EXCLUSIVE ANIMATOR BREAKDOWN: "Trombone Trouble" (1944) (Patreon)

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Now, here’s an animator breakdown I have wanted to present from the start. I’m sure some of you have seen the earlier announcement, but now here is Trombone Trouble (1944) starring Donald Duck! 

In today’s society, superhero characters and their role in the science-fiction genre have become an enormous—and highly lucrative—commodity in popular culture. Upon the arrival of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman in the summer of 1938 with the debut issue of Action Comics, other heroes proliferated in its wake shortly after, including Batman, Captain Marvel and The Flash. By the early 1940s, Superman’s popularity warranted a series of animated cartoons produced by Max Fleischer, and later Famous Studios, for Paramount. At the same time, the Caped Crusader’s influence, along with other subsequent superheroes, lent itself to story material suitable for parody, such as Chuck Jones’ Super Rabbit (1943), which lampooned the Paramount cartoons. The most noteworthy animated takeoff was the character of Super Mouse, later changed to Mighty Mouse, at Paul Terry’s studio, who became one of its most durable stars. 

Initially titled Superduck and Superman Duck, Carl Barks was the main story artist on this film, with Jack Hannah and Roy Williams contributing. It is unclear when exactly production started on the film, though a model sheet (with its approved title) dated August 1, 1941 of Donald Duck and his noisy neighbor Pete, indicates its early stages. In comparison to some of the storyboards drawn by Barks, there is little deviation from Trombone Trouble—it retains the concept of Donald receiving electrical powers from the gods above, who are just as aggravated with the nightly practices from Pete’s discordant trombone. 

Under Donald’s main director Jack King, six animators are credited in the production draft for Trombone Trouble, with much of the work dominated by Charles “Nick” Nichols and Wetzel “Judge” Whitaker. The other artists included are Paul Allen, Hal King, Marvin Woodward and Les Clark. Clark is only given three small scenes in the film, presumably as a stopgap assignment, since he usually animated on the studio’s feature films. Andy Engman and Jerry Hathcock are also credited in the production papers for the special effects animation in the film. Bill Herwig is credited as the layout artist on the film; the probable background artist might be Merle Cox, credited in subsequent Donald cartoons released in 1944. 

Judge Whittaker animates the opening scenes of Jupiter and Vulcan placed above the clouds, annoyed by the harsh notes emitting from Pete’s trombone. As they pull at their feathered heads in frustration, sparks of lightning discharge from their hands, indicative of the powerful capabilities they possess. Back at the distant world, Donald attempts to sleep through Pete’s trombone playing until a warbling note causes a light bulb to fall on him. Paul Allen, one of the main Duck artists since the mid-1930s, is responsible for these scenes.  

Whittaker handles the animation of Donald storming over to confront his neighbor, prefiguring the duck’s backyard clashes with Neighbor Jones in Carl Barks’ comic book stories. After Donald demands a refrain from Pete’s trombone playing with his own mocking of the instrument, Pete blows a loud note, sending his neighbor back home, slamming him and a part of his bed frame into the plaster wall. To make matters worse, Donald receives another blaring note from Pete via telephone—apparently the last note was in the wrong key! 

Whittaker animates more of Jupiter and Vulcan’s scenes, as they have witnessed Donald’s suffering and decide to bestow some of their power to him through a bolt of lightning. Hal King, an exceptional animator who usually gave the Duck a wide emotional range, handles the sequence of Donald testing his new powers. As the electricity enters his body, Donald kicks a piano in a fit of rage, which flies across the room and crashes through the wall. (The production draft reveals a dual credit to Hal King and Charles Nichols for the shot of the damaged piano.) As animated by King, Donald’s realization of his newfound power is striking—drawn with concentric pupils and sharp fangs, he cackles in diabolical glee, enveloping much of the frame.   

Charles Nichols’ animation takes over when it is revealed Donald has also obtained superhuman strength, lifting the fence with one finger. He rumbles and shakes Pete’s house, which he believes is an earthquake. When Donald reveals himself as the true source, his face glows into a red color and two crackling lightning appear above his head, ready to unleash the more devilish approach to conquer his neighbor. 

In the original storyboards for Trombone Trouble, Donald torments Pete by charging a train set and drops it down Pete’s pants, which travels up and down his clothes, as he jumps around from its electrical jolts. In the finished film, Donald’s lightning powers send Pete out of his house, rolling near the edge of a cliff. He turns his finger into a riveting machine and breaks off the edge of the precipice, and Pete lands near a large paddlewheel, which administers a spanking.  

Nichols animated the last few scenes of the two gods watching Donald with his new powers, but Marvin Woodward handles their last scenes as they lie down to sleep. Paul Allen is given the closing scenes of Donald finding Pete’s trombone and playing a “boogie-woogie” swing tune, much to Vulcan and Jupiter’s exasperation. 

Evidently, the final draft for Trombone Troubleis dated October 6, 1943, two years after the early model sheet. The film was released to theaters a few months later on February 18, 1944. For this post, I’m unable to share the draft pages, but I will share these notes as a substitute. Hope you all enjoy! 

(Thanks to Dave Gerstein, JB Kaufman and Didier Ghez for their help.)