The Ugly Duckling

"A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different."

1939 0h 9m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 193

AnimationComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An outcast duckling's search for a family to accept him leads to constant rejection before learning his true identity as a swan.

“A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Clarence Nash
Ducks (voice) (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hamilton Luske
Writers: Hans Christian Andersen, Vernon Stallings
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 9-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Albert Hay Malotte. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0032071 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hamilton Luske directs. Albert Hay Malotte scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 9-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Original score by Albert Hay Malotte. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Marketing tagline: "A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different.".
6IMDB entry: tt0032071 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Original score: Albert Hay Malotte
Production design: Gustaf Tenggren
Runtime: 9 min · 0h 9m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Ugly Duckling (1939)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Hamilton Luske

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-01-30
★ 7/10
There is something really quite touching about this Disneyfication of the timeless Hans Christian Andersen story. We start with the expectant parents awaiting their fifth chick. It's born but clearly isn't the same as the others and it's promptly rejected. Abandoned to fend for itself, it tries to make friends but everything is new and unfamiliar. Then, fortune smiles and ... Andersen's fables always did have a valid moral underpinning them and this one seems all the more ripe for a sensitively scored and delicately drawn version that has, mercifully, been spared the traditional singing accompaniment. It's surprisingly effective, this.

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