Facéties militaires

Show The Old Army Game to a little kid who loves Donald Duck and see what his or her reaction will be. I know as a kid this got to me in a big way; half if it is simple (but highly entertaining) enough, and it's one of the World War 2 shorts with Donald Duck that were produced at the time - you'll know them if you had the VHS of An Officer and a Duck as a kid, or just see Donald with the military hat or helmet on for the most part - but where it leads to in its second half is what is rather disturbing... though as an adult very, uproariously funny in the darkest sense.

How is it dark? Well, the short of it is that the 'Old Army Game' part is with the gag-type section, as Pete discovers Donald out of his quarters (actually all of the soldiers are, it's an ingenious little bit, though Pete's most mad at Donald). When the Duck gets into bed, Pete's there and he chases Donald around. He hides under a helmet - make that three of them - and that old game where the switcheroo deal comes about happens. Pete kicks one of the helmets and it slides off on to a fence, sliding as if on a razor's edge. Donald drops down into a hole, looks down, and... GOOD GOD, WHERE ARE HIS LEGS?!

Seeing it today as a grown man, stuff like Donald looking at his ghost legs flying off to heaven, or that moment where Donald takes Pete's gun and puts it to his head in a frenzy in a 'No, no, YES YES YES!' moment of back and forth as to whether to kill himself or not, it's hysterical. As a kid, there was a part of me that, yes, I knew that his legs were fine of course, but this is the great thing about Disney: I didn't think they were kidding with their emotions, that is Donald and Pete as they ponder with big tears over the supposed amputation, and for a kid these are real characters in a sense. Also, depending on how young one is, this is a moment of suicidal depression: the way a kid processes that is... really? And Pete's *encouraging* it?

The ending of course returns things to pure slapstick, with a poetic note as they pass by and have to stop for a Speed Limit sign - 35 mph. Now it's time to chase in slow motion. Even if they continue, it will be within the law, or something. It's not Shakespeare, but The Old Army Game is one of those top ten, maybe top five, Donald Duck cartoons that parents should watch and have a good time with their kids; ironic that certain movies like Melody Time are now censored for home video for things cigarette smoking, something that at least can be put in context, while this stays (not that this should be censored, just saying about the double standard of what can or can't be shown to kids via Disney's sense of morales).

Donald has snuck out of the barracks with the rest of the Privates. But he's the first to return and the first to meet the wrath of Sargent Pete, who is not impressed with his hijinks.

A chase around the barracks follows as Donald hides from Pete and a possible thrashing. At one point Pete chucks Donald along a spiked fence and the little duck believes he's been cut in half. Donald and Pete both shed tears over this awful situation and Donald tries to end it all with a bullet to the brain (sure this would never be allowed in a cartoon today).

A mild plot revolving around a chase, seems more like the basis for a Tom and Jerry. Kinda funny though Donald has done better.

I happen to love Disney and both these characters, especially Donald. And I find The Old Army Game to be one of their finest efforts together. The animation is wonderful, with the colours vibrant and the backgrounds fluid and always interesting to look at. And The Old Army Game also contains some of the best character animation I've seen for both Donald and Pete. I have always loved the music in the Disney cartoons, and The Old Army Game is no exception, right from the rousing main theme to the typically energetic and action-enhancing background scoring. The story is crisply paced and very tightly told, helped by the fantastic rapport between Donald and Pete and the imaginatively timed and funny sight gags. The missing legs and suicide attempt sequence is the highlight, both uproarious and disturbing. Clarence Nash and Billy Bletcher are as ever impeccable. In conclusion, a real treat in every regard. 10/10 Bethany Cox

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

It becomes THE OLD ARMY GAME when Donald tries to sneak back onto base without Sergeant Pete catching him...

Here is another of Donald's wartime cartoons, with lots of laughs and physical comedy. Pete has finally found his perfect niche as a military noncommissioned officer. The legendary Carl Barks was one of the writers involved in this little film; Clarence Nash provides the Duck with his unique voice.

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 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 childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

This is hilarious cartoon where Private Donald Duck has snuck off base for some unauthorized free time. He put a disguised dummy in his bed and a snoring sound effect record to fool Sergeant Pete. But, Pete caught on quickly and is ready to give Donald some disciplinary action. What results are some very funny scenes mixed with clever sound and music effects.

Donald hides in one of three boxes and plays the shell game with Pete, until the game ends with Donald being thrown along a top of a sharp fence and both thinks he was sawed in half. Another round of laughs follows afterward.

Overall, a rather funny Donald Duck cartoon.

Grade B+