What goes around, comes around for Donald Duck in these vintage Disney cartoons spanning the years 1947-1950. Donald, the supporting player whose fowl play stole scenes from Mickey Mouse, now finds himself upstaged by a menagerie of mischievous characters bound to send him into characteristic fits. The nuttiest, of course, are Chip and Dale, who made their debut in a Pluto cartoon, but were ideally teamed with Donald in the cartoon that gave the rodent duo their names, and which is included in this collection. Another highlight of this set is the Oscar-nominated Christmas cartoon "Toy Tinkers," in which C&D raid Donald's home and use an arsenal of toys to try and steal his cache of nuts. "Clown of the Jungle" hilariously pairs Donald with the rambunctiously silly Aracuan Bird (first seen in the feature, The Three Caballeros), who foils bird photographer Donald's every Kodak moment. Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, are featured in three lively cartoons. Another comic foil for Donald is a bee that supplies the buzz in three cartoons. Lesser known (and for good reason) is the Bootle Beetle, who appears in several cartoons to relate stories of his misadventures with Donald.
Not that Donald can't carry a cartoon solo. Three cartoons in this set rank among his best. In "Donald's Dilemma," a conk on the head from a flower pot transforms Donald into a Sinatra-like crooner, much to the growing displeasure of Daisy, who does not want to share him with his adoring fans. In "Donald's Dream Voice," after his voice alienates customers, salesman Donald takes a voice pill ("I'll try anything once") that gives him the debonair tones of Ronald Colman (it's still funny even if you don't know who he is). And in "Dip Drippy Donald," a sleepy Donald tries to cope with a leaky faucet. As with past Walt Disney Treasures sets, a "From the Vault" feature separates cartoons with mildly politically incorrect content, ranging from Huey, Dewey, and Louie smoking in "Donald's Happy Birthday" to a Chinese caricature in "Three for Breakfast." On-camera host Leonard Maltin supplies the viewer advisory. Like Daffy Duck over at Warner Bros., Donald is hardly a role model, which gives these riotous cartoons some un-Disney-like edge. But they do stand the test of time, and are a feather in Donald's cap. The extra features are fun (Donald's appearances on The Mickey Mouse Club) and, for animation buffs, informative ("Sculpting Donald"). --Donald Liebenson
