Watching our favorite duck stride blithely and optimistically into the next quackmire to befall him still remains one of life’s great pleasures, and rarely has Donald looked more hilariously unprepared for what’s about to befall him than in Dude Duck, released 50 years ago today. After arriving at the Bar None Dude Ranch by bus—the lone duck amongst a bevy of beautiful female vacationers—Donald adorns himself in equestrian finery and prepares for a leisurely afternoon ride in the sun. Rover Boy, his assigned steed, doesn’t share our feathery friend’s intention, hoping to convey one of the comely lasses rather than the unintelligible duck. Now it’s a battle of wits between horse and duck until, fortunately for Rover Boy and unfortunately for Donald, a muscle-bound bull arrives on the scene. Dude Duck was skillfully directed by Jack Hannah, a key animator on the Academy Award®-winning The Old Mill (1937), who would go on to direct more than 75 Disney shorts.
