Donald Duck's first film appearance in Walt Disney's 'The Wise Little Hen'

Donald Duck is one of the most loved cartoon character. On June 9, 1934 Donald Duck made first theatrical appearance in Walt Disney's 'The Wise Little Hen'.
The Wise Little Hen was Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon. The video was based on an American fable called The Little Red Hen, a story that talks about the importance of hard work. The plot of the video was about Donald and his friend Peter Pig trying to avoid work by faking stomach aches until Mrs. Hen teaches them the value of labor.

Donald Duck's characteristic, quirky tone, irascible yet adorable, mischievous, bragging demeanor attracted a number of viewers. Donald’s yellow-orange-billed mouth, lively, happy-go-lucky nature, and hardly intelligible speech made him an instant hit. His appearance in this film made him feature in several (150) theatrical films, more than any other Disney characters.

Lesser known facts about Donald Duck

- 2021 marks Donald’s 87th anniversary.
- United Artists, the distributor of the film TWLH, decided June 9 as the release date, but it was first shown a month before that (May 3) for a benefit         
  program in Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles.
- On June 7, at Radio City Music Hall (New York), TWLH made its official debut.
- TWLH was directed by Wilfred Jackson who is an animator himself and has directed many Silly Symphony shorts and won Academy Awards.
- TWLH marked Donald’s only color appearance until the release of The Band Concert in 1935.
- Clarence “Ducky” Nash who lent his iconic voice to Donald (for 50 years), wanted to be a doctor but said that he became the ‘biggest quack in the world’ instead.
- Owing to his immense popularity, Donald Duck featured among the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time in TV Guide’s list in 2002.
- During the period from September 16 to December 16, 1934, The Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip published a three-month-long
  adaptation of The Wise Little Hen.The Silly Symphony, Disney, Donald Duck,The Wise Little Hen, cartoon.