Home Today Is Donald Duck Has Appeared In More Films Than Any Other Disney Character

Donald Duck Has Appeared In More Films Than Any Other Disney Character

National Donald Duck Day on June 9th each year commemorates the birthday of a funny animated cartoon character.

  • Donald Duck made his first screen debut on June 9, 1934, in The Wise Little Hen.
  • The renowned early illustrators of Donald Duck were Al Taliaferro, Carl Barks and Don Rosa. Donald Duck first appeared as a drawing in a May 1934 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine promoting the film The Wise Little Hen. The magazine is sought after by collectors.
  • Usually wearing a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie, Donald Duck is most famous for his semi-intelligible speech along with his mischievous and irritable personality.
  • He has appeared in more films than any other Disney character.
  • Donald was also declared in 2002 by TV Guide as one of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time.
  • His middle name is Fauntleroy. The name means “child king” and is derived from Old French.
  • During Donald’s second appearance in Orphan’s Benefit, he introduced his comic friend, Mickey Mouse. Donald’s girlfriend, Daisy Duck, along with his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, were introduced shortly after that. 
  • One of Donald Duck’s famous sayings is “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.”
  • Donald has gone on to star in seven feature films — which is more than any of his Disney counterparts. At 89 years old, he is six years younger than Mickey Mouse.
  • Donald Duck, who usually wears a sailor shirt, cap and a red or black bow tie, but no trousers, is the only popular film and TV cartoon character to appear as a mascot for the sports team of a major American university, namely, the Oregon Ducks at the University of Oregon
  • Walt Disney was inspired to create Donald Duck when he heard Clarence Charles Nash, a voice actor, reciting Mary Had a Little Lamb in his duck voice.
  • After the idea was created, next came the sketch. Donald’s look was inspired by an American Pekin Duck.
  • Donald got his first starring role three years after his debut in 1937. The role was in a short titled Don Donald. It was eight minutes long and followed Donald’s adventures in Mexico as he tried to win over his love, Donna Duck
  • Donald was awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 9th, 2004.
  • He lives with his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie in a house in Duckburg.
  • Donald Duck’s father’s name is Quackmore Duck, his mother’s name is Hortense McDuck and his twin sister is called Della Thelma Duck.
  • Donald is the most published comic book character in the world outside of the superhero genre.
  • The first mention of Donald Duck was made in 1931 for the storybook The Adventures of Mickey Mouse, as one of Mickey’s barnyard friends. The character featured in the cover is much different from the modern Donald Duck, being drawn more like a normal duck and sporting a green hat and pants.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Economic Times

Mickey Blog

The Fact Site

Wikipedia