
In the early 1940s, Walt Disney and his staff were sent by the U.S. government on a trip to Latin America to strengthen relations between the two Americas in... [Read more]
English: Eric Bauza | Rob Paulsen
Multilingual: Bernardo de Paula
In the early 1940s, Walt Disney and his staff were sent by the U.S. government on a trip to Latin America to strengthen relations between the two Americas in the run-up to World War II.
The result of this trip were Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, two of the most picturesque Disney Classics, in which Donald Duck found himself in close contact with the customs and traditions of a land exotic to him.
The Brazilian parrot José Carioca, followed at a later point by the Mexican rooster Panchito, became the symbol of this cultural bridge, a character that Walt's staff created to act as a guide for Donald, accompanying him through the beauties of Brazil and beyond. Cheerful, carefree... and somewhat broke, José is someone who's always trying to enjoy life, even without having the means to do so, and was strongly inspired by a parrot that shares his name, a protagonist of some popular Brazilian jokes.
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The character would also enjoy great success later on. In fact, we find him again in the animated film Melody Time and in a fine series of Sunday comic strips, in which we discover that his daily routine consists of living by his wits, trying to make ends meet between one trick and another. Later, José was also taken up by other authors, including Abramo & Giampaolo Barosso and even Don Rosa, who on a couple of occasions repurposed the trio of Caballeros to send them off on adventures in spectacular treasure hunts. But, without a doubt, it is precisely at his “home country” that the character has been better exploited, becoming a sort of local Donald Duck. In fact, in the Brazilian comics published by the Abril publishing house, a well-defined universe has been built around him, complete with friends, a girlfriend, nephews and even a secret identity!
In short, although far apart, Donald and José show us that cultural barriers do not matter, and that deep down we are all more alike than we believe.
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