It's a lot of Duck for the buck.
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When I was a youngster growing up in the late forties and early fifties, my dad and I used to go regularly to the theater on Saturday mornings for the kiddie show they presented. There would always be a chapter of an adventure serial, a comedy short, something along the lines of the Three Stooges, and about 800 cartoons. I'm not sure if it was here that I first saw Disney's Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse or not; it seems like the shows I watched were always dominated more by Looney Tunes than anything else, but I'm sure there must have been some Disney in there somewhere, and this second two-disc tin of Donald Ducks brings back memories of those old days.
I wish I could say I liked the Duck and his pals as much today as I once did, but I'm afraid he hasn't aged as well as WB's Road Runner, Bugs, Daffy, and the gang. Still, the Disney artwork alone may be enough for any adult to enjoy, especially in this second batch of short features, dating from the War years, 1942-1946.
Each of the two discs in the set contains sixteen or seventeen cartoons at six-to-eight minutes apiece. Plus each disc contains various additional bonuses. It's a lot of Duck for the buck.
Disc One:
The cartoons on the first disc are divided into two categories. The first is called "The Shorts" and covers the years 1942 and 1943; it includes cartoons that never mention the War that had engulfed the country. The first of these is "Bellboy Donald" (1942), in which Donald is working at a posh hotel and tangles with Pete and his obnoxious kid. The artwork is typical of the period, detailed and lush. The next is "The Village Smithy" (1942), wherein Donald is a blacksmith trying to shoe a donkey. Some minor grain is all that separates it from a more-recent production. In "Donald's Snow Fight" (1942) the Duck gets into a winter brawl with his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Then, in "Donald's Garden" (1942) he's raising prizewinning fruits and vegetables for the Pomona Fair, but a pesky gopher gives him a hard time. "Donald's Gold Mine" (1942) finds Donald the owner of the Lucky Duck Mine, a cartoon best remembered for Donald's quacking a rendition of "Clementine." In "Donald's Tire Trouble" (1943) he gets a flat while speeding around a mountain road in his roadster, and attempting to fix the tire proves more trouble than anticipated. Finally, there's "The Flying Jalopy" (1943), where Donald buys a dilapidated airplane from a shady buzzard, only to find that the buzzard is out to collect on Donald's life insurance!
The second section of short subjects on disc one is called "From the Vault," and it's here you'll find the Donald Duck cartoons that Disney made specifically for the War effort. Unfortunately, I could not find a way to access these cartoons without having first to listen to film critic and historian Leonard Maltin and his two-minute introduction. I could neither fast-forward through it nor bypass it. I had to endure it and listen to his apologies for the guns, violence, stereotypes, even cigarettes in the War-oriented films. I suppose Disney was taking no chances with its reputation, assuring us that it was not politically incorrect during World War II to use violence and propaganda even in children's fare. As if anybody would seriously be offended.
Anyway, things start with "Donald Gets Drafted" (1942), which seems something of a misnomer because he doesn't get drafted, he enlists, only to find Pete his drill sergeant. Among other things, we find out Donald's full name; I'm not sure if this is the first time it came up, but it's the first time I remember seeing it. It's Donald Fauntleroy Duck. Next is "The Vanishing Private" (1942), with artwork and color that is less intense than in previous issues. The backgrounds are more like a soft and simple watercolor wash. In "Sky Trooper" (1942) Donald longs to be a pilot, all the while being hounded by Sgt. Pete. Then comes the highlight of the set, "Der Fuehrer's Face" (1943), featuring the famous song deriding Hitler. In the story, Donald dreams he's a German factory worker having to salute the Fuehrer at every turn, as the cartoon mocks the enemy--Germans, Japanese, and Italians--mercilessly in caricatures and song. That's followed by "Fall Out, Fall In" (1943), with Donald on a hike in the desert with his platoon; "The Old Army Game" (1943), in which the visual imagery changes from the photorealistic backgrounds of the early cartoons to the more stark and angular look of the later animation. In "Home Defense" (1943) Donald and his nephews are plane spotters; it's colorful but rather simple in execution. Lastly, there's "Commando Duck" (1944), where Donald is sent on a secret mission into enemy Japanese territory.
Disc Two:
The second disc contains Donald cartoons released from 1944 to 1946, although you might note that the actual copyright dates on a few of the early ones are a year before their release. Things begin with "Trombone Trouble" (1944), where Donald is annoyed by noisy neighbor Pete and his nonmusical talents. Even the gods are annoyed and provide Donald with super powers to combat the problem. "The Plastics Inventor" (1944) is a cute one for anybody who remembers a time before television when radio was king. It's also one of the more clever of the Duck cartoons. In "Donald's Off Day" (1944) Donald is cooped up with this nephews and winds up being driven into hypochondria. "Donald Duck and the Gorilla" (9144) is a pretty funny parody of horror films, with an escaped gorilla terrorizing Donald and his nephews. We can see an artistic change in "Contrary Condor" (1944) from Disney's usual detailed and realistic technique to the simple and stylistic art that would come later. Characters are still well drawn, but backgrounds are largely absent. Fortunately, in "The Eyes Have It" (1945) the detailed backgrounds return as Donald experiments with hypnotism on dog Pluto. "Donald's Crime" (1945) was nominated for an Academy Award; it does a smart take on conscience as Donald steals from his nephews' piggy bank to go on a date with Daisy. Then, there's the play on "goose pimples" in "Duck Pimples" (1945), another fine salute to radio days and the effect of radio and books on the imagination.
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[release]16768[/release]