The Trial of Donald Duck (1948)

The Trial of Donald Duck Review

The Trial of Donald Duck is a 1948 animated short film produced by Disney. It is a pretty solid flick.

Donald is put on trial after having problems with a restaurant waiter. We then see a flashback that acquaints us with what led to the trial and that entire sequence was hilarious. Apparently, Donald wanted a cup of coffee for a nickel, but he got an extremely small one, so he got angry and took out his own food to eat, which the waiter tried to charge him for. That exchange between the two was so entertaining that it needed a better conclusion afterward.

That ending was pretty funny and solid, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when you think about it. A stronger and more creative ending was missing here. I did like the trial scenes too, but even those were a bit too short and rushed. The originality behind this premise was admirable, but the execution was middling and wildly uneven. Donald is hilarious and the waiter was also very memorable. the animation is stellar and the humor is pretty good, but much more could have been done with this terrific concept.

The Trial of Donald Duck has a terrific premise and a fantastic middle part, but the beginning and ending were flawed and more could have been done with this concept.

My Rating – 4