This film is featured as bonus material on the "Classic Caballeros Collection" DVD.
This Walt Disney short marks two firsts. It was the first full-fledged solo short for Donald Duck and was the first appearance of Donald's girlfriend — here Donna Duck, who would later become Daisy. In the short, guitar-playing Donald rides his tired burro into a Mexican town where he tries to woo senorita Donna. Donald proves not the most skilled suitor as he often laughs at Donna as she trips and falls. Trying to win her back, he trades in his donkey for a red car, which he hopes will be a chick magnet. But what kind of car can you get for the price of a burro?
Painting Donna or Daisy in the stereotypical hot-blooded Latina fashion is actually not a bad move. She has the right attitude for dealing with the foul-mouth duck, much better than a simple bland object of affection. This early Disney short is a solid example of character leading to good gags and driving the story. While some complain that Donald isn't quite suited for role-playing, the song and dance elements here don't seem unsuitable for the character's cocky side. Both for its place in Disney history and for its solid dose of humor, DON DONALD is a great solo debut for one of Disney's great anthropomorphic creations.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
