1950-1952

 

  FC0263 Trail of the Unicorn - 1950

Synopsis:
Scrooge wants a unicorn for his zoo so Donald and the nephews are sent to the Himalayas after the fabled animal which they know does not exist. Or does it?

Comments:
The Ducks try to find a fabled unicorn, whereupon Gladstone magically presents them with a fake one! He tricks Donald into believing that an old nag is the elusive unicorn.

 

  WDCS117 'The Flooded Picnic' - 1950

Synopsis:
Donald and Gladstone
are both trying to court Daisy at a picnic by finding a real daisy for her, but a flood is going to ruin their day...

Comments:
Gladstone is extremely full of himself throughout the story, and does not even make a serious attempt to rescue Daisy from a sudden flood at the picnic, although he has magically produced a rescue vessel - a gondola!

 

  CP2 You Can't Guess - 1950

Synopsis:
Donald's family tries to discover what he wants for Christmas, because that is the only way for the nephews to get what they want...

Comments:
Gladstone as well as other family members presents Donald with a new car from each of them. Gladstone got the money for his contribution by looking so downhearted(!) that a passing lady gave him enough money to buy two expensive sports cars!

 

  WDCS126 'The Money Bin Crib' - 1951

Synopsis:
When a cyclone sucks up Scrooge's entire fortune from an open corn crib and distributes the money all over the country, the old miser is surprisingly calm...

Comments:
Donald is sick and tired of slaving in the field for Scrooge so he plays hooky, and he meets Gladstone who is on his way to the lake for some relaxing fishing. When Donald asks him to furnish him with some money, Gladstone uninterestedly holds out his hat and a cool million dollars dumps into it!

 

  WDCS128 'Knight Brawl' - 1951

Synopsis:
Daisy's drama club is putting on a play and Donald and Gladstone both want to be the star of the show...

Comments:
Many of Gladstone's 'best' moments come when he competes against Donald for the fair Daisy's grace. He is always sure to win points whether they are trying to impress her on picnics or - as is the case here - at tryouts for the leading role in a theatrical play in which Daisy has the part of the princess.

 

  WDCS131 'The Unluckiest Golfer' - 1951

Synopsis:
Donald has bad luck whenever he comes near Gladstone, and the nephews decide to take him out for a nice day at the golf course. Then Gladstone shows up...

Comments:
Barks wrote this story with a wonderful twist: Gladstone is unlucky all the time, Donald is lucky. Until the last panels...

 

  WDCS136 'Thanksgiving Raffle' - 1951

Synopsis:
Donald is irritated by Gladstone's unbelievable luck and he decides to hold a raffle to turn things around. He keeps all the tickets except for one. Gladstone gets it...

Comments:
...and wins, of course! But one can also be too lucky. He wins so many turkeys that he is not even able to give them away!

 

  FC0367 A Christmas for Shacktown - 1952

Synopsis:
Scrooge's money falls down an almost bottomless pit and all seems lost. The nephews thinks of an idea that might recover the money. But not for free...

Comments:
Gladstone functions more or less as a catalyst for some of the plot; he cannot be bothered when asked to help needy children, until he realizes that he could benefit from it! So, when Donald asks him to help financially, he benevolently finds a lost wallet full of money under the snow...

 

  WDCS140 'Free Dinner' - 1952

Synopsis:
Donald and the nephews are trying to find out why Gladstone is so lucky all the time. They stake him out when he goes shopping.

Comments:
All the items on Gladstone's shopping list are miraculously tossed his way, and the ducks break into his home to figure out what exactly makes him so lucky. Instead, they find the only coin Gladstone has ever earned!!!

 

  WDCS143 'Gems from Above' - 1952

Synopsis:
Donald decides to put a stop to Gladstone's luck. He sells him a worthless piece of land...

Comments:
A few times Donald has been fool-hearted enough to attempt to give Gladstone a bad time, but he usually winds up regretting his actions, whether he sells Gladstone one single ticket (out of several thousands held by Donald) to a turkey raffle, or - as in this story - sells him a worthless strip of land that immediately after the purchase is hit by a meteor teeming with valuable stones...

 

  FC0422 The Gilded Man - 1952

Synopsis:
Donald travels to British Guiana in order to trace down a valuable stamp and he finds it on an undelivered letter. But it has to be delivered first...

Comments:
Gladstone functions mostly as a mere spectator in this story; he effortlessly retrieves a valuable stamp album a few times in the beginning of the story, and in the end he turns out to be the rightful owner of the valuable stamp.

 

  WDCS147 'Freeloading' - 1952

Synopsis:
Through Daisy's Good Neighbor Club Donald volunteers to offer a needy person a meal. It turns out to be Gladstone!

Comments:
The most remarkable example of Gladstone's gross insensitivity! He has applied for a free Thanksgiving dinner and Donald is chosen to be the host. When Donald tries to wriggle himself out of the unfair commitment, Gladstone relentlessly pursues Donald forcing him to pay for not only the dinner but also for a trip to Florida and a hefty doctor's bill.

 

1948-1949 1950-1952 1953-1957 1958-1960 1961-1966

 

 

 

http://www.cbarks.dk/thegladstonestoriesb.htm   Date 2008-10-18