The Litterbug

A lively title song, Donald Duck and his nephews as the perpetrators and a sincere message mark this Walt Disney public service short as entertaining and worthwhile. It's narrated by John Dehner, a man given to playing villains in movies, radio, and television, but who started out in Hollywood at the Walt Disney Studio, working as an illstrator on movies like PINOCCHIO and BAMBI.

This is billed as the last Donald Duck cartoon, so, it would have been nice to have a funny little story with some of Donald's greatest characteristics and humor in the show. Instead, we have a narrator talking about the detriments of littering as we see Donald throwing litter everywhere, from the park to the sidewalk. This makes Donald look like real antagonist.

It is an educational short, nonetheless, with some very nice animation, blending in with real life shots. But, the storytelling was dull and the main characters didn't have much redeeming qualities - just them littering everywhere. Some last Donald Duck cartoon.

Grade C-

Donald Duck has always been one of my favourite cartoon characters. I do find myself entertained by the Donald vs Nephews series, and The Litterbug is one of the best. It is also the best of Donald's educational shorts and is wonderful in general. It mixes live action and animation very well. The live-action parts are beautifully shot and the animation scenes are vibrantly coloured and detailed. In no way do any of these components jar. The narration is very informative and deliciously sardonic, while the story is unique for a Donald short and never dull and the visual gags are clever, interesting to see Donald in various guises(such as when he walks down the street slowly with a long coat doing somewhat creepy gestures and facial expressions). The message about littering is an important one and is incorporated perfectly into the story without preaching, while the music is full of energy. What really stood out here was the title song which appears at the start and the end of The Litterbug, what a catchy tune and lyrics that make you sit up and listen. Donald is great, but the star is the narrator and what he has to say is very clever and is delivered superbly. Huey, Dewey and Louie are barely in it though, more of a cameo if you will. All in all, great message and title song make The Litterbug a sheer delight in every way imaginable. 10/10 Bethany Cox