La sorgente magica della giovinezza

I first saw this cartoon when it was part of the an episode on Disney's Wonderful World of Color named Kids is Kids. Here, Donald Duck takes his nephews on a Florida vacation, and their car breaks down next to a spring that was mistaken for the Fountain of Youth. Donald decides to teach his disinterested and comic-book absorbed nephews a lesson by pretending he has transformed back to a baby by the fountain.

This cartoon was hilarious from start to finish, especially the part where Donald, pretending to be a baby, talks like a toddler to his three bewildered nephews. Another laugh-out-loud scene is when an alligator starts chasing the ducks away because Donald took one of its eggs, pretending that Donald has shrunk to an unhatched egg.

The animation was great and the story is jam-packed with action and slapstick comedy. Lots of fun here - very entertaining and enjoyable!

Grade A

Donald and the nephews are touring in Florida, but the youngsters have their noses stuck in a comic book. So when Donald comes across a pond with a sign noting that Ponce de Leon thought it was the fountain of youth, he convinces the ducklings that it is the fountain of youth and now he is a baby.... and then that he is an egg he has stolen from an alligator. Who wants her baby back.

The Donald Duck cartoons may have starred the fellow in the sailor suit, but everyone gets his or her time on screen and a good gag or three. Here, it's the alligator who gets the last laugh.

What a clever idea. Donald, fed up with his nephew's lack of anything but reading comic books, decides to teach them a lesson. When he come upon a fountain that was mistaken for the fountain of youth. He convinces the boys that he is getting younger and younger, until he is an egg (which he steals from a female alligator). But eventually the alligator wants to get into the act. From here on it gets to be the same old chase thing.

While on vacation in Florida, Donald Duck fools his nephews into thinking he's turned into a baby due to having stepped in a fountain of youth. It's a great premise, but then this short makes a complete U-turn and spends most of it's time with Donald and the boys being chased by a crocodile. Eventually the film runs out of steam and ends very abruptly. Donald's done better.

I have always been a big fan of Donald Duck, and while not quite one of his best, Don's Fountain of Youth is one of my favourites regardless. The animation is very impressive, all the characters are beautifully drawn and the background art is very colourful. The music is jaunty and full of character also, and while the story is routine in a way it is crisply paced and with never a dull moment. Donald is as wonderful as you'd expect, charming and genuinely caring for his nephews while showing his trademark temperament. Huey, Duey and Louie are cute and rascally and have good rapport with Donald including when Donald rips up the comic book pages because he feels that they are enjoying that rather than enjoying the sights.(I also like the "Uncle Donald's a spoiled brat" line) And the gator is a great foil, interacting well with both the nephews and especially Donald. I especially love the parts where she whacks Donald anyway even when he tells her to be quiet and when she quacks in order to tell her babies who she is, the latter is very cute. The voice work from Clarence Nash is impeccable. 10/10 Bethany Cox