An earlier Silly Symphony animated short based on this fairy tale had been produced in black and white in 1931.

The mother duck and her ducklings are surprised to realize what he is and what he has the potential to become; they invite him to come back to them, but he refuses and proudly swims off with his new family.

The Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip ran a month-long adaptation of The Ugly Duckling from March 26 to April 16, 1939.

[3] The Film Daily wrote: "The Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale translated to cartoon language emerges a delight to the ear and the eye...

"[4] The short was released on December 4, 2001 on Walt Disney Treasures: Silly Symphonies - The Historic Musical Animated Classics.