The Trial of Donald Duck

The Trial of Donald Duck is a 1948 animated short film featuring Donald Duck. It was released by Walt Disney Productions.[1]

The Trial of Donald Duck
Directed byJack King
Story byDan MacManus
Produced byWalt Disney
StarringClarence Nash
Music byOliver Wallace
Animation byJack Boyd
Ed Aardel
Paul Allen
Fred Kopietz
Layouts byDon Griffith
Backgrounds byMerle Cox
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Release date
  • July 30, 1948 (1948-07-30)
Running time
6:40
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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Donald is trying to have his lunch illegally on park grass with the pigeons when it began to rain and he had to say goodbye to them. Beginning to rain hard, he into the shelter of a canopy to a fancy restaurant. Imagining a hot cup of coffee, and having a nickel to have one, he walked in where a waiter seated him. As he only has a nickel, Donald feels that he can use it to get a cup of coffee. The waiter recommended on the menu "pomme de terre à la somme de la Louis", but Donald replied coffee. The waiter then asked in French if he wanted it small, Donald replied yes and asked for a regular Java. However, thinking he wanted small Donald was received a cup of Espresso which is the size of a thimble. Donald flies into a rage for given the wrong coffee and refused to pay.

As the waiter tries to figure out what to do, he spots Donald unpacking his dishes from his lunch box. Being sneaky, Pierre decides to charge Donald for the food that he brought into the restaurant. This leads to Donald receiving a bill for $35.99. Once again angered at the injustice, Donald flies into a rage, and the matter is taken to court.

Donald's lawyer portrays and confesses him as a victim in the entire mess, but the judge rules in favor of the restaurant and gives Donald three choices: (1) pay ten dollars, (2) wash dishes for ten days, or (3) face time in prison, much to the waiter's satisfaction.

However, Donald cleverly decides to wash the dishes for ten days by spending his time at the restaurant's kitchen sink destroying the dishes after cleaning them, as the judge didn't stipulate on how he should wash them. Realizing that he made a big mistake of provoking Donald and that it's causing severe financial losses for the restaurant, the waiter pleads with Donald to stop by promising to let the whole matter go, but Donald refuses and continues with his destructive 'chore' to get back at the waiter, much to the latter's distraught.

Voice cast

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Home media

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The short was released on December 11, 2007 on Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Three: 1947-1950.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. [1]. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  2. ^ "The Chronological Donald Volume 3 DVD Review". DVD Dizzy. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
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