Donald Duck and the Gorilla

This is a very thrilled and horrible film, when I first saw the title card, I couldn't help shivering, the background is probably the most terrible and horrid Donald Duck short I ever seen.

It's a stormy night, probably mentioned something unexpected is going to happen, but sure enough, the radio announcer notify everyone a dangerous gorilla named Ajax is escaped, Donald and three nephews apparently unawared it and make fun each other, but when the real Ajax coming, Donald and nephews all in mortal danger, scared and hide each other, it's actually really thrilled, and I wonder why the delirious Ajax want to chased Donald and three nephews with no intent, Donald seen out of control also.Donald Duck almost get MURDERED by Ajax! Donald still have some funny moves,too, like when he open the doorknob(which his candle wax had made it hot), he screamed: OUCH! Then Donald's three nephews use a tear gas to stop Ajax, to make him cry with his evil conscience, but it also make Donald cried too, It's still funny when Donald and Ajax cried and console one another, I still wonder why Donald Duck and three nephews live in such a perish house, which contained gorilla suit and a tear gas, probably for the horror background for a dangerous gorilla to appeared.And Donald in the short seen rather insaned in the short, he never stop move and act fast, even when Ajax is chasing him throughout his house. That's thrilling! Ajax's roar and moves seen rather scary and made pepole stand on end, I think is similar to King Kong, though.

I also wonder why is the idea about to make duck and gorilla mix together, and gorilla is not a predator, it almost never tried to eat human! If on my words, this short is very classical, especially when Ajax is chasing Donald, which Donald use nervous semi-intelligible voice to moaned, DONALD DUCK, Good escape!

Yes, I know that it's easy to view gorillas as big, scary things. But that's a grossly inaccurate representation! Gorillas mostly eat plants, and when they resort to eating animals, it's mostly insects. To my knowledge, there's never been any record of a gorilla trying to eat a human. Quite the opposite: due to hunting and habitat loss, many species of gorilla are critically endangered. Dian Fossey (played by Sigourney Weaver in "Gorillas in the Mist") made it her life's work to show that gorillas are harmless creatures. Indeed, they share 95-99% of their DNA with humans.

The compilation movie "It Came from Hollywood" pokes fun at old B movies. Early in the movie, Gilda Radner's character hears of a gorilla on the radio and freaks out. It then shows scenes from old movies that depicted gorillas attacking humans. "Donald Duck and the Gorilla" is basically that sort of movie. I don't care if this short is supposed to be silly entertainment, it still misrepresents these gentle apes. NOT a good cartoon.

I did like the umbrella gag, though.

If I had to sum up Donald Duck and the Gorilla in one word, I have to say classic. It is a delightful Halloween cartoon, and one of my personal favourite Donald Duck cartoons. One that is both scary and funny.

The animation for back then is of true beauty and the music really adds to the atmosphere. The story moves very fast and is well structured, while the dialogue and sight gags are delightful. In terms of characters, it is Donald's show all the way, voiced by the brilliant Clarence Nash who IS Donald Duck in my opinion, but he is almost upstaged by Ajax the Gorilla.

Overall, a Halloween classic and a must see for fans of the cantankerous duck. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I first saw this cartoon in the Disney special video program, Halloween Treat, and it was a good one for a funny scare. Here, Donald and his nephews hear on the radio that a gorilla has escaped from the zoo and, as a result, they all scare each other with gorilla hands and costumes. This goes on until they all encounter the real gorilla, who has broken into their home.

This cartoon has its creepy moments but it is mostly funny with plenty of gags and laugh-out-loud moments; I especially like the part where after the nephews accidentally burn Donald's tail and he turns around with an angry look - his face turning into a boiling pot kettle.

The cat and mouse chase between the gorilla and Donald in his seemingly humongous house is entertaining from start to finish, with the nephews trying desperately to stop the mad animal.

Overall, it's one of the best cartoon shorts featuring Donald and his nephews.

Grade A

A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.

One spooky night, Donald and his Nephews are menaced by Ajax, the slavering simian.

With a plot that moves fast & furious, DONALD DUCK AND THE GORILLA is a funny little film that still has plenty of thrills as the Ducks are placed in real mortal danger. One wonders why our feathered friends are dwelling in such a decrepit, decaying domicile - which just happens to be furnished with a gorilla costume and tear gas bombs. Clarence Nash provides the unique voices for the entire Duck clan.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & 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 comic 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 storm of naysayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.