Ravensburger - 16854 | Disney Vault: The Three Caballeros - 1000 PC Puzzle

In the early 1940s, Donald Duck was selected to develop and promote cultural understanding with countries in Latin America. Along with new friends, José Carioca from Brazil and Panchito from Mexico, Donald learned about the cultures, customs and music of his neighbors south of the border. Over the course of two feature-length animated films, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, “El Pato Donald” not only became the ultimate American tourist, but also a beloved ambassador of goodwill. The film The Three Caballeros premiered in Mexico City on December 21, 1944, and was released in the United States on February 3, 1945. Along with the movie Saludos Amigos (1942), these films were created by Disney to improve the United States’ relations with South American countries during World War II. Newspapers at the time noted that “Donald, who used to be just a noisy neighbor, has…become a sort of ambassador-at-large, a salesman of the American Way.”