Clown of the Jungle

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

While on a photographic expedition, Donald is driven crazy by the CLOWN OF THE JUNGLE, the zany Aracuan bird.

This incredibly silly little film features the second of three animated appearances by the Aracuan bird. With his debut in THE THREE CABALLEROS (1945), his mercifully brief film career would come to a culmination in MELODY TIME (1948). Clarence "Ducky" Nash supplies Donald's unique voice.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by 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 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 simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

Clown of the jungle is one of my all-time favorite Donald-movies. Donald is in the rainforest in South-America as a bird-photographer. All of Donald`s attempts of taking pictures of the rare birds are ruined by a bird who is absolutely crazy! That bird is what makes this one of my favorite Donald-movies and it is great fun for the entire family. 10/10

Donald's intentions are good. After all, he is a nature photographer, but nature doesn't seem very interested in cooperating. When he does get a shot, a nutty bird steals all the scenes. As a matter of fact, he is beyond belief, much more interesting than the other fowl. Donald, of course, goes bananas and tries to keep up with him, but he should have stayed at home. The ending is priceless. One of my favorite D Duck offerings.

There are two versions of this -- one broadcasted every Christmas in Scandinavia. The second (original?) is a bit longer with more cartoon violent gags put into it towards the end. Very Tex Avery-ish and highly amusing. Did Disney's "family values" censorship kick in somewhere? Both are great fun, but try to get hold of the extended one.

This is also one of my favourite Donald Duck cartoons, and it is certainly the best of the ones featuring the Aracuan bird. The animation is vibrant and colourful, just look at the gorgeous backgrounds right at the start, and the music is as energetic and bouncy as ever before with a beautifully harmonised bird song. The story is a tad routine, but skips along very nicely in the pace, and the sight gags and humour are constantly hilarious, such as the sight of the Aracuan bird shaking Donald's beak. The Aracuan bird is absolute nuts(reminds me of a more maniacal version of Roadrunner), but isn't he funny? Donald's cantankerous and somewhat rude personality perfects contrasts. The vocal work is stellar. Clown of the Jungle is a short cartoon at 6 minutes, but it is 6 minutes or animated joy and fun. 10/1 Bethany Cox