Show The Old Army Game to a little kid who loves Donald Duck and see what his or her reaction will be. I know as a kid this got to me in a big way; half if it is simple (but highly entertaining) enough, and it's one of the World War 2 shorts with Donald Duck that were produced at the time - you'll know them if you had the VHS of An Officer and a Duck as a kid, or just see Donald with the military hat or helmet on for the most part - but where it leads to in its second half is what is rather disturbing... though as an adult very, uproariously funny in the darkest sense.
How is it dark? Well, the short of it is that the 'Old Army Game' part is with the gag-type section, as Pete discovers Donald out of his quarters (actually all of the soldiers are, it's an ingenious little bit, though Pete's most mad at Donald). When the Duck gets into bed, Pete's there and he chases Donald around. He hides under a helmet - make that three of them - and that old game where the switcheroo deal comes about happens. Pete kicks one of the helmets and it slides off on to a fence, sliding as if on a razor's edge. Donald drops down into a hole, looks down, and... GOOD GOD, WHERE ARE HIS LEGS?!
Seeing it today as a grown man, stuff like Donald looking at his ghost legs flying off to heaven, or that moment where Donald takes Pete's gun and puts it to his head in a frenzy in a 'No, no, YES YES YES!' moment of back and forth as to whether to kill himself or not, it's hysterical. As a kid, there was a part of me that, yes, I knew that his legs were fine of course, but this is the great thing about Disney: I didn't think they were kidding with their emotions, that is Donald and Pete as they ponder with big tears over the supposed amputation, and for a kid these are real characters in a sense. Also, depending on how young one is, this is a moment of suicidal depression: the way a kid processes that is... really? And Pete's *encouraging* it?
The ending of course returns things to pure slapstick, with a poetic note as they pass by and have to stop for a Speed Limit sign - 35 mph. Now it's time to chase in slow motion. Even if they continue, it will be within the law, or something. It's not Shakespeare, but The Old Army Game is one of those top ten, maybe top five, Donald Duck cartoons that parents should watch and have a good time with their kids; ironic that certain movies like Melody Time are now censored for home video for things cigarette smoking, something that at least can be put in context, while this stays (not that this should be censored, just saying about the double standard of what can or can't be shown to kids via Disney's sense of morales).
How is it dark? Well, the short of it is that the 'Old Army Game' part is with the gag-type section, as Pete discovers Donald out of his quarters (actually all of the soldiers are, it's an ingenious little bit, though Pete's most mad at Donald). When the Duck gets into bed, Pete's there and he chases Donald around. He hides under a helmet - make that three of them - and that old game where the switcheroo deal comes about happens. Pete kicks one of the helmets and it slides off on to a fence, sliding as if on a razor's edge. Donald drops down into a hole, looks down, and... GOOD GOD, WHERE ARE HIS LEGS?!
Seeing it today as a grown man, stuff like Donald looking at his ghost legs flying off to heaven, or that moment where Donald takes Pete's gun and puts it to his head in a frenzy in a 'No, no, YES YES YES!' moment of back and forth as to whether to kill himself or not, it's hysterical. As a kid, there was a part of me that, yes, I knew that his legs were fine of course, but this is the great thing about Disney: I didn't think they were kidding with their emotions, that is Donald and Pete as they ponder with big tears over the supposed amputation, and for a kid these are real characters in a sense. Also, depending on how young one is, this is a moment of suicidal depression: the way a kid processes that is... really? And Pete's *encouraging* it?
The ending of course returns things to pure slapstick, with a poetic note as they pass by and have to stop for a Speed Limit sign - 35 mph. Now it's time to chase in slow motion. Even if they continue, it will be within the law, or something. It's not Shakespeare, but The Old Army Game is one of those top ten, maybe top five, Donald Duck cartoons that parents should watch and have a good time with their kids; ironic that certain movies like Melody Time are now censored for home video for things cigarette smoking, something that at least can be put in context, while this stays (not that this should be censored, just saying about the double standard of what can or can't be shown to kids via Disney's sense of morales).