The Chronological Donald Vol. 2: Dissapointment to Disney Afficionados
Review by Thad Komorowski
I'm sure I wasn't the only one excited when I heard my favorite Disney character, Donald Duck, was getting a second
volume in the Disney Treasures DVD line. Though I was expecting this set since volume one, I did not expect the
cartoons to get such a shabby treatment.
FLYING JALOPY (1943)
I was skeptical at first about reports that the quality on the Disney Treasures had dropped. Many of the reports were
coming from sources that think a DVD isn't perfect unless they can spit on the disc and it cleans itself. I didn't want
to believe it, but when I got this on Christmas morn, I was pretty shocked.
The quality of these 1940s films is jarring, many appear to be taken from old VHS masters. Compared to any past Treasures
set, the quality is apalling. Even more so, Wave 5 has a "Get these out as cheap as possible" feel, since many of the cartoons
had been previously released to DVD already. Click here for a comparison of
"Donald Duck and the Gorilla" on this DVD set and the version previously released on Mickey's House of Villains.
Therefore, the enjoyment of this DVD set must be from the entertainment value of the shorts. And there are a lot of great shorts on this one!
DER FUEHRER'S FACE (1943)
Disc one highlights the duck's 1942-1943 cartoons. Some of the cartoons here suffer from Disney's lack of energy that was commonplace in most of their shorts
("Donald's Garden", "Donald's Gold Mine"), but Carl Barks' "Donald's Snow Fight" remains a personal favorite of mine,
as is Dick Lundy's "Flying Jalopy". The latter features a prototype of the Buzz Buzzard character Lundy would create at Lantz for the Woody Woodpecker series.
(Incidentally, "Jalopy" plays very, very much like a Woody short).
Disc one also features the traditional "From the Vault" section, containing cartoons (with a forced intro by Leonard Maltin) that aren't exactly friendly
with today's standards. Ironically, all but "Der Fuehrer's Face" were included on 2004's Walt Disney on the Front Lines with no forced introduction whatsoever.
Duck Meets Ducky!
Also included on this disc is an entertaining Disneyland TV show, "A Day in the Life of Donald Duck", showing an animated Donald interacting with the staff at the Disney cartoon studio. My favorite moment
was Donald complaining to his voice artist, Clarence Nash, that he's doing a poor job!
NO SAIL (1945)
Disc two showcases Donald's 1944-1946 shorts. Most of these benefit from the staff trying to immitate the frantic Warner Bros. and MGM humor that was becoming the norm during the war years. Highlights include Donald
getting God-like powers to stop Pegleg Pete's obnoxious trombone playing in "Trombone Trouble", Donald and Goofy stranded in the middle of the ocean in "No Sail", and Donald playing 'Frank Duck' trying to capture a wildman (Goofy) in
"Frank Duck Brings 'Em Back Alive". Jack Kinney's "Duck Pimples" is also a lot of fun, showing what happens when Donald reads one too many horror mysteries. For fun, see if you can spot all the Disney animators referenced in this one!
DONALD'S DOUBLE TROUBLE (1946)
Proof that the "Duck Family" usually brings out the best in Donald is most evident on this disc. While the nephew shorts are entertaining and clever ("Donald's Crime" in particular), "Donald's Double Trouble" is as perfect as anyone can hope for. Daisy is fed-up with Donald's temper, voice, and lack of manners...
So what better way to get around this problem than for Donald to get an upperclass identical stranger to take his place for an evening! Things go too far when Donald sees his 'twin' making moves on Daisy though...
The Duck Man
The bonus material is pretty lacking for this set, but the most apalling is the Carl Barks "tribute" here on disc two. Naturally, I was expecting this kind of treatment of the greatest comic book writer/artist from Disney. No acknowledged Barks historians are interviewed, clips from the bastardization that is DuckTales are used,
and artwork from other artists is shown as Barks'! Thankfully though, Barks' acceptance of the Disney Legends Award is included (and very funny!).
All in all, Donald's second volume will keep most people entertained, but you'll probably keep saying to yourself, "I hope things get better next time."
