The Ugly Duckling is an animated short produced by Walt Disney and the 75th and final entry in the Silly Symphony series. It is based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen where a duckling is harassed and persecuted because of his homeliness but eventually matures into a swan, the most beautiful bird of all.
Walt Disney had earlier produced a black-and-white Silly Symphony episode under the same title in 1931, but with several key differences. For example, the Ugly Duckling in it is actually a duck who is hatched by a chicken. This one, produced in 1939, more closely follows the original story and won the 1939 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject. In it, the cygnet's suffering is shortened, as he is found and taken in by the swans after only a day of rejection and ostracism rather than a whole year.
Synopsis[]
An expectant father duck is pacing by his mate's side. Suddenly, their eggs begin to hatch, much to his delight, giving birth to four new ducklings. But then, a fifth egg hatches, revealing a mismatched white one, and the father duck argues with his mate over this. (It is implied that he is accusing her of having an affair with a swan.) The Ugly Duckling attempts to join the duck family, but they turn their backs on him. So he attempts to join a family of sparrows and even to befriend a wooden duck decoy, but they all turn him down. He feels sorry for himself and cries until a mother swan and her cygnets approach him. He joins them and they accept him. The mother duck and her ducklings realized what he is and what he has the potential to become. She invites him to come back to them, but he refuses and turns his back on her as he proudly swims off with his new family, leaving her watching in shock.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
Sample panel from 1939 newspaper serial
- Like many Disney productions, the short has been adapted several times into children's books; some of which were published directly by Disney and others in association with non-affiliated companies like Little Golden Books. The initial success of the short also inspired a short-lived newspaper strip in 1939 as well as occasionally being featured in various Disney comic book serials.
- The part where the mother and father duck argued and had a falling out for how ugly the Ugly Duckling is, may have been an inuendo joke for adults to understand, which is the father duck accusing the mother duck for cheating on him for a swan.
- An abbreviated version is read by Lilo to Stitch in the 2002 Disney animated film Lilo & Stitch. The story has a deep impact on Stitch, who is inspired to set out to look for his real family.
- This short marks Disney's last Silly Symphony short, and the only one to be a remake of an earlier short.
- It is the only Silly Symphony with the distinction of being released under two different sets of title and end cards, with one set branding it as a special one-shot cartoon like the later one-shot shorts. The Disney+ release of the short uses restored Silly Symphony title and end cards. However the dating for "1939", the year of its release, is presented incorrectly as "MCMXXXVIIII" instead of "MCMXXXIX" as would be expected.
Releases[]
Television[]
- Disneyland, episode #1.19: "From Aesop to Hans Christian Andersen"
- The Mouse Factory, episode #1.3: "Folk Tale Favorites"
- The New Mickey Mouse Club, November 7, 1977
- Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald, episode #9
- Good Morning, Mickey, episode #77
- Donald Duck Presents, episode #7
- Disney's Salute to Mom
- Jiminy Cricket: Storyteller
- Disney's Coyote Tales
- Mickey's Mouse Tracks, episode #19
- Sing Me a Story with Belle: "Feeling Left Out (Loneliness)"
- The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.36: "Award Winners II"
- The Ink and Paint Club, episode #1.49: "More Storybook Silly Symphonies"
- Treasures from the Disney Vault, December 21, 2016
Home video[]
VHS
- Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Disney's Best - 1931-1948
- Disney Storybook Favourites: The Ugly Duckling and Five Other Stories
- Walt Disney's Fables: Volume 2
DVD
- The Tigger Movie (region 2 only)
- Walt Disney Treasures: Silly Symphonies
- Walt Disney's Timeless Tales: Volume 2
- Walt Disney Animation Collection: Classic Short Films: Volume 5: The Wind in the Willows
- Walt Disney's Fables: Volume 2
Streaming[]
Merchandise[]
Although not as prominent as some of Disney's other films, a substantial amount of merchandise tied into the short has been produced; mostly decorative pins sold as part of a limited collector's set.
Gallery[]
