Mr. Duck Steps Out is a technicolor Classic Disney Short from June 7, 1940. It stars Donald Duck.
This short stands out for two reasons: it was the debut of Daisy Duck and (unlike other shorts) it prominently featured contemporary music. This short established Daisy Duck as Donald's long-standing girlfriend, however she was used sparingly until the 1980s.
Mr. Duck Steps Out starts out with Donald preparing for a date. His three nephews Huey, Duey, and Louie try to follow him but Donald tricks them back into the house. When he arrives at Daisy's house it turns out the triplets are already there. Donald, however, is able to make them go away by giving them pocket change... For a few minutes. Throughout the cartoon, Donald's nephews get in the way of his date with Daisy. When Donald tries to kiss Daisy they push him off the couch and when Donald dances the jitterbug with her they end up dancing with her instead. Eventually, the brothers end up stuffing Donald with popcorn, which causes him to move erratically. Daisy mistakes this for dancing. Hilarity Ensues.
Mr. Duck Steps Out contains examples of;
- "Begone" Bribe: To get them out of Daisy's house, Donald gives the boys money to buy ice-cream. Just when he is about to make out with Daisy, the boys return with their ice-cream and sit between the two lovers, knocking Donald off the couch.
- Covered in Kisses: Happy with her date, Daisy covers Donald in kisses at the end. One of the kiss marks is in his eyelid, making it look like a mouth opening and closing when he blinked.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Daisy has a "duck sounding" voice like Donald. This lasted for a few shorts however eventually Donald was shown to be one of the few duck characters with that voice. A slightly abridged modern cut of the short gives Daisy her modern, non-ducky, voice.
- Everything Is an Instrument: The nephews play music on various items around Daisy's kitchen.
- Feather Fingers: Daisy uses her tail feathers to signal to Donald.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal:
- Donald wears a plaid blazer and hat but no pants. He has shoe tops, but no soles.
- Huey, Duey, and Louie dress in shirts and hats but no shoes and pants.
- Daisy's classic clothes are established as a blouse, necklace, bow, shoes, and no pants or skirt.
- Impact Silhouette: As Donald and Daisy twirl around at the climax of the dance, they go through a changing screen, leaving multiple silhouettes that appear to dance and wag their fingers to the beat.
- Popcorn on the Cob: The popcorn that the nephews cook comes straight out of the cob.
- Squirrels in My Pants: Donald swallows an ear of popcorn just as it was starting to pop. The popping causes his body to jump about, making it seem like he was dancing.
- Third Wheel: Make that third, fourth and fifth. The nephews insist on joining Donald on his date.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Despite the comic mishaps he goes through, Donald is still able to impress Daisy in the end.
