This was one of my very favourite Disney cartoons when I was a kid. Now I'm afraid I merely like it rather than love it. I find it good, just not perfect. But there's definitely something special about it, because it is very memorable. A clocktower is a great setting for mayhem with the characters. Goofy's hazardous concussed acrobat walk was a fun sequence. The height is quite dizzying, it's very impressive how well the vertigo effect is conveyed. The running gag and the ending with the guys unable to stop themselves shaking in clock motion was a great way to end it. My favourite part is definitely Donald's battle of wills with the spring, which is totally what this short is most known for. The way the spring's "voice" sounds is so cool! Kind of sounds like a voice and a metallic twang all at once. Where did these guys get their sound effects? I noticed and got a big laugh out of the possible swearing thing even as a wee one. Did the most funny of the three Disney heroes, Donald Duck, in one of his legendary tirades, quack the most uttered swear of them all? Did they even have that nasty word back in 1937? That's 75 years for those of you keeping score. I could never understand a word Donald said anyway! But, after listening to it over a few times, it's clear that he probably doesn't say that, but it's certainly fun to imagine he does! And you never know, perhaps the animators were aware of how it sounded and purposefully left it like that to stir things up. If so, I'd say it worked. In any case, it certainly doesn't sound enough like the proposed word to warrant the short being banned. How ridiculous, censoring a swear that was never even there! "Says you!!!"
Review of Clock Cleaners
