Donald's Decision

This short is not from USA, but from Canada, this short is totally based on the previous Donald short film [Donald's Better Self] (1938), the entire plot and entire gags are copied from the ordinary short, except for the background is different.

The way Donald laid is a hammock instead of the original bed. Also, the Donald's Devil appeared from the mailbox which contains a swastika. And the way which Donald's Devil harnessed Donald's Angel, and the angel drove the devil in a grave is exactly alike. Even the way Donald send the money to the post is the same running from the original film, too!

This is such a great film. Like the conclusion of the WWII is "Invest in Victory"!

I didn't know that Disney had made war-related cartoon shorts, let alone ones that advertises for wartime help. So, this cartoon program was interesting to say the least, and very short - clocking in at under four minutes. Here, Donald is encouraged by his good "angel" self to buy war bonds and urged by his bad "devil" self to spend his money on himself. So, it's a good vs. evil kind of tug-a-war as Donald tries to decide what to do.

Not much laughs is in this one at all, let alone entertaining. Again, it's a wartime-influenced cartoon short, as it was released during World War II, that advertises war bonds.

Grade C-

Just what were war bonds anyway? I've never actually found out but from the looks of this Disney wartime propaganda cartoon it looks like some sort of bank. How else would we invest in victory?

The cartoon begins with Donald relaxing in his hammock as the radio advertises war bond savings. Donald says he'll do it tomorrow but a little Donald angel pops up and insists he do it today. Then the Donald Devil shows and says 'why not spend that money on yourself?'

But if we lose the war there won't even be a Donald!

Shameless scare tactics indeed. I guess if we didn't all go down to the post office and hand over our green then we would have lost the war huh? The bit at the end saying 'we need more guns, guns, guns' would have modern-day censors going nuts.

The 'good old days' you say?

Disney and Donald Duck are a perfect match with the numerous Disney shorts of the late 20s-early 60s. Among these numerous shorts are the four Canadian war bonds shorts, and Donald's Decision is the third of those. And I'd also say it's the best as well. The main reason why these were made were to show some kind of true conflicted feelings towards people, here the situation between saving and keeping the money to themselves and donating it. With the conflict thing, it's in Donald's Decision where it's communicated the best, with the angel and devil- made up to look like a Nazi- idea it makes for good entertainment while getting its point across without preaching. The story is somewhat derivative of Self Control and Donald's Better Self, but with those and on its own it still manages to make sense and it always engaged me. The animation is beautifully coloured and detailed, and the music is rousing and also energetic. There are Disney shorts that play to Donald's personality better than here, but he is one of those characters who is always a pleasure to see and always is a lot of fun. All in all, excellent and of the Canadian war bond shorts it is Donald's Decision that I recommend the highest. 9/10 Bethany Cox