Contrary Condor

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

Ornithologist Donald arrives in the Andes to do some egg collecting, but the giant CONTRARY CONDOR he encounters has other thoughts on her birdbrain.

Produced at a time when both the U.S. Government and Walt Disney were hopeful to expand their influence south of the border, this funny little 1944 cartoon is right in line with the Duck's other Latin American films of the period: SALUDOS AMIGOS (1943) & THE THREE CABALLEROS (1945). Clarence Nash provides Donald with his unique voice; Florence Gill does the honors for the condor mother & child.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work will always pay off.

Contrary Condor is not classic Donald, but it does do what it should do which is entertain. From having seen enough of Donald's shorts, it isn't difficult to guess the outcome of his actions, and the story is somewhat routine. The animation on the other hand has the usual Disney short detail and vibrancy, and the music is energetic, dynamic and lush. Contrary Condor is efficiently paced and has some funny moments, the bit with Donald inside the egg was the highlight. The humour is very like the humour in Goofy's shorts, yet it allows Donald to do what he does best, which is not only getting easily frustrated by situations but also pulling off something bad but it backfires. You may argue that this is the sort of stuff that Goofy could do easily and perhaps even better, but it was nice for Donald to do something somewhat different, and in a case where different works. Donald is great fun, the narration is thoughtful and sardonic and the condors give more than able support. Clarence Nash and Florence Gill give distinctive and impeccable voice-overs.

All in all, entertaining and colourful if somewhat routine. 8/10 Bethany Cox

In this Disney cartoon, Donald Duck tries to collect a condor's egg and gets mistaken to be one of the condor's offspring after he hides inside an eggshell. Then, the condor gets over-protective of Donald and encourages him to learn to fly.

The animation is great as usual and Donald was his usual funny self. The story was a little slower-paced, though, and is dragged on further by the narrator. In my opinion, a narrator distracts from the story, as we want to see the main focus on the cartoon characters.

The condor for some reason sounds a lot like Clara Cluck (didn't know why the voice actress didn't do a more different impression). Not very funny overall, in my opinion.

Not one of the better Donald cartoons, but it's watchable nonetheless.

Grade C

Donald is an ornithologist and wants to collect the egg of a giant condor. His efforts fail when the mother decides to teach him to fly like her own offspring. Of course, Mr. Duck has a fear of heights, and despite being a duck, he has no flying ability. Very average Disney cartoon.