Donald Gets Drafted
Encyclopedia
Donald Gets Drafted is a 1942 American animated
short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
. The cartoon has Donald Duck
being drafted
into the U. S. Army during World War II
and follows his introduction to military life. The film was directed by Jack King
and introduced the song "The Army's Not the Army Anymore" by Carl Barks
and Leigh Harline
. The voice cast includes Clarence Nash
as Donald, John McLeish as an officer, and Billy Bletcher
as Pete who is Donald's drill sergeant
.
Donald Gets Drafted was the first of a five-part series, within the larger Donald Duck series, which shared a continuity
of Donald serving in the army during World War II. The cartoon also revealed for the first time Donald's middle name – Fauntleroy – seen on his "Order to Report for Induction" form from the film's title screen.
walks to his local draft board
after receiving a draft notice. Along the sidewalk he passes several recruiting posters which romanticize army life. After arriving at the draft board, Donald greets an officer seated at a desk, presents his paper, and expresses his desire to join the Army Air Forces
, adding excitedly "I came from a family of aviators!" The officer directs Donald to a room where he is to undergo a physical examination.
Inside the exam room, a team of white-coated doctors hurriedly pass Donald around, measuring him and testing his vital signs, vision, and hearing. Several gags during the scene emphasize the Army's willingness to accept as many recruits as possible; for example, one doctor holds a loud alarm clock directly against Donald's head and asks "Can you hear this?" At the end of the exam Donald is given his uniform and has his rear end stamped with a large "OK."
The second half of the film takes place at Donald's Basic Training
. While the unit is marched around the field by the drill sergeant
(Pete), Donald is distracted by airplanes flying overhead, reminding him that he would rather be flying. Donald's lack of concentration leads to his marching out of step with the other soldiers. After messing up his facing movements, the bayonet on the end of his rifle causes even more problems. Pete dismisses the other soldiers to give Donald some "special training." But he soon admits "You're hopeless!"
Finally Donald's ineptitude leads to a series of accidental discharges
from his rifle, several of which strike Pete who, in typical cartoon fashion, is unharmed. The final scene shows Donald skinning the peal of a potato to form the word "phooey." The camera pulls back and reveals Donald in a large room with many more potatoes to be pealed.
humor in Donald Gets Drafted reflects an anti-military sentiment felt in particular by Carl Barks
, one of the writers of the film. (He had written the lyrics to the theme song, scripted the film, and also drew the recruitment posters which Donald passes on his way to the draft board.) Barks himself was a pacifist
who was against America's involvement in the war. He once said "When I saw how little we accomplished with World War I
, I thought, why in the devil kill off another whole generation of young men to accomplish the same result?" In Donald Gets Drafted Barks ridicules military recruitment, in particular it's deceptive propaganda. The film is meant to draw a sharp distinction between the glamorous life presented in the posters outside the draft board compared to the reality Donald faces inside. Later, when Donald is at basic training, Barks pokes fun at military discipline, and even gives the sergeant a punishment of sorts by getting shot. This played well with audiences who were resentful of military strictness as America was mobilizing itself for war.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
. The cartoon has Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
being drafted
Conscription in the United States
Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
into the U. S. Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and follows his introduction to military life. The film was directed by Jack King
Jack King (animator)
James Patton "Jack" King was an American comics artist and animator best known for his work at Walt Disney Productions.Born in Alabama, King began his animation career in the silent era in 1920 working at Bray Productions animation studio...
and introduced the song "The Army's Not the Army Anymore" by Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
and Leigh Harline
Leigh Harline
Leigh Adrian Harline was a film composer.-Career:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he worked for various radio stations before joining the Walt Disney studios in 1932 as arranger and scorer...
. The voice cast includes Clarence Nash
Clarence Nash
Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash was an American voice actor, best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for the Walt Disney Studios...
as Donald, John McLeish as an officer, and Billy Bletcher
Billy Bletcher
William "Billy" Bletcher was an American actor, comedian, and voice artist, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Career:...
as Pete who is Donald's drill sergeant
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
.
Donald Gets Drafted was the first of a five-part series, within the larger Donald Duck series, which shared a continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
of Donald serving in the army during World War II. The cartoon also revealed for the first time Donald's middle name – Fauntleroy – seen on his "Order to Report for Induction" form from the film's title screen.
Plot
Filled with enthusiasm, Donald DuckDonald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
walks to his local draft board
Draft board
Draft Board was a part of the Selective Service Act which registered and selected men of military age for conscription in the United States-Local Board:...
after receiving a draft notice. Along the sidewalk he passes several recruiting posters which romanticize army life. After arriving at the draft board, Donald greets an officer seated at a desk, presents his paper, and expresses his desire to join the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
, adding excitedly "I came from a family of aviators!" The officer directs Donald to a room where he is to undergo a physical examination.
Inside the exam room, a team of white-coated doctors hurriedly pass Donald around, measuring him and testing his vital signs, vision, and hearing. Several gags during the scene emphasize the Army's willingness to accept as many recruits as possible; for example, one doctor holds a loud alarm clock directly against Donald's head and asks "Can you hear this?" At the end of the exam Donald is given his uniform and has his rear end stamped with a large "OK."
The second half of the film takes place at Donald's Basic Training
United States Army Basic Training
United States Army Basic Training is the program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become a soldier in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. It is carried out at several different Army posts around the United States...
. While the unit is marched around the field by the drill sergeant
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
(Pete), Donald is distracted by airplanes flying overhead, reminding him that he would rather be flying. Donald's lack of concentration leads to his marching out of step with the other soldiers. After messing up his facing movements, the bayonet on the end of his rifle causes even more problems. Pete dismisses the other soldiers to give Donald some "special training." But he soon admits "You're hopeless!"
Finally Donald's ineptitude leads to a series of accidental discharges
Accidental discharge
Accidental discharge is the event of a firearm discharging at a time not intended by the user. Perhaps most commonly, accidental discharges occur when the trigger of the firearm is deliberately pulled for a purpose other than shooting—dry-fire practice, demonstration,...
from his rifle, several of which strike Pete who, in typical cartoon fashion, is unharmed. The final scene shows Donald skinning the peal of a potato to form the word "phooey." The camera pulls back and reveals Donald in a large room with many more potatoes to be pealed.
Background
The satiricalSatire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
humor in Donald Gets Drafted reflects an anti-military sentiment felt in particular by Carl Barks
Carl Barks
Carl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
, one of the writers of the film. (He had written the lyrics to the theme song, scripted the film, and also drew the recruitment posters which Donald passes on his way to the draft board.) Barks himself was a pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
who was against America's involvement in the war. He once said "When I saw how little we accomplished with World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, I thought, why in the devil kill off another whole generation of young men to accomplish the same result?" In Donald Gets Drafted Barks ridicules military recruitment, in particular it's deceptive propaganda. The film is meant to draw a sharp distinction between the glamorous life presented in the posters outside the draft board compared to the reality Donald faces inside. Later, when Donald is at basic training, Barks pokes fun at military discipline, and even gives the sergeant a punishment of sorts by getting shot. This played well with audiences who were resentful of military strictness as America was mobilizing itself for war.
Release history
- 1942 – Original theatrical release
- 1984 – Donald Duck's 50th BirthdayDonald Duck's 50th BirthdayDonald Duck's 50th Birthday is the 1984 television special broadcast on The Magical World of Disney on November 13, 1984 on CBS. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 50th anniversary of the Donald Duck character....
(TV special) - 1985 – "An Officer and a Duck" (VHS)
- 1997 – Ink & Paint Club, episode #1.31 "The Unseen Disney" (TV)
- 2004 – "Walt Disney Treasures: Walt Disney on the Front Lines" (DVD)
- 2005 – "Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Two" (DVD)