

On June 20, 1947, the Donald Duck short film Clown of the Jungle was released to theaters. It features the Aracuan bird, a crazy bird that was first featured in the film The Three Caballeros, tormenting Donald much as he does in this short. The Aracuan makes another appearance in the film Melody Time. Clown of the Jungle was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Ray Patin.

The audience is introduced to the jungle paradise of the South Americas, where the bliss is interrupted by the hyperactive Aracuan bird, known as the “slap-happy clown of the jungle.” The narrator then notices a strange sight in the jungle, and introduces Donald as a member of the Bird Lovers Photographic Expedition. Donald steps out of his tent to take pictures of birds, but the birds seem determined not to be photographed. Donald finally spies a sleeping stork and attempts to take a good picture, only to have the Aracuan step into the shot. Donald tries to send the Aracuan away, but the bird responds in a melodramatic fashion, acting as though it will commit suicide. The Aracuan is amused by Donald’s reassuring handshake, and starts “shaking hands” with everything he can get his hands on.

The Aracuan interrupts the hummingbirds song with a Russian-style dance

Donald, annoyed at the behavior, regains his enthusiasm for his expedition when he spots some hummingbirds. When he goes to take the shot, however, the Aracuan interrupts with a Russian dance. When Donald tries to attack the Aracuan, the Aracuan fights back, and Donald chases after the bird in a rage. Donald continues to be tricked by the comical Aracuan, including the Aracuan setting up a fake bird only to have Donald smacked with a hammer and blasted by a cigar. In the end, Donald sets up a machine gun and shoots the Aracuan, but is dismayed to find that he just destroyed his own tent, leaving the Aracuan unharmed. Donald then goes completely crazy, acting just like the Aracuan.

May 30, 1953 – The Donald Duck Short Film Don’s Fountain of Youth is Released to Theaters

“Oh no! Uncle Donald’s a baby again!”

On May 30, 1953, the Donald Duck short film Don’s Fountain of Youth was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack Hannah, with story by Ralph Wright.

Donald is taking the nephews through a tour of the Florida everglades. He is angered that all the boys want to do is read comics, ignoring the scenery around them, but they throw a tantrum when Donald takes their comic book away. Donald then notices that the car is overheating, and rushes to get some water from a nearby spring. As he grabs the water, he notices a nearby sign stating: “This spring was mistaken for the Fountain of Youth by Ponce de Leon 1512.” He gets an idea to play a prank on the boys, and rips off half of the sign, leaving it marking the spring as the Fountain of Youth. Donald then sits in the spring, and pretends to have regressed back to a baby. The boys are dismayed at this, and start calling their uncle a spoiled brat. Upping the ante, Donald grabs an egg from a nearby alligator, and hides in the woods, watching the boys think he’s returned to an egg. The boys cry over their “misfortune.” The alligator wakes up and, spying its missing egg, starts chasing the boys, who frantically try to save their “Uncle Donald.”

The alligator hatchlings mistakenly think that Donald is their mother, much to Donald’s dismay

Donald has been knocked out by the alligator’s tail, and lands on her nest, warming her remaining egg. The egg the boys were protecting is knocked from their hands and lands in front of Donald, and both eggs hatch simultaneously. Thinking Donald is their mother, the hatchlings cling to him, although he tries to get away from them. The alligator hears her babies’ cries and starts chasing Donald instead. He manages to escape her by climbing up a tree, which she soon chops down with her teeth. Donald lands on the ground and collapses, and the boys, mourning their uncle, are relieved to find him alive and back to his old self. Donald quickly gathers his nephews and makes a break for it, leaving behind two very heartbroken hatchlings. Fortunately, they find their mother, who calls them close by imitating Donald’s voice.

April 21, 1944 – The Donald Duck Short Film Contrary Condor is Released to Theaters

“One of the world’s least appreciated scientists is the ornithologist, or egg collector to you, whose trail penetrates the wildest and most difficult of mountains, the Andes.”

On April 21, 1944, the Donald Duck short film Contrary Condor was released to theaters. It was directed by Jack King.

The short opens on a map, with footprints belonging to Donald trailing across the border of North America to South America, making a trail through the Andes. Donald is seen climbing up a vertical side of the mountain with plungers on his feet, yodeling as he goes. He sees the nest, and quickly reaches the top, ready to take an egg from a condor. One condor hatchling has already hatched and starts squawking at Donald’s arrival, but Donald just tells the hatchling to shut up and shoves him back into his egg shell. When he spots Mother Condor flying overhead, Donald hides the other egg and hides in the other hatching’s shell, kicking the baby condor out. The mother lands and decides to sit on the egg in which Donald is hiding. The warmth she provides is almost too much for Donald, and he sweats profusely. The egg suddenly starts to crack, and he is nearly crushed by the condor. Thinking quickly, Donald decides to pretend he’s a condor. The mother is convinced, and gives Donald a hug, much to the surprise of the other hatchling.

During a flying lesson, Donald hands precariously from a tree branch, getting rained on by a passing storm cloud

Mother Condor then sends her hatchlings off to learn how to fly. The hatchling pushes Donald off the tree branch, but he manages to hold on when his clothes catch a branch nearby, although he is not so lucky when a passing storm cloud starts to shower all over him. Mother Condor tries to teach Donald to fly, but Donald looks down and gets dizzy. He tries to slip away, but is spotted and brought back. Donald manages to convince her that he has a bum wing, and she starts cradling him. The hatchling gets jealous, and starts squawking for attention. Having had enough, he sends Donald flying into the air and he lands on a branch nearby. Trying to get out of his situation once and for all, Donald rigs up a decoy using branches and leaves, and sends it hurtling to the river below. Although Mother Condor tries to save her “hatchling,” she believes it to be too late when it falls into the river, and she starts sobbing on the nearby bank. Donald then takes the other condor egg, thinking himself victorious, but the other hatchling steals it from him. Donald takes it back, but falls down into the river, holding the egg protectively. Relieved to see him still alive, Mother Condor gathers Donald and the egg into her arms and coddles them. That night, egg, Donald, hatchling, and Mother Condor are nestled together, while Donald mutters angrily under his breath.