The Trial of Donald Duck is an animated Donald Duck short that was released on July 30, 1948.
Synopsis
Donald Duck is put on trial by a restaurant.
Donald is trying to have his lunch, but it is raining hard outside. Ducking into a fancy restaurant, a waiter seats him. As he only has a nickel, Donald feels that he can use it to get a cup of coffee. However, he only receives a cup of espresso which is the size of a thimble. Donald flies into a rage at this, refusing 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, ordering Donald to either pay ten dollars, or wash dishes for ten days, OR ELSE!!!
Donald accepts the ten days, but spends the entire time at the restaurant's kitchen sink destroying the dishes. The waiter pleads with Donald to stop, promising to let the whole matter go, but Donald angrily turns to him and says, 'You heard what the Judge said...ten days!' and continues with his reckless 'chore'.
Characters
- Donald Duck (voiced by Clarence Nash)
- Mr. French Waiter (voiced by Unknown)
- Judge (voiced by Unknown)
- Defense Attorney (voiced by Unknown)
Releases
Television
- The Mickey Mouse Club, December 12, 1956
- Donald's Quack Attack, episode #8
- Mickey's Mouse Tracks, episode #51
DVD
- Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume 3
Trivia
- The thimble sized cup of coffee is a joke on the Espresso, the type of coffee that the French are known for drinking.
- Donald's bill total was $35.99, which holds the same value as over $370 today.
- Pierre added an extra $2 surcharge to the bill. The total should have been $33.99, not $35.99.
- A small coffee at Pierre's restaurant costs $15, which holds the value of over $150 today.
Gallery