Modern Inventions is a Donald Duck cartoon. It was released on May 29, 1937. It is directed by Jack King.
Plot
Donald visits "The Museum of Modern Marvels", which showcases various futuristic electronic appliances and inventions. In the museum, Donald encounters and struggles with many strange and whimsical machines, all of which seem to be against him. A running gag throughout the picture has the Robot Butler appearing to take away Donald's hat, with the words "Your Hat, Sir." After encountering a robotic hitch-hiker, a wrapping machine and a fully-automated baby carriage, the short ends when Donald attempts to scam a robotic barber chair and winds up getting a haircut on his behind and a shoe-shined bill.
The Machines
Donald struggles with various inventions and robots throughout the cartoon, including:
- Robot Butler
- Hitch-Hiker's Aid
- Automatic Bundle-Wrapper
- Robot Nurse Maid
- Mechanical Barber Chair
The Hats
Throughout the cartoon, Donald magically pulls hats out of thin air to replace those taken by the Robot Butler (often followed by "So!"). These include:
- Top hat
- Napoleonic officer hat
- Civil War kepi (however, the Robot Butler picks up on this one almost immediately after Donald puts it on and starts to give chase)
- Baby bonnet (he puts this one on whilst testing the Robot Nurse Maid)
- Bowler hat
Trivia
- The scene where Donald's tail feather cut by the mechanical barber chair is mentioned in the House of Mouse episode "Everybody Loves Mickey", with Goofy and Minnie talking about it and Mickey mentioning the actual episode.
Home video releases
VHS
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: The Continuing Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale featuring Donald Duck
DVD
- Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume One
Gallery