Donald's Dilemma

Last updated
Donald's Dilemma
Donald's Dilemma.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jack King
Story by Roy Williams
Produced by Walt Disney
Starring Clarence Nash
Gloria Blondell
Music by Oliver Wallace
Animation by Don Towsley
Ed Aardal
Emery Hawkins
Sandy Strother
Layouts byDon Griffith
Backgrounds by Maurice Greenberg
Color process Technicolor
Production
company
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • July 11, 1947 (1947-07-11)
Running time
7 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Donald's Dilemma is a Walt Disney Studios animated cartoon directed by Jack King [1] and starring Donald and Daisy Duck. It was originally released on July 11, 1947 in the United States. [2] The title of this short is somewhat of a misnomer. Although Donald is the official headliner for this cartoon, Daisy is the actual protagonist. [1] The dilemma of the title is actually offered to her, not to Donald. [3]

Contents

Plot

Daisy narrates her problem to an unseen psychologist through flashback scenes. Her problem started on a spring day when she was out on a date with Donald and a flower pot fell on his head. He regained consciousness soon enough but with some marked differences. His singing voice was improved to the degree in which it sounds identical to Frank Sinatra, but Donald had no memory of who Daisy was. He became a well-known crooner and his rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio became a hit, which gave him a large number of fans. Daisy's loss resulted in a number of psychological symptoms - she suffered from insomnia, anorexia and self-described insanity. An often censored scene features her losing her will to live and pointing a gun at her head, while in front of a table of other suicide methods, including a noose, a grenade, a bomb, a knife, and poison. [4] [5] She decided that she would see Donald once again at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, at any cost, but failed to do so. That's when she decided to go to the psychologist - and the flashback meets the actual time of the cartoon.

At the end of the cartoon, the psychologist determines that Donald would regain his memory of Daisy if another flower pot (with the same flower from the first pot, which Daisy kept as the only thing she had to remember Donald) would fall on his head, but he warns that his improved voice may be lost along with his singing career. He offers Daisy a dilemma. Either the world has its singer but Daisy loses him or Daisy regains Donald but the world loses him. Posed with the question "her or the world", Daisy answers with a resounding and possessive scream - "Me! Me! Me! MEEE!!" Soon, Daisy sneaks into one of Donald's performances and drops another flower pot on his head. Donald's voice returns to normal and he is jeered and thrown off the stage, but he regains his memory and Daisy is reunited with her lover.

Voice cast

Reception

In The Disney Films, Leonard Maltin says that Donald's Dilemma is "perhaps the best Donald Duck of all... a sidesplitting satire of psychological dramas." Maltin provides a number of reasons why he considers this a great cartoon: "Foremost is the fact that it makes the characters and their situation real, even while reminding you that this is a cartoon. The audience actually becomes involved with Daisy's predicament, and there are marvelous little touches to heighten the emotionalism (as when she is climbing to the catwalk near the end and almost loses her step). At the same time the cartoon is filled with hilarious visual exaggeration: when Daisy recalls that Donald gave her a cold icy stare, a long icicle emits from his eyes, and as she waits for Donald at the stage door of the theatre, the seasons change and she is covered with snow. Donald's Dilemma shows how much could be done within the framework of a seven-minute cartoon, using familiar characters; it is a gem." [6]

According to John Howard Reid in Science-Fiction & Fantasy Cinema: Classic Films of Horror, Sci-Fi & the Supernatural, Daisy displays "a ruthlessly self-centered neurotic streak", but maintains the audience's sympathy throughout the film. [3]

Releases

Home media

The short was released on December 11, 2007 on Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Three: 1947-1950 . [7]

Additional releases include:

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daisy Duck</span> Disney cartoon character

Daisy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the girlfriend of Donald Duck, she is an anthropomorphic white duck that has large eyelashes and ruffled tail feathers around her lowest region to suggest a skirt. She is often seen wearing a hair bow, blouse, and heeled shoes. Daisy was introduced in the short film Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940) and was incorporated into Donald's comic stories several months later. Carl Barks, the screenwriter and lead storyboard artist for the film, was inspired by the 1937 short, Don Donald, that featured a Latin character named Donna Duck, to revive the concept of a female counterpart for Donald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mouse universe</span> Fictional universe involving Mickey Mouse and related Disney characters

The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional shared universe which is the setting for stories involving Disney cartoon characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy as the primary members, and many other characters related to them, being most of them anthropomorphic animals. The universe originated from the Mickey Mouse animated short films produced by Disney starting in 1928, although its first consistent version was created by Floyd Gottfredson in the Mickey Mouse newspaper comic strip. Real-world versions also exist in Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, called Mickey's Toontown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarence Nash</span> American voice actor (1904–1985)

Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor and impressionist. He is best remembered as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma, and a street in that town is named in his honor. In 1993, he was posthumously made a Disney Legend for his contributions to Walt Disney films.

<i>Mickeys Christmas Carol</i> 1983 film by Burny Mattinson

Mickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated Christmas fantasy featurette directed and produced by Burny Mattinson. The cartoon is an adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, and stars Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge. Many other Disney characters, primarily from the Mickey Mouse universe, as well as Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio (1940), and characters from The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and Robin Hood (1973), were cast throughout the film. The featurette was produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution on December 16, 1983, with the re-issue of The Rescuers (1977). In the United States, it was first aired on television on NBC, on December 10, 1984.

<i>Orphans Benefit</i> 1934, 1941 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Orphan's Benefit is an American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions in black-and-white. It was first released in 1934 and was later remade in Technicolor in 1941 under the corrected title Orphans' Benefit. The cartoon features Mickey Mouse and his friends putting on a vaudeville-style benefit show for a group of unruly orphans. It contains a number of firsts for Disney, including the first time in which Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck appear together, and was the 68th Mickey Mouse short film to be released, and the sixth of that year. It was also the cartoon which had the first story to be written that featured Donald Duck, though it was the second Donald Duck short to be produced and released, after The Wise Little Hen.

<i>Mr. Duck Steps Out</i> 1940 Donald Duck cartoon

Mr. Duck Steps Out is a Donald Duck cartoon produced by Walt Disney Productions, which is released on June 7, 1940, and featured the debut of Daisy Duck. The short was directed by Jack King and written by Carl Barks, Chuck Couch, Jack Hannah, Harry Reeves, Milt Schaffer, and Frank Tashlin.

Classic Cartoon Favorites is a series of DVDs by Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Each release would feature around one hour of Disney animated short films, grouped by a starring character or a theme. It is based on the original Walt Disney Cartoon Classics line of videotapes of the 1980s. As opposed to the chronological nature of the Walt Disney Treasures line, each release would feature various cartoons in no particular order. The series featured a total of four waves of releases, between January 11, 2005 and April 11, 2006. Another similar line was Walt Disney's Funny Factory.

<i>Mickeys House of Villains</i> 2002 film

Mickey's House of Villains is a 2002 American direct-to-video animated comedy-horror film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It is based on the animated television series House of Mouse and serves as a stand-alone sequel to the direct-to-video animated film Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Daisy Duck, and Disney Villains that appeared in past Disney productions. It was released on both VHS and DVD by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on September 3, 2002.

<i>Don Donald</i> 1937 Donald Duck cartoon

Don Donald is a 1937 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon follows Donald Duck attempting to woo a female Mexican duck named Donna. It was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and features music by Paul J. Smith which was adapted from the Mexican folk songs "Cielito Lindo" and "Jarabe Tapatío". Clarence Nash voiced both Donald and Donna.

<i>Clock Cleaners</i> 1937 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Clock Cleaners is a 1937 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon follows Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy working as janitors in a tall clock tower. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and features original music by Paul Smith and Oliver Wallace. The voice cast includes Walt Disney as Mickey, Clarence Nash as Donald, and Pinto Colvig as Goofy. It was the 97th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the eighth for that year.

The second wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released December 3, 2002. This was the final wave with the tin's individual number embossed on the tin.

The third wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released on May 18, 2004. It was originally planned to be released in December 2003, but was delayed for almost half a year in order to meet an increased demand with a higher number of tins produced. This wave was the first to have a certificate of authenticity with the individual number of the tin on it, replacing the number embossed on the tin. This was the final wave released with side straps.

The seventh wave of Walt Disney Treasures was released on December 11, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Duck</span> Disney cartoon character

Donald Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known for his semi-intelligible speech and his mischievous, temperamental, and pompous personality. Along with his friend Mickey Mouse, Donald was included in TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time in 2002, and has earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has appeared in more films than any other Disney character.

<i>Donalds Crime</i> 1945 Donald Duck cartoon

Donald's Crime is a 1945 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon, which parodies film noir crime dramas of the time, follows Donald Duck as he struggles with guilt after stealing $1.25 from his nephews. The film was directed by Jack King and features original music by Edward H. Plumb. The voice cast includes Clarence Nash as Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Ruth Clifford as Daisy Duck, and Harry E. Lang as the off-stage voice of Donald's conscience. This was Blondell's first performance as Daisy and marks the debut of the character's "normal" voice. Previously in Mr. Duck Steps Out, Daisy had been voiced by Nash using a voice similar to Donald's.

<i>Moving Day</i> (1936 film) 1936 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Moving Day is a 1936 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression, follows the antics of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as they frantically pack their belongings after being dispossessed from their home. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and includes the voices of Walt Disney as Mickey, Clarence Nash as Donald, Pinto Colvig as Goofy, and Billy Bletcher as Sheriff Pete. It was the 85th Mickey Mouse short to be released, and the eighth of that year.

<i>Boat Builders</i> (film) 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Boat Builders is an animated short film produced by Walt Disney, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and released on February 25, 1938. The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and animated by Frenchy de Trémaudan, Louie Schmitt, Chuck Couch, Eddie Strickland, Clyde Geronimi, Paul Satterfield, Archie Robin, Don Patterson. It was the 99th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the first for that year.

<i>Plutos Christmas Tree</i> 1952 Mickey Mouse cartoon

Pluto's Christmas Tree is a 1952 Mickey Mouse cartoon in which Pluto and Mickey cut down a Christmas tree that Chip n' Dale live in. It was the 125th short in the Mickey Mouse film series to be released, and the second for that year. While the chipmunks are usually antagonists of Donald Duck, they have pestered Pluto before, in Private Pluto (1943), Squatter's Rights (1946) and Food for Feudin' (1950).

<i>Soups On</i> 1948 Donald Duck cartoon

Soup's On is a 1948 Donald Duck animated short film directed by Jack Hannah, produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures.

<i>Donalds Dream Voice</i> 1948 Donald Duck cartoon

Donald's Dream Voice is a 1948 American animated short film featuring Donald Duck, the film was directed by Jack Hannah and produced by Walt Disney. In the short film, no one understands a word that salesman Donald says, so he takes voice pills to improve his speech.

References

  1. 1 2 Disney Archives | Daisy Duck Character History
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 74–76. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 Reid (2007), p. 60-61
  4. ↑ Donald's Dilemma (1947) - Alternate versions
  5. ↑ "Donald's Dilemma (Walt Disney Studios)". Archived from the original on January 2, 2013.
  6. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (1984). The Disney Films (2nd ed.). Crown Publishers. pp. 301–302. ISBN   0-517-55407-0 . Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Chronological Donald Volume 3 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.