Donald In Mathmagic Land (1959) ****

In 1943, Walt Disney produced an unusual animated documentary feature, "Victory Through Air Power", which combined serious footage explaining military strategies with more amusing segments about the history of aviation. In some later cartoons (like "Toot Whistle Plunk And Boom" and "Melody", both 1953), Disney would again combine jokes and anecdotes with some didactic material. But it wasn't until the release of "Donald In Mathmagic Land" in 1959, that a clear format of the documentary series was finally established. This film is an excellent animated lesson in geometry and algebra, perfectly mixing education with pleasure. It received an Oscar nomination for best documentary (short subject).