Mr. Duck Steps Out

'Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940)' is essentially one long dance number, as Donald boogies his way over to Daisy's house for a date. However, his three nephews seem determined to mess with him, so it isn't long before trouble ensues. There isn't much to the piece in terms of story. Thankfully, though, the piece is well-paced and lively, with generally impressive animation and a few chucklesome sight-gags. It's typically rather enjoyable and it comes together nicely in the end. 6/10

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

When MR. DUCK STEPS OUT for a romantic afternoon with Daisy he finds his Nephews have beat him there.

Some furious jitterbugging and a terrific jazz soundtrack enliven this well-animated little film. This was Daisy's second appearance in a cartoon and the first time her name was used. Clarence "Ducky" Nash provided the voices for all five fowls.

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 Duck is heading out for a date night with Daisy, but he didn't anticipate that his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, will be going along on the date as well. The nephews beat Donald to get to Daisy's house first. Donald sends the kids off to get ice-cream while he and Daisy do some off-the-chart dancing, set to the background of wonderfully jazz and bandstand-type music. It was really clever how the cartoon writers were able to incorporate the music and sound effects into the characters - such as the sounds of drums to popcorn popping.

The popcorn popping in Donald's tummy, causing him to dance wildly with Daisy while the nephews play on instruments is definitely the highlight of the cartoon. There's toe-tapping music and non-stop dancing from start to finish - great fun here!

Grade A

Donald Duck has a date with Daisy but his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie keep getting in the way. He arrives at her house only to be preceded by them. In the end, they pop an ear of corn which leads to some outrageous dancing from Donald with Daisy.

I am surprised by the suggestive tail wagging from Daisy. Otherwise, it's a fun little family friendly cartoon short with Donald. The nephews are less annoying than usual since they eventually get Donald together with Daisy for a happy ending. It's not one of the icons but it's very solid.

Mr Duck Steps Out has to be one of my favourite Donald Duck cartoons ever. As an avid Disney and Donald fan, I thought choosing absolute favourite would be difficult, but Mr Duck Steps Out I've always loved and sure is one of them. The animation is as colourful and smooth as some of the best animation of the best cartoons of the 30s and 40s, the music is some of the catchiest ever I've heard for any cartoon and the dancing is full of energy, reminding one fondly of the dancing of that particular era. The gags are fun and very imaginative, the gag where Donald's nephews Huey Duey and Louie put an ear of corn on the stove and knock it into Donald which causes him to shake uncontrollably and throw popcorn everywhere is hilarious especially and has endless and timeless replay value. The story is a very light-hearted one in tone, yet delicately balances also Donald's frustration, and the characters from the temperamental but likable Donald, lovely Daisy to the cheeky yet cute rascals that are Huey, Duey and Louie. Clarence Nash's vocals for all five characters are bravura in every sense of the word. In conclusion, fantastic, a must-watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox