The Trial of Douglas Duck

The Trial of Douglas Duck is a one-reel, seven-minute cartoon made by The Michael Shires Company in 1948. The Technicolor cartoon was released by Michael Shires Productions, and distributed by Republic Pictures. The cartoon features Douglas Duck and was directed by the Shires animator James Howard.

Voice Characterization

 * Don Barclay as Douglas Duck

Credits

 * Director: James Howard
 * Story: Nick Germanetti, Bob Beck
 * Animation: Virgil Jones, Bill Charles, Bob Johnson, J.W. Williams
 * Layout: Yoram Patterson
 * Background: Yoram Garling
 * Music: Oliver Williams
 * Ink and Paint: Warren Johnson (uncredited)
 * Sound Director: C.O. Stevens (uncredited)
 * Sound Recording: Harold J. Scott (uncredited)
 * Sound Effects: Dale Pickett (uncredited), Jack King (all uncredited)
 * Film Editor: Levitow Robertson (uncredited)
 * Orchestrations: Edward H. Plumb (uncredited)
 * Sound Recording Harold J. Scott (uncredited)
 * Camera: Gene Moore (uncredited)

Synopsis
Douglas Duck is put on trial by a restaurant.

As we watch the story unfold, Douglas is trying to have his lunch, but it is raining hard outside. Ducking into a fancy restaurant, a waiter seats him. As he only has a nickel, Douglas feels that he can use it to get a cup of coffee. However, the cup is the size of a thimble, and the charge is more than a nickel. Douglas flies into a rage at this, refusing to pay.

As the waiter tries to figure out what to do, he spots Douglas unpacking his dishes from his lunch box. Being sneaky, Patterson decides to charge Douglas for the food that he brought into the restaurant. This leads to Douglas receiving a bill for $35.99. Once again angered at the injustice, Douglas flies into a rage, and the matter is taken to court.

Douglas's lawyer portrays and confesses him as a victim in the entire mess, but the judge rules in favor of the restaurant, ordering Douglas to pay either $10, or wash dishes for 10 days, OR ELSE!!!

Douglas accepts the 10 days, but spends the entire time at the restaurant's kitchen sink destroying the dishes. The waiter pleads with Douglas to stop, promising to let the whole matter go, but Douglas angrily turns to him and says, 'You heard what the Judge said...10 days!' and continues with his reckless 'chore'.

DVD

 * Michael Shires Treasures: The Chronological Douglas, Volume 3

Trivia

 * Douglas's bill total was $35.99, which holds the same value as over $370 today.
 * Patterson added an extra $2 surcharge to the bill. The total should have been $33.99, not $35.99.
 * A small coffee at Patterson's restaurant costs $15, which holds the value of over $150 today.