Donald's Diary

Donald's Diary
Directed by	Jack Kinney
Produced by	Walt Disney
Written by	Brice Mack Dick Kinney
Studio(s)	Walt Disney Productions
Distributor	RKO Radio Pictures
Released	March 5, 1954
Language	English
Preceded by	Spare the Rod
Followed by	Dragon Around

Title card

Donald's Diary is an animated short starring Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. This notably marks Huey, Dewey, and Louie's final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation.

Synopsis

In the beginning, on the 29th of February, Donald walks along the neighborhood (which looks to be in San Francisco) whistling and minding his own business in hopes he would be destined to find the girl of his dreams. Daisy, at home, hears him and gets herself ready in a beautiful red dress and black slippers in order for Donald to notice her. She does several attempts (drop her cloth, appear at the bookstore, pretending to faint, and pretending to drown) but without success. Daisy then makes a trap for Donald. Donald gets swept off his feet literally and the two fall in love.

As they date, they watch a movie at a drive-in in the rain, they dine at a diner, watch the lake by the bridge, and they carve their names on a tree, which had other carvings of Daisy and her previous boyfriends. Donald and Daisy win each other over with a kiss. The next day, Donald gets invited to meet her family, Donald gets greeting with a water pistol from Daisy's younger brothers (who bare a strong resemblance to Huey, Dewey, and Louie), Daisy also introduces him to her deaf mother (who looks exactly like James Whistler's portrait of "Arrangement in Grey and Black") and her crazed photographer father, whom Donald believed were his kind of people.

Donald goes to the jewelry store to pick up an engagement ring and returns to Daisy's place, where the boys dance happily for him and get money from Donald. Donald calls out "Anybody home?". Daisy calls back, "Be down as soon as I powder my nose, dreamer!" and takes a shower. Donald goes excited as Daisy's parents set the stage up for his big moment. Donald then begins to dream. As he does, he finds himself in a dream world where he meets Daisy and proposes. Daisy responds "Would I?! Baby!!" making Donald's dreams come true.

The two happily wed and drove off, after Daisy gets rid of a trailer in order to plan for their honeymoon. The boys also ride in the back, but Donald angrily kicks them out making Daisy cry and feel hurt. Although she was loyal, she was also very sensitive and had a wonderful sense of value (as she looks at a ring Donald gave her and believing it looked worthless). They go to their dream cottage at the hill and Donald exhaustedly carried her to the door and kicks it open where Daisy's mother yells out "Don't track no mud on them floors!"

After the honeymoon and during the marriage, Donald and Daisy's marriage was not as Donald expected. Donald would sometimes be afraid of her looking drowsy and as Donald got home, Daisy would take his money and inadvertently burn Donald's meal. Daisy also invites her whole family for dinner leaving Donald nothing. As Donald sits in his chair, Daisy steals it and sternly tells him "The garbage, buster!" Donald does so as he began to see a change in her. As he leaves to get away, Daisy pulls him back in and locks him in a pillory forcing him to do dishes and making him a prisoner in his own home. Donald wonders if this was the wedded bliss he had hoped for.

Donald then began losing his identity and literally became a robot. Daisy slaves him around shouting "Cut the grass! Wash the dishes! Beat the rugs! Take out the cat! Mop the floor! Dust the furniture! Water the flowers!" until Donald goes crazily exhausted and explodes like a bomb. Somehow, it was all just a bad dream as Daisy sweetly says "Donald? Donald! Dreamer boy, wake up!" Donald slowly wakes up until he shoots up and screams in horror and runs out leaving a duck-shaped hole in the door never to return, thus calling off the wedding.

On the last scene, Donald writes in his diary "It was a narrow escape. Though I was born when I kissed her, I died when we parted." Donald then hears a bugle play a fanfare and runs out guarding a fort in the desert with a French tricolor flag on it. Donald had added in his diary, "And yet I live for a little while".

Voice Cast

• Leslie Denison - Donald's Internal Monologue, Narrator
• Vivi Janiss - Daisy Duck, Daisy's Mother
• Clarence Nash - Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, Louie

Trivia

Donald's Diary (left) compared to Quack Pack (Right).

• Donald's House from the show Quack Pack is very likely based on Donald and Daisy's house from this short.
• This marks Daisy's second-to-last appearance in a theatrical cartoon until 1983, the direct last appearance being the 1959 educational cartoon How to Have an Accident at Work.
• Unlike other cartoons, Daisy had pink feathers (pale yellowish-pink feathers in some old unrestored TV/video versions) as opposed to white feathers like Donald and other ducks.
• Donald narrates the entire cartoon with the same sophisticated voice as heard in Donald's Double Trouble (1946).
• The story bore little continuity with the "real" Donald and Daisy as Huey, Dewey, and Louie appeared as Daisy's younger brothers as opposed to Donald's nephews as usual. Even still, it was the only time in which Daisy's parents are seen.
• In one scene, when Donald carves his and Daisy's initials into a tree, the camera reveals, on the opposite side of the tree, all of Daisy's previous boyfriends having done the same thing. These names are those of Disney animators.
• The scene depicting the wedding of Daisy and Donald also implies Daisy's promiscuity; Several sailors attend the wedding and tearfully wave goodbye to Daisy, implying they were all former lovers. This also hints that Daisy loves men in uniform, and interestingly, this matter has been used as a plot device in the Mickey Mouse cartoon Captain Donald, on how Donald got his sailor suit.
• A small clip of the short Pecos Bill from Melody Time appears briefly at the drive-in movie theater Donald and Daisy went in the cartoon.
• Daisy's mother is modeled after the famous James McNeill Whistler painting, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, better known colloquially as Whistler's Mother.
• Some animation during the "Donald the Robot" sequence is reused from the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" segment of Fun and Fancy Free and the end of the dream sequence in Der Fuehrer's Face.
• The French flag on the fort implies Donald's way of escape was enlisting in the French Foreign Legion.
• This is the only time we see Daisy naked...

Goofs

• When Donald wakes up from his nightmare, Daisy is wearing her green dress with a yellow apron, but two shots later, when Donald makes his escape from her, she is wearing her red dress.

Releases

Television

• Walt Disney Presents, episode #6.23: "This is Your Life, Donald Duck"
• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, episode #8.6: "Inside Donald Duck"
• The New Mickey Mouse Club, February 9, 1977
• Good Morning, Mickey, episode #34
• Donald Duck Presents, episode #15
• From Disney, with Love
• Mickey's Mouse Tracks, episode #1
• Donald's Quack Attack, episode #39
• The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.46: "Disney Dreams"

Home video

VHS

• Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Cartoon Collections, Vol. 2
• Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Starring Donald & Daisy

Laserdisc

• Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Starring Donald & Daisy / Starring Pluto & Fifi

DVD

• Walt Disney's Classic Cartoon Favorites: Best Pals - Donald & Daisy
• Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Four

Gallery

"Eh? What's the name?"
Donald: "Donald Duck, ma'am."

"Ah, yes. They were my kind of people."

"What's the matter?"

v - e - d

1930s The Wise Little Hen • Donald and Pluto • Don Donald • Modern Inventions • Donald's Ostrich • Self Control • Donald's Better Self • Donald's Nephews • Good Scouts • Donald's Golf Game • Mother Goose Goes Hollywood • Donald's Lucky Day • The Hockey Champ • Donald's Cousin Gus • Beach Picnic • Sea Scouts • Donald's Penguin • The Autograph Hound • Officer Duck • The Fox Hunt (co-starring Goofy) • Polar Trappers (co-starring Goofy) 1940s The Riveter • Donald's Dog Laundry • Mr. Duck Steps Out • Put-Put Troubles • Donald's Vacation • The Volunteer Worker • Window Cleaners • The Fire Chief • Timber • The Golden Eggs • A Good Time for a Dime • Early to Bed • Truant Officer Donald • Old MacDonald Duck • Donald's Camera • Chef Donald • Donald's Decision • The Village Smithy • The New Spirit • Donald's Snow Fight • Donald Gets Drafted • Donald's Garden • Donald's Gold Mine • Sky Trooper • Bellboy Donald • Der Fuehrer's Face • The Spirit of '43 • Donald's Tire Trouble • Lake Titicaca • Aquarela do Brazil • The Flying Jalopy • Fall Out-Fall In • The Old Army Game • Home Defense • Trombone Trouble • Donald Duck and the Gorilla • Contrary Condor • Commando Duck • The Plastics Inventor • Donald's Off Day • The Clock Watcher • The Eyes Have It • Donald's Crime • Duck Pimples • Cured Duck • Old Sequoia • Donald's Double Trouble • Wet Paint • Dumbell of the Yukon • Lighthouse Keeping • Straight Shooters • Sleepy Time Donald • Clown of the Jungle • Donald's Dilemma • Bootle Beetle • Wide Open Spaces • Chip an' Dale • Drip Dippy Donald • Daddy Duck • Donald's Dream Voice • Blame It on the Samba • The Trial of Donald Duck • Inferior Decorator • Soup's On • Three for Breakfast • Tea for Two Hundred • Donald's Happy Birthday • Sea Salts • Winter Storage • Honey Harvester • All in a Nutshell • The Greener Yard • Slide, Donald, Slide • Toy Tinkers • Billposters (co-starring Goofy) • No Sail (co-starring Goofy) • Frank Duck Brings 'em Back Alive (co-starring Goofy) • Crazy with the Heat (co-starring Goofy) 1950s Lion Around • Crazy Over Daisy • Trailer Horn • Hook, Lion and Sinker • Bee at the Beach • Out on a Limb • Dude Duck • Corn Chips • Test Pilot Donald • Lucky Number • Out of Scale • Bee on Guard • Donald Applecore • Let's Stick Together • Uncle Donald's Ants • Trick or Treat • Don's Fountain of Youth • The New Neighbor • Rugged Bear • Working for Peanuts • Canvas Back Duck • Spare the Rod • Donald's Diary • Dragon Around • Grin and Bear It • The Flying Squirrel • Grand Canyonscope • No Hunting • Bearly Asleep • Beezy Bear • Up a Tree • Chips Ahoy 1960s The Litterbug Educational Shorts How to Have an Accident in the Home • How to Have an Accident at Work • Donald in Mathmagic Land • Donald and the Wheel • Steel and America • Donald's Fire Survival Plan • Family Planning Songs Donald Duck See Also DuckTales (1987 series) • Donald's Quack Attack • Quack Pack • Pomp and Circumstance • DuckTales (2017 series)

v - e - d
1940s Mr. Duck Steps Out • Donald's Crime • Cured Duck • Donald's Double Trouble • Sleepy Time Donald • Donald's Dilemma • Donald's Dream Voice 1950s Crazy Over Daisy • Donald's Diary • How to Have an Accident at Work See Also Quack Pack • Pomp and Circumstance • DuckTales (2017 series)