Out on a Limb

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

While pruning a large tree, Donald finds himself OUT ON A LIMB after his foolishness finally exasperates Chip 'n' Dale.

This is an amusing cartoon, but there's nothing new in the plot. Clarence Nash provides the Duck with his unique voice; the Chipmunks are largely unintelligible.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & 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 comic 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 storm of naysayers, 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 childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

In another Chip N'Dale vs. Donald Duck cartoon, Donald working on a tree, where he spots Chip 'n' Dale gathering some nuts. He saws off the branch outside their tree hole and paints it with tar. What results are some funny scenes as the rodents get tangled in the substance. For once, it's refreshing seeing Donald getting the upper hand in messing with Chip N' Dale, and seeing them getting the bad luck for a change.

It's a cartoon I remembered watching as a kid - always thought it was the less conventional cartoons featuring Chip N' dale and Donald Duck. Seeing the duck furiously trimming the trees, and the chipmunks' ears, with his garden tool was a little hilarious. The story has a pretty predictable outcome but it's a funnier cartoon featuring the characters.

Grade B-

I have always loved Donald Duck, and have enjoyed his collaborations with the cute but antagonistic chipmunks Chip 'n' Dale. Out On a Limb is very enjoyable. Like a lot of their cartoons, the story is routine but it is brisk with never a dull moment and there are even moments again like in their other cartoons where tension does escalate. The animation is wonderful with not a scrappy background or flat colour in sight plus all three characters are drawn to perfection, and the music is typically energetic. Out On a Limb features some fun sight gags especially Chip 'n' Dale trying to unglue one another. I also loved some little things like Dale testing his clippers and looking satisfied with them. All in all, a cartoon that is lots of fun. 10/10 Bethany Cox