It might surprise you to learn that Donald Duck's solo career lasted longer than Mickey's did.  When the Disney studio started producing fewer shorts, they focused almost exclusively on Donald.  The results are collected for us in this two disc set.  The Chronological Donald Volume Four collections shorts from 1951-1961.  All told, we get 29 true shorts plus a collection of other goodies.

Disc one and the early part of disc two contain more classic cartoons.  Chip 'n' Dale have grown into Donald best adversaries, and there are some memorable run ins here.  "Test Pilot Donald" finds Dale hitching a ride on Donald's remote control plane.  "Out of Scale" involves the two chipmunks trying to settle down in Donald's model railroad set.  "Dragon Around" puts a steam shovel on Donald's side as he tries to take out the tree where the two live.  Finally, "Chips Ahoy" find the pair taking Donald's model ship to get to a tree full of nuts on an island.

Donald's nephews are around in such cartoons as "Don's Fountain of Youth" and "Spare the Rod."  Probably their most memorable appearance here is upstaged by the Witch Hazel in "Trick or Treat."

Ironically, as Donald's career came to a close, he started being upstaged by other characters, just as he had done to Mickey years earlier.  The most notable upstager was Humphrey the Bear who is the true star of "Bearly Asleep" and "Beezy Bear."  Don't get me wrong, these cartoons are funny.  But they aren't really adventures for our favorite duck.

Two special cartoons appear in this set.  "Working for Peanuts" was originally shown in 3-D and "Grand Canyonscope" was originally shown in CinemaScope.  We get to see the second one is widescreen, while the 3-D effects in the first are absent.  What really helped me appreciate them were the audio commentaries.  Both get them with Disney Treasures host Leonard Maltin and animation historian Jerry Beck.  Listening to them talk about that time in movie history and how these cartoons fit into trends was interesting.  I also found it funny how what they said paralleled today.

As disc two closes out, things go down hill.  First of all, we get two educational shorts.  "Donald in Mathmagic Land" shows us how math applies to the rest of life.  At almost 30 minutes, it's a bit long.  Likewise, the almost 20 minute "Donald and the Wheel" shows us the importance of wheels in our daily lives.

Then there are the cartoons that preach at us.  "How to Have an Accident in the Home" and "How to Have an Accident at Work" are amusing at times, but they make they are a bit pointed.  The worst offender is "The Litterbug."  It's not funny, just preachy.

As per usual, there are 5 shorts that have been separated because of some potentially offensive gags or characters.  And, yes, we get Leonard lecturing us to remember the times before they start.  Frankly, I thought "No Hunting," which makes it look more like war, was brilliant.

There are bonus features on these two discs as well.  Disc one includes a featurette on Donald's career in comic books over the years.  We also get to look at the storyboards for "Trouble Shooters," an unanimated short that finds Donald facing off against a woodpecker.  Disc two has ten shorts from the Mickey Mouseworks show.  While more modern, they capture the feel of this classic character.

As good as the early cartoons in this set were, the later ones show that the animators were running out to steam.  Still, there is enough fun stuff in The Chronological Donald Volume Four to recommend it to any fan of Disney or Donald Duck.

This Lean-n-Mean Review is also part of my Second Annual All Things Disney Write-Off.

Included Cartoons:
1951 - Dude Duck, Corn Chips, Test Pilot Donald, Lucky Number, Out of Scale, Bee on Guard
1952 - Donald Applecore, Let's Stick Together, Trick or Treat, Uncle Donald's Ants
1953 - Don's Fountain of Youth, The New Neighbor, Working for Peanuts, Canvas Back Duck, Rugged Bear
1954 - Donald's Diary, Dragon Around, Grin and Bear It, The Flying Squirrel, Grand Canyonscope, Spare the Rod
1955 - Bearly Asleep, Beezy Bear, Up a Tree, No Hunting
1956 - Chips Ahoy, How to Have an Accident in the Home
1959 - Donald in Mathmagic Land, How to Have an Accident at Work
1961 - Donald and the Wheel, The Litterbug
Mickey Mouseworks Shorts: Bird Brained Donald, Donald and the Big Nut, Donald's Charmed Date, Donald's Dinner Date, Donald's Failed Forth, Donald's Rocket Ruckus, Donald's Shell Shots, Donald's Valentine Dollar, The Music Store, Survival of the Woodchucks

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8