Sea Salts (1949)

Sea Salts Review

Sea Salts is a 1949 animated short film produced by Disney. It is a terrific, moving flick.

Bootle Beetle tells audiences how he and Donald had to survive after being shipwrecked on a deserted island. This beetle has appeared before, but this is his best role for sure. This movie is different than your regular Donald Duck short in that it actually builds the central relationship properly, leading to more meaningful interactions and funnier gags as a result. It’s told squarely from the beetle’s viewpoint and I wished to have seen more of Donald himself, but the narration was pretty good and the ending was so moving.

Sea Salts works because it makes us care for these two characters and their budding friendship. Yes, Donald was a bit too cruel toward Bootle Beetle at first, but eventually we see that he cares for the little guy in that touching penultimate scene. The gags worked, the animation was so polished and the background work was gorgeous. The score was also terrific. The movie is well crafted and wonderful throughout.

Sea Salts has terrific animation, a wonderful storyline and a big heart at its core. It’s one of the best and most underrated Donald Duck cartoons without a doubt.

My Rating – 4.3