Donald Duck is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1937 with Donald's Ostrich (although two previous short films, Don Donald and Modern Inventions, both from 1937, were later re-released under this series) and ended in 1961 with The Litterbug, with an additional short, D.I.Y. Duck, being released in 2024.
The series stars the titular character Donald Duck, in addition to having recurring appearances by previously known characters such as Pluto and Pete. The series also introduced well-known characters such as Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie (previously introduced in comic books) and Donald's love interest Daisy Duck, as well as Donald's recurring rivals Chip 'n' Dale under their names (previously appearing without names in the shorts Private Pluto and Squatter's Rights).
Donald Duck is a spin-off series of the Mickey Mouse short film series, while Donald Duck also has its own spin-off series, Donald & Goofy, starring Donald Duck and Goofy.
Production After his debut in the short film The Wise Little Hen from the series Silly Symphony, Donald Duck became a recurring character in the short films of the series Mickey Mouse. Due to his popularity, Donald began starring in his own series of shorts, beginning with Donald's Ostrich on December 10, 1937. Two previous shorts originally from the Mickey Mouse series, Don Donald (1937) and Modern Inventions (1937), were later re-released as shorts in the Donald Duck series. Similar to the Mickey Mouse series, the Donald Duck shorts begin with a close-up of Donald's face with a starburst behind him, followed by the title "A Walt Disney Donald Duck". The World War II-themed Donald shorts released during the 1940s, in which Donald is shown enlisting in the military, feature a variant of Donald's face with his sailor's hat exchanged for his privater's cap. Other Walt Disney Productions short films starring Donald outside of the Donald Duck series, like How to Have an Accident at Work (1959) – released as A Walt Disney Cartoon – and some educational films from 1960s, also include Donald's starburst picture in their introduction. In the shorts filmed in CinemaScope, also the intro changes to one with Donald shining a flashlight on the image with his face and then the text of the intro.
The series had annual releases from 1937 to 1956, later having a hiatus until the release in 1961 of The Litterbug, which, unlike the others, was presented without the starburst with Donald's face and under the title "Walt Disney presents Donald Duck". In 2024, due to the 90th anniversary of Donald Duck, was released an additional short, D.I.Y. Duck.
While Don Donald and Modern Inventions were distributed under United Artists, Donald's Ostrich onwards were distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, with the exception of Grand Canyonscope (1954) and The Litterbug, distributed under Buena Vista Distribution, which distributed most of the other shorts in re-releases, and D.I.Y. Duck, distributed by its production studio Walt Disney Animation Studios.
The cartoons were directed by 12 different people. Those with the most credits include Jack King (53) and Jack Hannah (48).
List of films The following is a list of Donald Duck short films.
This list doesn't include shorts from other series in which Donald Duck appears (such as those from the Mickey Mouse series, the Donald & Goofy series, or short films that aren't introduced as part of a specific series), segments from feature films (such as Blame It on the Samba or Pomp and Circumstance), nor shorts of Donald Duck made as part of the episodes of the television series Mickey Mouse Works.
Years:1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1961 2024
1937 #TitleDirectorRelease Donald goes to visit Donna Duck, but his donkey gives him some trouble.
Other appearances: Donna Duck, Jenny the Burro
Notes: Originally released as part of the Mickey Mouse series, later re-released as part of the Donald Duck series Donald visits the "Museum of Modern Marvels".
Other appearances: Robot Butler
Notes: Originally released as part of the Mickey Mouse series, later re-released as part of the Donald Duck series Donald is the baggage handler at a train station, where part of the latest shipment is a gluttonous ostrich.
Other appearances: Hortense the Ostrich; cameos by Shirley Temple
1938 #TitleDirectorRelease Donald tries to control his temper by following the advice of a radio program.
Other appearances: Uncle Smiley (voice), Caterpillar, Hen, Woodpecker Donald prepares to go to school, but is torn between his angelic side and his evil side whether or not to go.
Other appearances: Donald's Angel, Donald's Devil Donald receives a visit from his three nephews, who are quite unruly.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie (debut of the characters in animation), Dumbella Duck (mentioned) Donald is the scoutmaster for his nephews on a camping trip, but his lack of leadership means the kids have to help him out of one problem after another.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie
Notes: Nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Donald goes to play golf, with his nephews accompanying him as caddies.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie
1939 #TitleDirectorRelease On Friday the 13th, Donald runs into several unlucky obstacles while delivering a package, which contains a bomb.
Other appearances: Gangster Leader (silhouette), Gangster Sidekick (silhouette) Donald competes with his nephews playing hockey.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie Donald is visited by his cousin Gus, who has a hearty appetite.
Other appearances: Gus Goose (debut of the character in animation) Donald plays pranks on Pluto at the beach. Later they both have problems with ants at their picnic.
Other appearances: Pluto, Ants Donald leads a sea voyage with his nephews, where they encounter a ferocious shark.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie, Shark Donald receives a penguin from the South Pole.
Other appearances: Tootsie the Penguin Donald tries to get autographs from celebrities in a Hollywood studio.
Other appearances: Security Guard, animated versions of various celebrities Donald is a police officer who must arrest the criminal Tiny Tom (Pete).
Other appearances: Pete (as "Tiny Tom")
1940 #TitleDirectorRelease During the construction of a building, Pete hires Donald as his riveter.
Other appearances: Pete, Peter Pig (cameo) Donald tries to convince Pluto to try his mechanical laundromat for dogs.
Other appearances: Pluto Donald has a date with Daisy, which is constantly interrupted by his nephews.
Other appearances: Daisy Duck (debut), Huey, Dewey and Louie Donald and Pluto go sailing, but the day doesn't end as well as they hoped.
Other appearances: Pluto Donald has a hard time doing activities in the woods during his vacation.
Other appearances: Chipmunks, Brown bear Donald and Pluto are cleaning windows in a skyscraper, where they end up in trouble with a bee.
Other appearances: Pluto, Spike the Bee (debut as prototype) Donald and his nephews are the staff at a fire station.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie
1941 #TitleDirectorRelease Donald tries to steal food from lumberjack Pete's table. After catching him, Pete forces Donald to work cutting down trees.
Other appearances: Pete Donald goes into a chicken coop to get the chickens' eggs, but has trouble with the rooster that guards the place.
Other appearances: Rooster, Hens At a penny arcade, Donald is entertained by various attractions.
Other appearances: Daisy Duck (cameo) Donald spends the night unable to sleep due to various problems. Donald catches his nephews swimming on a school day.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie
Notes: Nominated for Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Donald has a farm where he feeds the animals while singing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".
Other appearances: Farm animals Donald decides to use his camera to photograph some wildlife, but the animals he finds torment him and hinder his efforts to photograph them.
Other appearances: Forest animals Donald tries to cook by listening to Old Mother Mallard's radio show.
Other appearances: Old Mother Mallard (voices)
1942 #TitleDirectorRelease Donald is working as a blacksmith fixing an iron rim in a wagon wheel and putting a horseshoe on the donkey Jenny, having trouble with both.
Other appearances: Jenny the Burro Animated documentary promoting the timely filing and payment of federal income taxes, showing Donald Duck's difficulties with his tax return.
Notes: Nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary. World War II propaganda film, being the second as such starring Donald after Donald's Decision, and the first in the Donald Duck series. Donald starts a snowball fight with his nephews.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie Donald expresses his desire to join the Army Air Forces. During basic training, Sergeant Pete marches Donald's unit through the camp.
Other appearances: Pete, Recruitment Agent, Team of Doctors
Notes: Third World War II-themed short starring Donald, and the first in the "Donald in the Army" series. Donald has a garden full of melons, which is invaded by a hungry gopher.
Other appearances: Gopher Donald is digging his gold mine, clumsily doing it, which is great fun for his donkey.
Other appearances: Jenny the Burro Private Donald gets into trouble when he does his duty too well by painting camouflage with experimental paint that makes everything painted invisible.
Other appearances: Pete, The General
Notes: Fourth World War II-themed short starring Donald, and second in the "Donald in the Army" series. Private Donald finally gets a chance to fly in the Air Force, but ends up afraid to go parachuting.
Other appearances: Pete
Notes: Fifth World War II-themed short starring Donald, and the third in the "Donald in the Army" series. Donald works as a bellboy at a hotel, where after Pete and his son arrive at the hotel, the boy doesn't stop causing trouble.
Other appearances: Pete, Pete Junior (debut), Hotel manager
1943 #TitleDirectorRelease Donald has a nightmare in which he lives in Germany as a slave under the Nazi regime.
Notes: Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and the only Donald Duck film to receive the honor. Anti-Nazi propaganda film, being the sixth World War II-themed short starring Donald. Documentary in which Donald deals with income taxes and his benefit to the American war effort.
Notes: Propaganda film of the World War II, being the seventh short film starring Donald with this theme. The representation of "good luck" in the story is a duck similar to Scrooge McDuck (being an old duck in Scottish attire), who would debut years later in a comic by Carl Barks, the short film's screenwriter, and may be an anticipated prototype of said character. While driving his car, Donald has a flat tire and changing it isn't easy. As Donald looks at the "used" planes for sale by Ben Buzzard, he takes one of the wrecked planes out for a test drive.
Other appearances: Ben Buzzard Private Donald goes through difficult times during the training march, and later setting up his tent.
Notes: Eighth World War II-themed short starring Donald, and fourth in the "Donald in the Army" series. Private Donald is caught sneaking out of camp without permission and Sergeant Pete chases after him to teach him a lesson.
Other appearances: Pete
Notes: Ninth World War II-themed short starring Donald, and fifth in the "Donald in the Army" series. During World War II, Donald is in charge of a listening post. When he mistakes a bee for an enemy plane, he calls on his nephews to fight this threat.
Other appearances: Huey, Dewey and Louie, Spike the Bee