I Can Break Away: Marco Rota

Donald Duck Hatched 80 Years Ago Today

Images Courtesy of I.N.D.U.C.K.S. & Disney Experience

Donald Duckling Artwork by Marco Rota, from Buon Compleanno, Paperino! (1984)

June 9, 2014 marks the 80th anniversary of Donald Duck's first on-screen appearance, and is considered his official birthday by the Walt Disney Studio. While Donald's 80th may not match the spectacle of his 50th Birthday celebration in 1984, you'll surely come across some good wishes bestowed to the irascible duck online today.

Cover Art for the 2004 Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Commemorating Donald Duck's 70th Anniversary

Artwork by Daan Jippes
© Disney

There are countless excellent resources online and in print chronicling Donald's history—so, rather than regurgitating information that's readily available, I've prepared something special to commemorate the day. That's right: it's Donald's birthday, but today you, the readers receive a gift!

"DOGGONE IT! WAAAAK!!! WAAAAAKKK!!!

Donald's Most Memorable and Relatable Quality is His Short Temper: Throwing the Epic Fits of Frustration We'd All Like to Throw

Artwork by James Silvani

At the end of the post is a link to download something I've scanned and compiled as a PDF: a rare, six-page article from a 1991 issue of Filmfax magazine focused on the duck himself, and one of the people who best knew Donald at his core.

Nope, not Carl Barks this time... this article is about Clarence "Ducky" Nash.

Clarence Nash, the Original Voice of Walt Disney's Donald Duck

Image Courtesy of Live Auctioneers

Prior to obtaining a full-time gig as the world's most famous duck, Clarence Nash was a versatile radio impressionist and a publicity figure for the Adhor Milk Company. With the benefit of a rural upbringing, he learned to produce remarkably convincing animal sounds ranging from horses to frogs, and parlayed those into entertaining voices and routines. His rendition of a baby goat on The Merrymakers radio broadcast in 1934 would change the course of his life: that performance clinched him the role as Donald Duck.

The Storybook Adaptation of Donald's Debut in The Wise Little Hen (1934)

Image Courtesy of Michael Sporn Animation

Walt Disney's Silly Symphony The Wise Little Hen introduced Donald to the world. The short directed by Wilfred Jackson, features the vocal talent of actress Florence Gill (as the titular Hen), Disney Studio writer and performer Pinto Colvig (as Peter Pig), and Clarence Nash as the sailor-suited duck whose popularity would soon eclipse Walt's biggest star, Mickey Mouse.

Florence Gill and Clarence Nash Perform a Fowl Opera

in Walt Disney's The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

Image Courtesy of Disney Humans

It was a role Nash would maintain for the next 51 years via film, television, radio, records, theme parks, goodwill tours and hospital visits to ailing children. He also had the rare opportunity to be the sole actor to dub Donald's dialogue in foreign translations of the cartoon shorts, done so by speaking the dialogue phonetically (the duck's tantrums, however, remained as the same recordings—they were universal in ANY language!)

Master Disney Press Agent Charlie Ridgway (Left) Sets Up a Shot of Clarence "Ducky" Nash and Donald Celebrating Their 50th Anniversary Together at Walt Disney World in 1984

Image Courtesy of Staten Island Live

By clicking the text link below the Filmfax magazine cover, you can view or download a 6.4 MB PDF of the six-page 1991 article. Sized for clarity to read online or print out, it provides unique quotes, photos and a nice history of Clarence and Donald's years together, right up to Nash's passing in 1985. The article starts out with a surprising anecdote documenting a heated disagreement Nash had with Walt Disney, with an outcome that might take the wind out of the sails of Walt's detractors. Click on the link to find out more:

Download Article: Clarence "Ducky" Nash

With that, let's all wish Donald a Happy 80th Birthday. Since this is a happy occasion, we'll close with another rarity... a moment of peace in the Duck family household!