Spare the Rod

Synopsis

Donald has the same old problem dealing with his three troublesome nephews, and is torn between using psychology or losing his temper.

Plot

Donald is using his typical strong arm tactics to try to get his nephews to do their chores - they keep sneaking off to play games, like "Indians on the warpath." The "child psychologist" convinces Donald to join in the games, using the game to get the nephews to do their chores. Complicating matters are the cannibals, who have escaped from a circus. They spot Donald and think he would make great duck stew. Donald mistakes the cannibals for his nephews playing games and plays along until his real nephews play with him, realizing the other three are real cannibals. His nephews take off in fear while the cannibals try to cook Donald, who is praying for his life to be spared until one of the cannibals bites Donald to "taste" him. Donald loses his temper and takes the cannibals out to the woodshed. The cannibals take off and Donald, seeing his nephews, angrily chases them back to doing their chores. Donald then takes the "child psychologist" to the woodpile.

Censorship

Because Spare the Rod depicted offensive racial stereotypes of blacks via the appearances of the pygmy cannibals and Donald saying the B word, all scenes depicting the cannibals are deleted when shown on television. The censored version of the short is rendered very short, since its runtime has been greatly reduced from 6 minutes (not counting credits) to 2 1/2 minutes.

The uncut version of this short is available fully restored on Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Four.

Characters

• Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash)
• Huey, Dewey, and Louie (voiced by Clarence Nash)
• The Voice of Child Psychology (voiced by Bill Thompson)
• Pygmy Cannibals (voiced by Pinto Colvig)
• Casey Jr. (Cameo)

Home video releases

DVD

• Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Four (Uncut)

Gallery

title card

Casey Jr. Cameo

Add a photo to this gallery

External Links

• Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts - Spare the Rod

v - e - d

1930s 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 • 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 See Also DuckTales (1987 series) • Donald's Quack Attack • Quack Pack • Pomp and Circumstance • DuckTales (2017 series)