El viejo MacDonald

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

It's a beautiful day on the farm and OLD MACDONALD DUCK is enjoying milking his friend Clementine the Cow - when an exceedingly pesky fly shows up...

This is a very funny little film and features excellent animation. Donald's vocalizing in the first sequence is most enjoyable. 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.

Donald is a farmer in this cartoon short, singing the popular folk song "Old MacDonald" while feeding the animals. When he goes to milk Clementine the cow, they are interrupted by a pesky fly that just won't quit. What results are some funny classic Donald frustrated moments and a back and forth battle between Donald and the fly.

It's too bad the fly got much of the last laughs in this one - really wished Donald would have took a fly swatter at it. And, with a cartoon about farm animals, it would have been preferred to have the story concentrated about the animals rather than just the annoying fly.

Grade D-

'Old MacDonald Duck' is not the best Donald Duck cartoon out there but still is fun to watch and has some admirable animations.

Donald Duck is a farmer feeding all the animals on a farm, including some chickens and some pigs. He is singing 'Old MacDonald Has a Farm', quite entertaining with Donald's voice (provided by Clarence Nash). Then he has to milk the cow Clementine. At first he can't find her, but after she left the tree she was in he can start the job. After a while a fly starts bothering Donald and Clementine and Donald ends up shooting milk at the fly. Of course the fly will have his revenge.

This is not one of the best cartoons because it has no real big laughs, only the ending is pretty funny. There are some other moments where I smiled, especially a moment with Donald's hat over his head. Alright, but nothing more.

Old MacDonald Duck is a watchable cartoon, with some very good animation and some lovely music. Though I admit I am starting to get annoyed with that song Old MacDonald, and the numerous versions of it. Donald is still as likable as ever, and Clarence Nash does very well with the voicing. But I felt that Donald was out of character here, he doesn't get as angry as much and that is what makes him funny. Also the story is disappointingly non-eventful and routine, as others have said, very little happens. And for me, the only really hilarious bit was the ending.

Overall, has some nice animation and music, and Donald is great, despite him being a tad out of character, but the story and jokes don't come to life as much as they should. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Man, I hate that song. And this cartoon fares little better.

Honestly, of all the Donald Duck shorts that I've seen and reviewed, this is the worst. Nothing really happens in it. Donald is a farmer who strolls through his yard one morning, greeting all his animals. His cow Clementine is sitting in a tree eating the leaves. Reasons unknown. Donald proceeds to milk her but is bothered by a troublesome fly. And erm...that's it.

There is no inventive mayhem or moments of brilliant animation. It's all very unimpressive and definitely one of the blandest cartoons starring any character. Donald deserves better than this bore.