Donald's Better Self

Series of comedy short films from 1929 to 1969 during the golden age of American animation, alongside its sister series Merrie Melodies.

The villains from the popular animated Disney films are gathered at the House of Mouse with plans to take over. Soon, the villains take over the house and kick out Mickey, Donald and Goofy. It's all up to Mickey and his friends to overthrow evil and return the House of Mouse to normal--or as close to normal as it gets.

It's snowed, and Donald Duck is going sledding. Meanwhile, his nephews have built a snowman at the bottom of the hill. Donald aims his sled at their snowman and demolishes it, so the boys get even by including a boulder in the bottom of their next snowman. This means war, so they retreat to opposing snow forts for battle.

A dark and stormy night. Pluto is spirited away to the spooky lair of an evil genius for a mad transplant scheme to put his head on the body of a chicken. Mickey gives chase, but find himself threatened severely by the doctor's castle and its denizens.

Donald decides to try cooking along with a radio show.

The two pigs building houses of hay and sticks scoff at their brother, building the brick house. But when the wolf comes around and blows their houses down (after trickery like dressing as a foundling sheep fails), they run to their brother's house. And throughout, they sing the classic song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?".

A jealous stump threatens two trees that are in love by starting a forest fire. When the rain comes and puts out the fire the forest revives and celebrates the wedding.

Donald has to get up early, but everything seems to be working to keep him awake. His loudly ticking alarm clock resists several attempts to quiet it. Donald ultimately swallows it; the glow-in-the-dark dial can be seen through his feathers. Then his folding bed folds up on him. Springs start popping out of it; Donald builds an elaborate framework to hold it down. Finally, enough of the clock reassembles itself to sound the alarm and night is over.

Donald Duck goes to a museum of modern inventions. After getting in without paying, he meets a robot butler who takes Donald's hat every time he sees him. Donald is very annoyed by this and magically fixes himself a new hat every time this happens and strolls on. Ignoring the sign not to touch it, Donald starts playing with a wrapping machine and ends up being wrapped himself. He also encounters and tries out a robot nursemaid and a fully automatic barber chair. They both don't do him much good.

Donald Duck's gluttonous cousin, Gus Goose, comes for a visit and practically eats him out of house and home. When the direct approach to getting rid of his voracious houseguest fails, Donald resorts to desperate measures to dislodge him.

Donald catches his nephews swimming on a school day. He thinks he's made an easy catch, but the boys are much more resourceful than that. When he tries to smoke them out of their clubhouse, they put three roast turkeys in their bed and dress one boy as an angel.

Donald takes a job as a gift wrapper in a department store.

Donald visits the house of his new love interest for their first known date. At first Daisy acts shy and has her back turned to her visitor. But Donald soon notices her tailfeathers taking the form of a hand and signaling for him to come closer. But their time alone is soon interrupted by Huey, Dewey and Louie who have followed their uncle and clearly compete with him for the attention of Daisy. Uncle and nephews take turns dancing the jitterbug with her while trying to get rid of each other. In their final effort the three younger Ducks feed their uncle maize in the process of becoming popcorn. The process is completed within Donald himself who continues to move wildly around the house while maintaining the appearance of dancing. The short ends with an impressed Daisy showering her new lover with kisses

Donald's sister Dumbella sends her three sons Huey, Dewey, and Louie to visit their uncle Donald. They prove to be quite a handful for Donald, even with help from his book on child rearing.

Donald takes a kayak trip. When he gets to his campsite, he unloads the kayak, fights with his folding chair, and goes to sleep. Meanwhile, the chipmunks of the forest (precursors of Chip 'n Dale), attracted by his squawking, make off with the huge pile of food he carelessly unloaded. They get the attention of a bear, who Donald is soon battling.

With a rubber bone as a lure, Donald Duck tries to entice Pluto to try his mechanical dog washer. When the bone gives Pluto trouble, Donald tries a toy cat as a lure only to unexpectedly fall into the washer himself, get scrubbed and then hung out on the line to dry.