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00:00 recognizable voice have made him one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time.
00:05 "Oh, sure!"
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be taking a look at the history of Donald Duck.
00:12 Donald Fontleroy Duck made his debut on June 9th, 1934,
00:17 in the silly symphony cartoon, "The Wise Little Hen."
00:20 He has since gone on to become one of the most popular Disney characters ever.
00:26 Donald was created after Walt Disney witnessed performer Clarence Nash use his remarkable duck voice.
00:32 "Well, listen to this!"
00:33 "Better, babble, bicker, babble, bicker, babble, sure! Can't understand it myself!"
00:38 After hiring the talented performer, Disney Studios crafted an animated duck to appear alongside Mickey in 1934's "Orphan's Benefit."
00:47 "Introducing Donald Duck, reciting, 'Mary had a little lamb.'"
00:52 "Mary had a little lamb, a friend was far and wide."
00:58 In the film, Donald was one of many characters helping Mickey to put on a charity event.
01:02 However, once orphans began heckling Donald, he exploded into a fit of squawking anger.
01:08 This sent audiences into fits of laughter and remained the premise behind the character's gags for decades to come.
01:20 An aggressive duck with a short fuse, Donald brought a much-needed edge back to the Mickey Mouse cartoons.
01:26 He was drawn by animator Dick Lundy, and his appearance became instantly recognizable.
01:31 His look included the iconic sailor shirt, matching cap, and bow tie.
01:36 Despite being a supporting character in countless cartoons, his outrageous temper made him the primary draw for much of Disney's audience.
01:44 By 1936, Donald went through a makeover that made him appear rounder and cuter.
01:49 The next year, he began starring in his own films, starting with "Don Donald."
01:54 [Donald speaking gibberish]
01:59 He was then given his own love interest named Donna, who later evolved into Daisy Duck.
02:04 [Daisy Duck speaking gibberish]
02:08 1938 saw Donald become the uncle of three nephews called Huey, Dewey, and Louie.
02:14 [Dewey speaking gibberish]
02:17 It was at this point that Donald overtook Mickey in popularity and became part of the famed Mickey Trio,
02:23 which included their pal, Goofy.
02:25 Controversially, the 1940s saw the emergence of a wartime Donald.
02:29 These propaganda films feature the duck in several real-world situations.
02:34 These shorts included "Donald Gets Drafted" and the Academy Award-winning animated film "Their Furious Face."
02:40 In that film, Donald is unwillingly placed under Hitler's regime.
02:44 [Donald speaking gibberish]
02:48 Throughout wartime, Disney was blocked from showing his cartoons in occupied Europe,
02:52 so the studio decided to seek out a new audience in South America.
02:56 This led to Donald's shift to cartoons like "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros."
03:01 [Donald speaking gibberish]
03:08 After the war, Donald's role changed.
03:11 He became the butt of the other characters' jokes,
03:13 with his nephews and a plethora of other characters annoying, pestering, and mocking him.
03:18 This essentially reversed the structure of his skits and eliminated him as the lead troublemaker.
03:24 It was around this time he also began starring in a variety of educational films.
03:29 [Donald speaking gibberish]
03:37 Something that did not change was Donald's rivalry with Mickey.
03:40 Donald remained jealous and competitive with his pal because he wanted to be the studio's greatest star.
03:45 [Donald speaking gibberish]
03:50 Donald Duck is an icon of the Walt Disney Company
03:52 and remains one of the most famous animated characters in the world.
03:56 He continues to entertain generations of children with his hilarious personality and irreplaceable voice.
04:03 [Donald speaking gibberish]
04:12 [XBOX SOUND]