The Ugly Duckling
"Andersen's outcast duckling grows into a swan who remembers his mother duck"
Keys: Space play/pause · ←/→ 10s · F fullscreen · M mute · </> speed
About this film
Yasuji Murata's 1932 animated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale follows a duckling mocked for his appearance until he discovers he is a swan; Chuzo Aochi's script ends with the grown bird remembering the gentle duck who raised him.
More about this film
About the production
Themes & topics
Historical background
The Ugly Duckling (1932) emerged during the studio era and wartime cinema. Archival records and catalog entries help place the work within film-history surveys of the period.
Why this film matters
Preserved under Wikidata ID Q106398991, The Ugly Duckling is valued as a screen drama within catalog and archive collections. Contemporary listings connect it to broader histories of cinema exhibition and restoration.
Making of
Production details for The Ugly Duckling (1932) are drawn from archival listings and reference sources; surviving materials vary by title.
What critics said
Trade and archival sources offer limited day-one review coverage for The Ugly Duckling. Modern reception rests on its availability in collections, repertory screenings, and reference works that document 1932 cinema.
Did you know?
- Chuzo Aochi adapted Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale for Yasuji Murata's Athena Film Library entry.
Visual style
Visual style for The Ugly Duckling reflects period camera and lighting practice documented in surviving prints or stills.
Music
The Ugly Duckling belongs to the sound or transitional era; music and dialogue handling depend on the surviving print.
What audiences thought
The Ugly Duckling (1932) reached whatever regional audiences its distributor could access; later interest comes mainly from repertory and online preservation.
Film restoration
A copy or excerpt is available via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch
- Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yasuji%20Murata-%20The%20Ugly%20Duckling%20(1932).ogv