Page 1: Set Overview and Disc 1 Shorts Page 2: Disc 2 Shorts, Video & Audio, Bonus Features, and Closing Thoughts |
1942 is most visible as the year of Bambi on Walt Disney's resume, but even as the United States waged World War II, the visionary's studio was enjoying success from less elaborate efforts in its cartoon production field. The popularity of Disney's original personality-turned-icon, Mickey Mouse, had already been eclipsed by the comically irascible Donald Duck, though both these lines and other animated endeavors were embraced by the public.
The war wasn't fought on their homeland, but Americans' spirits still needed lifting during the troubled 1940s and their unity would always welcome encouragement. Disney's animated output was able to strike a chord with audiences, whether the uplifting comedy provided much-needed relief or sent positive messages explicitly related to combat. Donald's unfailing ability to express anger rallied Americans against their enemies in a manner that would never see the light of the mainstream today, regardless of how effective such an establishment of dichotomy may be.
Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Two picks up at 1942, where the first volume left off when it was released a year and a half prior. Five years' worth of the Duck's theatrical career are presented on two discs. Of course, the Donald cartoons weren't created with all-at-once viewing in mind, and as a result, something of a formula -- or at the very least, a common list of ingredients -- shows up in most of the shorts. There are essentially two kinds of Donald shorts on this set. The first concerns the pursuit of romance with Daisy Duck by Donald and closely mirrors the Mickey-Minnie relationships of the mice's shorts. The second and more prevalent involves something Successive viewing does underscore repetition among the shorts, however, and can lead to a little weariness that prescribes more intermittent viewing patterns. A reliance on plot, physical gags, and a familiarity with Donald's highly identifiable character takes the place of heavy usage of dialogue. That, along with the use of band-performed scores and occasional references to the 1940s set these cartoons apart from today's entertainment. Remarkably, though, entertainment value hasn't suffered from the aging process, as these subjects hold up for modern audiences' tastes, if not their expectations, as today's diluted attention spans will be challenged. The viewer who can stay focused for at least a few minutes at a time will be rewarded, and that should apply as much to children as it does adults. Each cartoon easily entertains and constantly amuses, occasionally even arriving at sheer hilarity.
Donald's antics are both charming and delightful. The same could be said for film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, the man behind the Treasures line, though that's an interpretation more likely to be differed upon from viewer to viewer. Maltin provides a relevant introduction at the beginning of each disc, shedding enlightenment on the historical context that not only assists in understanding the subjects' symptomatic meanings, but also justifies material that is apparently unacceptable by someone at Disney's definition of today's standards. Surprisingly, Maltin doesn't show up attached to any individual short in this go-around. That's partly because the most controversial shorts are relegated to their own section.
The U.S. government took over the Disney studios the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed (December 8, 1941) and that's just about the time that the Donald shorts included on this set were going into production. Eight shorts that fall within the temporal parameters of this set were produced for American armed forces and as such were included on a previous Treasures set titled Walt Disney on the Front Lines. Those eight are included in a "From the Vault" section here, which might seem redundant to some collectors but actually make for a more comprehensive chronological collection and will no doubt please Donald's fans. These shorts are easily enjoyed just like any other Donald short but also provide a fascinating glimpse at history that should appeal not only to the avid Disney fan but to anyone familiar with American or global history.
PACKAGING For some, packaging is of greater importance to the Treasures lines than it is to most DVDs, and the measures taken toward each set's collectability in the past are taken here too. The two discs are found inside a double-wide keepcase, though it's now black instead of white or gray as before and the discs now face one another, with the first disc resting in its own flap (a less preferable manner of packaging). The standard certificate of authenticity that numbers each set out of the 125,000 that were printed (signed by Roy Disney and Maltin), a mini-booklet featuring a letter from Leonard Maltin and a content listing, and a reprint of the original poster used to promote "Old Sequoia" are all found inside. To get to any of that, one must first retrieve the keepcase from the collectable metal tin that houses it. Neither the signed blue band or imprinted copy numbers that were found on the exterior of earlier tins have returned here. DISC 1 Leonard Maltin starts things off by refreshing the memories of viewers who left off at the end of Donald's first volume of Treasures. By the early 1940s, Donald Duck was Walt Disney's star and in many ways he'd be the pop culture face of the second World War. Leonard addresses all that and gives a preview of things to come on the second disc. Donald's Tire Trouble (1943) (7:32)
Flying Jalopy (1943) (7:21)
FROM THE VAULT This section is accessible directly from the first disc's main menu and it contains the eight Donald war shorts on this set. Each of these would probably have previously garnered an apologetic introduction by Leonard, but by grouping them all together, the smiley film critic is able to offer only one such message so that viewers, as he puts it, "can't say I didn't warn you." Unfortunately, that message can't be skipped or fast-forwarded through. Once it's complete, the "From the Vault" sub-menu works just like the main menu does. Donald sneaks out at night and thinks he's made a safe and secret return to his bed but Pete, his commanding officer, is on to him. Home Defense (1943) (7:45)
Commando Duck (1944) (6:54)
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