Animated cartoons
 
Released cartoons
 
Modern Inventions (29 May 1937) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack King.
Donald visits a museum of modern inventions and severely collides with the gadgets exhibited there, beginning with a robot butler who repeatedly takes his hat. He ends up in a mechanical barber chair.
This film was released as a Mickey Mouse cartoon though Mickey did not appear. It is the first film directed by Jack King for Disney.
Barks' creation of the barber-chair gag in this film launched his career as a storyman.
 
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Donald's Ostrich (10 December 1937) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Harry Reeves.
Stationmaster Donald must care for a voraciously hungry ostrich named Hortense who even devours a radio.
Hortense also appeared in the Donald Duck daily strip from 3 through 15 October 1938.
In WDC 162/1, Barks made Donald a stationmaster again.
 
Self Control (11 February 1938)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Harry Reeves.
Following instructions from a radio broadcast, Donald tries to contain his anger. After several clashes with some animals he finally throws a tantrum and smashes the radio.
Barks reused some ideas from this film for WDC 106/1. The self-control theme also was at the heart of WDC 64/1 and WDC 173/1.
 
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Donald's Better Self (11 March 1938)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Tom Armstrong, Harry Reeves.
Donald must choose between going to school and playing hooky. The two sides of his personality materialize and enter a heavy fight.
 
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Donald's Nephews (15 April 1938)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah, Harry Reeves.
The three kids of Donald's sister Dumbella pay him a visit and wreak havoc around the house.
First cartoon appearance of Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
A comic-strip version of this film was published on the Silly Symphony Sunday pages from 17 October through 21 November 1937.
In WDC 92/1, Barks again used the idea of the pedagogical handbook Donald consults in this film.
 
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Good Scouts (8 July 1938) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Chuck Couch, Harry Reeves.
Donald takes his nephews on a scouting expedition to Yellowstone Park where they run afoul of a bear and a geyser.
This film was nominated for an Academy Award.
The Donald Duck daily strips from 18 through 30 July 1938 and from 24 July through 5 August 1939 were inspired by this film.
This is the first time Barks used the boy-scout theme. One might see the roots for the Junior Woodchucks here.
 
Donald's Golf Game (4 November 1938)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Chuck Couch, Jack Hannah, Harry Reeves.
Donald tries to impress the nephews with his golfing skill, but they play several tricks on him.
Some gags from this film were also used in the Donald Duck daily strip from 24 October through 5 November 1938.
Barks returned to this story for WDC 96/1.
 
Donald's Lucky Day (13 January 1939) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD).
Donald is a superstitious delivery boy who must deliver a strangely ticking package on Friday the Thirteenth. Finally he finds out that it contains a bomb.
 
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The Hockey Champ (28 April 1939) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Donald shows off his skating prowess and challenges the nephews to a game of hockey.
 
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Donald's Cousin Gus (19 May 1939) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Gus Goose pays a visit and proceeds to eat Donald out of house and home.
First cartoon appearance of Gus Goose.
A comic-strip version of this film was published in the Donald Duck daily strip from 9 through 24 May 1938.
 
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Sea Scouts (30 June 1939) *
Directed by Dick Lundy. Story by Carl Barks (SD).
Donald is a pompous sailboat capain, with the nephews as his crew. He has to fight against a shark who ruins his admiral's hat.
This is the first film directed by Dick Lundy.
The Donald Duck daily strip of 2 May 1939 was inspired by this film.
Barks reused the fight against the shark in WDC 33/1.
 
Donald's Penguin (11 August 1939) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Chuck Couch, Harry Reeves.
Donald receives a pet penguin called Tootsie as a present who causes him a lot of trouble.
A penguin called Penny appeared in the Donald Duck daily strip from 1 through 6 December 1941.
 
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The Autograph Hound (1 September 1939) +
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Donald sneaks into a movie studio to collect autographs and runs afoul of a persistent guard.
In this film, numerous Hollywood celebrities were caricatured, among them Greta Garbo, Shirley Temple, and Clark Gable.
 
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Mr. Duck Steps Out (7 June 1940)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah, Chuck Couch, Milt Schaffer.
Donald calls on Daisy for a date, but the nephews cut in.
First cartoon appearance of Daisy Duck, if one does not count the Mickey Mouse cartoon »Don Donald« (9 January 1937, directed by Ben Sharpsteen) where Daisy was called Donna.
 
Bone Trouble (28 June 1940) +
Directed by Jack Kinney. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Kinney.
Pluto tries to steal a bone from the bulldog next door, but gets chased into the hall of mirrors at an amusement park.
A Pluto cartoon. This is the first film directed by Jack Kinney.
 
Put-Put Troubles (19 July 1940) +
Directed by Riley Thomson. Story by Carl Barks.
Donald takes Pluto on a boat ride. He has problems with the motor while Pluto struggles with a spring coil.
 
Donald's Vacation (9 August 1940)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah.
Donald wants to spend a quiet day in the great outdoors, but he has to put up with a recalcitrant folding chair and an unfriendly bear.
 
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Window Cleaners (20 September 1940) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Assisted by Pluto, Donald tries to wash the windows on a skyscraper, but an angry bee gets in his way.
 
Fire Chief (13 December 1940) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Harry Reeves, Jack Hannah, Homer Brightman, Gilles de Trémaudan.
Donald accidentally sets fire to his own station house when he mistakes gasoline for water.
Barks reused this plot in WDC 86/1. Donald had another appearance as a fireman in WDC 225/1.
 
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Timber (10 January 1941) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Black Pete forces Donald to work off a stolen meal by felling trees at his lumber camp.
Barks used a similar setting and the same antagonist in WDC 267/1.
 
The Golden Eggs (7 March 1941)
Directed by Wilfred Jackson. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Farmer Donald tries to collect a basket of eggs, but these are guarded by an angry rooster. To outwit him, Donald disguises himself as a hen.
Barks used the disguise gag again in several comic stories, notably in WDC 57/1. Donald also was a chicken farmer in WDC 146/1.
 
Early to Bed (11 July 1941) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Donald is kept awake by a ticking clock and a wayward folding bed.
Barks again used the theme of the disturbed night's rest in WDC 178/1.
 
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Truant Officer Donald (1 August 1941) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Donald catches the nephews playing hooky and hauls them back to school.
This film was nominated for an Academy Award.
Barks reused this plot in WDC 100/1. In WDC 111/1, the nephews have a tree cabin similar to the one depicted in this film.
 
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Old MacDonald Duck (12 September 1941) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Harry Reeves, Jack Hannah.
Donald's attempt to milk his cow is thwarted by a troublesome fly.
The Donald Duck daily strip from 13 through 28 November 1941 was possibly inspired by this film.
 
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Chef Donald (5 December 1941) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Following instructions from a radio broadcast, Donald wants to make waffles, but he accidentally mixes rubber cement into his waffle batter.
Barks recycled some elements of this plot for Donald's job as a baker in WDC 210/1.
 
The Village Smithy (16 January 1942)
Directed by Dick Lundy. Story by Carl Barks.
Donald has trouble shoeing a reluctant donkey called Jenny.
Barks cast Donald as a blacksmith again in WDC 239/1.
 
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Donald's Snow Fight (10 April 1942) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD).
Donald lays siege to the nephews' snow fort.
Barks reused this plot in WDC 41/1.
 
Donald Gets Drafted (1 May 1942)
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Donald ends up in the stockade when he botches the orders of Sergeant Pete.
This is the first regular Disney cartoon with a World War II theme, though some training and propaganda films had already been produced earlier.
 
The Army Mascot (22 May 1942)
Directed by Clyde Geronimi. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah.
In the hopes of getting a dinner, Pluto supplants the Yoo Hoo Division's goat mascot.
A Pluto cartoon.
 
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The Vanishing Private (25 September 1942) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD).
Donald accidentally becomes invisible when he spills camouflage paint on himself. He uses this to drive Sergeant Pete mad.
 
Sky Trooper (6 November 1942) +
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah.
Forced to parachute from an airplane, Donald accidentally takes Sergeant Pete and a missile with him.
 
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Bellboy Donald (18 December 1942) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah.
Bellhop Donald is terrorized by Senator Pete's son Junior.
Barks let Donald work at a hotel again in WDC 206/1.
 
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The Old Army Game (5 November 1943) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SC), Jack Hannah.
Private Donald tries to leave the army base without a pass, but he gets caught by Sergeant Pete.
 
Home Defense (26 November 1943) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah.
Donald operates a home-made listening post to spot enemy aircraft, but the nephews play tricks on him.
Disney himself suggested this story by sending Harry Reeves a news clipping about a listening post constructed by two youngsters.
 
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Trombone Trouble (18 February 1944) *
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks (SD), Jack Hannah.
Donald routs his noisy horn-playing neighbor Pete using superpowers given him by the gods.
This is the first time Barks used a pesty neighbor. One might see the first seeds of Mr. Jones here.
 
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The Plastics Inventor (1 September 1944) +
Directed by Jack King. Story by Carl Barks, Jack Hannah, Dick Shaw.
Donald builds an airplane out of plastic, but it turns out to be not waterproof.
 

 
BarksBase by Gerd Syllwasschy · Last update: 17 May 2007
 
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