Cartoon a Day: Three For Breakfast

Three For Breakfast
1948
Directed by Jack Hannah
Available on: Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald Vol. 3

Before home movies were on video tape you actually had to set up the movie projector and watch reel to reel films. Amongst the movies of family vacations and Easter egg hunts at my childhood home was an edited copy of "Three For Breakfast." There was no sound, and it was about half the length, and it may have even been in black and white, but it was one we watched just about every time the projector got pulled out.



In this short, Chip and Dale are living in the chimney of Donald's house. When they smell something cooking, the decided to check it out and become obsessed with getting some of the pancakes Donald is fixing.



Some people say the Disney shorts are brilliant from an animation standpoint, but not that funny, well this is proof that's not the case. There are several great gags in this short, but they aren't just gags for gags sake. These progress the story. It's pretty early in the short that Donald ends up with a pancake made out of rubber cement to try and trick Chip and Dale, but that element ends up being used for the final, very elaborate, gag of the film.



Donald actually is pretty calm in this film. He doesn't just fly off the handle right away, it's a bit of a slow burn for him, which is somewhat unusual. Donald is a a great character, the "Gable of our stable" as Walt Disney called him, and this is a great example of why he was such a popular star.