The Vanishing Private (1942)

The Vanishing Private Review

The Vanishing Private is a 1942 animated short film from the Donald Duck series. It is a solid short.

Private Donald gets into trouble when he does his duty too well by painting camouflage with experimental paint that makes everything painted invisible. I actually liked this short despite its many flaws. It’s the second Donald in the Army cartoon and it was much less centered on the actual army than its predecessor, but I actually liked it for that as I appreciate these cartoons when they are less timely.

The Vanishing Private is at its best when Pete is getting angry at Donald. It is admittedly an odd short where Donald is the one to torture another character and he is honestly way too unlikable here, but this changed dynamic was interesting because it was fresh and different. The final sequence at the prison was especially entertaining.

The Vanishing Private is a uniquely different Donald Duck short for better and for worse. It has its flaws, but it has its fair share of fun moments.

My Rating – 3.8