kenisu3000 120 Posted August 27, 2025 Posted August 27, 2025 My pet project: A Complete Guide to the Music of DUCKTALES (1987)! Ron Jones's approach to DuckTales was to treat it as seriously as any dramatic live-action movie, which has never been a common approach to children's TV animation. If the ducks were in danger, he wouldn't play it down, he'd play it as though they really could die. The score is just rich with leitmotifs, complex layering, and truly masterful instrumentation. It's incredible that it's never received a soundtrack release, but if it's one thing I've learned from this life, you never know what tomorrow holds. Scroll down past this cue list for the (ongoing) deep dive. Analyzing the score has been a real eye (and ear)-opener. Just the first episode he did, "Armstrong", is loaded with recurring themes, some of which I had never noticed before, but there they were, woven into the writing! Go here for my cue sheets for the first 75 episodes (work in progress, so many cue names listed here don’t match up with the names in this link), and here for the remaining 25 (to be cleaned up). An asterisk (*) indicates an official cue name; as I don’t have access to all the real names, I had to scrounge up whatever I could from official sources and make up my own for the rest (most) of them. If there is an unofficial name I dredged up but I’m not sure what cue it applies to, I present after my fan-given cue name the possible real one in brackets with a question mark [?]. Where a ghostwriter (or any other composer than Ron Jones) was involved with a cue, their name comes after that cue. Usually they would take the leitmotifs Jones composed and arrange them in creative ways to help flesh out the score when Jones was swamped with other projects. These ghostwriters typically came from the Mike Post team, which Jones himself had previously been a ghostwriter for. The sessions are presented here in as close to the order as I can figure they were recorded. ---------------- THE LIST ---------------- TV Spot Promo Music (0:30) ARMSTRONG 14-1-1 Rocks On The Tracks* (1:06) 14-1-2 Launchpad McStunt* (1:47) Meet Armstrong* (0:30) Armstrong Vacuums (0:29) [It Talks*?] It Washes, It Cleans* (1:04) 14-1-6 The Race* (1:15) A Sad Day For Launchpad (0:18) Return Without Honor (0:20) [Cold Reception*?] So Much For Compassion (0:18) [Cold Reception*?] A Loose Screw? (0:39) (unused in this episode, used in others) Replaced By Automation* (0:33) Open Vault Alert! (0:10) The Real Armstrong* (0:40) Satellite Sabotage (0:51) Bad Robot (0:16) [Cold Reception*?] 14-3-1 Toy Wars* (1:50) The Nephews Need Help (0:47) [Cold Reception*?] 14-3-3 Air Battle* (1:40) Satellite Shutdown (0:23) Launchpad VS Armstrong (0:42) [Short Circuit*?] 14-3-6 Hot Chocolate* (0:29) MASTER OF THE DJINNI & THE LIBRARY Djinni Show Play-On* (0:33) DT-3-1 Search For The Lost Vault* (1:44) Golden Lamp* (0:15) DT-3-9 Old Enemies* (0:37) Glomgold’s Thugs (0:30) Old Enemies (Scrooge Frees Himself) (0:07) DT-3-7 Desert Chase* (1:06) Sherwebazad’s Stories* (1:02) Webby Fools Djinni* (0:48) DT-3-16 Glomgold’s Theme* (1:05) The Djinni’s Eternal Reward (0:12) Library Session by category: Pastoral DT-2-26 Adventure Through The Boys' Eyes* (1:10) [mis-ID'd in Jones's files as "Rm2 Soaring"] Adventure Through The Boys' Eyes (Alt. End) Sweet Duck Of Youth Danger DT-2-21 Soaring* (1:16) [my older title: "Launchpad McQuack (Library Ver.)"] Soaring (Crash Ending) [Crash*?] DT-2-9 Adventure Chase #1* (1:35) [mis-ID'd in Jones's files as "Air Battle"] Adventure Chase #1 (Alt. End) Adventure Chase #1 (Slow Alternate) DT-2-14 Adventure Chase #2* [my older title: "Dire Straits"] Adventure Chase #2 (Alt. End) DT-6-13 Light Action Chase* (1:00) Victory The Number One Dime The Number One Dime (Alt. End) DT-2-1 Adventure* [my older title: "This Case Is Closed"] Adventure (Alt. End) Contemplative DT-4-14 Dreams* [my older title: "How Shall We Deal?"] Dreams (Alternate) Reflections Thoughtful Ducks DT-3-22 You're Not Too Old, Uncle Scrooge* (1:34) [my older title: "Sweet Peace"] Opportunity/Potential DT-2-27 Duckburg Groove* [my older title: "Another Day, Another Dollar (Trombone Answer)"] Duckburg Groove (Guitar Answer) Duckburg Groove (Alt. End 1) Duckburg Groove (Alt. End 2) DT-3-12 Something's Up In Duckburg* [my older title: "Opportunity Awaits"] Something's Up In Duckburg (Alt. End) DT-4-12 Rock Quest* (never used) Crime Drama Life On The Lam (With Overlay) – Marc Mann Life On The Lam (No Overlay) – Marc Mann DT-4-16 Rock Chase* (1:39) Horror/Mystery Ghostly Imaginings (No Overlay) Ghostly Imaginings (With Overlay) Sneakin’ No. 1* – Frank Denson Sneakin’ No. 1 ALT* – Frank Denson Sneakin' No. 2* – Frank Denson Sneakin’ No. 2 ALT A* – Frank Denson DT-4-9 Something's Up Groove #1* [my older title: "Sands Of Time"] DT-4-10 Something's Up Groove #2* [my older title: "Just A Shade (without Sax Overlay)"] DT-4-10A Something's Up Groove #2 (Alternate Version)* [my older title: "Just A Shade (w Sax Overlay)"] (never used) DuckTales Skulk* [my older title: "Trapped In The Darkness"] – Velton Ray Bunch Episode Openers (Play-On) Lounge Potato Shore Leave DT-2-24 Another Happy Day In Duckburg* [my older title: "Welcome To Duckburg"] (1:07) Another Happy Day In Duckburg (Alternate) DT-4-1 Happy Opener #1* [my older title: "Money Hunt"] DT-4-2 Happy Opener #2* [my older title: "Introducing Gyro"] Webby/The Kids Childhood Trinkets Playful Webby Playful Webby (Scrooge’s Pet Alternate) Relaxation Kick-Back Saturday (With Sax Overlay) Kick-Back Saturday (Without Sax Overlay) DT-4-13 The Journey* [my older title: "After A Hard Day’s Work"] DT-4-25 DuckTales Theme* (1:47) [Jazz Rendition] Contemporary Pop Escape From Aquatraz – Steve Hallmark Getaway Cruisin’ – Velton Ray Bunch Getaway Cruisin’ (w Sax) – Velton Ray Bunch Duckburg Night Life (never used) Breakdancing Worldly Arabian Theme DT-7-14 Marching Band Source* Baggy Pipe Source* DuckTales Piano Source* Mid-Length Cues Accidental Ice Ballet Launchpad McStunt (Wrap-Up Cue) The Race (Alternate) Adventure Through The Boys' Eyes (Mid-Length Slower Ver.) (0:26) Bridges/Transitions Apocalypse Soon A Threatening Shadow Live And Exclusive Live And Exclusive (Higher-Pitched Alternate) Carried Away No Faith In Beakley No-Good Alliance No Time To Lose No Time To Lose (Alternate) Oh, So? Quicksand Segue Into Sinister Territory Adventure Through The Boys' Eyes (Short Transition Cue) (0:10) DuckTales Short Intro Arranged The Perfect Patsy This Doesn’t Bode Well Tight Spot What Have I Gotten Myself Into? You Take The Low Road Pattern DuckTales Commercial Bumper A DuckTales Commercial Bumper B THE MONEY VANISHES DT-4-8 The Beagle Boys' Dirty Deeds* [my older title: "The Beagle Boys’ Theme"] (0:39) DT-4-17 Bad Guys Groove* [my older title: "Beagle Montage"] (0:57) DT-4-7 Beagle Boys #1* [my older title: "A Self-Granted Parole"] (0:36) DT-4-4 Beagle Boys #2 - The Plan* [my older title: "Ready To Eat Them Blues Away"] (0:35) Ready To Eat Them Blues Away (Alternate) DT-4-11 Trouble* [my older title: "Hot Cash Revelry"] (0:34) Skatin’ One Kick Ahead Of The Law (0:37) DT-4-3 Beagle Boys Chase* [my older title: "Animal Of Culture"] (1:06) Bad End (0:09) You Got Me Runnin’ Circles (0:21) SCROOGE’S PET Effective Bait (0:08) Have Pet, Less Fret (0:19) Presenting Lucky (0:07) Scrooge’s Pet (0:06) CURSE OF CASTLE MCDUCK That Brisk Scotland Air (Bagpipes Ver.) (0:32) That Brisk Scotland Air (Orchestra Ver.) (0:33) Scottish Hospitality (0:20) PEARL OF WISDOM Island Natives (1:03) – Frank Denson Tropical Sunrise (0:05) DINOSAUR DUCKS Big Lizard Chase (1:33) – Chase & Rucker Launchpad Crawls Home* (1:48) – Chase & Rucker Sorry Boys* (0:42) – Chase & Rucker Sneaky Nephews* (0:51) – Chase & Rucker Pterodactyl Attack* (3:03) – Chase & Rucker An Attempt To Scale (1:25) – Chase & Rucker Nephews Set A Trap* (1:29) – Chase & Rucker The Big Lizard Returns (1:48) – Chase & Rucker Cave Ducks* (0:56) – Chase & Rucker Keep Your Mitts Off Me Hat (1:58) – Chase & Rucker Saving Scrooge From Cave Duck Camp (1:29) – Chase & Rucker Snow White And The Three Bears (2:05) – Chase & Rucker Spare Tires* (1:16) – Chase & Rucker McDuck’s Dino Safari (0:46) – Chase & Rucker TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN SUNS Part 1: Don’t Give Up the Ship Goodbye Unca Donald* (0:57) The Letter Montage* (0:48) Scrooge And Solicitors* (0:30) Prison Break And L. Capitan* (0:51) Thanks Aaron* (0:44) – Jerry Grant Something Lurks In The Shadows (0:30) [Something’s Up In Duckburg*?] Run For It* (0:20) Shady Dealings (1:11) [Tussle In The Theater*?] Into The Factory (2:37) [Tussle In The Theater*?] Battle In The Candy Factory* (1:48) – Tom Worrall Ominous Play-Off (Stories)* (0:07) – Tom Worrall Part 2: Wronguay in Ronguay Glomgold’s Greed* (0:43) – Tom Worrall Light Mystery* (0:47) – Jerry Grant Dangerous Journey* (2:28) – Tom Worrall Search* (1:51) – Jerry Grant Fast Asleep* (0:16) – Jerry Grant Cave In, Cave Out* (2:11) – Jerry Grant All That Glitters* (0:22) – Jerry Grant (used in movie cut) On Our Way* (1:31) – Jerry Grant What Goes Up* (1:43) – Stephen James Taylor Part 3: Three Ducks of the Condor Contest Of The Nannies (0:38) [Pranks*?] Only A Legend* (0:39) – Jerry Grant Plane Crash* (0:38) – Stephen James Taylor Ancient Civilizations (Variation 1) (0:40) [Gold Sun* or Money Worship*] – Stephen James Taylor Ancient Civilizations (Variation 2) (0:34) [Gold Sun* or Money Worship*] – Stephen James Taylor Plane Sight* (0:37) – Stephen James Taylor Joaquin History* (1:10) – Stephen James Taylor Domino Donald – Jerry Grant (used in movie cut) Flight Of The Condorman* (0:54) I Feel A Crash Coming On (0:06) Brace Yourself! (0:12) [Crash*?] Trade-Off* (0:31) – Stephen James Taylor DT-7-1 Battle With The Condors* (2:26) DT-7-2 Just In Time* (1:08 + 0:03?) Part 4: Cold Duck DT-7-3 Pranks* (1:49) DT-7-4 Mrs. B To The Rescue* (0:46) Walrus Rodeo* (1:02) Break In The Ice* (0:37) Polar Coaster (0:19) A Giant Block Of Wooly Walrus (0:25) Color Museum* (0:40) Red Alert! (0:07) Penguin Chase Pt. 1* (1:33) – Tom Worrall Penguin Chase Pt. 2* (3:07) – Tom Worrall Colors For Skittles (1:04) (unused in this episode, used in others) DT-7-13 Parachute Home* (0:28) Part 5: Too Much of a Gold Thing Give Me A Light* (0:05) – Jerry Grant DT-7-16 Escape From The Valley Of The Golden Suns* (2:05) DT-7-17 Raiders Of The Lost Sun* (0:56) BACK TO THE KLONDIKE Musical Number: Gold Nuggets* (0:55) -- Tedd Anasti etc. Saloon Piano No. 1* (0:51) Saloon Piano No. 2* (0:34) Behind A Rock Lurks* (0:37) – Jerry Grant Scrooge And Goldie's Love Theme* (0:36) Western Setting* (0:38) – Jerry Grant DOWN & OUT IN DUCKBURG At Quack Maison (0:06) Take That, Miser (0:12) Be It Ever So Humble (0:35) From Filthy Rich To Filthy Ditch (0:37) Climb Aboard, Mateys (0:06) RANDOM SEASON ONE PICKUPS (“house calls”) Garbabble (from Sphinx for the Memories) The Tuning Of The Orchestra (from Maid of the Myth) Valkyrie Demolished* (from Maid of the Myth) – Jerry Grant Harpsichord Theme (from Bermuda Triangle Tangle) Firefly Fruit (from Catch as Cash Can, pt. 1) Overwhelming Wealth (from Catch as Cash Can, pt. 4) Secret Spy Operations (from Double-O-Duck) Jig O’ The McQuack (from Luck o’ the Ducks) Scrooge Tries The Mirror (0:06) (from Magica’s Magic Mirror) The Special Beagle Screwball (0:25) (from Take Me Out of the Ballgame) Monster Movie (0:49) (from Ducky Horror Picture Show) Monster Bash (0:33) (from Ducky Horror Picture Show) Musical number: Let Me Terrify You* (0:40) Soap Opera Stabs (0:15) (from Till Nephews Do Us Part) Wedding Vows (0:49) (from Till Nephews Do Us Part) – Elroy Mann? TIME IS MONEY 0M1 Feelings Of Adventure* (0:48) 0M2 The Adventure* (0:35) Bubba To The Rescue Part 1: Marking Time 1M1-1 The Deal* (1:00) [Collection of rock ‘n roll source cues for the Screamin’ Sky McFly radio show that the kids listen to throughout this episode. One is titled Duck Shuffle* and another is Feather Funk*] (unknown duration) – Greg Edmonson The New Beagle Boys’ Theme (0:52) 1M5-1 Quake* (1:06) 1M6-1 Blast To The Past* (0:54) 2M1-1 Run From T-Rex* (0:50) Bubba’s Encounter* (1:01) A Pate Of Over-Easy (0:52) [Egg Head*?] 2M4-1 Bubba’s Cave* (0:52) 3M3-1 Escape From T-Rex* (0:48) (heavily edited in episode) Part 2: The Duck Who Would Be King 1M1-2 Reentry* (0:27) 1M2-2 The Great City Of Tupei* (2:07) The Great One Returns (0:30) Palace* (0:27) – Thomas Richard Sharp Mung-Ho’s Treachery (0:33) (heavily edited in episode) Bandits And Lasers (1:02) Bubba Saves Scrooge* (1:17) – Thomas Richard Sharp Iron Walks (1:24) Iron Stumbles And Falls Over (0:26) Part 3: Bubba Trubba Bubba Plays With The Vacuum (0:12) The School Spectacle (0:16) Musical number: “Bubba Duck” Theme (1:03) – Silversher & Silversher Teeter-Totter* (0:33) – Frank Denson The Duckburg Rose Society (1:05) Beagle Caper* (1:22) – Walter Murphy Brick Trick* (over 0:45) (heavily edited in episode) – Walter Murphy Natural History Chase* (0:59) – Walter Murphy Hosed* (1:10) – Frank Denson Part 4: Ducks on the Lam Boys In The Bin* (1:12) – Frank Denson 2M1-4 Giving All* (0:49) Carted Off (0:28) 3M1-4 Shopping Cart Chase* (1:42) 3M2-4 The Big Goodbye* SUPER DUCKTALES Part 1: Liquid Assets The Worry Room (0:42) Fenton And His Aspirations (1:39) Obstinate Fenton (2:37) Obstinate Fenton (MIDI Demo) (probably 2:37) (unused in this episode, used in others) A Dash Of Rain For Your Parade (0:06) Eager Fenton (0:52) Liquid Assets (1:12) For Our Special Ma (0:49) Wood Weevils (1:39) The Dam Bursts (0:54) Part 2: Frozen Assets A Cash Flow (1:12) Frozen Assets (1:25) Faux Fenton Facades (2:56) Faux Fenton Facades (Alternate) (probably 2:56) (unused in this episode, used in others) The Birth Of GizmoDuck (0:53) GizmoDuck Means Business (0:47) The Dog Races (2:31) What’s Your Name* (0:45) – Jerry Grant Part 3: Full Metal Duck Maim And Destroy* (probably about 2:00) – Jerry Grant GizmoDuck Is Hired (probably about 0:20) A Very Super Ride Home (0:48) Lucky Lotto (may be from a library label) Blabberin’ Blatherskite (0:36) Hostage Crisis Averted (1:04) Megabyte Beagle (1:30) [Egg Head*?] GizmoDuck Needs A Jumpstart (0:57) Shoplifting-Spree (1:45) Part 4: The Billionaire Beagle Boys Club Socialite party music (may be Duckburg Rose Society) Breakout* (1:34) – Jerry Grant Runaway Inflation (2:24) Part 5: Money to Burn Invasion Of The Bin Snatchers! (2:23) Planet Of The Bots (0:38) 10M13 Get The Scoop On The Loot* (0:32) Getting User-Friendly With The Natives (0:34) 10M15 Captured By Bots* (1:31) 10M16 Meet Mel* (1:36-ish) 10M21 No Hope* (0:54) 10M22 The Duel* (1:36) The Triumphant Return Of GizmoDuck (1:27) The Planet Blows A Fuse (1:12) Survival Of The Witless (1:02) Hi-Yo Silver Dollar (2:03) A Happy Ending For Fenton (1:19) BUBBEO AND JULIET (3 cues) (southern party music) (bagpipes and accordion) (carnival music) THE GOOD MUDDAHS (1 cue) Musical Chairs (possibly from a library label) METAL ATTRACTION (4 cues) The Singing Chocolates (to the tune of “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down”; possibly from a library label) Assorted Nuts Robotica Gives Chase Maraca Band BUBBA’S BIG BRAINSTORM (4 cues) Scrooge Is Impressed The Jewel Musical Phrase The Jewel End Tag Scrooge leaves with Bubba back to his old self THE BIG FLUB (3 cues) Shooting The Commercials (1:37) Commercial Fallout (0:58) TV Dinners (0:08) BEAGLEMANIA (4 cues) Musical number: The Boogie Beagle Blues – Silversher & Silversher At KDUK Musical number: The Boogie Beagle Blues (with insults) – Silversher & Silversher Melvis YUPPY DUCKS (1 cue) A couple in a convertible A DUCKTALES VALENTINE M-10 Valentine Card* (0:10) (unused) M-11 Plans* (1:07) M-12 Treasure Adventure* (1:09) M-13 Underwater Treasure* (1:50) M-14 Shark Attack* (1:49) M-15 Mumbo Jumbo* (about 0:37 - 0:40) M-16 P.M.S. Duckie* (1:38) M-17 The Trouble With Arrows* (2:27) M-21 The Love Scheme* (0:51) M-22 Scrooge Gets It* (0:48) M-23 Sad Cupcakes* (3:05) M-24 Operation Allergy* (1:27) M-25 Jealous* (1:04) M-26 Plane To Catch* (0:58) M-27 It's Barbecue Time* (1:42) M-28 True Love* (0:52) NEW GIZMO-KIDS ON THE BLOCK (1 cue) Angry Gopher ----------------------------------------- DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 1: ARMSTRONG (Introduces the following recurring leitmotifs: DUCK MISCHIEF, LAUNCHPAD, ARMSTRONG, FAILURE, UNWELCOME, ARMSTRONG IN CONTROL) Inventor Gyro Gearloose has created Armstrong the robot, who can accomplish any task set before him, including out-flying the pilot Launchpad McQuack. Tycoon Scrooge McDuck, seeing profit in efficiency, wants to use Armstrong in place of office workers, and also plans to mass produce and sell these robots. The robot, however, turns out to have a glitch in his system, as he soon turns against Scrooge and Gyro and captures them. A disgraced Launchpad must now prove man’s worth against machine as Armstrong uses Gyro’s technology to wage war on the ducks and gain supreme control. 14-1-1 Rocks On The Tracks* (1:06) A pastoral theme [footnote: possibly a prototype for WEBBY/THE KIDS, as the first five notes can be found in that later-realized leitmotif] plays as a freight train travels through a mountainous countryside. Aboard the train, Scrooge McDuck plays checkers with gold nuggets against his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, accompanied by lighthearted comedy from the orchestra (the DUCK MISCHIEF theme), until a switch to a tension buildup underscores the moment a rockslide suddenly blocks the tracks ahead, and the engineer pulls the brake, culminating in an intense musical payoff. The unharnessed ducks and the checkerboard and moneybags aplenty are sent flying, and once the train has stopped, Scrooge emerges from a heap of moneybags, complaining about how heavy gold is, as the music ends on one last, feeble statement from DUCK MISCHIEF. 14-1-2 Launchpad McStunt* (1:47) After a few seconds of tension denoting an oncoming fire which, to the dismay of onlooking firefighters, is about to reach a nearby forest, a carefree melody springs to life as Launchpad McQuack bravely pilots his joyrider biplane toward the trouble. This is LAUNCHPAD’s theme, which we’ll be hearing in various incarnations throughout all the rest of the series, [footnote: though not always underscoring scenes where the character is present (sometimes even used interchangeably with DUCK FAMILY)]. The melody plays a bar, then is interrupted by anxious piano when Launchpad's radio picks up Scrooge’s distress call. The melody quickly gets another bar in as Launchpad responds, before the piano returns as the camera shows us Scrooge at his radio on the train, calling for the pilot to come deal with the rockslide. He agrees to, as soon as he’s dealt with the forest fire, and the main melody finally resolves itself into danger: Launchpad has flown into the smoke from the flames and can’t see where he’s going. His scarf gets caught on the lever for his biplane’s cargo hatch, and the music pulls away from the danger theme and into a victorious swell as the hatch opens and releases a gush of water directly onto the fire, extinguishing it and saving the forest purely by accident. The fire chief, oblivious to the accidental nature of the act, praises Launchpad alongside a tone of relief from the orchestra as the pilot heads off to answer Scrooge’s call. At the train, Louie spots the biplane and we hear one more bar of the main melody before Launchpad radios “Mr. McDee” that he’s out of gas, and the music switches to a different, comical theme, repeated four times. The biplane comes down and bounces off the roof of each car of the train, until finally landing in the coal car with a last comical rendition of LAUNCHPAD’s theme. Meet Armstrong* (0:30) A robot, Gyro Gearloose’s latest invention, jogs past the train with a musical intro and leaps onto the tracks as ARMSTRONG’s jubilant theme begins to play. His mechanical feet set themselves sideways to act as wheels to fit the track line, and he rolls over to the rockslide, grabbing an armful of boulders and throwing them impressively up onto the top of the overlooking hill, where they land in the shape of Gyro’s head. Scrooge takes a jab at Launchpad for his failure to clear the tracks, as the cue begins to wrap up on a feeble, comical note. One might think the robot’s theme would be represented by synthesized electronics (the common practice during the ‘80s whenever the wonder of the march of technology was the subject of a TV show or documentary), but interestingly, the theme is instead orchestrated with real instruments, evoking something more akin to a 1940s factory assembly line (or a Rube Goldberg machine), an unusual but effective scoring choice for the time. There’s one other striking thing here: several notes of ARMSTRONG’s main melody appear to be borrowed from LAUNCHPAD’s theme. This actually creates a slight problem later in “The Nephews Need Help”. Armstrong Vacuums (It Talks*?) (0:29) At McDuck Manor, Armstrong takes Scrooge’s butler Duckworth's vacuum as ordered and plugs it into a console on his chest, then proceeds to vacuum throughout the mansion for a demonstration of his abilities. When Armstrong returns to the study, the butler is offended by the robot’s prowess, and unplugs the vacuum, remarking to Scrooge: “Well, if I’m not needed, sir, I think I’ll retire!” ARMSTRONG’s theme is presented here in much the same manner as the previous cue, though at a slightly higher tempo. It Washes, It Cleans* (1:04) Armstrong looks inquisitively at the small toy robot Launchpad has built. Then, after a transition, as the kids watch from a mansion window, Armstrong washes and buffs the limo with much greater speed and efficiency than Duckworth ever has. The usual rhythm here is performed by high keys on a piano, which would create a more subdued sound if not for the faster pace this cue has than the previous two. After a statement of the main melody, the robot opens the garage door remotely with a mere glance, and for a second, the first three notes of the melody appear to take on a threatening tone; but it quickly steps back for optimistic rhythm and a return to the brass-powered main melody as Armstrong pushes the limo into the garage. Then Dewey gets an idea. The kids order Armstrong to clean their room. The robot agrees to do so, and enters the room, but re-emerges immediately. The strings pluck out the DUCK MISCHIEF theme underneath Huey’s skepticism that Armstrong did anything, but glittering strings punctuate a shot of the kids’ shiny, newly-clean room. We get another scene transition, introducing a rhythm change to an even higher key, as the cue wraps up on Armstrong serving the household a meal, pouring coffee into Scrooge’s cup. to be continued... Recording and Ravi Krishna 2
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted August 27, 2025 Posted August 27, 2025 Truly wonderful work, Kenisu. Great to see you here. kenisu3000 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted August 27, 2025 Author Posted August 27, 2025 7 hours ago, Ravi Krishna said: Truly wonderful work, Kenisu. Great to see you here. Hey, great to see you too, Ravi! Been noticing quite a few familiar faces around here. Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted August 30, 2025 Author Posted August 30, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 2 ("Armstrong" continued): 14-1-6 The Race* (1:15) A fan favorite, “The Race” follows Launchpad and Armstrong as they lift off from the Duckburg carnival grounds, racing helicopters in a duel of man vs. machine. The catchy, exhilaratingly cheerful music evokes a sense of competition: on close examination, a duel seems to be going on in the melody itself. The first four notes are taken from the rhythm (namely, the intro) from ARMSTRONG’s theme, condensed down from the usual seven. The second half of the melody (the six notes performed by electric guitar) presents LAUNCHPAD’s theme with the notes played around with slightly. This could be the reason why the two character themes are so closely related, so that they could mesh well in this cue. The two helicopters are neck-and-neck, as one may infer from the orchestra, but then the robot uses his extendable arm to pivot around a pole and gains the lead. The two competitors reach a slalom, and the music treats us to its interlude, a heart-soaring guitar phrase richly backed by crisp tambourine. Using one arm after the other, Armstrong pivots around each pole in turn, but misses one. The duck now gains the lead, and as the music reverts to its original duel-theme, he taunts his opponent and dives under a freeway overpass. Looking back to wave, however, he flies right through a billboard, smearing his windshield with fresh paint. Things have taken a turn for the crazy, and the main melody accordingly changes to a higher key. The helicopter careens out of control. And suddenly the music not only switches gears, it switches genres: a country hoedown accompanies Launchpad's blind flight through a barn full of farm animals and final crash into a pig wallow. Launchpad sits slumped in the muddy wreckage with a clucking hen in his hand. The orchestra lets out one quick comical punctuation; then, in a return to the action tones, Armstrong’s half of the main melody gets the last laugh, as the robot’s helicopter returns, unscathed and triumphant, to the now-twilit carnival grounds. A Sad Day For Launchpad (0:18) The boys and Duckworth give the carnival grounds a quick, stationary scan, looking for the return of their family friend, but he’s nowhere to be seen. In the middle distance, helicopters turn their search beams on the fields. LAUNCHPAD’s theme plays slowly and sadly, the wind having been sucked from its sails, the engine cut from its propeller. Mostly performed on piano, this cue wraps up on a feeble sigh from the wind section as the ducks and the butler leave for home, disappointed. End of Act I. to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 2, 2025 Author Posted September 2, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 3 ("Armstrong" continued): Return Without Honor (Cold Reception*?) (0:20) Defeated chimes acknowledge, with a curt nod, Launchpad’s hunched, muddy arrival at the mansion: the FAILURE theme. Equally defeated is the woodwind that accompanies him as he rings the doorbell. Duckworth welcomes him in and leads him down the hall. The music ends with a shrug. So Much For Compassion (Cold Reception*?) (0:18) A clarinet pipes out dejected tones as Launchpad, pain-stricken, watches the boys embracing Armstrong. “I-am-Armstrong," the robot tells the kids. "I-am-your-friend." He shoots Launchpad a cold glare. The strings come in with a coating of mournfulness, introducing the two-note UNWELCOME motif. The disgraced pilot turns and leaves without saying hello, his head bowed, and chimes accompany the clarinet to see him off with three wistful notes. On closer examination, these bookend statements are actually LAUNCHPAD’s theme in an uncharacteristically disheartened mood. The color range of Ron Jones’s melodies begins to show itself in earnest. A Loose Screw? (0:39) Just before bed, the nephews are upset that there’s only one marshmallow in the hot chocolate Armstrong has served them, but Scrooge says the mansion is being run more efficiently now, insisting the robot knows best, and skips with excitement at the thought of him running his business the next morning. With a strangely dark look, Armstrong wishes the tycoon a good night. Just as LAUNCHPAD’s theme took steps into new emotional territory in the previous cue, ARMSTRONG’s theme is presented here with none of its usual jubilance, but with slow, stony piano, albeit in a high key (perhaps indicative of the uncertainty of the situation, that something seems off about Armstrong, rather than anything being clearly wrong). Actually, this cue was removed from the episode entirely – perhaps its ominous sound was too much of a tell? – and we only know about its existence from its appearances in other, unrelated episodes (the ARMSTRONG melody gives away its true originator). Without access to the slate numbers, one can only guess that this is the scene it was made for, but it fits. Try cueing it up immediately before Armstrong says: “They-will-brush-their-teeth.” The optimistic ending tag syncs up nicely with Scrooge skipping out the door. to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 5, 2025 Author Posted September 5, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 4 ("Armstrong" continued): Replaced By Automation* (0:33) Scrooge has dismissed all of his office workers! We don’t seem meant to feel too sorry for them, however, as we’re spared the actual moment they get the axe; and with the robot now standing alone in the office, ARMSTRONG’s theme starts up yet again, having reached its peak of elation to produce one of the catchiest cues in all the series. The leitmotif’s usual intro rhythm is now so full of punch it suffices in place of all the main melody except for the payoff. Armstrong uses his remote-controlling eyes to activate the electric typewriters normally operated by the workers, Scrooge smiling with approval at the rising tide of ticker tape. Now in the main office just outside of the vault, a seven-armed Armstrong sits at Scrooge’s desk, answering phones and signing papers in a flurry of rubbery limbs to a looping whirlwind of cheerful strings. Scrooge relaxes on a nearby sofa and flies a carefree paper airplane before lying down to take a nap. The looping sequence begins a gradual descent until the daytime scene transitions to the crescent moon visible from the window, and the excitement finally winds down to a note that hangs in the air for a second before offering a short, gentle stir. Scrooge awakens from his nap. Open Vault Alert! (0:10) Scrooge’s vault door is open! He’s being robbed! He dashes inside. A moment of rising tension from the strings gives way to relief: it’s only Armstrong, sorting Scrooge’s money with a forklift. The Real Armstrong* (0:40) On three low, rapid beats of threatening percussion -- and a deadly piano chord that lingers thereafter -- the hammer falls at last. The robot suddenly uses the forklift to pin Scrooge against the wall. An electric guitar growls out ARMSTRONG’s theme, and the robot now glares at the duck with glowing red eyes and states that the money is his. Horror slowly dawns on Scrooge as UNWELCOME plays in tense tones. Scrooge hears a mechanical noise, and looks up to see the vault door automatically closing. He escapes the forklift and darts up the ladder, the orchestra urging him on, but the door is closed. He’s trapped. A pool of light swallows him. The robot has caught up to him, headlamp blazing. ARMSTRONG looms menacingly over Scrooge, the entire string section screaming in rising terror, and the robot’s red eyes sear through the cliffhanger transition into the next scene. “I-am-Armstrong. I-am-your-friend…” to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 6, 2025 Author Posted September 6, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, parts 5-9 ("Armstrong" continued): Satellite Sabotage (0:51) Gyro sees that Scrooge is in Armstrong's grasp, and we get a fleeting moment of low-key, but building, tension. The string section then bombards us with an onslaught of smart shrieks presented in a stabbing rhythm as the robot throws a switch on Gyro’s console, linking up with and taking control of a satellite system in orbit above Earth. Brass then repeats the rhythm, transforming it into a tense melody. The satellites redirect themselves. Rows of power lines extending miles into the distance crackle to life. As a fleet of spy cameras fly out of Gyro’s window and disappear into the night, we’re now introduced to a new theme, ARMSTRONG IN CONTROL, presented as a bone-chilling ostinato. Back indoors, we see that Gyro and Scrooge have been placed inside a makeshift prison with a forcefield. The inventor explains that Armstrong can now operate any electric object by remote control. We get a brass crescendo as Scrooge rolls his sleeves up in indignation – “No tin-plated, battery-operated dictator is going to stop me!” – but attempting to walk through the forcefield, he only manages to make a duck-blur of himself, and the cue ends on an orchestral groan. Bad Robot (Cold Reception*?) (0:16) The nephews, concerned about their uncle’s whereabouts, call Gyro but get a sharp response from the inventor. Then we see the other line: Armstrong is imitating Gyro’s voice. He hangs up and gives a cold laugh. This scene is accompanied by spine-tingling bowing effects on a waterphone. 14-3-1 Toy Wars* (1:50) Act III opens on a cue of dread and danger, a rhythm-heavy slow burn that builds in intensity with each beat of the scene it was scored for. Over the now-deeply threatening tones of ARMSTRONG IN CONTROL, the robot suspects the nephews will give him trouble, so he directs a pair of spy cameras toward the mansion. Without losing momentum, the music gains an inquisitive woodwind tone playing the FAILURE theme as the kids decide to go to Gyro’s, only to be confused by an apparent malfunction from the garage door, barring them from their bicycles. The woodwinds drop out to be replaced by the brass crescendo from the end of “Satellite Sabotage” as the boys retrieve their bikes through the side window. Armstrong is momentarily thwarted, but is determined to crush them. The boys, now atop their bikes, round a corner onto the city streets and the orchestra at last explodes into full alarm. They ride past a toy store, where toy tanks and airplanes whirr to life and give pursuit. On Dewey’s statement that someone is controlling the electronics remotely, the strings suddenly offer even greater intensity to the music with a loud and furious drive. Huey dodges a toy plane and it takes out one of the spy cameras. Another plane misses the same duck and crashes into a tree branch. We’re given a magnificent strings-and-percussion flourish… then the stringed fury now brings the cue to a wind-down: Huey slowly realizes they’re just toys and the kids have nothing to be afraid of, underscored by FAILURE. The boys stop their bikes and pick the tanks up on DUCK MISCHIEF, then the same high-flying theme from “Launchpad McStunt” wraps the cue up as they place three overturned toy tanks back on the sidewalk. The Nephews Need Help (Cold Reception*?) (0:47) Backed up by FAILURE, four notes of ARMSTRONG’s theme fume as the robot glowers over his spy monitor and the overturned toy tanks. The strings-powered ostinato resolves itself into a tense UNWELCOME as the kids now stand before the gate to Gyro’s barn. They ignore the danger sign and walk through, only to be met with orchestral bombast and a destructive laser beam that melts the front ends of their bikes before they’re able to back away. Armstrong stands menacingly before them with one more bow-slash on the waterphone. On an uncharacteristically angry DUCK MISCHIEF, Louie storms angrily forward, but the robot chases them all away with more eye-lasers – strings, brass and percussion shrieking together in wild fury – and the kids hide behind the shed, reevaluating their plan. They realize they should go get Launchpad, and as they make for the pilot’s abode, ARMSTRONG’s theme gives a comical little farewell (this may actually be LAUNCHPAD’s theme – since the two leitmotifs are so closely tied – with the final six notes simplified into one). 14-3-3 Air Battle* (1:40) As Armstrong remotely watches the joyrider take off, LAUNCHPAD's theme gets a short, humble statement that unravels into extreme danger, an aggressive, repeating phrase of brass and percussion performed as a military march. Armstrong answers the ducks’ new attempt by spinning dials and punching buttons on his console. Meanwhile, at a nearby airfield, the panel of a fighter jet lights up on its own. A few seconds and one bewildered mechanic later, three missile-ready jets are airborne. Over a tense brass bridge, they sight Launchpad’s biplane. Then it’s missiles away. The controlled chaos returns to the music, though now fierce strings accompany the percussion to belt out the aggressive phrase. The boys and Launchpad become aware of their pursuers. After one missile flies past, Launchpad tries to evade the next by pushing forward on the control stick… which promptly breaks in his hand. The pilot tries desperately to reattach it, and in his efforts jostles the base so much he inadvertently maneuvers around the missile. The boys congratulate LAUNCHPAD on his fancy flying, the music taking an interlude to add its praise. Then the interlude is over as quickly as it began. With greater intensity than ever, a key change to the main phrase signals the approach of the final missile. The ducks try to avoid it, but this one is heat-seeking and follows their every move. With a final build-up from the orchestra, Launchpad leads the missile into a backward dive and ascent so that it collides with and destroys the fighter jets in a huge musical release, and LAUNCHPAD's theme soars away carefree and triumphant with the ducks. They land directly on Gyro's roof, destroying the master satellite dish, and chimes breathe a final sigh of relief. Satellite Shutdown (0:23) The melody from “Satellite Sabotage” returns in slowly dying brass, and the satellite system ceases operations. Spy cameras collapse onto the ground. The monitors on Armstrong’s console go dark. This is followed by a furtive LAUNCHPAD theme in woodwinds as the pilot lowers a rope ladder and the ducks sneak along the side of the house. Before they can surprise Armstrong, however, the robot bursts out of the front door and, with a sudden swell of tension from the orchestra, throws a punch at Launchpad that goes wide and smashes the door’s framework. Launchpad VS Armstrong (Short Circuit*?) (0:42) A driving rhythm with furious strings underscores Armstrong’s foot-pursuit of Launchpad around Gyro's barn. On closer examination, this is a menacing version of ARMSTRONG’s rhythm. As Launchpad climbs the rope ladder, we hear the first three notes of ARMSTRONG’s melody, and similar to the threatening tone they took when the robot first opened the garage door in “It Washes, It Cleans”, this time they adopt a tone of tension. Armstrong stretches a limb and grabs hold of Launchpad’s ankle as the pilot tries to climb back into the plane. This action is accompanied by a series of desperate, stabbing strings: our introduction to the LAUNCHPAD IN PERIL theme. Being pulled back toward the ground, Launchpad makes a grab for the closest thing he can reach – the cargo hatch lever. The hatch opens and a gush of water splashes onto Armstrong, short-circuiting him. A series of piano strikes and manic strings punctuates the robot falling to pieces and collapsing in a harmless, smoking heap. The boys have retrieved Scrooge and Gyro from their prison. After a victory dance accompanied by relieved strings, Scrooge apologizes to Launchpad, and the cue closes on a moment of quiet triumph as stated by LAUNCHPAD’s theme in brass. 14-3-6 Hot Chocolate* (0:29) Back at the mansion, the family stands around the living room, the nephews delighted at the return of both marshmallows in their hot chocolate, as we’re treated to another fan favorite musical piece. This episode-closer – itself a sort of musical equivalent of hot chocolate – features a mild guitar with gentle percussion expressing relief at the end of a hectic day. Then Scrooge becomes defiant with Duckworth over the lack of marshmallows in his cocoa, and the guitar stands down to let the main strings speak their piece in the second section, an anticipatory build-up that swells into a gloriously triumphant payoff, as the butler obliges. Next: We're skipping "Master of the Djinni" and the Library, "Money Vanishes" etc. for now and going straight into "Treasure of the Golden Suns"! Ravi Krishna 1
SF1_freeze 138 Posted September 6, 2025 Posted September 6, 2025 How often and in which cues did they use the Duck Tales Main Theme?
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 7, 2025 Author Posted September 7, 2025 On 06/09/2025 at 12:18 AM, SF1_freeze said: How often and in which cues did they use the Duck Tales Main Theme? Well, there are the two commercial bumpers, which are very short orchestral statements of part of the song, and which played three times each episode. Unfortunately, the DVDs and Disney+ cut these bumpers out, and one of the only ways you can hear them is through old VHS recordings. (And even then, they have to be direct recordings from TV broadcasts, because iirc the official VHS tapes that Disney sold in stores cut the bumpers too.) There's also the music from the TV spots, and it's pretty much how I've always felt an orchestration of the song should sound. It's lively, it's catchy, the instrumentation is fantastic... but it's only 30 seconds long, and again, you have to find VHS tapes people recorded from TV to hear it, so the audio quality is never great. Other than that, in the show itself there's a small 7-or-8-second transition cue ("DuckTales Short Intro Arranged") that's mainly just an arrangement of the intro with a quick flourish. It gets tracked three times in the series, in "Sphinx for the Memories", "Scrooge's Pet" and "The Unbreakable Bin". But the longest one by far is a wonderful jazz orchestration that plays all of one time in the series, during the baseball game in "Magica's Magic Mirror/Take Me Out of the Ballgame". And even then, the episode cuts it down by nearly a total minute, so it's never fully heard in the show. The entire cue lasts roughly 1 minute 47 seconds. In any case, let me take this opportunity to say, there is so much more to the music of DuckTales than just its theme song (and the Moon theme from the NES game). These two tunes absolutely deserve their throne in fan culture. But Ron Jones composed tons of super-catchy melodies for the characters and the places and the thematic concepts of DuckTales, and weaved them into his cues in surprisingly intricate ways. "Treasure of the Golden Suns" alone has, among other leitmotifs, a theme for the main villain, L. Capitan (which begins secretive and shadowy until eventually openly declaring itself noble and proud), a mysterious theme for the fabled Valley of the Golden Suns, and a heroic tune symbolizing the overall adventure; and Jones plays around with these melodies in all kinds of fun ways throughout the cues. And there are literally dozens of these melodies throughout the series. To any curious, film score-loving soul reading this, looking past the theme song is, I promise you, incredibly rewarding. Ravi Krishna 1
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted September 7, 2025 Posted September 7, 2025 Before I read your cue list, I could not tell which cue was originally composed for which episode. For example in here, I always knew The Nephews Need Help from the scene where Launchpad is confronted by lions in "Double-O-Duck". Similarly I knew Battle With The Condors from the Hall of Echoes scene in "The Golden Fleecing", and Penguin Chase, Pt. 2 from the time cyclone rampage in "Home Sweet Homer". Amazing how Ron Jones composed these pieces in such a versatile and adaptable manner while keeping them so enjoyable as standalone cues. I also like this Air Battle cue more than the same titled library track that he had uploaded on his website. And the nostalgia associated with the Hot Chocolate cue is difficult to describe in words. Looking forward to the "Treasure of the Golden Suns" analysis! Those episodes have almost 70-75% of the most memorable cues from the series, IMHO. kenisu3000 and Doutor Sávio 1 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 8, 2025 Author Posted September 8, 2025 On 07/09/2025 at 9:09 AM, Ravi Krishna said: Before I read your cue list, I could not tell which cue was originally composed for which episode. For example in here, I always knew The Nephews Need Help from the scene where Launchpad is confronted by lions in "Double-O-Duck". Similarly I knew Battle With The Condors from the Hall of Echoes scene in "The Golden Fleecing", and Penguin Chase, Pt. 2 from the time cyclone rampage in "Home Sweet Homer". Amazing how Ron Jones composed these pieces in such a versatile and adaptable manner while keeping them so enjoyable as standalone cues. I also like this Air Battle cue more than the same titled library track that he had uploaded on his website. And the nostalgia associated with the Hot Chocolate cue is difficult to describe in words. Looking forward to the "Treasure of the Golden Suns" analysis! Those episodes have almost 70-75% of the most memorable cues from the series, IMHO. Oh yes! It was a huge part of the fun of putting together those cue sheets -- guessing/finding out what scenes the non-Library cues were composed for. Sometimes it could be a little confusing. My original title for "Battle With The Condors" was "Out From Under Our Feet" for this exact reason: in the early stages of my documentation, I had assumed it was composed for the scene in "Golden Suns 5" where the brick floor in the temple starts to collapse underneath the ducks' feet. And it's no wonder I thought that, either -- the different changes to the music fit the action beats incredibly well, as though the cue had been written for that scene. Point to the music editor there. Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
NewBlueEyes 150 Posted September 15, 2025 Posted September 15, 2025 It's a good thing I found Ron Jones' new website. Perfect for the DuckTales fans out there. But pity that Ron isn't aware of this forum www.rjscores.com kenisu3000 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 19, 2025 Author Posted September 19, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 10 THE TREASURE OF THE GOLDEN SUNS (49 cues) The epic storyline that kicks off the series! Scrooge and company venture to uncover the largest treasure trove in the history of the world, pursued by a mysterious stranger styling himself “L. Capitan”. Following a series of clues and maps laid out across South America and Antarctica, they retrace the hundreds-year-old steps of a conquistador army to a gold-slathered jungle temple in the fabled Valley of the Golden Suns, but end up biting off more than they can chew when they discover a dark warning from the ancients… and the volcanic valley will not yield its wealth so easily. The orchestral score is incredible and some of the most prominent, iconic and beloved material heard in the series. Contrary to popular belief, “Golden Suns” was not produced initially as a two-hour movie then later broken into five episodes with new scenes added. It was created as a five-parter from the get-go, then later edited together (removing several existing scenes in the process) for the movie cut; and a close look at the music bears this out, as the material that was scored to picture fits the action beats in the five-parter much better than the movie. For example, “Penguin Chase Pt. 2” begins with an arrangement of the GIANT WALRUS theme, which makes sense at the appearance of said walrus in the five-parter, but not as used in the movie cut, where it begins earlier with the penguin mob gathering against the ducks. This is in addition to the fact that it’s part two, where the part one cue wasn’t used in the chopped-to-pieces movie cut of this scene at all. Possibly due to a time conflict with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ron Jones used ghostwriters extensively for this one (pulled from the Mike Post team), though it wouldn’t be accurate to say the ghostwritten cues, which make up half the score, were composed whole-cloth separate from Jones: Really what appears to have happened is, he composed all the leitmotifs then handed these off to the ghostwriters, who then arranged the melodies in various ways (though their own unique touches do shine through from time to time). Quick note: When I use “Library” with a capital “L”, I’m referring to any cue that was NOT scored to picture. Small “l” library refers to the entire score as a whole in relation to its applicability to a given scene. (Introduces the following recurring leitmotifs: L. CAPITAN, VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS, GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE, GOLDEN SUNS TENSION, GUPPY PLANE, JOAQUIN SLOLEE, GIANT WALRUS, SKITTLES) Part 1: Don’t Give Up the Ship Donald Duck joins the Navy, leaving his three nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie in the care of their rich but crotchety Uncle Scrooge. No one is happy with the situation, but the kids discover a plot by the Beagle Boys, led by a mysterious stranger in an overcoat, to steal a small model ship from the wealthy duck’s money bin; and Scrooge and his nephews must set aside their differences to team up in a showdown inside a candy factory, to reclaim the ship from the Beagles. But one last surprise is yet to be revealed: their trophy holds an important secret. Goodbye Unca Donald* (0:57) Although “Treasure of the Golden Suns” begins on a chipper Library cue, it soon gives over to the next piece of music – the first from this session that was scored to picture – and this one punctuates a bitter parting. At the Duckburg pier, Donald Duck is waiting for a boat to take him to the Navy. He admonishes his young nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie to behave themselves while in the care of their Uncle Scrooge. The music is a sorrow-filled melody of parting on synthesized piano, which swells into orchestrated strings and vibraphone performing LAUNCHPAD (a case of that theme being used in place of DUCK FAMILY) as the four ducks leap together into a final embrace, then ends on a low, sourpuss rendition of same as Scrooge argues with the cabbie. It’s a versatile composition used for many a tender moment, including Scrooge reminiscing about his days with Goldie in “Back to the Klondike”, or the nephews and their uncle embracing in “Nothing to Fear” after both parties encounter evil doppelgangers of each other that threaten to tear the family apart. The Letter Montage* (0:48) Donald has written the boys from the aircraft carrier he serves on, and as they read his letter we get a montage of his latest mishaps, each of which he, through clever wording, attempts to pass off as a deed to be proud of. Performed on vibrant strings, heroic brass and military percussion, and bursting with patriotism, this cue is indelibly associated with Donald’s Navy “exploits” throughout season one. Scrooge And Solicitors* (0:30) A clarinet, backed up by double bass, comically underscores Scrooge’s use of various traps and devices to remove a parade of solicitors from his office. A Junior Woodchuck regional director then comes in and, as the cue wraps up on a short, slow brass statement, he manages to get his spiel out just short of being chucked out the window (and this the top floor). Prison Break And L. Capitan* (0:51) After a tense musical buildup brought to us by violin, vibraphone and thudding percussion, a bomb goes off, and the Beagle Boys have broken out of prison to the relentless shrieks of the string section, with the BEAGLE BOYS theme lurking in the bassline. In anticipation of a meeting, the criminals enter an abandoned theater. The vibraphone, now soft and muted, brings out the dusty, rundown state of the building. A dark and mysterious stranger in a hat and trenchcoat then greets the Beagles, and with the vibraphone providing a steady rhythm, we hear our first occurrence of the L. CAPITAN theme; but one has to know what one is listening for to catch it: performed here with strained strings, at a lower tempo than it will soon be known for, it’s as much in disguise as the character himself is in this first episode. The leitmotif’s appearances later on in “Shady Dealings” and “Into The Factory” follow suit. As L. Capitan explains that he wants something other than cash from Scrooge’s money bin, and Bigtime wonders what could be more valuable than three cubic acres of cash, a bowed waterphone adds to the unsettled atmosphere, and the L. CAPITAN theme slowly but steadily amplifies to a tense finish as the stranger gives his answer: “A small wooden ship.” End of Act I. to be continued... Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 1 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 20, 2025 Author Posted September 20, 2025 On 15/09/2025 at 5:38 PM, NewBlueEyes said: It's a good thing I found Ron Jones' new website. Perfect for the DuckTales fans out there. But pity that Ron isn't aware of this forum www.rjscores.com Thanks for that link! Looking through his new site, it appears there isn't anything from DuckTales that he hasn't already had on previous iterations of his site (so far, I've only found "Soaring" and the 10-minute suite), but it's good to know about!
NewBlueEyes 150 Posted September 21, 2025 Posted September 21, 2025 Glad that you enjoyed it. You can contact Ron if there's cues from Ducktales to put in his website, if you want
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 22, 2025 Author Posted September 22, 2025 On 20/09/2025 at 8:26 PM, NewBlueEyes said: Glad that you enjoyed it. You can contact Ron if there's cues from Ducktales to put in his website, if you want He's not really the type who takes requests (which is understandable). Best we can do is hold out hope for a soundtrack release. Doutor Sávio 1
NewBlueEyes 150 Posted September 22, 2025 Posted September 22, 2025 Doubt if Disney will ever respond to the fans
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 26, 2025 Author Posted September 26, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 11 ("Don't Give Up the Ship" continued): Thanks Aaron* (0:44) – Jerry Grant At the mansion, the boys overhear their Uncle Scrooge ranting to Duckworth about them, and proceed to run away from home, carrying their suitcases out into the night… and unfortunately missing the part of the conversation where Scrooge changes his mind and decides to apologize to them. Here’s the first of many ghostwritten cues from the “Golden Suns” storyline. Handled by Jerry Grant, “Thanks Aaron” should be a very familiar one to longtime viewers. A quaint harmonica sings a variation on DUCK MISCHIEF, backed up by synthesized bells. A statement in strings of the opening bell notes follows, then a humble clarinet answers with a phrase of its own. The bells return, then harmonica and clarinet perform together before we return briefly to the original harmonica as the cue wraps up. The tune evokes images of weary travelers and striking out on one’s own. It begs the question, though, who is Aaron? This could be one of those cases where a score composer has sent somebody else in the production a message by giving a cue a meaningful title. Since this was presumably the first DuckTales cue that Ron Jones asked Jerry Grant to help out with, my guess is that Grant wanted to thank him for the gig. Somewhere between the cue sheet and the repertoire database I got this name from, someone probably made some mistake in data entry, and the actual name is likely to be “Thanks Ron”. Something Lurks In The Shadows (0:30) The nephews come upon L. Capitan standing silently on a dark street corner. Violins creak out a single long, ominous note, with soft but forbidding percussive accompaniment. This leads up to a small chill as the note ends and the music then begins a slow, calculated melody on the shot of the three ducklings sneaking into the money bin. They see Bigtime and Burger Beagle arguing about something, but just as the kids decide to get help, Bouncer Beagle spots them. They make a run for it, the music ending on a tense three-note crescendo that trails into the next cue. Run For It* (0:20) WEBBY/THE KIDS plays on tense strings as Huey, Dewey and Louie run past the Beagle Boys and down the hall, using the firehose to trip up their pursuers to an accordingly chaotic brass finish. Shady Dealings (Tussle In The Theater*?) (1:11) After a short pizzicato statement representing the nephews poking their heads up into frame in the abandoned theater (via a few notes from DUCK MISCHIEF, the same variation used in “Thanks Aaron”), the ducklings decide to get a closer look. The Beagle Boys and the man who sent them on this mission are sitting at a small card table on the stage. L. CAPITAN plays low and suggestive of tension just underneath the surface when Bigtime (in perhaps his most devious moment of the series) lights a match and threatens to torch the ship if the old stranger isn’t forthcoming on why the object is so valuable. As the man then proceeds to explain that the boat is in fact a map leading to a sunken ship filled with gold, we hear, courtesy of a faraway trumpet, the mysterious and wondrous VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS theme, quiet and distant here in its first appearance.1 But as the nephews sneak backstage and begin to untie a rope, the theme builds in anticipatory woodwinds, until a sandbag smashes down onto the table and the boat falls into the ducklings’ hands. The music breaks into action tones with the kids’ attempt to get away with the ship, brass belting out DUCK FAMILY. Another rope goes up and a false brick wall comes down, blocking the Beagle Boys’ progress. But just as the nephews make a break for the exit, the momentum in the music comes to a screeching halt, to make way for a tense brass crescendo. L. Capitan is blocking the kids’ path, wielding a chair and a bottle and threatening to bludgeon them. End of Act II. 1. At least, this would be its first appearance, had “Color Museum” from Part 4 not been tracked into the scene earlier where the kids get their first impressions of McDuck Manor. to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted September 27, 2025 Author Posted September 27, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 12 ("Don't Give Up the Ship" continued): Into The Factory (Tussle In The Theater*?) (2:37) “Give the ship to me, niño.” L. CAPITAN’s theme looms over the nephews, low and threatening, as the old stranger advances on them. The Beagle Boys tear away a curtain and throw it over the kids, but the bulge suddenly sinks into the floor. DUCK MISCHIEF comes in to give the oppressive tune a slight comic flavoring as Bigtime tries to locate the trapdoor. It opens and the criminals fall through. In the basement, Huey, Dewey and Louie struggle to push open the exit over a crescendo into a teasing of a leitmotif that will soon prove an integral part of this story’s tapestry (and, through extensive tracking, the entire series as a whole): the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme. The exit yields and the kids escape. Strings punctuate this with a series of quick dramatic cries. L. Capitan shrieks that his long-lost prize is getting away, and outside, the Beagle Boys chase the kids up a fire escape. A frantic, electronic rendition of the intro to the Library cue “Desert Chase” accompanies them, followed by the same statement in brass then repeated once. Now on the theater roof, the ducklings decide to run and get their Uncle Scrooge, who’s currently doing a TV interview at his candy factory. We get another couple of teasers of the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme. What then follows is a chase scene driven by DUCK MISCHIEF in a building tempo. The film is intercut between Scrooge’s interview and his nephews running along the rooftops evading the Beagles. The lengthy phrase is divided in half by another short, quiet teaser of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE on a shot of L. Capitan wheezing his way up the fire escape. Upon the second half, percussion is added to DUCK MISCHIEF, and the interview turns in a direction that catches Scrooge off-guard and causes him to begin to rethink his sore feelings toward Huey, Dewey and Louie. The kids tightrope-walk along a power cable connecting to the candy factory’s roof, as Scrooge now speaks to the interviewer with praise for his nephews, and the music introduces a change to a higher key, toward a fantastic climax beginning with yet another statement of the teaser; and with the orchestra now turning to a hanging anticipation, Bigtime shakes the cable and sends the kids crashing through the factory window and into a custard vat, the brass section finally crying out an arrangement of the teaser with all its might for a grand finish. Battle In The Candy Factory* (1:48) – Tom Worrall We see a series of set pieces in which Scrooge and his nephews, through various candy-related methods, thwart the Beagle Boys’ attempts to take the ship. One can picture army helmets and grenades made of sweets in this patriotic, military-flavored paragon of the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme, composed of a series of statements of the opening notes, teasing just a little bit more at a time in anticipation of the eventual release of the full melody. Tom Worrall also takes the leitmotif Ron Jones has handed him and appears to give it his own flair, arranging the two initial notes into a three-note fanfare. He also plays around slightly with the main melody, a technique we’ll hear to a greater degree in the next episode’s “Dangerous Journey”. Midway through the cue, Bigtime manages to get his hands on Huey, using him to ransom the ship, and the music takes on a tense bass and woodwind tone until Scrooge delivers Bigtime the boat and, at long last, we hear the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme in its full splendor. The Beagle Boys have the ship back, but Scrooge then turns a giant vat over onto them and the entire factory is caked in a sea of liquid chocolate, covering the Beagle Boys, and with an explosion of brass and strings, the cue ends on a bombastic finish. Ominous Play-Off (Stories)* (0:07) – Tom Worrall L. CAPITAN’s theme finally sheds its vagueness for open declaration as the character threatens Scrooge McDuck, wrapping up on a tense, two-note flourish as the episode ends on a “to be continued…” title. Next! Treasure of the Golden Suns part 2 -- Wronguay in Ronguay Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted October 9, 2025 Author Posted October 9, 2025 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 13 "Treasure of the Golden Suns" Part 2: Wronguay in Ronguay L. Capitan, the stranger from the previous episode, teams up with Scrooge’s dastardly rival Flintheart Glomgold to follow McDuck and his nephews to a South American desert: it turns out that the model ship was a map to a full-sized, sunken ship filled with gold. But the question of how a ship can be sunk in the desert is answered when the ducks are suddenly caught in a torrential downpour. The map leads them to a cave, where the two villains catch up with them and trap them inside. Now the ducks must find a way out of the quickly-flooding caverns… and into a bay where lies a certain gleaming quarry… Glomgold’s Greed* (0:43) – Tom Worrall From his office, Flintheart Glomgold gloats over the TV news story of Scrooge’s wrecked factory, certain the damage will knock his rival down several pegs as the Richest Duck in the World. Tom Worrall takes Ron Jones’s GLOMGOLD theme and gives it a heavy arrangement until it resembles a traditional Scottish melody. Walking over to consult a large board on the far wall as his accountant feeds the numbers into the computer, Flintheart compares the relative worths of himself and Scrooge via bar graphs. The orchestra abandons the Scottish instrumentation for woodwinds that punctuate the fluctuating graphs; and to the villain’s dismay, he’s still nowhere near gaining on McDuck. Suddenly the phone rings, and on the other line, a wheezy voice has a proposal for Glomgold… L. CAPITAN’s theme is performed here with ominous strings, much in the same manner as it was in the closing cue from the previous episode. Light Mystery* (0:47) – Jerry Grant Cheers come from inside the mansion library. Inquisitive strings accompany the nephews’ pondering of the writing on the model ship, Huey declaring it must be a code. A somber cello croons out a mournful dirge for lonely treasure abandoned for centuries, as the boys realize they’re dealing with an alphanumeric cipher. As they come closer to the answer, bells chime like those of a clock. At last it’s revealed: the numbers indicate map coordinates. Scrooge enters the library with slow brass accompaniment, demanding to know what the kids have figured out. They hold the answer hostage, though, in return for permission to join their uncle on the treasure hunt, and aligning with Scrooge’s unwillingness to bend, the orchestra dwindles away with fading bells. to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 1 Author Posted January 1 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 14 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): Dangerous Journey* (2:28) – Tom Worrall The boys get to come along after all! Beginning with a brass fanfare that sounds like it took inspiration from Jerry Goldsmith’s famous trumpet-call from Patton (with an extra note tacked on for resolution), Tom Worrall brings us a sweeping adventure cue constructed from the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme, in the vein of the travel sequences from the Indiana Jones series. (The only thing missing is the superimposed map and thin red line tracing the route). The ducks are on a ramshackle plane flying to the tiny South American country of Ronguay. At least they think that’s where they’re going. Suddenly the main melody is presented in a minor key. Louie notices the sun is in the wrong position in the sky for them to be traveling south. The boys awaken their uncle from his mid-flight nap and together they break into the cockpit and confront the pilot, who turns out to be nothing more than a tin-barrel robot. The orchestra begins to anticipate worse trouble with a new section introduced by apprehensive brass and percussion. Strings loaded with whining tension accompany the kids’ attempt to beat down the robot until they unplug its power cord, at which point the machine short-circuits to a loud musical payoff, again presented with brass and drums. Robbed of its pilot, the plane now nosedives toward the open sea and the nephews try to take the helm, the orchestra displaying equal desperation through frantic brass, marching percussion and whirling strings. But it’s of no avail: the Junior Woodchuck’s Guidebook fails them in their attempt to figure out how to fly an ordinary airplane. Scrooge takes the controls and saves them at the last second from a watery grave, and the orchestra reverts to the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE minor-key theme. As the plane rights itself, the boys notice a label on the robot: it was manufactured by Flintheart Glomgold. Scrooge voices his suspicion and the cue winds to a close on a double statement of the introductory trumpet-call. Search* (1:51) – Jerry Grant Jerry Grant begins this cue by taking the first three notes of the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE THEME and playing around with them on oboe, adding an extra note in the middle and repeating it several times before a quotation of the theme’s next few notes (or rather, a stylized version of the next few notes) as a payoff. A rhythm of light percussion denotes anticipation without any real danger (yet). All this provides lovely audio decor for a montage of the sudden rainstorm – the Monsoppies – that hits the desert. Lightning strikes rocky crags, water streams down through gullies, and the ducks wade across the fast-flooding desert underneath an umbrella of palm leaves as they navigate the myriad crags in search of their treasure. Eventually they hit a dead end, and the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme takes a different tack, suddenly losing its momentum to meander in the Limbo of uncertainty as Scrooge begins to admit a moping defeat. The boys try to cheer him up, but nothing works (the horns are replaced by low, subdued synthesizer stabs and then a meek flute) until Louie hits upon a clue on the model ship, and the familiar theme regains its brass-powered vim. Scrooge realizes the cave atop the crag in front of them is shaped like an upside-down ship, and to a refreshed and eager brass section, the ducks scramble inside to find… Nothing. The enthusiasm in the music quickly dwindles down to nil. Fast Asleep* (0:16) – Jerry Grant Glomgold and L. Capitan shine a flashlight into the cave where the ducks are sleeping, intent on getting ahead of them in the race for the treasure. Jerry Grant provides a short, higher-tempo rendition of the next cue, “Cave In, Cave Out”, made up of threatening brass and a clocklike percussion rhythm for the sneaky aspect (in fact, this is L. CAPITAN’s theme, played around with), and ending on the theme in more familiar form on the old wheezer’s ominous gloat that they’ve “got them now”. Cut to commercial. to be continued... Ravi Krishna 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 15 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): Cave In, Cave Out* (2:11) – Jerry Grant A slightly slower-tempo version of L. CAPITAN’s theme from the previous cue (“Fast Asleep”) underscores the villains’ quibbling at the cave entrance. This intro is suggestive of a ticking clock, a countdown: we’re now in the home stretch before the great discovery. Glomgold and L. Capitan then sneak into the cave, but the orchestra changes tack into a short bout of quiet anticipation before an explosion of chaos punctuates their blunder: they trip over the kids’ makeshift alarm, causing an enormous racket that wakes the ducks up. Percussion and brass headed by suspended flutes give added voice and clatter to the pots and pans. Scrooge jumps up from his sleeping position and shouts in alarm. “Robbers! Thieves! Politicians!” The intruders proceed further into the caves. After a quick flutter from the woodwinds (L. CAPITAN in a high-pitched whine) contrasted against a few low plucks from a bass guitar, the music at last hits the ground running as Scrooge and the boys take up a hot pursuit, backed by a series of string stabs in rapid, consistent rhythm. At a fork in the caverns, Glomgold and the stranger take one path, and the duck family takes the other. An impatient melody in brass repeats several times, seeking elusive resolution, until the two paths circle into each other and the heroes and villains meet. The two parties now recognize and name each other off to more suspended instruments (this time from the strings section) and the brass gears up to resolve itself – but Glomgold and the stranger tear off down another path and the horns signal things aren’t over yet. The music’s resolution has escaped again along with the villains. The string rhythm returns in a higher key, but despite Scrooge’s immediate response, he loses track of his rival. The clock comes to a halt and chimes a few times. Then a voice calls out to Scrooge from a spot overhead. Flintheart stands mockingly at a cave opening before sliding a large boulder over the exit, entombing the ducks. Two heavy, descending notes of brass, like a miniature dirge, close the book on the first half of the cue. The setup is over, the set piece has begun. The intro gets a reprisal in a new key: the caves are slowly flooding with rain water. The clock is ticking again. Scrooge leads the kids on through the caverns in search of another exit. A montage ensues of the ducks wading through the progressively heightening water, and a warily hopeful arrangement of the VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS in strings takes over, dulcet percussion keeping steady time and deep, rich bass guitar punctuating the end of each measure. Suddenly Scrooge drops out of sight, and more suspended flutes accompany the nephews as they pull him back up from an open-air precipice. The old duck returns to this new cave exit to get a better look at the valley below. Four rising, exotic notes of pizzicato provide a buildup. An ancient ship lies aslant upon an islet in the rain below, a gigantic pile of golden treasure sprawled in unconcerned repose half-outside a gaping crevasse in the hull. The VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS theme, no longer seeing any need to subdue itself, finds majestic, woodwind-charged resolution. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Dangerous Journey is another favourite cue of mine from the score. I always knew it best from the epic swordfight scene in the climax of "Duck in the Iron Mask". It fit so well in there. kenisu3000 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 21 hours ago, Ravi Krishna said: Dangerous Journey is another favourite cue of mine from the score. I always knew it best from the epic swordfight scene in the climax of "Duck in the Iron Mask". It fit so well in there. I fully agree!! That scene and the Ronguay scene it was composed for are the two moments I most associate that cue with! Plus, it helps that "Duck in the Iron Mask" is one of the best episodes of the series. Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 16 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): All That Glitters* (0:22) – Jerry Grant As Scrooge and the boys look over the heaps of golden treasure in the ship's hull, the VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS theme cues up in tone both mythical and mystical. But how to get the gold home? Scrooge has a plan: have the kids earn their Junior Woodchuck seamanship badges! The music winds down, fairly abruptly, on a small but optimistic GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE tag. In the five-episode serial (which nowadays is the most familiar and most available version of this story arc), this cue was scrapped in favor of a “Shady Dealings” repeat, though it is heard in its proper place in the movie cut for the TV premiere. But why would it have been replaced? One can only guess; the low-key, “sneaky” aspect of the replacement cue robs the scene of any sense of wonder. One possibility is that it would be premature to present the VALLEY leitmotif in full splendor here, when it serves the story better to have the theme slowly build in magnificence until the big payoff in the Valley itself in Part 5. to be continued... Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 DUCKTALES cue analysis part 17 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): On Our Way* (1:31) – Jerry Grant With raring brass, strong percussion and two shrill bowings of the strings greeting them, Huey, Dewey and Louie report to the deck, having patched up the hull using the golden treasure itself. Scrooge paces before them as they explain their handiwork, and a woodwind riff precedes the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme in impatient strings. Then, in one of the most awe-inspiring musical moments in the entire series, the sail is unfurled to whirling string buildup… the storm clouds part… the strings rise some more… the wind kicks up… and at last, with a mighty drumroll, the ship takes to the rainfloods to the strains of a marvelously triumphant brass fanfare (the two-note ADVENTURE intro arranged into three, like Tom Worrall’s take). It repeats five times and is followed by the standard theme in gorgeous strings. But the music soon takes an anxious turn when a cliff enclosure threatens to dash them to pieces! A sense of panic is voiced first in electronics, then repeated in strings. The ducks ready the cannon, and as the orchestra screams in rising brass alarm repeated four times, they blow an opening in the cliffs, allowing themselves unharmed passage. After a few notes from the ADVENTURE theme denoting success, the orchestra sighs in relief with repeated, descending woodwinds to mirror the previous frightened brass. The ship has returned to the now-flooded city, almost out to sea. But just then, it’s revealed that Glomgold and L. Capitan have stowed away on the ship and are now holding the ducks at gunpoint! Upon a sudden, brass jolt, the music turns and ends on a few quick minor notes. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Doutor Sávio 15 Posted January 7 Posted January 7 Hi, Kenneth. Ah, this On Our Way cue.. so charged of emotions, which begins with a naval motif of the nephews coming together themselves before their Captain McDuck at the treasure boat and reaches its apex when the clouds dissipates and the sunlight hits the golden ship sail whose begins to deslocate, what is for me the most exciting excerpt of this cue. Cordially, Domingos. kenisu3000 and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 7 Author Posted January 7 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 18 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): What Goes Up* (1:43) – Stephen James Taylor Disgruntled by Glomgold’s sending Scrooge off the ship with one gold coin from the hoard, the old stranger has turned the cannon on Flintheart, fuse lit and all! A threatening rhythm in low strings provides an intro to the most fleshed-out display of L. CAPITAN’s theme we’ve heard so far. In loud and proud brass, the leitmotif declares open war on anyone who comes between the wheezer and his gold. Flintheart and L. Capitan engage in a short struggle to point the cannon at the other, until with a crescendo of brass, percussion and suspended strings, the fuse wears down right as the weapon is pointed directly upward. It fires, and a cannonball flies a few dozen feet into the sky… but what goes up must come down, and as L. CAPITAN’s theme loses its vigor for a low-key synth mumble, the ammo slams into the ship’s deck. The intro rhythm gets a reprise as the ship sinks down toward unsalvageable depths. With GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE blaring victory for Scrooge, he and the boys turn the lifeboat around to see about survivors. The ADVENTURE theme then gives a pathetic, comical welcome in woodwinds and glockenspiel for Glomgold as he’s pulled aboard. But when the boys look for the old stranger, Flintheart says he’s gone down with his gold. A solo violin croons a mournful farewell, to the tune of VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS. And who has won the bet, the bet on who would make more money in two weeks? Why, Scrooge, of course! But how? The gold all went to the ocean floor! Tiny bells chime as the old treasure hunter produces the singular coin Glomgold himself handed over in his gloating pride. ADVENTURE makes another statement in smug woodwinds, and Glomgold takes his licks… or chews, rather, making good on the promise to eat his own hat. The lifeboat is rowed into the sunset. Suddenly in quiet and defeated, but not dead, brass, L. CAPITAN’s theme gets the last word. The old wheezer is clinging to a log, watching the others row away. He swears vengeance on McDuck and drifts on in pursuit. Next! Treasure of the Golden Suns part 3 -- Three Ducks of the Condor Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
Doutor Sávio 15 Posted January 8 Posted January 8 14 hours ago, kenisu3000 said: DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 18 ("Wronguay in Ronguay" continued): What Goes Up* (1:43) – Stephen James Taylor GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE My beloved GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme... in especial on the context of the cue What Goes Up, makes me wonder... The composer must have had a epiphany from the Highest Heavens for having composed so archetypal and sublime material. kenisu3000 and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 19 "Treasure of the Golden Suns" Part 3: Three Ducks of the Condor Scrooge discovers that the coin he recovered from the shipwreck is from the fabled Valley of the Golden Suns, and that the only other known coin is held by Joaquin Slolee, a descendant of Spanish conquistadors, who uses his coin to hold sway over a superstitious sun-worshiping tribe from the fortress high in the Andes mountains where he lives. Scrooge, Launchpad and Donald head there to barter with Slolee for one half of a map that will lead to the legendary valley and its unfathomable Treasure of the Golden Suns. But Slolee is treacherous, and the natives are skilled at riding giant condors into mid-flight combat… Contest Of The Nannies (0:38) A warm flute motif welcomes us home as we open on a shot of the mansion. Inside the foyer, Duckworth is standing before a group of matriarchal-looking women. These are applicants for the position of nanny to Huey, Dewey and Louie, and the most headstrong one, a Miss Petronella Bruise, is accompanied by a stout phrase in synth. The butler explains: “Mr. McDuck’s nephews are just finishing with the previous applicant.” Duckworth opens the door behind him, and with high-pitched punctuation from the strings, another woman suddenly charges through for the exit, screaming for her life, a live lobster hanging from her skirt. “...They are a trifle high-spirited.” Comical woodwinds wind the phrase down. The cue seems to end there, but then continues for a few more seconds, with rising woodwinds as a weary Duckworth calls for the next applicant, a piano then trailing away into exhausted indifference: Scrooge and a coin expert are in the study, their eyes on the window, watching the lobster victim run off into the distance. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Doutor Sávio 15 Posted January 10 Posted January 10 On 08/01/2026 at 11:58 PM, kenisu3000 said: DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 19 "Treasure of the Golden Suns" Part 3: Three Ducks of the Condor Contest Of The Nannies (0:38) A warm flute motif welcomes us home as we open on a shot of the mansion. Kenneth, you know how to describe the chords like no one else. Besides warm, the opening chords of the flute are sweet like sugar. Very lyrical, in a good sense. Do you agree, or am I exaggerating? kenisu3000 and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 10 Author Posted January 10 2 hours ago, Doutor Sávio said: Kenneth, you know how to describe the chords like no one else. Besides warm, the opening chords of the flute are sweet like sugar. Very lyrical, in a good sense. Do you agree, or am I exaggerating? Oh no, I don't think you're exaggerating at all! "Sugar" is a perfect word to describe the flute there. I wish I'd thought of it (maybe the nanny-applicants should have tried a spoonful of it!). Btw, good to see you here! Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 1 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 10 Author Posted January 10 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 20 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Only A Legend* (0:39) – Jerry Grant A single harp glissando sets the dreamlike tone: glinting where it sits in the palm of Scrooge's hand is the gold coin he obtained in the previous episode, the crude sun emblem grinning enigmatically at us. Mr. Changemaker snatches it up. He gives it a quick peek through his loupe. A quick peek is all that’s needed. It's from the legendary Treasure of the Golden Suns. In soft brass, the VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS theme hums of lost civilizations and distant monuments gleaming gold in an ancient noonday sun. Tantalizing woodwinds provide a thoroughfare. And what’s more – this is the second coin to come to light. The woodwinds now make a humble attempt at the second half of the VALLEY theme, but as Scrooge begins to realize the possibilities if the legend is true, the brass overbears, cutting off the last of the melody and rising in both volume and tension with the tycoon’s excitement. He grabs the coin expert by the vest, demanding to know where the other coin is. “It’s hidden in a fortress high in the Andes mountains,” Changemaker gurgles through his chokehold, “and the owner hates visitors!” “Aye,” says Scrooge, an optimistic piano tidily wrapping things up with a few notes of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE, “but he’s never reckoned with Scrooge McDuck!” to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 12 Author Posted January 12 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 21 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Plane Crash* (0:38) – Stephen James Taylor Scrooge, Launchpad and Donald, in a special condor-shaped plane made by inventor Gyro Gearloose, have reached the Andean skies above the Machu Picchu-like fortress. Rich, marching brass backs up a cheerful group of strings, which play two heroic bars of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE – suddenly ending the measure on an atypical minor-key trill. The “freakish” mountain winds pick up and send the plane hurtling toward the clifftop! The strings drop out and the brass takes over in total chaos, inviting percussion and building in intensity, then finally settling for a single screaming note as the cliff gets closer and closer! “I can’t watch!” Scrooge says, covering his eyes. “Me neither!” Donald does the same. “Me neither!” The pilot follows suit. The crescendo reaches its apex and the picture fades quickly away (apparently, we can’t watch, either!). Underneath a crashing sound and a mighty flash of phosphenes against the black, the long scream of a note ends. The picture returns. The condor-plane is dangling precariously off the edge of the cliff. But the cheery strings get the last word in. With a short ending tag – a final few ADVENTURE notes evoking a sigh of relief – we see that the ducks are all safe. Ancient Civilizations (Variation 1) (Gold Sun* or Money Worship*) (0:40) – Stephen James Taylor Scrooge and Donald, sneaking into the fortress, come upon an awe-inspiring sight: a great tribe of Andean natives are bowing, noses to the ground, before an Incan shrine. Standing proudly atop the shrine, facing the natives, is a gentleman in Spanish conquistador armor, who holds aloft a gleaming gold coin identical to Scrooge’s. “Gold-Sun! Gold-Sun! Gold-Sun!” they chant worshipfully. L. CAPITAN’s proud leitmotif steals the show, however, betraying a thus-far unclear connection between this man and the old wheezer. Instead of a theme that shows the ravages of time underneath its determination, this interpretation, with its mighty brass, evokes images of an ancient war nation at the climax of its power. But Donald gets a picture of the coin with his flash camera, and a mean synth line cuts off the live instruments. The Spanish coin-owner notices the ducks and orders the tribe to destroy them. The L. CAPITAN theme devolves into intense, frantic brass as the two ducks hightail it from the cliff fortress, realize they have nowhere to run, and find themselves surrounded by the natives. The brass culminates in a scream of terror. Despite their South American intentions, this cue and the next will prove versatile for many a stage across the globe in later episodes, serving memorably as an anthem for the ducks’ Odyssey-themed ocean voyage in “Home Sweet Homer”, or a theme for the sunken city of Atlantis in “Aqua Ducks”, or setting the tone in “Raiders of the Lost Harp” for the discovery of the lost city of Troy. to be continued... Also -- One thing I wanted to add about the "Only A Legend" scene, not music-related... I thought it was pretty funny how the animation presents it as a sort of waltz between Scrooge and the coin expert. Changemaker grabs the coin away from Scrooge, then grabs the tycoon by his shirt front when he insists the legend is real. Once Scrooge has himself convinced, he snatches the coin back from Changemaker and grabs a fistful of his vest with such vim that he actually lifts the coin expert off his feet. Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Doutor Sávio 15 Posted January 12 Posted January 12 35 minutes ago, kenisu3000 said: Plane Crash* (0:38) – Stephen James Taylor Scrooge, Launchpad and Donald, in a special condor-shaped plane made by inventor Gyro Gearloose, have reached the Andean skies above the Machu Picchu-like fortress One word to describe the first chords of Plane Crash*: majestic. And I know what you mean when you said... On 26/08/2025 at 10:36 PM, kenisu3000 said: If the ducks were in danger, he wouldn't play it down, he'd play it as though they really could die. You were referring to the final chords of Ancient Civilizations (Variation 1) 50 minutes ago, kenisu3000 said: The brass culminates in a scream of terror. Ravi Krishna and kenisu3000 2
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted January 12 Posted January 12 4 hours ago, kenisu3000 said: L. CAPITAN’s proud leitmotif steals the show, however, betraying a thus-far unclear connection between this man and the old wheezer. Instead of a theme weary and worn down by the ravages of time, this interpretation, with its mighty brass, evokes images of an ancient war nation at the climax of its power. This is such a great observation and cool detail. I had never noticed it before! Doutor Sávio and kenisu3000 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 13 Author Posted January 13 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 22 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Ancient Civilizations (Variation 2) (Gold Sun* or Money Worship*) (0:34) – Stephen James Taylor The natives press in on Scrooge and Donald outside the fortress, to the strains of L. CAPITAN’s theme, performed in the same magnificent manner as the previous cue. Cornered, Scrooge stands atop a rock, but swinging his cane threateningly, he accidentally wallops Donald over the head, knocking him flat on the ground. The main theme is interrupted by fluttering woodwinds, punctuating the fall and the stars dancing around Donald’s head. Scrooge jumps down from his perch and tries to shake Donald awake, and the woodwinds continue to try to form a second section to the main melody, but a low yet strong drumroll signals the end of the meandering: as the natives lean in for the kill, the sun coin falls out of Scrooge’s pocket, and the proud main theme begins anew. “Gold-sun! Gold-sun! Gold-sun!” they chant. The old duck gives up on rousing Donald and realizes his possession of the coin gives him sway over the Andean tribe, equal to the Spanish gentleman. After the second bar of the melody, a single note – lone, but brimming with imperial power – takes us out. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 14 Author Posted January 14 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 23 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Plane Sight* (0:37) – Stephen James Taylor Launchpad uses the plane’s homing device to find where it landed after it fell from the cliff. His search through the natives’ currently empty village is underscored by a slow burn, beginning with one note played in repetition on strings, until a mellow harp glissando signals a change to the same in a higher key. He discovers the wreckage. “It’ll never play the violin again,” he says, as violins play three notes of resolution. Launchpad voices his relief that no one is around to blame him. The cue seems to be on the fadeout… but suddenly, with a brass-fueled, loud and percussive shock stinger, the pilot turns around to see that he isn’t alone. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted January 14 Posted January 14 I've always associated this Planet Sight cue with Dr. Nogood's death scene in Double O' Duck. That is a rare instance of a character getting killed pretty much onscreen in a Disney show. I found it kinda unsettling as a child, and those creepy violins captured that feeling perfectly. kenisu3000 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 15 Author Posted January 15 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 24 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Joaquin History* (1:10) – Stephen James Taylor The VALLEY OF THE GOLDEN SUNS, in solemn trumpet, tells a story of 400 years earlier, a distant tale of gold stolen out of the valley by two conquistadors, Marcheen Slolee and Juan Tanamera; of the treacherous ship captain who sailed away with the gold and abandoned them; of long-forgotten pacts between companions and treasure maps torn in two. Though a harp provides gentle accompaniment in slow, continuous ascension-descension, the brass instrument, for all intents and purposes, plays solo until the two conquistadors have to fend for themselves, at which point another trumpet joins and they play in unison, to the end of the flashback, lending a pensive, even melancholy quality to the scene. Back in the present, the Spanish gentleman, Joaquin Slolee, still has his ancestor’s half of the map, but esteems his gold sun coin of much higher value, as it grants him total power over the superstitious tribe living around the fortress. He cruelly kicks away a tribesman offering Donald food, and Scrooge loses his temper with the petty tyrant. The music swells into a livid intensity performed on rising strings before fading out. This cue is especially effective anytime it’s tracked into a flashback or any scene showing compressed passage of time. It makes an excellent fit with the card game in “Back to the Klondike”, for one. to be continued... Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 16 Author Posted January 16 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 25 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Domino Donald (0:37) Donald, his hand throbbing in pain, reels from his failed punch to Slolee’s breastplate and crashes headlong into a pillar, causing a chain reaction where all the surrounding pillars topple like dominoes. Scrooge angrily sends Donald off to help Launchpad, then when the villain threatens him with payback, Scrooge barters with Slolee, offering to trade his sun coin for the map half. He entices him with the coin through some sleight of hand. “Think about it, Slolee,” the old duck smirks, “ju-u-u-ust think about it…” An arrangement of DUCK MISCHIEF, “Domino Donald” punctuates Donald’s mishap with lighthearted, woodwind-fueled comedy. Beneath the second go-around of the theme, as Slolee demands retribution, the L. CAPITAN theme languishes in the shadow of DUCK MISCHIEF. Scrooge has the upper hand. Even as the tycoon proposes the deal, the music continues to make fun of Slolee through a synthesized rendition of the modified L. CAPITAN theme (as opposed to the powerful brass Joaquin is used to) before wrapping up. … Except, as with “All That Glitters”, this cue can only be heard in the movie cut (and a number of subsequent daily episodes). to be continued... Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 16 Author Posted January 16 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 26 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Flight Of The Condorman* (0:54) Launchpad is forced to ride a giant condor to appease the angered Andean tribe, and right out the gate, we get our introduction to the CONDORS theme. Celli and a war drum, thundering with primal threat, hail the release of the bird that bears Launchpad. As if that weren’t enough thematic wealth, after it plays twice, tense strings are layered on top of its latter half so that we’re immediately introduced to another new theme, AIRBORNE. This is followed by a series of woodwind-shrieks in some sort of demented imitation of the flapping of wings. But no whimsy is to be found in this musical flutter: These are not small birds. Nor are they tame. The condor takes Launchpad on a whirlwind flight inviting death at every turn. The chaos semi-resolves itself into a brass rendition of AIRBORNE, building to a drawn-out pair of strained trumpet cries, one after another. Finally, as Donald gets the idea to use his flash camera to blind the condor, the crescendo is reached in a final terrified performance of AIRBORNE; as soon as the bird loses control, Launchpad takes over, and the orchestra wheels around into heroics with GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE, building from there to a mighty brass declaration. With cheers from the natives of “Bird-man! Bird-man!” Launchpad leads the condor on to greater heights. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 1 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 27 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): I Feel A Crash Coming On (0:06) An act-out cue consisting of tense strings and a quotation of part of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE, played apprehensively: Launchpad has again lost control of the condor and is careening toward the mountain fortress. Fade to black. Brace Yourself! (Crash*?) (0:12) Launchpad and the condor burst into the fortress, demolishing the front door, before crashing spectacularly. A single statement of CONDORS plays in frantic brass. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 28 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): Trade-Off* (0:30) – Stephen James Taylor The trade has been made, the map half for Scrooge’s coin. As the old duck hastens out of the fortress, Joaquin triumphantly holds up both coins. Slolee’s modified L. CAPITAN theme cries mightily for one bar, to be quickly replaced by a building synth tension as he orders murder upon the ducks. The tension peaks, and a synthesized rhythm (the very same from “What Goes Up” as the cannonball crashes through the ship deck) takes over, building to a final, long-sustained trill. Slolee shrieks an evil laugh as the natives rush to the condor cages behind the shrine. to be continued... Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
Doutor Sávio 15 Posted January 18 Posted January 18 12 hours ago, kenisu3000 said: I Feel A Crash Coming On (0:06) Defining this cue in a phrase: "Something(probably disastrous) is about to happen". It's a expectation. 13 hours ago, kenisu3000 said: Brace Yourself! (Crash*?) (0:12) "Brace Yourself!", although short, in duration, is intense, polyphonically breathtaking and frantic as you described so well, Kenneth. It is on mine top ten list from "the golden suns" material. Ravi Krishna and kenisu3000 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 18 Author Posted January 18 4 hours ago, Doutor Sávio said: "Brace Yourself!", although short, in duration, is intense, polyphonically breathtaking and frantic as you described so well, Kenneth. It is on mine top ten list from "the golden suns" material. That is no small feat, for a cue that short to make someone's top ten from "Golden Suns", what with all the fierce competition going on between that score's cues! Doutor Sávio and Ravi Krishna 2
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 18 Author Posted January 18 Welp, here we are -- the big battle at the end of "Three Ducks of the Condor"! As if it weren’t enough that the action and pacing of this two-and-a-half minutes of animation make for one of the series’ top five best scenes, the music happens to be my absolute favorite cue in all of DUCKTALES, and it contains a lot of twists and turns, so this will be a LONG, in-depth post! This cue alone is a testament to just how masterfully crafted this score is. Buckle up. DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 29 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): DT-7-1 Battle With The Condors* (2:30) Scrooge makes a mad dash for the cliff edge where the barely-repaired plane sits waiting (Donald has tied it to a boulder to enable takeoff). There’s no time to waste: Andean natives mounted on live condors are coming with murder in their eyes. High-pitched strings anxiously urge the ducks on in a thrice-repeated motif with no resolution (otherwise known as the CONDORS theme, the same series of notes played on the cello in the intro to “Flight Of The Condorman”). Scrooge and Launchpad are now in the plane, with Donald remaining outside to drop the boulder. He does so, and strings and brass make use of the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme to build to a mighty crescendo, the string backup playing a quiet AIRBORNE right before the launch. The plane is off! Having escaped the clifftop at last, Scrooge and Launchpad fly away with the ADVENTURE theme expressing the freedom of the skies through cool brass. But a flute phrase at the end of each bar betrays a certain silliness: they suddenly realize they left Donald behind! Launchpad turns the plane around, but too late – a real condor has Donald in its talons. The orchestra does a heel turn in its instrumentation: the cello and war drums now take center stage with the CONDORS theme. Launchpad uses the plane’s one remaining claw to pry Donald from the condor’s clutches, with a tense, sustained brass note backing up the rhythmic celli. The note seems to drop out quickly after the initial sounding (as though the player is suddenly winded), but gradually reappears, building in strained volume until it reaches equal footing with the celli. This note occurs twice, another echo of “Flight Of The Condorman”. Donald is now in the plane’s claw, but he’ll have to wait to enter the plane, as with an AIRBORNE whirlwind of trumpets, flutes and higher strings, two natives now flank the ducks. Underneath these instruments, LAUNCHPAD’s theme in low brass leads into low, repeated notes on a piano as the pilot sends the plane into a spin, wing over wing, momentarily (and literally) shaking off their pursuers. The three-note version of ADVENTURE’s opening fanfare sounds off once heroically, then again tensely, in unresolved trumpets, as Slolee barks furious orders. Suddenly, all other instruments but the cello disappear as the natives chase the plane through a narrow canyon. After some rhythm, we see that a stone archway spans the canyon up ahead, and we again get the two sustained brass notes, this time louder and higher in key, with more players, and without the “winded” dropout. Launchpad maneuvers underneath the bridge, losing one of the condors to a collision with it (the moment of impact is obscured from our sight, but the sound and dust suggest it was spectacular). The plane emerges from the canyon. Still at the controls, Launchpad is leaning forward, a determined glint in his eye. With the first bar of the ADVENTURE theme returning with a dash of tension but still overall breezy in form, he leads the final condor toward an open cliff face. (One would think the musical approach here makes for a welcome breather after the excitement of the canyon’s music passage, and it does, yet at the same time it somehow adds to the epic scale instead of detracts from it!) A glockenspiel, barely audible, backs up the brass. The bar repeats. Donald, still dangling outside the plane by its claw, has a mishap with his camera and the whirling strings return as the blunder happens to take the bird and rider out of commission. Both the plane and the fainted rider are heading straight for the cliff. The music finds a certain resolution at last in an explosion of rhythmic strings, and Launchpad pulls up at the last second in a fantastic vertical climb. We get the third and so far most lively occurrence of whirling strings, and the condor slams into the cliff side. The fun isn’t over yet, though, as a new rendition of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE, less heroic and more alarming, attests. When the plane reaches the apex of its climb, it wheels around and Donald accidentally pops loose from the metal claw. Strings take over again with two anxious notes on repeat. Now in free-fall, the sailor plummets toward certain doom. And now we’re introduced to the GOLDEN SUNS TENSION motif. As Launchpad sends the plane into an almighty dive to rescue a terrified Donald, we hear what sounds like the two opening notes of the GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme, except that they’re repeated four times and played in a rising minor key, indicating the danger. Donald hits a tree root protruding from the cliff side, which in a display of cartoon physics bounces him back into the sky, past the diving plane. Brass begins to reprise the two-note strings motif. Launchpad quickly pulls the plane into a vertical U-turn. Donald reaches the summit of his bounce, and two condors approach him from opposite sides. The repeating motif builds toward a climax of either triumph or ruination in a fourth and final occurrence of whirling strings reaching for the heavens, and with a blasting crescendo, the plane snatches Donald away and the two condors smash heads. Joaquin Slolee fumes from the cliff edge. After a high-pitched whine, the strings begin a quick descent and tremolo, and a deep, rolling groan on a piano takes us out. One of the defeated condors crash-lands right on top of Slolee. The fight is over. This cue is later reused to superb effect during the temple collapse scene in “Too Much of a Gold Thing”, where the different changes in the music (which is unedited) are timed so miraculously with each action beat it’s almost as though the scene was storyboarded to fit the cue. Indeed, for a short space of time early in my documentation, I was under the impression this cue was composed for that scene, hence my old name for it: “Out From Under Our Feet”. to be continued... Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
Ravi Krishna 117 Posted January 18 Posted January 18 What a fantastic analysis of this brilliant cue and the thrilling scene it accompanies. This is my favourite cue from the score too, along with Penguin Chase, Part 2. Indeed, if I absolutely had to choose only one cue to introduce someone to the DuckTales score or to hear being played live in an orchestral concert, it would be this one. And now I can better appreciate the meticulous thematic fibre masterfully woven through it by Ron Jones, after reading your excellent post. I love it when cues have short 5-10 second segments that are so brilliant that I can keep playing them on repeat without getting enough of them. In this one, it's the portion where Launchpad spins the plane and Slolee screams to "knock them out of the sky". kenisu3000 and Doutor Sávio 1 1
kenisu3000 120 Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 DUCKTALES cue analysis, part 30 ("Three Ducks of the Condor" continued): DT-7-2 Just In Time* (1:08+0:03?) Scrooge jumps out of Gyro’s condor-plane with an inflatable raft and sails down the river below, with a slow but confident GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE theme backing him up. Launchpad, promising to get Donald back in time to his aircraft carrier (where Lt. Geedunk is counting down the minutes until his charge is late), steers the plane back in that direction while Seaman Duck frantically flaps the plane’s wings with a couple of oars. Underneath determined brass, a piano, boiling with trepidation, pelts out a low note in rapid repetition. A repeating flutter from the strings suggest the flapping of wings, every bit as manic as the real condor’s wings were controlled chaos in “Flight Of The Condorman”. Finally, Geedunk spots the plane coming in, the flapping of both wings and strings completely out of control, the sailors on deck scattering for their lives. The plane hooks a landing-cable, but Donald’s rowing is giving the aircraft so much momentum that it juts out, cable and all, to a point off deck, just as the furious flapping from the orchestra is suspended momentarily. He quits rowing and the cable snaps back into place, sending the plane backward for a crash landing. With a small quotation of GOLDEN SUNS ADVENTURE (performed now on woodwinds for a contrast against the powerful brass of the opening), Launchpad and Donald emerge from the heap, the latter woozily greeting his lieutenant, who demands a salute as the duck staggers back and forth like a tipsy sailor. A variation on DUCK MISCHIEF can be heard in its native pizzicato. Then there’s a short tweedle on a flute of the ADVENTURE theme*, until accompanied by more comical but building woodwinds, Launchpad tells the lieutenant to “ease up”, and Donald finally collapses. With one final, triumphant brass statement of the ADVENTURE theme, we cut away to the high seas, where calm waters glitter beneath the fiery sky. Scrooge is sailing into the twilight. *The flute tweedle actually doesn’t occur in the episode. One can only guess at why this is; after all, this cue was scored to picture for this scene. I used to assume there was a missing shot of Donald, maybe attempting to salute but woozily whacking himself in the face, but no such shot appears in either cut of this episode. This lost passage can be heard in subsequent episodes such as “Much Ado About Scrooge”. Next! Treasure of the Golden Suns part 4 -- Cold Duck Ravi Krishna and Doutor Sávio 2
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