FAMOUS DISNEY DUCKS~Disneyland’s Gertie

When one thinks of famous Disney ducks, usually thoughts of Donald Duck and his nephews come to mind. Those of us that are fond of Carl Barks would happily add the likes of Uncle Scrooge and a host of others. One that may not be on the tip of your tongue, is Gertie! In the DHI Archives, we have several original Disneyland publicity files from the 1950s. Not only do these files have the press releases that feature the stories that have fond their way into Disneyland lore, but there is also a good number of press releases that were, well, never released. Often, they are hand written and/or typed, and feature pencil corrections. And for fifty years they have languished in these files without ever seeing the light of day. And as you might have already surmised, one of them gives us Gert’s story. From a 1956 unreleased, unpublished Disneyland press release:

“Ever hear the expression, ‘He’s a lonely duck”? Well, Disneyland has a lonely duck, and it isn’t Donald. It’s Gertie.

“Gertie came to Disneyland via devious ways, but with it all, she’s a lady of breeding. As such she remembers the first rule for young ladies alone in the world–never speak to strangers. It’s probably with this thought in mind that Gertie remains aloof. With dozens of companions of the duck world–ranging from plain white backyard ducks to long-legged cranes, teal and mallard with their colorful necklaces–Gertie prefers human companionship.

“Her first hours in the light of day saw her as a prize at a fun fair in Anaheim last spring. She was won by local residents who left the next day for their Lake Arrowhead Estate with Duckling Gertie tenderly in tow. Gertie’s girlhood was a round of swimming parties in lovely Lake Arrowhead where she mingled with other ducks in the fashion world.

“By now she was referred to as a ‘Pekin’ duck and had become quite a personality. Such a personality, in fact, that when the family returned to Anaheim from their summer stay at the lake the feathered member of the family found it hard to adjust to living alone while her foster parents tended to business.

“At this point a society editor in the area offered to take Gertie when she heard that snails were her favorite diet. However, neighbors had put out snail bait and in short order Gertie’s favorite dish was unavailable. The Society Editor, with Gertie’s happiness in mind, contacted Disneyland and officials there agreed that the ‘Rivers of America’ in Frontierland might be just the solution for Gertie.

“Forthwith, she was brought to Disneyland, and launched into the ‘Rivers of America’ from aboard the Mark Twain, the old-time paddle-wheeler, typical of those that plied America’s waterways at the turn-of-the-century.

“Since then, Gertie has considered the ‘Mark Twain’ home base and frequently flaps aboard to quack at visitors, much to their surprise and delight. When she isn’t snubbing her fellow ducks or aboard the riverboat, she dismissed some of her more lofty ideals to beg for good from dinners at one of the many eating places in the park.”

IMAGE: In looking for some famous Disney Ducks to show, I found this personal photo taken by Carl Barks featuring his art studio and a painting that he had just completed. In searching DHI Photo Library I was, sadly, unable to find a photo of Gertie, so in my mind this justified something by Barks. The image features Barks’ painting “Truant Officer” as well as a copy of Walt Disney Comics & Stories #100 (1949) that he used for inspiration.