Scrooge is accused by Glomgold of the theft of a valuable painting and sent to Aquatraz prison for fifteen years after video evidence emerges, seemingly condemning him completely. However, Scrooge protests the evidence is fake and all he really wanted was to surprise his family with a portrait of them. After their great-uncle is sent down, Huey, Dewey, and Louie discover Glomgold has bribed the artist of the portrait to dump his work to make Scrooge look guilty. They try to get it back, but fail, and Scrooge's case looks even more hopeless. Meanwhile, after initial friction, Scrooge befriends his hulking cellmate Mad Dog McGlurk and finds out he was framed too, then Mad Dog drags him along on a failed escape attempt. Things look bleak for the world's richest duck, but at the last moment, the nephews appear with the warden to announce his release. It seems Huey, Dewey, and Louie, after re-examining the video, discovered it was really Glomgold filmed stealing his own painting to incriminate their uncle. Scrooge is free and helps Mad Dog get off too, and Glomgold is punished when the judge orders him to keep a portrait of his hated rival over his fireplace for the next fifteen years.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adults Are Useless: Unless they're Scrooge.
- Artistic License – Law: It is stated Glomgold couldn't be properly prosecuted due to his only crime being stealing his own painting, though framing and perjury are serious federal offences. Scrooge and Mad Dog are also pardoned upon being found innocent, despite still being guilty of escaping prison (an offense in most countries).
- Batman Gambit: Glomgold's plan to frame Scrooge for art theft. Knowing that Scrooge would be visiting an art gallery that he owned to pick up a commissioned family portrait as a surprise, Glomgold disguised himself as Scrooge, took the Le Duck L'Orange from its spot in the gallery, and had the artist of the portrait swap the portrait with the stolen painting. Combined with the testimonies of Launchpad (who took Scrooge to pick up the portrait), and Mrs. Beakley (who noticed Scrooge coming home the night of the crime acting strangely and carrying a painting), the videotaped footage of Glomgold stealing the painting while dressed as Scrooge can easily make it appear as if Scrooge committed art theft. Unfortunately, Glomgold failed to make sure that he was completely off-camera, reflection and all, before removing the disguise, which the nephews notice when they watch the security video in its entirety.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: After Scrooge manages to arrange a meeting with his mother, Mad Dog becomes insistent on helping Scrooge escape from jail.
- Black Comedy Burst: When Scrooge and Mad Dog get to shore from Aquatraz, there is a skull on the beach, from whose mouth a crab emerges that was living inside.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: The burly Mad Dog turns out to be a framed man who misses his beloved mother.
- Clear Their Name: The nephews have to prove Scrooge innocent when Glomgold frames him for burglary.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: When Glomgold gets caught framing Scrooge, the judge orders him to keep a portrait of the world's richest duck in his house for fifteen years. Thus, Glomgold has to put up with Scrooge grinning down at him constantly.Glomgold: I'll get even with ya, Scrooge McDuck! I'll get even!
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Subverted; Scrooge's cellmate loves his mama, but he's not a bad guy. He was framed too.
- Extremely Overdue Library Book: Discussed; when Scrooge is arrested at the beginning of the episode, Louie believes it to be for checking out a library book but never returning it since it got lost. Louie vows to return the book as soon as he finds it, but the officer assures him that Scrooge's crime was much worse than an overdue library book; it was the theft of a valuable painting.
- Failed a Spot Check:
- No one other than the nephews thought to look further at the video footage of the disguised Glomgold stealing the painting.
- Glomgold neglected to keep his reflection out of the view of the security camera when removing his disguise.
- For the Evulz: It's never said why Glomgold framed Mad Dog, so it was presumably just to be mean.
- Furry Confusion: The Disney dog guards at Aquatraz also have real guard dogs on leashes.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Mad Dog McGlurk puts on a brutish front at first, though as he gets to know Scrooge and meets his loving family, his demeanor softens, and he reveals he was in fact wrongly jailed from a frame-up by Glomgold.
- Innocent Inaccurate: Webby misidentifies the handcuffs Scrooge has to wear during the trial as bracelets.Mrs. Beakley: Oh, uh, those are the proper accessories for standing trial for grand theft, m'dear.
- Institutional Apparel: The inmates of Aquatraz all wear the classic black and white stripes.
- Karma Houdini: Flintheart Glomgold frames Scrooge for art theft and his only punishment is to keep a portrait of Scrooge over his fireplace for fifteen years. He considers that alone the cruelest of tortures, however, so it might still be seen as a fitting punishment.
- Miscarriage of Justice: Scrooge McDuck is framed for theft by his rival Flintheart Glomgold and put into prison, where, conveniently, it turns out that his cellmate Mad Dog was also framed by Glomgold.
- Names to Run Away From: Mad Dog McGlurk. Subverted by the end since he was innocent all along.
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: The other reason Glomgold was able to frame Scrooge for robbery. Because Launchpad accompanied Scrooge when he was supposed to pick up the family portrait as a surprise, the pilot is eventually called as a witness. Of course, he testifies that Scrooge went to pick up a family portrait, but his testimony can easily be mistaken as testimony about Scrooge stealing the Le Duck L'Orange. Furthermore, even though she does protest that Scrooge would never steal the painting, Mrs. Beakley is also called up as a witness because, on the night of the robbery, she noticed Scrooge, who was unaware that he was carrying the Le Duck L'Orange instead of the family portrait that he wanted to keep as a surprise, coming home that night acting all strange and carrying a wrapped painting.
- One-Sided Arm-Wrestling: A dozen or more burly inmates challenge Scrooge to an arm-wrestling match. In a glorious display of badassery, Scrooge effortlessly smashes their huge hands into the table, one after another, quipping "Next!" between rounds. While they all stand in shock and awe rubbing their wrists, one asks Scrooge how he became so strong, to which the latter replies, "By lifting moneybags!" This is when the prisoners start to respect Scrooge.Prisoner: I lifted some moneybags once, right before I came here!
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Averted for once: with his beard stuffed under his clothing, Glomgold looks exactly like Scrooge in the security video, so much so even the nephews don't recognize him until he strips off his disguise.
- Parental Bonus: The painting Scrooge supposedly steals is Le Duck L'Orange by Pablo Piquacko, an obvious Shout-Out to Pablo Picasso and his blue period.
- Piggy Bank: Huey, Dewey, and Louie break open their piggy bank in an effort to use the money to hire a private eye. Unfortunately, they don't have enough.
- Shout-Out: The title is a reference to Birdman of Alcatraz.
- Spinning Paper: Happens once Scrooge is arrested.
- Take That!: When Mrs. Beakley protests that Scrooge would never steal the Pablo Piquacko painting, she goes on to wonder why anyone would.
- Undying Loyalty: Mad Dog becomes this to Scrooge after several acts of kindness. Predictably, no one in Scrooge's family and employment believes he is guilty either.
- Wrongful Accusation Insurance: Even though Scrooge and Mad Dog escaped from prison, because it's revealed that Glomgold framed them both, they're both pardoned.
