April 15, 1970

Duck Pimples (1945) *****

A surrealistic Disney cartoon with Donald reading a mystery novel, whose characters come to life suspecting the duck of stealing their jewels and double-crossing them. Full of wacky salesmen, luscious femmes fatales, ruthless gangsters and zany situations, this unusual cartoon is clearly influenced by the High Warner style of animation, but its humor also anticipates Disney's own "Alice In Wonderland", made six years later in 1951. "Duck Pimples" is a masterpiece of "nutty" surrealism, moving with outrageous speed, devoid of any narrative logic and packing a wallop of crazy entertainment.