Modern Inventions

Modern Inventions
Donald Duck series
"Your hat, sir."
Directed by	Jack King
Produced by	Walt Disney
Story by	Carl Barks (contributor)
Voices by	Clarence Nash Billy Bletcher Cliff Edwards
Music by	Oliver Wallace
Animation by	Jack Hannah Paul Allen Jonny Cannon[1]
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	May 29, 1937 (1937-05-29) (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	8:30 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Preceded by	Don Donald
Followed by	Donald's Ostrich

Modern Inventions is a 1937 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon follows Donald Duck as he tours the fictional Museum of Modern Marvels. It was directed by Jack King, his first project at the Disney studio, and features original music by Oliver Wallace. The voice cast includes Clarence Nash as Donald, Billy Bletcher as the Robot Butler, and Cliff Edwards as the Robot Barber.^[2]

Modern Inventions is an example of retro-futurism^[3] and pokes fun at modern conveniences. The scene of Donald in the barber's chair was submitted by Carl Barks as his first story contribution at Disney.^[4]

Plot

Donald visits the "Museum of Modern Marvels" which showcases various futuristic electronic appliances and inventions. In the museum, Donald encounters and struggles with many strange and whimsical machines, all of which seem to be against him. A running gag throughout the picture has the Robot Butler appearing to take away Donald's hat, with the words "Your hat, sir." After encountering a robotic hitch-hiker, a wrapping machine, and a fully automated baby carriage, the short ends when Donald attempts to scam a robotic barber chair and winds up getting a haircut on his behind and a shoe-shined bill.

The machines

Inventions Donald interacts with include:

• The Robot Butler
• Hitch-Hiker's Aid
• Automatic Bundle-Wrapper
• Robot Nurse Maid
• Mechanical Barber Chair

Other inventions seen in the museum include:

• Patent Necktie Knotter
• Mechanical Onion Peeler
• Automatic Pea Splitter
• Old Razor Blade Mangler
• Mechanical Bottle Opener
• Magnetic Shoe Lacer
• Peanut Sheller
• Hydraulic Potato Peeler
• Automatic Picture Hanger Upper
• Pneumatic Pencil Sharpener

The hats

Throughout the cartoon, Donald pulls hats out of thin air to replace those taken by the Robot Butler (often followed by "So!"). These include:

• Top hat
• Napoleonic officer hat
• Civil War kepi (however, the Robot Butler picks up on this one almost immediately after Donald puts it on and starts to give chase)
• Baby bonnet (he puts this one on whilst testing the Robot Nurse Maid)
• Bowler hat

Releases^[5]

• 29 May 1937 – original release (theatrical)
• 1985 – "Cartoon Classics: The Continuing Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale Featuring Donald Duck" (VHS)
• c. 1992 – Mickey's Mouse Tracks, Episode 7 (TV)
• c. 1992 – Donald's Quack Attack, Episode 30 (TV)
• 24 December 1997 – "Ink & Paint Club", Episode 26 "Classic Donald" (TV)^[6]
• 18 May 2004 – "The Chronological Donald Volume One" (DVD)

Notes

1. ^ Modern Inventions at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
2. ^ Modern Inventions at the Internet Movie Database
3. ^ Donald Duck's "Modern Inventions" (1937) at Paleofuture.com. 23-02-2007, retrieved 08-07-2011.
4. ^ Trivia from Modern Inventions at the Internet Movie Database.
5. ^ Modern Inventions at The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
6. ^ Movie connections for "Ink & Paint Club" at the Internet Movie Database