''Modern Inventions'' is a 1937 American

comic science fiction Science fiction comedy (sci-fi comedy) or comic science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that exploits the science-fiction (SF) genre's conventions for comedic effect. Comic science fiction often mocks or satirizes stand ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

and released by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

. The cartoon follows

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic American Pekin, white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shi ...

as he tours the fictional Museum of Modern Marvels. It was directed by Jack King, his Directional debut at Disney, and features original music by

Oliver Wallace Oliver George Wallace (August 6, 1887 – September 15, 1963) was an English composer and conductor.''Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime'', Volume 3, ed. Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 200 ...

. The voice cast includes

Clarence Nash Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor. He was best known as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma, and ...

as Donald,

Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney ...

as the Robot Butler,

Adriana Caselotti Adriana Elena Loreta Caselotti (May 6, 1916 – January 18, 1997) was an American actress and singer. Caselotti was the voice of the title character of the first Walt Disney animated feature, ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', for which she w ...

as the Robot Baby Carriage and

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

(in one of his first Disney roles) as the Robot Barber. ''Modern Inventions'' pokes fun at modern conveniences. The scene of Donald in the barber's chair was submitted by

Carl Barks Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 – August 25, 2000) was an American cartoonist, author, and painter. He is best known for his work in Disney comic books, as the writer and artist of the first Donald Duck stories and as the creator of Scrooge McDuc ...

as his first story contribution at Disney. It is also the final Disney short to be released by

Plot

Donald visits the "Museum of Modern Marvels" which showcases various futuristic electronic appliances and inventions. He uses a quarter on a line to get in (this allows him to keep his money and get in as well). Once inside, he is confronted with the "Robot Butler", a robotic golden

cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

who takes hats ("Your hat, sir.") After Donald's hat is taken away from him, Donald uses a

magic trick Magic, which encompasses the subgenres of illusion, stage magic, and close up magic, among others, is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means. It ...

to produce another hat (similar to the way he produces flutes in ''

The Band Concert ''The Band Concert'' is a 1935 American animated short film produced in 3-strip Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. It was the 73rd Mickey Mouse short film to be released, and the second of that year. ''The Ba ...

''). He says, "So!" and continues on his way. He first encounters a robotic

hitchhiker Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads have ...

, which activates when he makes driving noises. However, when he laughs at it, it pokes him in the eyes. Next he goes to a bundle wrapper, with a

warning sign A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver. While warning traffi ...

which says "Hands off! Do not touch!" but Donald kicks the sign away and hops on. When he pulls a lever, the machine proceeds to grab him in two robotic arms, put transparent

wrapping paper Gift wrapping is the act of enclosing a gift in some sort of material. Wrapping paper is a kind of paper designed for gift wrapping. An alternative to gift wrapping is using a gift box or bag. A wrapped or boxed gift may be held closed with ri ...

around him, and put him in

ribbons A ribbon or riband is a thin band of material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily as decorative binding and tying. Cloth ribbons are made of natural materials such as silk, cotton, and jute and of synthetic mater ...

, like a package. He manages to break out by vigorously shaking, and continues exploring. All the time, Donald has been losing hat after hat to the Robot Butler, making Donald angrier and angrier. Eventually, the Butler chases him through the museum to an automated

baby carriage Various methods of transporting children have been used in different cultures and times. These methods include baby carriages (prams in British English), infant car seats, portable bassinets (carrycots), strollers (pushchairs), slings, backpack ...

, which Donald hides inside. Donald changes his current hat to a baby bonnet to wear as is rocked as the song "

Rock-a-bye Baby "Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top" (sometimes "Hush-a-bye baby in the tree top") is a nursery rhyme and lullaby. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 2768. Words First publication The rhyme is believed to have first appeared in print in ...

" is played. Donald then begins acting like a baby, sucking his feet, playing with

toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include Toy block, toy blocks, Board game, board games, and Doll, dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed sp ...

offered to him, getting

tickled ''Tickled'' is a 2016 New Zealand documentary about "competitive endurance tickling" and videos featuring it, and the practices of those producing the videos, directed by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve. The film explores possible legal and ethic ...

under the

chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible ( mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a well-developed chin is considered to be one ...

, and having his toes counted "

This Little Piggy "This Little Piggy" or "This Little Pig" is an English-language nursery rhyme and fingerplay. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19297. Lyrics One popular version is: Fingerplay The rhyme is usually counted out on an infant or tod ...

went to market." Donald then starts crying about not getting his milk. The machine gets out a

bottle of milk A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth, at the bottling line, can be sealed with an internal stoppe ...

, but it hits him in the face instead of going into his mouth, making Donald agitated. The machine begins torturing him with toys and more milk in the face. The machine again squirts more milk in the face, after which it powders his bottom and pins him in a

diaper A diaper /ˈdaɪpə(r)/ ( American and Canadian English) or a nappy ( Australian English, British English, and Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or c ...

. The Robot Butler is again attracted by Donald's laughing and yanks the baby bonnet off his head. Donald produces one last hat and goes to one exhibit he has not yet seen: a self-operating barber chair. Using his "cheat" coin, Donald pays to get the works. However, instead of giving him a haircut, it flips him over, gives his bottom a cut, wraps his rear end in a

towel A towel is a piece of absorbent cloth or paper used for drying or wiping a surface. Towels draw moisture through direct contact. In households, several types of towels are used, such as hand towels, bath towels, and kitchen towels. Paper tow ...

, cuts off his tail feathers, cleans his bill, coats his face with shoe polish, sifts through his bottom feathers, applies a wet towel to it, slaps his blackened face with a

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

, combs his bottom with a

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since Prehistory, prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlemen ...

, makes a gap through it, smooths it out and finally, gives him a pigtail design. The Robot Butler appears yet again, and he then removes Donald's last hat, which causes Donald to eventually enter an explosive tantrum.

Voice cast

Uncredited

–

– Robot Butler *

— Robot Baby Carriage *

– Robot Barber Chair

Releases

*May 29, 1937 – original release (theatrical) *c. 1992 – ''

Mickey's Mouse Tracks ''Mickey's Mouse Tracks'' is an American animated television series on The Disney Channel which ran from 1992 to 1995, and featured Disney cartoons and animated short films, dating from before the advent of The Disney Channel. A similar show wa ...

'', Episode 7 (TV) *c. 1992 – ''

Donald's Quack Attack ''Donald's Quack Attack'' is an American animated television series which ran on The Disney Channel and was later rerun on Toon Disney. It premiered on November 2, 1992,''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 10, no. 5, October/November 1992: pp ...

'', Episode 30 (TV) *December 24, 1997 – ''Ink & Paint Club'', Episode 26 "Classic Donald" (TV)

Home media

The short was released on May 18, 2004, on '' Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume One: 1934-1941''. It was also released on VHS is 1985 on ''Cartoon Classics: The Continuing Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale Featuring Donald Duck''.

Legacy

The cartoon would later serve as inspiration for suicide booths, fictional contraptions appearing in the American adult animated sitcom '' Futurama''.

References

External links

* * {{Jack King 1937 animated films 1937 short films 1930s English-language films Donald Duck short films 1930s color films 1930s Disney animated short films 1930s science fiction comedy films American robot films Animated films about robots Films about technology Films set in museums Films directed by Jack King Films produced by Walt Disney Films scored by Oliver Wallace Films with screenplays by Carl Barks American animated short films Films about ducks 1930s American films