Once Upon a Dime

DuckTales"Once Upon a Dime"
Season 1
Number 61
Episode information
Written by	Richard Esckilsen Ken Koonce David Weimers
Directed by	David Block
Original air date	December 24, 1987
DuckTales Episodes
Previous	"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. McDuck"
Next	"Spies in Their Eyes"

"Once Upon a Dime" is the sixty-first episode of DuckTales.

Synopsis

Scrooge tells the story of how his Number One Dime got his fortune started.

Cast

• William Callaway as Wild Bill Beagle/Old Man Ribbit/Scotty McGillicutty
• June Foray as Ma Beagle/McMama
• Pat Fraley as Young Scrooge McDuck/Piggly
• Chuck McCann as Duckworth/Butch Beagle
• Don Messick as McPapa
• Pete Renaday as Catfish McDuck
• Michael Rye as unnamed Frontier Beagle Boy
• Russi Taylor as Huey, Dewey, and Louie/Webby Vanderquack
• Alan Young as Scrooge McDuck

Trivia

• At the beginning of this episode, Scrooge's calendar declares this episode to take place on a Tuesday that falls on July 1. At the time of this episode's airing, the nearest year that had its month of July start on a Tuesday was 1986, meaning that this episode took place nearly a year-and-a-half before the time of its original airdate. This would also suggest the whole series itself to begin at some point in 1986 rather than 1987.
• The episode was notably based on numerous flashbacks and other references from classic Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge comics, including:
  • The Great Steamboat Race (the rivalry of Scrooge's riverboat captain uncle over Cornpone Gables and the riverboat race)
  • Hall of the Mermaid Queen! (Scrooge earning a silver dollar in a riverboat race)
  • Only a Poor Old Man and/or Back to the Klondike (Scrooge's Klondike days).
  • Scrooge working as a shoeshine boy also appeared in The Invisible Intruder, for which Carl Barks did the artwork as well.
  • The scene where Scrooge earned his Number One Dime by shining a particularly muddy pair of boots was directly adapted from the comic Getting That Healthy, Wealthy Feeling by Tony Strobl.
• Cottage McDuck, Scrooge's childhood home, reappears in this episode. It had previously appeared in the episode "The Curse of Castle McDuck", where Scrooge and his family visit Scrooge's old childhood home in Scotland.
• This episode marked the animated debut of Scrooge's parents, McPapa and McMama.

• The title of this episode is an allusion to the traditional story opening, "Once upon a time."

Video releases

DVD

• DuckTales: Volume 3

Screenshots

Young Scrooge McDuck earns his first dime.

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Media Shows/Movies: 1987 series • 2017 series • Walt Disney's World on Ice: Double Feature... Live! • Raw Toonage • DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp • Videography • Chibi Tiny Tales • This Duckburg Life Video Games: Video game (HD remake/Soundtrack) • DuckTales 2 • The Quest for Gold • Scrooge's Loot Comics: Comic Books (IDW) Books: Dinosaur Ducks • The Secret City Under the Sea • Dinosaur Valley • Launchpad's Daring Raid • Welcome to Duckburg • Sphinx for the Memories and Sir Gyro Gearloose • The Great Lost Treasure Hunt • Scrooge McDuck and the Big Surprise • Dinosaur Ducks and Jungle Duck • The Hunt for the Giant Pearl • Scrooge's Treasure Hunt • Christmas at the North Pole • Armstrong the Robot and Earthquack • Silver Dollars for Uncle Scrooge • Webby Saves the Day Disney Parks DuckTales World Showcase Adventure • PLAY! Characters 1987 series: Scrooge McDuck • Huey, Dewey, and Louie • Launchpad McQuack • Webby Vanderquack • Bentina Beakley • Duckworth • Chief O'Hara • Shedlock Jones • Gyro Gearloose • Little Helper • Yardarm • Doofus Drake • Fenton Crackshell • Donald Duck • Gladstone Gander • Bubba the Cave Duck • Abominable Snowwoman • Tootsie the Triceratops • Skittles • Blackjack • Poupon • Gene the Genie • Glittering Goldie • Mad Dog McGurk • Feathers Galore • Burt Quackarach • Major Courage • Micro Ducks • Admiral Grimmitz • King Homer • Queen Ariel • Shawebizad • Gandra Dee • McPapa • McMama • Robotica • Beagle Boys • Ma Beagle • Pete • Flintheart Glomgold • Phantom Blot • Dijon • Argus McSwine • Magica De Spell • Minima De Spell • Poe De Spell • El Capitan • Joaquin Slowly • Merlock the Magician • Cinnamon Teal • Dracula Duck • Dr. NoGood • Millionara Vanderbucks • Fritter O'Way • Lawrence Loudmouth • Bruno Von Beak • Armstrong • The Sirens • Circe • Harpies • Yuckalinda • Queen Griselda • Djinni • Terra-Firmie King • Overlord Bulovan • Solego • GICU-2 • Magica's Shadow • The Fear Demons 2017 series: Della Duck • Lena • Bradford Buzzard • Captain Peghook • Manny the Headless Man-Horse • Pixiu • Gabby McStabberson • Hack and Slash Smashnikov • Roxanne Featherly • Toad Liu Hai • Mark Beaks • Falcon Graves • Amunet • Sabaf • Toth-Ra • Zeus • Selene • Storkules • Briar and Bramble • Darkwing Duck • Gosalyn Mallard • Megavolt • Don Karnage • Quackerjack • Liquidator • Black Heron • Zan Owlson • Fisher • Mann • Drosera occidendum • José Carioca • Panchito Pistoles • Fethry Duck • John D. Rockerduck • Jeeves • Gavin • Grandpappy Beagle • Violet Sabrewing • Unicorn • Percival P. Peppington • Paddywhack • Bushroot • Negaduck • Daisy Duck • Goofy • Chip and Dale • Monterey Jack • Zipper • Gadget Hackwrench • Kit Cloudkicker • Taurus Bulba • Molly Cunningham • Lieutenant Penumbra • General Lunaris • Neighbor Jones • Steelbeak • Indy and Ty Sabrewing • Aletheia • Vero • King Honestus • Emma Glamour • Inspector Tezuka • Akita • Strongbeard • Hecka • Jormungandr • Ponce De Leon • Matilda McDuck • Emutilda Episodes 1987 series Season One: "The Treasure of the Golden Suns" • "Send in the Clones" • "Sphinx for the Memories" • "Where No Duck Has Gone Before" • "Armstrong" • "Robot Robbers" • "Magica's Shadow War" • "Master of the Djinni" • "Hotel Strangeduck" • "Lost Crown of Genghis Khan" • "Duckman of Aquatraz" • "The Money Vanishes" • "Sir Gyro de Gearloose" • "Dinosaur Ducks" • "Hero for Hire" • "Superdoo!" • "Maid of the Myth" • "Down and Out in Duckburg" • "Much Ado About Scrooge" • "Top Duck" • "Pearl of Wisdom" • "The Curse of Castle McDuck" • "Launchpad's Civil War" • "Sweet Duck of Youth" • "Earth Quack" • "Home Sweet Homer" • "Bermuda Triangle Tangle" • "Micro Ducks from Outer Space" • "Back to the Klondike" • "Horse Scents" • "Scrooge's Pet" • "Catch as Cash Can" • "Merit-Time Adventure" • "The Golden Fleecing" • "Ducks of the West" • "Time Teasers" • "Back Out in the Outback" • "Raiders of the Lost Harp" • "The Right Duck" • "Scroogerello" • "Double-O-Duck" • "Luck o' the Ducks" • "Duckworth's Revolt" • "Magica's Magic Mirror"/"Take Me Out of the Ballgame" • "Duck to the Future" • "Jungle Duck" • "Launchpad's First Crash" • "Dime Enough for Luck" • "Duck in the Iron Mask" • "The Uncrashable Hindentanic" • "The Status Seekers" • "Nothing to Fear" • "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. McDuck" • "Once Upon a Dime" • "Spies in Their Eyes" • "All Ducks on Deck" • "Ducky Horror Picture Show" • "Till Nephews Do Us Part" Season Two: "Time is Money" • "Super DuckTales" Season Three: "The Land of Trala La" • "Allowance Day" • "Bubbeo & Juliet" • "The Good Muddahs" • "My Mother the Psychic" • "Metal Attraction" • "Dough Ray Me" • "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" • "The Big Flub" • "A Case of Mistaken Secret Identity" • "Blue Collar Scrooge" • "Beaglemania" • "Yuppy Ducks" • "The Bride Wore Stripes" • "The Unbreakable Bin" • "Attack of the Fifty-Foot Webby" • "The Masked Mallard" • "A DuckTales Valentine" Season Four: "Ducky Mountain High" • "Attack of the Metal Mites" • "The Duck Who Knew Too Much" • "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" • "Scrooge's Last Adventure" • "The Golden Goose" 2017 series Season One: "Woo-oo!" • "Daytrip of Doom!" • "The Great Dime Chase!" • "The Beagle Birthday Massacre!" • "Terror of the Terra-firmians!" • "The House of the Lucky Gander!" • "The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks!" • "The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!" • "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!" • "The Spear of Selene!" • "Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System!" • "The Missing Links of Moorshire!" • "McMystery at McDuck McManor!" • "JAW$!" • "The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains!" • "Day of the Only Child!" • "From the Confidential Casefiles of Agent 22!" • "Who is Gizmoduck?!" • "The Other Bin of Scrooge McDuck!" • "Sky Pirates...in the Sky!" • "The Secret(s) of Castle McDuck!" • "The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!" • "The Shadow War!" Season Two: "The Most Dangerous Game...Night!" • "The Depths of Cousin Fethry!" • "The Ballad of Duke Baloney!" • "The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!" • "Storkules in Duckburg!" • "Last Christmas!" • "What Ever Happened to Della Duck?!" • "Treasure of the Found Lamp!" • "The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck!" • "The 87 Cent Solution!" • "The Golden Spear!" • "Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!" • "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!" • "Friendship Hates Magic!" • "The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!" • "The Duck Knight Returns!" • "What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?!" • "Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!" • "A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!" • "The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot!" • "Timephoon!" • "GlomTales!" • "The Richest Duck in the World!" • "Moonvasion!" Season Three "Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!" • "Quack Pack!" • "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!" • "The Lost Harp of Mervana!" • "Louie's Eleven!" • "Astro B.O.Y.D.!" • "The Rumble for Ragnarok!" • "The Phantom and the Sorceress!" • "They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!" • "The Trickening!" • "The Forbidden Fountain of the Foreverglades!" • "Let's Get Dangerous!" • "Escape from the ImpossiBin!" • "The Split Sword of Swanstantine!" • "New Gods on the Block!" • "The First Adventure!" • "The Fight for Castle McDuck!" • "How Santa Stole Christmas!" • "Beaks in the Shell!" • "The Lost Cargo of Kit Cloudkicker!" • "The Life And Crimes of Scrooge McDuck!" • "The Last Adventure!" Locations Duckburg • Atlantis • The Money Bin • McDuck Manor • Castle McDuck • Fountain of Youth • Scotland • Notre Duck • Valley of the Golden Suns • St. Canard • Cape Suzette Organizations Air Pirates • F.O.W.L. • Junior Woodchucks • S.H.U.S.H. Objects Number One Dime • Junior Woodchucks Guidebook • Gizmosuit • Gene's Lamp • Merlock's Talisman • Sun Coin • Sun Chaser • Harp of Troy • Millennium Shortcut • Gyro's Helicopter • Molecular Manipulator • Golden Goose • Webby's Quacky Patch Doll • Hindentanic • Magic Medallion • Ratcatcher • Jewel of Atlantis • Pep! • Gummiberry Juice • Iron Vulture • Pirate Fighters • Spear of Selene • Sea Duck • Ranger Plane Songs DuckTales Theme • Three Cheers for Bubba Duck • Boogie Beagle Blues • Moon Stage Theme • Sky Pirates • The Three Caballeros • Hear My Voice See also Carl Barks • The Disney Afternoon • Darkwing Duck • Quack Pack • Disney XD (Netherlands) • Let's Go to Disneyland Paris