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Trick or Treat is a Halloween-themed animated short, starring Donald Duck. It was released on October 10, 1952 and based on Halloween ritual British popular folklore which is in turn based on Trick or Treat for Halloween segment based on Swallow song of Rhodes Greek folk song, 6 B.C by Cleobulus. The film stars Clarence Nash reprising his role as Donald and his nephews, and June Foray as Witch Hazel.

Synopsis[]

The film opens with the original song "Trick or Treat" playing, as Witch Hazel is shown flying around town on her broomstick (named "Beelzebub"). She comes across Huey, Dewey, and Louie trick-or-treating, dressed as a devil, a wizard, and a ghost, respectively. Hazel looks on as the trio go to their Uncle Donald's house and ring the doorbell. Donald, seeing them through the window, decides to prank the boys. So instead of giving them candy, he puts firecrackers into their bags. The boys initially believe Donald is giving him candy, but they turn out to be the firecrackers, and after they explode, Donald pulls a string which tips a bucket of water on the nephews, soaking them. Donald laughs uproariously, but Witch Hazel decides to get even.

Hazel consoles the three, and, delighted to discover that they believe in witches, agrees to help them get their candy from Donald. She goes to the door for them and tells them that it'll be a piece of cake, but Donald refuses to believe Hazel is a real witch. He tries to pull her nose off and again dumps the bucket of water on her. He again laughs hysterically and slams the door. Hazel decides getting the candy from Donald may be harder than she realizes, so she turns to her magic.

Back at Hazel's home, she concocts a magic potion in large black cauldron. In a scene paying homage to William Shakespeare's MacBeth, Hazel adds ingredients to the pot, although they are somewhat toned down from Shakespeare, such as "Eye of needle, tongue of shoe, hand of clock that points at two!" etc. When the potion is finished, she fills a spray bottle with it and flies back to Donald's house with the nephews.

As Hazel sprays various items around Donald's house, they become animated or anthropomorphic. Donald is terrified and instantly agrees to treat the boys to candy. However, when Hazel refers to him as a pushover, he takes umbrage and changes his mind, locking the pantry door and swallowing the key. Having been "itching" to put a spell on Donald, Hazel uses the potion to put Donald's feet in her control. She orders the feet to kick the key out of Donald, which leads him to perform a wild dance. The key is retrieved, but Donald throws it into the pantry, under the door. Enraged, Hazel then casts "a spell that's double-grim!" saying that she will order Donald's feet to "smash that door down" with Donald. This is initially unsuccessful, so she advises that Donald "take a longer start. About a mile or two!" Donald is forced to run a long way away, then come steaming back, screaming, into the door, which shatters.

In the end, Huey, Dewey, and Louie collect their treats and Hazel and Beelzebub leave since it is "nearly dawn". After waving goodbye to the ducks, Hazel flies away whilst the Trick or Treat song is reprised over the top. A final shot has a jack-o-lantern seen earlier in the film suddenly appear saying "Boo!" and then grinning.

Characters[]

Song[]

Releases[]

Television[]

Home video[]

VHS

Laserdisc

  • Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Donald's Scary Tales / Halloween Haunts

DVD

Blu-ray

  • The Black Cauldron

Streaming[]

Trivia[]

  • When Witch Hazel screams near the beginning, it is the same audio used by The Evil Queen when she falls off the cliff in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and later by Maleficent in her dragon form after Prince Phillip throws the Sword of Truth into her heart in Sleeping Beauty.
  • A comic book adaptation of the short, written and drawn by Carl Barks, was published in Donald Duck #26. One of the notable additions to the story (and one cut from early printings) was Smorgie, a multi-armed ogre that Hazel summons to try and get candy from Donald.
  • The Donald headshot and series slate, instead of the usual starburst and burlap backgrounds, are done in the style of painted graffiti on a fence.
  • In the original RKO titles, the credits pan from the fence to a barn (where the production credits are displayed) to the side of a house, where an enchanted paintbrush is seen painting the short's title on the window.
  • As shown on a Disneyland TV Episode, the short actually starts with Donald's Nephews getting ready for trick and treating while Donald sets up his prank. These scenes were cut when they were released on VHS & DVD and it only starts with Witch Hazel flying.

Videos[]

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v - e - d
Donald Duck Logo 2
1930s
The Wise Little HenDonald and PlutoDon DonaldModern InventionsDonald's OstrichSelf ControlDonald's Better SelfDonald's NephewsGood ScoutsDonald's Golf GameMother Goose Goes HollywoodDonald's Lucky DayThe Hockey ChampDonald's Cousin GusBeach PicnicSea ScoutsDonald's PenguinThe Autograph HoundOfficer DuckThe Fox Hunt (co-starring Goofy) • Polar Trappers (co-starring Goofy)
1940s
The RiveterDonald's Dog LaundryMr. Duck Steps OutPut-Put TroublesDonald's VacationThe Volunteer WorkerWindow CleanersThe Fire ChiefTimberThe Golden EggsA Good Time for a DimeEarly to BedTruant Officer DonaldOld MacDonald DuckDonald's CameraChef DonaldDonald's DecisionThe Village SmithyThe New SpiritDonald's Snow FightDonald Gets DraftedDonald's GardenDonald's Gold MineSky TrooperBellboy DonaldDer Fuehrer's FaceThe Spirit of '43Donald's Tire TroubleLake TiticacaAquarela do BrazilThe Flying JalopyFall Out-Fall InThe Old Army GameHome DefenseTrombone TroubleDonald Duck and the GorillaContrary CondorCommando DuckThe Plastics InventorDonald's Off DayThe Clock WatcherThe Eyes Have ItDonald's CrimeDuck PimplesCured DuckOld SequoiaDonald's Double TroubleWet PaintDumbell of the YukonLighthouse KeepingStraight ShootersSleepy Time DonaldClown of the JungleDonald's DilemmaBootle BeetleWide Open SpacesChip an' DaleDrip Dippy DonaldDaddy DuckDonald's Dream VoiceBlame It on the SambaThe Trial of Donald DuckInferior DecoratorSoup's OnThree for BreakfastTea for Two HundredDonald's Happy BirthdaySea SaltsWinter StorageHoney HarvesterAll in a NutshellThe Greener YardSlide, Donald, SlideToy TinkersBillposters (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 AroundCrazy Over DaisyTrailer HornHook, Lion and SinkerBee at the BeachOut on a LimbDude DuckCorn ChipsTest Pilot DonaldLucky NumberOut of ScaleBee on GuardDonald ApplecoreLet's Stick TogetherUncle Donald's AntsTrick or TreatDon's Fountain of YouthThe New NeighborRugged BearWorking for PeanutsCanvas Back DuckSpare the RodDonald's DiaryDragon AroundGrin and Bear ItThe Flying SquirrelGrand CanyonscopeNo HuntingBearly AsleepBeezy BearUp a TreeChips Ahoy
1960s
The Litterbug
Educational Shorts
How to Have an Accident in the HomeHow to Have an Accident at WorkDonald in Mathmagic LandDonald and the WheelSteel and AmericaDonald's Fire Survival PlanFamily Planning
Songs
Donald Duck
See Also
DuckTales (1987 series)Donald's Quack AttackQuack PackPomp and CircumstanceDuckTales (2017 series)
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