The Vanishing Private

The Vanishing Private
Donald Duck series
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jack King
Produced by Walt Disney
Story by Carl Barks
Voices by Clarence Nash
Billy Bletcher
Music by Oliver Wallace
Animation by Paul Allen
Ed Love
Studio Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s) September 25, 1942
Running time 7 minutes
Language English
Preceded by Donald's Gold Mine
Followed by Sky Trooper

The Vanishing Private is a 1942 animated cartoon by the Walt Disney Studios, starring Donald Duck in the World War II years.

Plot

Donald Duck is doing some camouflage painting on a cannon with yellow, green, and red stripes and black dots (based on the colors of the Flag of Lithuania with bullet holes in it). Sergeant Pete sees it and scolds Donald, explaining that it needs to painted so it can't be seen. Pete then demands that Donald re-paint the cannon to make it "hard to see". Obliging to the sergeant's orders, Donald walks to the "Experimental Laboratory: Camouflage Corps", disregarding the 'keep out' sign, and walks in. He finds some "invisible paint", which he tests with his finger, and uses it to paint the cannon.

When Pete returns, he is shocked to find the cannon seemingly gone, believing it to be stolen. But of course it isn't stolen, as the sergeant finds out the hard way by bonking his head on the underside of the cannon and discovering Donald inside. Angered that Donald painted the cannon too invisible to see, Pete blows hard into one end of the barrel, sending Donald out the other end and into the bucket of invisible paint. When Donald runs away, Pete finds out Donald has become invisible after seeing Donald's footprints on the ground. Donald then swims across a lake, but the invisible paint doesn't come off.

Pete continues to chase Donald through a field of flowers, until he accidentally throws some of the flowers on Donald, revealing his outline. Pete spots Donald and tries to catch him, but he gets away again. However, this gives Pete an idea to find Donald. When the General drives up, Pete's antics, including jumping around a tree while singing "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" and throwing flowers, convinces the General that he is acting odd, especially after he asks the General "did you see a little guy that you can't see?" The invisible Donald then puts a cactus down Pete's pants, making him scream in pain and jump around like a madman, making the General wonder what is going on with Pete.

Donald then walks around a nearby kitchen and sees some pies in the window, so he takes one of the pies and eats it. Pete then notices this and Donald throws the pie in Pete's face. Donald is then shown skipping a rope, which angers Pete, so he chases him around a tank. Donald then trips Pete, sending him literally under the grass, under some soldiers, and out again into the arsenal building, where he gets hold of several grenades and begins blowing things up to stop Donald, starting with a tree that literally flies into the air and floats down. The General sees this gets scared when Pete runs towards him, and hides behind a nearby power pole. The General tries to reassure Pete and stop his rampage, but Donald stands behind the General, who tries to tell Pete to calm himself, and when Donald pokes Pete in the rear with the General's sword, the startled sergeant jumps into the air and onto the General, releasing all of the grenades, which land on Pete and the General, injuring them in the explosion.

Later, Pete is locked up in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket and chains, as he has been declared insane by the army for his actions. He pleads to Donald (who is on guard duty and no longer invisible anymore) to go tell the General of his sanity, but Donald refuses, asking Pete "Do you think I'M crazy?" and whistles "The Army's Not the Army Anymore" as the cartoon closes.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.