Los Problemas Neumáticos de Donald

When seen today, "Donoald's Tire Trouble" might not make sense to many younger viewers. First, Donald's tire is a mess because during WWII, there was a tire shortage and most folks at home were not allowed to buy new tires or innertubes...hence all the many rubber patched. Second, the anatomy of tires has changed...and innertube-less tires are the norm.

The cartoon is very short and simple. Donald is driving his car like a maniac when he gets a flat. He spends the rest of the film trying, in vain, to fix it. Because the plot is so simple, I would not place it among the better cartoons in the series but like all Donald Duck cartoons, it's still well worth seeing.

In later cartoons Donald would have flesh-and-blood antagonists; here he has nothing to fight, nothing to get mad at, but a punctured tyre. In the 1930s his efforts to repair it would have made up roughly one-third of a larger Mickey/Donald/Goofy enterprise; here, it's the whole show. This is one aspect of Donald's routine reduced to its minimal essence. Never before, and never again, would he be required to do so much with so little. He carries it off magnificently.

One of Donald's trademarks is that, although he's always talking, we have to strain to understand a single word he says (I love the way Clarence Nash lapses into comprehensibility and out again as the occasion requires), which makes him an excellent silent comedian, and this is inspired silent comedy. I don't know how many times you'd have to watch it before it ceased altogether to be funny, and even then it would have a kind of beauty.

Released early in January 1943 and probably made the previous year, one aspect of the visual style has dated - Disney's effects department cannot, at this stage, make Donald's car blur as it should as it zooms through the countryside. This means that approximately ten seconds of footage are less than perfect. That's about all.

Donald's Tire Trouble (1943)

*** (out of 4)

Donald is out in the country speeding along in his car when suddenly he gets a flat tire. What should be an easy fix turns into a nightmare.

DONALD'S TIRE TROUBLE isn't what I'd consider a Disney classic but if you're a fan of the little duck then you should have a good time with it. Basically we get a lot of action as poor Donald keeps trying to get the tire fixed only to run into another problem. The short really didn't make me laugh but the animation itself was creative enough to where it kept me entertained throughout the running time. The highlight certainly happens towards the end when Donald has reached his limits and a breakdown follows.

I have always loved Disney and Donald Duck as I have said quite a number of times. Donald's Tire Trouble is another entertaining cartoon, while very funny it also gently pokes fun at the rubber shortage caused by rationing during World War II. The animation is pristine, bursting with colour and beauty. True, the blurring effect with the car is dated but compared to the small amount it is featured it is not so much an issue for me. The music is typically energetic and Donald with impeccable voice work as ever from Clarence Nash is temperamental and likable.

In conclusion, terrific, entertaining cartoon. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of my favorite Donald Duck cartoon shorts, where he goes on a joyride in his roofless car. After going faster than a speeding bullet, he blows out a tire. What follows are one hilarious attempt after the other in jacking up the car, getting the tire off, patching the tire, and putting the tire back on the axle.

When you see the insides of the tire, it is noticeable that he has reused it one too many times, as it is patched up with all sorts of different objects such as a rubber glove and duct tape. This is classic Donald in his un-handy but quick thinking skills. And, Donald's expressions and reactions as he get stuck in the tire and gets tape glued to his mouth are priceless.

Overall, a cartoon that would send laughs and tears to everyone!

Grade A