“Justh let resth a moment, mother.”
Directed by Friz Freleng; Co-Director: Hawley Pratt; Story by John Dunn; Animation by Don Williams, Bob Matz, and Norm McCabe; Layouts by Dick Ung; Backgrounds by Tom O’Loughlin; Film Editor: Lee Gunther; Voice Characterization by Mel Blanc and George Pearson; Musical Direction by Bill Lava. A Looney Tune released on January 16, 1965.
I don’t like that title. Too clunky. As opposed to ‘klunky’, which is something in the style of klunks. (A ‘klunk’ is someone or something that does something klunky.)
Speedy is the titular mouse and it feels odd to see him in a modern ’60’s American house. I’m so used to him dwelling in Mexico or a pizzeria. Sylvester gives chase like any cat would, but Speedy leads the chase onto the backyard pool’s diving board, and underneath. Sylvester can’t copycat that, giving Speedy the opportunity to sneak behind and “Yee-ha!” him into the pool. Granny, (marking the only time she encountered Speedy) decides that an exterminator will have to take things over from here.
Jet Age pest control sends over their best duck. Second, actually. The first best was delicious. Thus starting off the Daffy/Speedy match-ups. He’s a bit surprised to hear Granny is having problems with mouse, rather than mice, but she tells him to take a look at her cat and decide what the rodent is capable of. Sylvester is having a nervous breakdown, so Granny is going to take him out of the picture and to the vet. Neatly removing him from the series. (Barring three exceptions.)
Daffy uses a stethoscope to determine the beast’s location. Speedy shouts through it, and Daffy is sent through the ceiling. Found him, then? (A ceiling chunk disappears.) Time to lure the prey out via “Approach B”. Was “A” just reaching in with your hand and banking on the fact you could crush his skeleton? This approach is pretty straightforward: cheese. But Daffy goes the extra mile by setting up a candlelight dinner complete with hue altering chair. Speedy arrives, and Daffy nets him.
Sylvester left too soon! They could have compared notes! He could have told Daffy this method doesn’t work. Let’s approach ‘C’, shall we? Plan ‘C’, that is. (Why is this one a plan?) Glue traps work wonders. And there’s nothing sadistic about making an animal slowly starve to death. It’s adorable to see their strength fail, right? (If you’re reading this dad, I’m still upset about the spider traps you used to place in my room.) Before Daffy can get another cheese lure, Speedy “Yee-ha’s” him onto the ceiling. But not before Daffy can make the right side of his bill that looks like a cheek turn black.
Daffy returns to his manual, reading silently so we’ll never know if ‘D’ if an approach, plan, attack, or order. But the animators get to reuse some animation and cut another cost: poor Mel. The scheme is using vacuum power to slurp up Speedy. Daffy riding it, of all things. (I wish I could do that.) The mouse gets to reuse some of his animation as well, and Daffy rides into the pool. The suction takes all the water, which is more than the bag can handle. It explodes, and Daffy crashes into the now empty pool.
Time for a new tactic! This is the surefire one! A machine that will dispose of whatever you want. You just insert a photo of your target. The one Daffy has changes slightly based on how far the camera is. Going from Honeymouser to Mickey clone. Speedy is rightfully fearful, but he has an ace on him. It turns out Granny has a subscription to Daffy Duck Comics and the machine doesn’t need to eject a current photo to pursue a new target. Daffy is chased throughout town, while Speedy title drops. Do you think his line, or the title was written first?
Favorite Part: During this era, you really have to expect gags to be simpler. It makes a charming miracle when Daffy doesn’t just end up hanging from the ceiling, but falls onto the glue below, gets “Yee-ha’d” back to the ceiling, before he and the chunk he’s stuck to fall down again.
Personal Rating: 2. Who else would have feasibly fit the exterminator role? Elmer? Porky? I guess Daffy was the right choice. (Yes, I know Freleng’s studio was limited on which characters they were allowed to use.)