Mickey Mouse Short: Captain Donald

Season 2, Episode 7: “Captain Donald”
Starring: Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse
Setting: Donald’s Boat ‘Gone A-Fowl’

Plot: Donald is relaxing on his docked boat when Daisy, Mickey and Minnie surprise him by taking him up on his offer to take them sailing one day.  Donald reluctantly agrees and they’re off!

Almost immediately, an anxious Donald comes clean to Mickey telling him he doesn’t know how to sail.  Donald fears that once Daisy finds out he can’t sail that she will break up with him so Mickey promises to help.  Under the direction of Mickey, Donald falls victim to a series of pratfalls including suffering the indignity of not being able to fly, being attacked and chased by a shark and getting struck by lightning.  Soon after, their boat is hit by a mighty storm.  During the chaos, Donald finds himself atop the mast and lucks into using his outfit as a sail, saving the group from the squall (with some help from Mickey, of course).

The double daters finally make it back ashore just as the Gone A-Fowl sinks into the ocean.  Daisy is thoroughly impressed with Donald’s skills and, upon realizing that his sailor suit is ruined, pulls a pilot uniform from her purse and slips it over Donald’s head. Mickey then gazes at him wide eyed and asks “You can fly a plane???”  And Donald responds with a resounding “NOOOO!!!”  

Short Stuff:

Much like his boat’s name, Donald’s plans for a quiet and relaxing day, sipping from his pineapple cocktail have “Gone A-Foul.”  #PUNNY

We learn that Donald wears a sailor suit because Daisy bought it for him as she “likes a man in uniform.” 

It never even occurred to me whether or not Donald had the gift of flight.  As it turns out, unlike real ducks, he does not. 

The shark that attacks Donald could very well be either Glut from The Little Mermaid (1989) or Bruce from Finding Nemo (2003).  However, I don’t see much evidence for either and would guess he’s just a generic great white shark.

Gotta love that two-piece action from Minnie and Daisy… hubba hubba!

Because of his perceived success at sailing, Daisy goes a little overboard in gushing over how great Donald is.  But Minnie keeps it real by reminding Daisy of her oft-said Donald-centric complaint of “If he keeps up with the lies and the tantrums, he can go fly a kite!”

I would’ve liked to have seen Donald get the “Eau de Minnie” treatment and recieve (the much deserved) top billing on the title card.    

Final Grade: A-
I love when the shorts mix in some new background and mythology to the characters we thought we already knew.  For example, we learned the backstory of Donald’s iconic sailor suit and finally answered the unasked question as to whether or not Donald could fly.  Not to mention, we also get some interesting insight to the Donald/Daisy relationship.  But, most importantly, this episode served as the best Donald-centric short yet!