Everybody knows that Mickey Mouse’s love interest is Minnie Mouse. Donald Duck pursues Daisy Duck. But what about Pluto? It was in the Pluto cartoon short The Sleepwalker, which crept onto screens on this day in 1942, that Pluto first met a seductive dachshund named Dinah, who went on to appear in a total of …
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During World War II, everybody at the Disney Studios got into the patriotic spirit by helping with the war efforts — even the animated characters. In May 1942, Donald Duck was drafted, and just a few weeks later Pluto attempted to join the Army, albeit without the most honorable of intentions. In the release of …
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As the theme song of the Disney short Donald Gets Drafted goes, “The army’s not the army anymore.” This is particularly true when Donald Fauntleroy Duck, the name provided on his draft card, gets drafted. The happy-go-lucky duck, obviously proud to serve his country, enthusiastically heads off to the draft board amidst posters depicting how …
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One of the great things about having your own cartoon series is that you get to play a variety of roles, and in the Pluto cartoon short Pluto Junior, released on this day in 1942, Pluto portrayed a dad. Pluto Junior, an energetic little tyke, finds it easy to get into mischief and has some …
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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gives honorary awards for lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to motion pictures arts and sciences and outstanding service to the Academy. These awards might be statuettes or certificates. The two most unusual honorary awards ever given went to Walt Disney, which was a standard Oscar® statuette and seven …
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The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is presented periodically to creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production. The award is named for the “boy wonder” vice president and supervisor of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1920s and ’30s who personally supervised the studio’s top productions until his …
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“There’s a Yankee Doodle spirit in the heart of everyone. It’s the Yankee Doodle spirit now that’s shouldering a gun for freedom and liberty. Your freedom! Your liberty! This is our fighting song!” These lyrics are sung by Disney Legend Cliff Edwards to begin the special Donald Duck cartoon short The New Spirit. If the …
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The Village Smithy is not another name for Dave Smith, founder of the Walt Disney Archives… it’s the name of the blacksmith in a village, a person who works with iron to create useful items such as horseshoes or wagon wheels. On this day in 1942, The Village Smithy cartoon short was released with Donald …
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“Any bonds today?” These words are heard in the Irving Berlin song which became an anthem of sorts during World War II, encouraging Americans to show their patriotism and purchase war bonds, government-issued savings bonds that helped finance the war. Similarly, the Canadian government encouraged its citizens to buy bonds, and called upon Walt Disney …
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It can never hurt to learn how to protect yourself… unless your instructor is Goofy. The Art of Self Defense, which hit theaters on this day in 1941, humorously explores the history of self defense — from the Stone Age to the present day. Starting with scientific conditioning, Goofy, in typical “how to” fashion, demonstrates …
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