Anyone remember Donald Duck Presents?

[Jon Cooke]

Before Disney Channel had "Donald's Quack Attack" they had "Donald Duck Presents". Last night, I actually found the intro on YouTube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/?v=eFgSDaRYdBQ

Now that's something I hadn't seen in awhile...

You can find other classic cartoon stuff on YouTube if you dig around.

-Jon

[Cartman]

I have heard of "Donald Duck Presents." I've never seen it though since it aired years before I had the Disney Channel. It was replaced by "Donald's Quack Attack" like "Mickey's Mouse Tracks" replaced "Good Morning Mickey."

[Martin Juneau]

Never heard too, but i sure that Disney Channel was better than now

[MF TOON]

I have about 7 hours worth of VHS recordings on various tapes that my grandparents made for me in the 80's. Whenever they'd fly down south, they'd come back with dozens of video compilations of classic cartoons from The Disney Channel, USA and TNT network broadcasts that they received in Florida, so I had hours worth of shows like Donald Duck Presents, Mouse Tracks, all the old Disneyland TV reruns and Vault Disney movie airings along with all the old Cartoon Express and TNT Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry blocks. Visiting my grandparents was great! ;)

[The Silver Fox]

hey do you think i would be able to get a copy of

some of the tapes of the Disney channel shows you have on VHS? I member all those shows before Disney/TNT/TBS/ and the others went to crap shows.

I love to get DVD copies of the tapes if that is posible.

[Studio Toledo]

That was a nice stroll down memory lane for me! I had Disney Channel as early as '84 in my turf, and I used to watch "Donald Duck Presents" so much then.

I have a recording in my collection of Disney Channel from around '85, mostly of that night's schedule up to sign-off, ncluding a promotional feed section that was meant for cable operators to record and use for their local insertions on other channels. That tape is priceless! :cool:

I could always upload the sign-off bit though, it was pretty freaky with having a metallic Mickey Mouse head hoving in orbit! :eek:

[David Gerstein]

I got the Disney Channel in 1984, when I was ten, and I remember Donald Duck Presents very well—not to mention Good Morning Mickey. I watched them so religiously that I even remember the formats of the shows.

Pre-1985 DDP episodes showed cartoons complete and uncut, but missing the titles (so if you didn't know a cartoon's name, you weren't going to learn it from watching DDP). Only color shorts appeared—no black-and-whites.
1985-era DDP episodes showed titled versions of shorts, plus feature film excerpts (the home movie cutdown versions: "The Dwarfs' Dilemma" and the like) and—amazingly—Fleischer Color Classics and Famous Screen Songs. One black-and-white short, Mickey's Revue, found its way onto an episode, though the general color-only rule otherwise prevailed.

Good Morning Mickey episodes never changed format. They showed four shorts in a half-hour, edited savagely to make them fit in the time space. Plenty of black-and-white Mickeys in this rotation, including Steamboat Willie with the sow's-teats scene intact (but other scenes edited for time!).

No new episodes of DDP (both groups) or GMM were compiled after 1985, but the existing shows continued to be rerun ad nauseum through 1992. So if a cartoon wasn't in these rotations, you'd rarely see it—which made the flood of Fleischer and Famous Studios cartoons particularly galling, as there were a lot of Silly Symphonies, early Mickeys, and later Goofys that were left out of the rotation and thus very hard to find.
(They did appear as between-show time-fillers or on the original Mickey Mouse Club, which was also broadcast every day. But you had to have a ridiculous level of dedication to catch them.)

I began building an episode guide of GMM and DDP episodes, though I didn't get very far... I was only really interested in which episodes contained black-and-white shorts.

[Jon Cooke]

No new episodes of DDP (both groups) or GMM were compiled after 1985, but the existing shows continued to be rerun ad nauseum through 1992.

David, I was curious... did they compile new half-hours when DDP and GMM switched over to "Quack Attack" and "Mouse Tracks" or did they just recycle the old DDP and GMM line-ups with new themes and bumpers?

-Jon

[Jon Cooke]

I could always upload the sign-off bit though, it was pretty freaky with having a metallic Mickey Mouse head hoving in orbit! :eek:

I don't know about the rest, but I know I'd love seeing stuff like that.


-Jon

[MF TOON]

I loved that stop motion Mickey Mouse network bumper where you'd see a familiar looking white glove watering and than trimming a grassy hedge as it grew into the shape of mouse ears.

Also, does anyone else remember those PSA's with Pee-Wee Herman on one of the kid's morning blocks on I think USA or UPN or something like that, where you'd see a split screen with the running credits of the last show, and than a list of upcoming programming and Pee-Wee would come on and remind kids not to take candy from strangers and buckle their seat belts, etc?


Silver Fox - I'll rummage through my tapes and see what I've got and send you a p.m. Believe it or not, I've got about 50 or so old video recordings tossed in two large garbage bags on my balcony and they've been out there since I moved into my condo this past June! I simply had no room for them and with my DVD collection slowly replacing my old cartoon videos, they serve only as a nostalgic look back at my childhood. I just hope that the past 3 months of snow and rain haven't taken their toll on them! I don't have a VHS anymore to edit any of them down to specific episodes or make dubs, but if you like I could probably send you a couple of episodes when I have some free time.

[Studio Toledo]

I got the Disney Channel in 1984, when I was ten, and I remember Donald Duck Presents very well—not to mention Good Morning Mickey. I watched them so religiously that I even remember the formats of the shows.
I do too, though I was 7 when I first got the channel!

Pre-1985 DDP episodes showed cartoons complete and uncut, but missing the titles (so if you didn't know a cartoon's name, you weren't going to learn it from watching DDP). Only color shorts appeared—no black-and-whites.
I remember that.

1985-era DDP episodes showed titled versions of shorts, plus feature film excerpts (the home movie cutdown versions: "The Dwarfs' Dilemma" and the like)
Used to bug me watching those since I wasn't sure what was the purpose of them anyway, never had Super-8mm sound projector either, though my parents were already into VCRs by this point! I think the post-85 DDP also ditched the little intro segment that was essentially Donald from a particular cartoon with the voice overdubbed to talk about starting the show and all that (you'll see that in the YouTube clip).

and—amazingly—Fleischer Color Classics and Famous Screen Songs.
Courtesy of Kit Parker Films (http://www.kitparker.com/)!

One black-and-white short, Mickey's Revue, found its way onto an episode, though the general color-only rule otherwise prevailed.
Funny I can't remember that.

Good Morning Mickey episodes never changed format. They showed four shorts in a half-hour, edited savagely to make them fit in the time space. Plenty of black-and-white Mickeys in this rotation, including Steamboat Willie with the sow's-teats scene intact (but other scenes edited for time!).
I remember seeing it that way!

No new episodes of DDP (both groups) or GMM were compiled after 1985, but the existing shows continued to be rerun ad nauseum through 1992. So if a cartoon wasn't in these rotations, you'd rarely see it—which made the flood of Fleischer and Famous Studios cartoons particularly galling, as there were a lot of Silly Symphonies, early Mickeys, and later Goofys that were left out of the rotation and thus very hard to find.
(They did appear as between-show time-fillers or on the original Mickey Mouse Club, which was also broadcast every day. But you had to have a ridiculous level of dedication to catch them.)
Don't forget "Mousterpiece Theatre" or whatever show George Plimpton hosted.

I began building an episode guide of GMM and DDP episodes, though I didn't get very far... I was only really interested in which episodes contained black-and-white shorts.
Another one that comes to my head I used to watch a lot was "Mousercise". Don't want to go any further than that! :p

[Studio Toledo]

I don't know about the rest, but I know I'd love seeing stuff like that.


-Jon
Well now you can see what I'm talking about!

Click here! (http://www.youtube.com/?v=RnuBKKyu2hs)

[Studio Toledo]

I loved that stop motion Mickey Mouse network bumper where you'd see a familiar looking white glove watering and than trimming a grassy hedge as it grew into the shape of mouse ears.
I miss those!

I have one on tape somewhere.

Also, does anyone else remember those PSA's with Pee-Wee Herman on one of the kid's morning blocks on I think USA or UPN or something like that, where you'd see a split screen with the running credits of the last show, and than a list of upcoming programming and Pee-Wee would come on and remind kids not to take candy from strangers and buckle their seat belts, etc?
Don't remember that.

Silver Fox - I'll rummage through my tapes and see what I've got and send you a p.m. Believe it or not, I've got about 50 or so old video recordings tossed in two large garbage bags on my balcony and they've been out there since I moved into my condo this past June! I simply had no room for them and with my DVD collection slowly replacing my old cartoon videos, they serve only as a nostalgic look back at my childhood. I just hope that the past 3 months of snow and rain haven't taken their toll on them! I don't have a VHS anymore to edit any of them down to specific episodes or make dubs, but if you like I could probably send you a couple of episodes when I have some free time.
I'd be interested as well!

[Daff Doc]

Silver Fox - I'll rummage through my tapes and see what I've got and send you a p.m. Believe it or not, I've got about 50 or so old video recordings tossed in two large garbage bags on my balcony and they've been out there since I moved into my condo this past June! I simply had no room for them and with my DVD collection slowly replacing my old cartoon videos, they serve only as a nostalgic look back at my childhood. I just hope that the past 3 months of snow and rain haven't taken their toll on them! I don't have a VHS anymore to edit any of them down to specific episodes or make dubs, but if you like I could probably send you a couple of episodes when I have some free time.

Anything that I can do to have some of the rare, Disney Channel broadcast material? I loved the Donald Duck Presents clip and I think it would be neat to own a glimpse of some of these older, unrestored (untampered) prints of Disney shorts which are probably the equivalent of Turner "Dubbed" prints for pre-48 Warner Bros. cartoons before the new WHV digital restorations happened. Just like the chance to see the old Disney Channel "cleaned up" prints as opposed to full blown restorations. Don't get me wrong I love alot of the WDT restorations and I think they're beautiful I would just like to see some of this older stuff.

So about it? :)

[MF TOON]

Let me see exactly what I've got and perhaps I can make some VHS dubs at a friend's house so that I can send some copies out... it's going to have to take a couple of weeks though, I've got to get out on my balcony with some gloves and clean bags and sort through everything. I'm sure they're all covered in dirt and piles of dust right now.But I'll be sure to ressurect this post in a couple of weeks and send out pm's to those who were interested...

[Daff Doc]

Let me see exactly what I've got and perhaps I can make some VHS dubs at a friend's house so that I can send some copies out... it's going to have to take a couple of weeks though, I've got to get out on my balcony with some gloves and clean bags and sort through everything. I'm sure they're all covered in dirt and piles of dust right now.But I'll be sure to ressurect this post in a couple of weeks and send out pm's to those who were interested...

This will be very good. And this way you can archive and preserve for yourself, even if you haven't much room. Thank you!:donald: :mickey: :donald:

[Jon Cooke]

Well now you can see what I'm talking about!

Click here! (http://www.youtube.com/?v=RnuBKKyu2hs)

I never saw that before, that's great! I can't help to think that if the Disney Channel of today had a signoff, that satielite would probably be shaped like a giant Kim Possible head.

Feel free to share anything else! :) :mickey: :donald:


-Jon

[howie]

Some other things about Donald Duck Presents:

Each episode, after the opening theme song wrapped up, began with Donald greeting the audience over old cartoon clips. And with Clarence Nash himself as Donald!
The 1985 shows actually had small bits of all-new animation sandwiched between the cartoons. Each one began with Donald's TV morphing into a wrapped present. Donald then opened the present, with a different result each time. One outcome that I wasn't expecting at all dealt with an alien who emerged from the package, zapping Don with his ray gun. As the alien flew away, Donald literally fell to pieces. :eek:

[Studio Toledo]

I never saw that before, that's great!
Thanks for enjoying! This was something I would see a lot around the mid '80s as I used to stay up Saturday nights to watch Rocky & Bullwinkle some UHF station had to put on around 11PM and usually the Disney Channel would stay on to almost 1AM.

I can't help to think that if the Disney Channel of today had a signoff, that satielite would probably be shaped like a giant Kim Possible head.
Hahahahaha!
Feel free to share anything else! :) :mickey: :donald:


-Jon
Thanks! I could impress Steve Stanchfield with my few clips of "Patches & Pockets" this way! :cool:

[Studio Toledo]

Some other things about Donald Duck Presents:



Each episode, after the opening theme song wrapped up, began with Donald greeting the audience over old cartoon clips. And with Clarence Nash himself as Donald!
Somehow I never noticed that was his voice there.



The 1985 shows actually had small bits of all-new animation sandwiched between the cartoons. Each one began with Donald's TV morphing into a wrapped present. Donald then opened the present, with a different result each time. One outcome that I wasn't expecting at all dealt with an alien who emerged from the package, zapping Don with his ray gun. As the alien flew away, Donald literally fell to pieces. :eek:
I remember those! I kinda felt they were produced roughly around '84 to coincide with Donald's 50th birthday, and they usually start with the way you describe, but then go into multpile scenarios each time you see the clip. Several others I can remember include a unseen train that fightens Donald into closing the box tightly, causing the train to crash and smoke bellows out of it while Donald leaves. Another had a bear pop out and Donald had to jump on him to get him back inside it again, or a giant ape-like hand pops out and eventually grabs Doanld who tried to escape slowly and pulls him inside the box. There was also a rather longer piece where other Disney characters come out and mostly walk all over Donald.

It would be nice if a later "Chronological Donald" set may include these bits.

[Daff Doc]

I found this on Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/THE-DISNEY-CHANNEL-VOLUME-3-RARE-DISNEY-VHS-PAL-VIDEO_W0QQitemZ6477704864QQcategoryZ35077QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem).
I don't know if this is a bootleg or was an official release and it's from England so maybe some of our many British GAC pals reading this thread can benefit from it.:) :mickey: :donald: :donald:

Also it'd be nice if there were some commercials and bumpers such as the stop-motion Mickey gloves from the 80s Disney Channel included on it.

[horsecollar12]

I hadn't thought about "Donald Duck Presents" in years until I saw those opening credits. We had Disney Channel back in the mid-80s, and, while admittedly I liked Scooby-Doo and Bugs Bunny better (USA's Cartoon Express was the place for me!), Donald Duck was always my favorite Disney character. Of course, I'd catch "House on Pooh Corner" and "Good Morning Mickey" occasionally, but "DDP" was the show to watch.

We got rid of Disney in the early 90s to get HBO instead, and, from how you all describe the tranformation of Disney, it doesn't sound like I missed much. And now that Disney is free (with cable), I never watch it--they don't show any of the old cartoons!

Sigh...Enough ranting, you're all already privy to the current state of the Disney Channel...

[Bobby Bickert]

David, I was curious... did they compile new half-hours when DDP and GMM switched over to "Quack Attack" and "Mouse Tracks" or did they just recycle the old DDP and GMM line-ups with new themes and bumpers?



I think everything was redone. On DDP and GMM, if a cartoon did have opening titles, they usually would cut directly from the headshot to the cartoon's title, leaving out the "character name" title card. Usually the cartoons on the "new" shows had full opening titles. Also, the middle cartoon on DDP was often one of the Jiminy Cricket educational shorts from the Mickey Mouse Club, but these were rarer on the "new" shows. And the colorized Mickeys, plus the occasional B & W Mickey or Silly Symphony, were added to "Quack Attack" and "Mouse Tracks".

[The Silver Fox]

I found this on Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/THE-DISNEY-CHANNEL-VOLUME-3-RARE-DISNEY-VHS-PAL-VIDEO_W0QQitemZ6477704864QQcategoryZ35077QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem).
I don't know if this is a bootleg or was an official release and it's from England so maybe some of our many British GAC pals reading this thread can benefit from it.:) :mickey: :donald: :donald:

Also it'd be nice if there were some commercials and bumpers such as the stop-motion Mickey gloves from the 80s Disney Channel included on it.
That was a real tape, sold in the States to, cause I remmber Disney giving it away as a promotion when there channel first started in the early 80's.
It also for a few years was on Rental at a local Giant Video (now Blockbuster). Sadly the tape was sold when Giant sold out in 91.

Maybe there hope that another will pop up NTSC

[Studio Toledo]

That was a real tape, sold in the States to, cause I remmber Disney giving it away as a promotion when there channel first started in the early 80's.
It also for a few years was on Rental at a local Giant Video (now Blockbuster). Sadly the tape was sold when Giant sold out in 91.

Maybe there hope that another will pop up NTSC
Funny they made a tape out like that. Probably to benefit those who couldn't get the channel in their area perhaps. Some of Disney Channel's other programs of the time also had VHS/Beta/LD releases as well (such as the "DTV" music video bits).

By the way, here's a webpage (http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/236/) with four of those Disney Channel idents featuring Mickey's hands and all that! They were quite inventive then!