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The Riveter

  • 1940
  • Approved
  • 8m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
849
YOUR RATING
The Riveter (1940)
AnimationComedyFamilyShort

Construction foreman Pegleg Pete has just fired his riveter; Donald comes by and takes the job, despite a lack of experience and an initial fear of heights, and makes a mess of things.Construction foreman Pegleg Pete has just fired his riveter; Donald comes by and takes the job, despite a lack of experience and an initial fear of heights, and makes a mess of things.Construction foreman Pegleg Pete has just fired his riveter; Donald comes by and takes the job, despite a lack of experience and an initial fear of heights, and makes a mess of things.

  • Director
    • Dick Lundy
  • Stars
    • Billy Bletcher
    • Clarence Nash
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    849
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Dick Lundy
    • Stars
      • Billy Bletcher
      • Clarence Nash
    • 6User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

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    Top cast2

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    Billy Bletcher
    Billy Bletcher
    • Pegleg Pete
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Clarence Nash
    Clarence Nash
    • Donald Duck
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Dick Lundy
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews6

    7.2849
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    Featured reviews

    6CuriosityKilledShawn

    Riveting

    Where do I get these jokes from? Man, I crack myself up. I've been waiting all day to do that one.

    In this cartoon an apparently unemployed Donald is wandering around town singing the High-Ho song from Snow White. He comes upon a construction site and applies for the job of Riveter despite obviously having no experience in this field.

    Much to his distress he begins his day of labor at the top of a zillion-foot high skyscraper (though the elevator only ascends 1 floor!) and his boss is an easily irritated man. Disaster follows as per usual but at least this one ends with Donald getting the upper hand on his beastly boss.
    10TheLittleSongbird

    Building a Building but with Donald Duck

    Just like Building a Building is one of Mickey Mouse's finest cartoons, The Riveter is likewise for Donald Duck. The animation is bright and crisp, like the best animation of this particular era for Disney, while the music is energetic and characterful, enhancing the action as it should do. The story is similar to Building a Building, but the way The Riveter is told it is never derivative of it, plus the cartoon has not a dull spot. But what The Riveter succeeds most are in the characters and gags. Pete always was a his best as a foil to Mickey and Donald, and helped by the inspired rapport with Donald The Riveter is no exception. Donald makes the cartoon work, still as easily frustrated yet likable as ever. The action and gags are numerous and every moment is very funny, especially the rivet sequence, Pete and Donald manning up to each other and Donald's unnerved reactions to the sound of the rivet gun. Overall, simply great, beautifully animated and lots of fun. 10/10 Bethany Cox
    9OllieSuave-007

    Donald gets the upper hand.

    Donald Duck gets hired as a riveter, despite his lack of experience, after gruff and mean construction foreman Pegleg Pete has fired his riveter. What results is classic and funny Donald trying to work the machine, sending rivets all over the place and against himself shaken and tumbled across the building frame by the tool.

    This is Donald at one of his best, displaying his frustrated and bad luck prone personality. It will send laughter to a wide audience, as the action, goofs and gags are just a treat to watch.

    The animation is vibrant, the music is catchy and the sound effects are wild. Despite Donald always getting a lot of bad luck, he seems to get the last laugh in many of his misadventures in this one. It's one of the best Donald cartoon shorts!

    Grade A

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    Related interests

    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
    Short

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      "The Riveter" from 1940 is the first Disney Cartoon released in 1940, thus the first Donald Duck Cartoon of 1940. It also is the second Disney production released in 1940, after Disney's second animated Motion Picture "Pinocchio (1940)" from 1940.
    • Quotes

      Pete: [calls up to Donald] Hey you! Get to work!

      Donald Duck: Ah, shut up.

      Pete: [immediately pops up behind him] What was that?

      Donald Duck: Um, heh heh, hi, boss.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Magical World of Disney: Donald's Silver Anniversary (1960)

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    FAQ1

    • List: Thrill comedy on a construction site

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 15, 1940 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Riveters
    • Production company
      • Walt Disney Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 8m
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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