''Donald's Dilemma'' is a Walt Disney Studios

animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

directed by Jack KingDisney Archives , Daisy Duck Character History
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Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

and

Daisy Duck Daisy Duck is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. She is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck that has large eyelashes and ruffled tail feathers around her lowest region to suggest a skirt. She is often s ...

. It was originally released on July 11, 1947 in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The title of this short is a

misnomer A misnomer is a name that is incorrectly or unsuitably applied. Misnomers often arise because something was named long before its correct nature was known, or because an earlier form of something has been replaced by a later form to which the nam ...

, as it is Daisy, rather than Donald, who confronts the story's central dilemma. The "Donald Duck song," also known as "No One But Donald Duck," which became Donald Duck's official theme song, made its debut in this cartoon.

Plot

Daisy narrates her problem to an unseen

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

through flashback scenes. Her problem started on a spring day when she was out on a date with Donald and a flower pot fell on his head. He regained consciousness soon enough but with some marked differences. His singing voice was improved to the degree in which it sounds identical to

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, but Donald had no memory of who Daisy was. He became a well-known crooner and his rendition of " When You Wish Upon a Star" from ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' became a hit, which gave him a large number of fans. Daisy's loss resulted in a number of psychological symptoms - she suffered from insomnia, anorexia and self-described insanity. An often censored scene features her losing her will to live and pointing a gun at her head, while in front of a table of other suicide methods, including a noose, a grenade, a bomb, a knife, and poison. She decided that she would see Donald once again at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, at any cost, but failed to do so. That's when she decided to go to the psychologist - and the flashback meets the actual time of the cartoon. At the end of the cartoon, the psychologist determines that Donald would regain his memory of Daisy if another flower pot would fall on his head, but he warns that his improved voice may be lost along with his singing career. He offers Daisy a dilemma. Either the world has its singer but Daisy loses him or Daisy regains Donald but the world loses him. Posed with the question "her or the world", Daisy answers with a resounding and possessive scream - "Me! Me! Me! MEEE!!" Soon, Daisy sneaks into one of Donald's performances and drops another flower pot on his head. Donald's voice returns to normal and he is jeered and thrown off the stage, but he regains his memory and Daisy is reunited with her lover.

Voice cast

* Donald Duck:

Clarence Nash Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor and impressionist. He is best remembered as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of W ...

* Daisy Duck:

Gloria Blondell Gloria Blondell (August 16, 1915 – March 25, 1986) was a stage, film, and television actress who was the younger sister of actress Joan Blondell. Family Blondell was born into a vaudeville family. Her parents and siblings, Edward Jr. and Joan ...

* Psychiatrist:

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He was known for his starring roles in films noir and crime dramas during the 1940s and 1950s, including '' Call Northside ...

* Singer:

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy ...

* Audience members: Margaret Wright And Melvin J. Gibby

Reception

In ''The Disney Films'',

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...

says that ''Donald's Dilemma'' is "perhaps the best Donald Duck of all... a sidesplitting satire of psychological dramas." Maltin provides a number of reasons why he considers this a great cartoon: "Foremost is the fact that it makes the characters and their situation ''real'', even while reminding you that this is a cartoon. The audience actually becomes involved with Daisy's predicament, and there are marvelous little touches to heighten the emotionalism (as when she is climbing to the catwalk near the end and almost loses her step). At the same time the cartoon is filled with hilarious visual exaggeration: when Daisy recalls that Donald gave her a cold icy stare, a long icicle emits from his eyes, and as she waits for Donald at the stage door of the theatre, the seasons change and she is covered with snow. ''Donald's Dilemma'' shows how much could be done within the framework of a seven-minute cartoon, using familiar characters; it is a gem." According to John Howard Reid in ''Science-Fiction & Fantasy Cinema: Classic Films of Horror, Sci-Fi & the Supernatural'', Daisy displays "a ruthlessly self-centered neurotic streak", but maintains the audience's sympathy throughout the film.

Releases

* 1947 - theatrical release * 1961 - ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology series, anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 onwa ...

'', episode #8.6: "Inside Donald Duck" (TV) * c. 1983 - ''

Good Morning, Mickey! ''Good Morning, Mickey!'' is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was first aired on April 18, 1983 when Disney Channel was launched. It was one of the Disney Channel's first original programs, and the f ...

'', episode #42 (TV) * c. 1992 - ''

Mickey's Mouse Tracks ''Mickey's Mouse Tracks'' is an American animated television series on the Disney Channel which ran from 1992 to 1995, and featured Disney cartoons and animated short films, dating from before the advent of The Disney Channel. A similar show was ...

'', episode #75 (TV) * 1998 - '' The Ink and Paint Club'', episode #1.40: "Crazy Over Daisy" (TV)

Home media

The short was released on December 11, 2007 on '' Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Three: 1947-1950''. Additional releases include: * 1984 - ''Cartoon Classics - Limited Gold Edition: Daisy'' (VHS) * 2005 - ''Classic Cartoon Favorites: Extreme Music Fun'' (DVD)

References

External links

''Donald's Dilemma''
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

*
Disney Archives: Daisy Duck Character History

entry a
''The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts''
{{Jack King 1947 films 1947 American animated short films 1940s Disney animated short films 1940s English-language films Donald Duck short films American black comedy films American comedy-drama short films Animated film controversies Animated films set in New York City Disney controversies English-language black comedy films English-language comedy-drama short films Films directed by Jack King Films produced by Walt Disney Films set in New York City Films about amnesia Films about singers Films scored by Oliver Wallace Films about suicide Films about depression Films about ducks Obscenity controversies in animation Obscenity controversies in film Films about insomnia Films about psychiatry