Donald Duck’s first solo theatrical cartoon, released in 1937, was titled Don Donald.
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, Don Donald was the first theatrical short to place Donald at the center of the story without Mickey Mouse, Pluto, or another established Disney star sharing the lead. The plot sends Donald to Mexico, where he attempts to impress Donna Duck, the character later known as Daisy Duck. Donald’s personality is already recognizable: boastful, impatient, and easily frustrated.
The cartoon is an important step in Donald’s development as a major Disney star. He had previously appeared in ensemble shorts, beginning with The Wise Little Hen in 1934, but Don Donald gave him a story built around his own comic temperament. It also introduced an early version of his romantic relationship with Daisy.
The title is sometimes mistaken for Donald Gets Drafted, a 1942 short about Donald’s military service. That later film is not his first solo theatrical cartoon.