Writer: Various
Director: Jack Hannah, Jack King
Cast: Clarence Nash, Ronald Colman, Pinto Colvig, James MacDonald (II), Dessie Flynn
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 11, 2007
The Walt Disney Treasures series of DVD box sets tend to get a lot of press due to their vast popularity and the occasionally controversial material that is sometimes presented. In this, seventh wave of the series, fans are able to obtain a set that includes Chronological Donald, Volume 3, Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic, and The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This particular review is for Chronological Donald, Volume 3 and covers Donald in the years from 1947 to 1950.
Before I even opened this box set in its attractive metal case, I wondered what the quality would be like. The idea behind Disney Treasures is that treasures are being pulled from the vault and offered to Disney fans with a quality that has never before been presented. If Disney is unable to offer a complete and beautiful package, instead giving us something grainy and poor quality, I would rather not see it at all.
Naturally, I would hope for the best quality not only for myself, but for my children who will be seeing the cartoons presented in this box set (as will I) for the first time. All of that being said I have to say that the video quality for Chronological Donald, Volume 3 is actually much better than I was expecting. While there are some occasional problems, the majority look as if these cartoons were well preserved and cleaned up as much as possible.
Release Information:
Chronological Donald, Volume 3 offers 30 classic Donald Duck cartoons that took place from 1947 to 1950. This set was released with the two other DVD sets I mentioned before in the seventh Walt Disney Treasures collection on December 11, 2007. In addition to the 30 cartoons presented you have a chance to enjoy a few bonus features that will enhance this box set in a number of ways. This would make a perfect Christmas gift because the Walt Disney Treasures Collections are only available on a limited basis. You can purchase these in any major retail store or through online retailers, such as Amazon where it is available for $22.99.
The Chronological Donald, Volume 3 Plot
Growing up after this time period meant that I saw some of these shorts, but others I missed as I was not around when they originally debuted. Naturally, as I have gotten older, one of the things I want to do is offer my children the media that was popular when I was young. Cartoons are a natural choice in this area. When it comes to black and white shorts of this era, it can be somewhat hit or miss. Donald tends to be a given though. With his high excitement and his anger management problems, the kids tend to love him and all his hyperactive issues.
These shorts, like most cartoons, are a product of the time when they were created. Earlier Donald cartoons show him involved in the War or with the War as some portion of the plot’s theme. These cartoons came after the war though so his focus is somewhat different. In the past, these cartoons (some of them, anyway) have been deemed racist. I don’t think that was necessarily the case. Cartoons were built around common themes and thought processes. In those days, things were different. Looking at them now may make you think they are offensive, but that was everyday life back then. It would be impossible to offer a slice of history if you altered the meaning of the short or the cartoon that you were watching.
In Volume 3, Donald has moved away from the War and into the suburbs. His problems include things like recreational issues (mishaps while on picnics and when camping), family problems (his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie might have ADHD), and issues with the world at large (bees are not very kind to poor Donald). All of these issues and more are the basis of Donald’s anger and these 31 shorts. Donald can become downright mean. You might even see some animal cruelty in various shorts.
That being said, Donald usually gets his in the end. There are some lessons to be learned even if they are unexpected. Parents might need to take these episodes with a grain of salt. If children are old enough to tell that ducks don’t wear suits and talk then they should be fine when watching these DVDs.
The 30 shorts offered in this collectable set come on two discs. The first disc offers 12 shorts and three more from the vault. Meanwhile, there are 13 shorts on the second disc and an additional three from the vault. Each short lasts for about seven minutes, give or take a few seconds here and there. As you might expect by the name, the shorts are in a chronological order by the year they were made. The same is to be said for the ones that come from the vault though they are not in the original order with the regular shorts, for obvious reasons.
Disc one offers many funny shorts to enjoy. Some of my favorites include ‘Sleepy Time Donald’, where Donald sleepwalks through his date with Daisy, ‘Donald’s Dilemma’ where Donald gets struck in the head and turns into a vocally inclined jerk, and ‘Crazy with the Heat’, where Donald and Goofy break down in the desert. Other excellent shorts include ‘Inferior Decorator’, ‘Drip Dippy Donald’, ‘Daddy Duck’, and ‘Soup’s On’.
The shorts from the vaults are ones that have been removed for their possible racial connotations or inappropriate content. It would be up to you to decide whether or not your kids should see these shorts. On disc one the three shorts from the vault include ‘Clown of the Jungle’ (a suicidal bird in South America keeps trying to kill itself while Donald becomes annoyed and reaches for the machine gun), ‘Three for Breakfast’ (Asian stereotypes included), and ‘Tea for Two Hundred’ (Donald has a picnic that is ruined by ants).
On the second disc, Donald will battle Chip an’ Dale in ‘Winter Storage’, ‘All in a Nutshell’, ‘Toy Tinkers’, ‘Crazy over Daisy’, ‘Trailer Horn’, and ‘Out on a Limb’. Spike the Bee comes calling in ‘Slide, Donald, Slide’, and Donald battles a mountain lion in ‘Lion Around’. In the vault are two episodes, ‘Donald’s Happy Birthday’ (Donald makes his nephews smoke cigars) and ‘Bee at the Beach’ (It’s the bee vs. Donald on land and water at the beach).
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The quality here is compressed at a rate of 1.33:1. This presents the shorts in a decent and colorful manner. The picture is sharp for the most part and the colors are beautiful. There are no complaints with the quality, because the poorest moments are few and far between. The sound is handled with Dolby Digital English mono. The sound is excellent. It sounds crisp and is strong throughout. For the time when these shorts were originally made the quality is impressive.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There are a few bonus features here that people will enjoy. While there are not nearly as many as Disney normally adds to the Disney Treasure collections, these are worth watching. The first disc offers “The Many Faces of Donald Duck”, which includes interviews with Jerry Beck, Mark Kausler, and Tony Anselmo. The next feature offers Donald on The Mickey Mouse Club. There are ten Easter eggs that are hidden on the discs. These will allow you to view the various animated intros of Donald on The Mickey Mouse Club when you find them.
The second disc includes “Sculpturing Donald”, a short featurette, and an identical intro that will inform viewers about the Easter eggs. Picture galleries and drawings from pre-productions are also included.
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Bottom Line:
Chronological Donald, Volume 3 is an important part of Disney history. Considering the years that these shorts were made, they are in incredibly good shape. While I did not let my younger nieces and nephews who were with us, watch the Vault shorts, they did love the others that were on the disc, as did the older children. This limited edition tin would make a great gift for someone young or old whether they are a collector or not.
Overall Rating: Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Chronological Donald, Volume 3, Walt Disney Treasures, Cartoons, Childrens DVD, DVD Review, Donald Duck
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Being a stay at home mom to three kids and a freelance writer keeps Lisa quite busy. Lisa is the wife of Patrick and the mother of Tim (17), Jaden (9), and Kayla (3). Having a toddler in the house makes things quite interesting. Lisa is an aspiring writer. She loves working for LI Kids because she can get the whole family involved in the reviewing process and write, which is her passion. In her free time she loves sewing and scrapbooking.
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