Bellboy Donald

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

BELLBOY DONALD will lose his job at the Lofty Manors Hotel if he keeps forgetting that 'The Customer Is Always Right.'

This is a very enjoyable little film, with The Duck triumphant over his antagonist for a change. Clarence "Ducky" Nash supplies Donald's voice; John McLeish does the honors for Pete.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a blizzard of doomsayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, Peter Pan and Mr. Toad. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

Donald shows in this cartoon short that guests are not always right. Donald is employed as a hotel bellboy and, after being scolded by his manager, was told to improve his personality and to believe that the guest is always right. So, when he attempts to help Pegleg Pete and his son Junior settle into their hotel room, Junior keeps harassing Donald, but Donald endures him as much as he could. When Junior crosses the line, Donald gives him a taste of his own medicine.

Plenty of slapstick humor and entertaining moments. Great animation and not a bad story overall, where Donald gets the last laugh.

Grade B

Donald's history of losing his temper has him on the verge of being fired at the hotel where he is a bellhop. Of course, who should show up but Pete and his megabrat son. Because Donald is an employee, the kid starts in on him. Donald shows tremendous patience, but at some point this little monster becomes his worst nightmare. The ending is quite satisfying.

then this cartoon I would have liked much more. Bellboy Donald is actually a good cartoon, with beautiful animation, lively music that adds much to the effectiveness of the gags, good physical humour and a nice if unexceptional story where Donald triumphs over his antagonist. Plus Donald is still likable, even with the temperamental personality. I personally do prefer Billy Bletcher's more rapacious voice for Pete, but John McCleish still did a great job with a voice that was more fitting I think for Pete's more eloquent demeanour. However, if there is one thing I don't like about Bellboy Donald, it was the character of Pete's son, even as a child watching and this and many other Disney cartoons I have never been able to stand that kid. It makes me wonder whether Disney actually intended the character to be such an unlikeable brat that you actually want Donald to triumph over him.

Overall, apart from the kid I do like Bellboy Donald. 8/10 Bethany Cox