Category: Daffy Duck

WOOHOO! HOOHOO! Here is everything that Daffy ever appeared in. Will you read them? No? You’re despicable.

Posted on

My Favorite Duck

“G-Gosh, what a c-cr-c-screwy duck.”

Supervison by Charles M. Jones; Story by Michael Maltese; (in fact, this was the first of Jones' shorts that he wrote) Animation by Rudolph Larriva; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1942 Supervison by Charles M. Jones; Story by Michael Maltese; (in fact, this was the first of Jones’ shorts that he wrote) Animation by Rudolph Larriva; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1942

Porky is off on a camping trip. Singing “Moonlight Bay” in a canoe he soon finds himself in a duet with “My Favorite Duck.” Porky decides to set up camp a good distance away from the lake, but Daffy is not one to stay away. He constantly gets in Porky’s way as the pig tries to drive a tent stake into the ground. And there’s nothing Porky can do but take it, as duck season is closed at the moment. (You’re not even allowed to molest a duck? That’s unfair.) Porky eventually gets his camp set up: underwater. He decides he’d rather be on dry land. While making some lunch, (and unintentionally singing “Blues in the night” which Daffy was singing earlier) he has his egg switched with an eagle egg. (Courtesy of Daffy) He has a pan swung in his face by the mother who takes her eaglet back. (And definitely has a male voice, but the baby says “mother” so maybe he’s just confused?) Next on the list of camping activities is fishing. Fishing, by nature, is boring. So, I’m not surprised to see Porky asleep. Daffy turns his canoe upside down and drags the fishing line into the sky. Porky, felling a tug, jumps out of the water and swims through the air. Before gravity kicks in. He finds Daffy stealing his food, and chases him into a tree. He decides to smoke him out. Daffy recommends rubbing some sticks (of dynamite) together as an alternative to matches. Porky prefers to do it the easy way. It’s the promise of his Indian suit that gets him to comply. Luckily, he is unhurt by the explosion, but it did catapult him and all his supplies into the sky. He comes down, but his stuff doesn’t. (It’s probably still up there to this day) If only he had a gun. Daffy gives him one, but reminds him it won’t do any good. He pulls out a sign to prove his point, but the universe has had enough of him and the sign declares duck season open. (Love Daffy’s face here.)

Beautiful. Beautiful.

Porky follows him relentlessly, and the chase leads to a large tree. They go around and around until…the film breaks. (What? Son of a…) Daffy comes out apologizing, but don’t freak out, (What? Me? I would never!) he’ll tell us how it ends. So apparently, Porky gets him cornered, but Daffy fights back with punches until Porky is groveling for mercy. (I’m not buying it) Porky hits Daffy over the head with the gun.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

My Little Duckaroo

“I’ve got you now, Canasta.”

Directed by Charles M. Jones; Story by Michael Maltese; Animation by Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Abe Levitow, Richard Thompson and Lloyd Vaughn; Layouts by Maurice Noble; Backgrounds by Phillip DeGuard; Voice Characterization by Mel Blanc; Musical Directon by Milt Franklyn. A Merrie Melody released in 1954. Directed by Charles M. Jones; Story by Michael Maltese; Animation by Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Abe Levitow, Richard Thompson and Lloyd Vaughn; Layouts by Maurice Noble; Backgrounds by Phillip DeGuard; Voice Characterization by Mel Blanc; Musical Directon by Milt Franklyn. A Merrie Melody released in 1954.

It’s a followup to “Drip-along Daffy.” And sadly, it’s not as good as its predecessor. Daffy is once again cast as the hero. (Known this time as the Masked Avenger) Porky is there too and still relegated to the role of comic relief. Daffy spots a wanted poster for Nasty Canasta. (Looking different than he did in his first appearance and how he would look in “Barbary Coast Bunny.” Guy just can’t find a style he likes.) Daffy decides to fix his little red wagon, but not because it is the right thing to do. It’s all about the money. Luckily, Canasta’s hideout is clearly labeled, so Daffy has no problem finding it. The problems start when he comes in and introduces himself to the thug. Canasta can’t be bothered to react to Daffy at all. (Not even to his nice mask. I agree with Daffy. It is stylish) He has no luck with his alter egos either, The Frisco Kid and Superguy. Eventually though, Canasta does challenge Daffy to a game of cards. After the classic “cutting the cards joke” Daffy deals. He gives Canasta one card and keeps the other 51 for himself. He has a royal straight flush full house with four aces. Canasta has a three of clubs and his gun in Daffy’s mouth. It’s clear who the winner is. Daffy then suggests arm wrestling. (I’m not surprised he lost. Canasta is the kind of guy who makes a cigarette by putting all the ingredients into his mouth and spitting out the final product.) Porky suggests that Daffy just arrest Canasta. And I’m happy to report that Daffy doesn’t do the old “glad I thought of it gag.” That’s not my favorite gag. He slaps some handcuffs on Canasta and tries to drag him away. Canasta breaks free. Daffy finally snaps and challenges the outlaw to fight. Porky has the utmost confidence in him. (Um, Porky old pal? You did see Canasta’s Crusher impression, didn’t you?) Porky calmly waits for the fight to subside outside, (while his shirt changes color briefly) as he assures us that Daffy is going to fix Canasta’s little red wagon. Daffy comes out the loser. And to add insult to injury, Canasta literally made him fix his little red wagon. (That’s harsh. We watched a subpar sequel to a great Daffy short for such a weak punchline?)

Personal Rating: 2 (Mostly because it’s a rather disappointing sequel, if you haven’t seen it’s predecessor, it could earn a three)

No post next week. I’ll be out of town. But we’ll be back the week after, so stay tooned.

Posted on

Birth of a Notion

“I have no duck, Leopold.”

Directed by Robert McKimson; Story by Warren Foster. A Looney Tune released in 1947. Directed by Robert McKimson; Story by Warren Foster. A Looney Tune released in 1947.

During the Autumn, ducks tend to fly south to warmer temperatures. Daffy is not like most ducks, and instead has a plan to get himself a warm home for Winter. It all hinges on the bone he’s holding. He leaves it on a house’s porch and calls for the dog that lives there. (I suppose he’s been scouting to find a home with a dog. It’s needed for his plan) The dog prepares to feast on that bone, but Daffy stops him. He claims that the bone is poison and that he saved his life by keeping him from eating it. Leopold, (for that is the dog’s name) is grateful and tells Daffy that in return, he’ll get him anything he can. Daffy requests sharing the house. Leopold doesn’t think his master would like him doing that, but eventually gives in. His master is a familiar face: it’s that scientist that looks like Peter Lorre. (Who from this day forward, shall be known as Pete Lorry) He is working on some sort of experiment that is requiring something he does not have: a duck’s wishbone. Leopold, meanwhile, sticks Daffy in the closet promising to bring him food and water. If Daffy wasn’t Daffy, his plan would have definitely worked, but he’s not one to stay there and naturally leaves. Just in time to overhear Pete tell his dog about his duck loss. Daffy isn’t scared as one usually would be in this situation, but is instead angry. He tries to goad Leopold to join in on the Pete-killing, but the dog is loyal to his master and won’t partake. Daffy throws stuff at Pete’s head and succeeds in hitting him once with a bat, just as Leopold grabs it. Pete is very calm (while breaking the bat into many pieces) and tells Leopold that he will do horrible things to him, should he get hurt. Daffy is not through, and heads into this bedroom with a knife. He takes a stab at taking a stab, but Pete happens to sleep with a shield and is unharmed. But he is now very much aware that there is a duck on the premises. A chase ensures with trapdoors, a door that leads to a countryside speeding by, and arms coming out of the walls. (Intermixed with a shot of Leopold complaining about his “role” in the short. Best joke of the cartoon, right there.) After having many sharp objects thrown at him, Daffy goes for the obvious solution and just leaves. (Who knew it was that easy?) To Leopold’s horror, Pete begins wondering if a dog’s wishbone would work in whatever he’s working on. (Maybe he just wants a wish?) Why is Leopold scared when dogs don’t have wishbones, you ask? Well, clearly Pete won’t figure that out until he’s dug through Leopold’s neck. That’s how mad scientists work. Daffy meanwhile is preparing to try the bone scheme at a different house, but another bird has beaten him to the punch and kicks Daffy away into the sky. Well, it’s easier than flying yourself, so Daffy kicks back and enjoys the ride. (Leopold joining him with fan powered flight)

Personal Rating: 3

Don’t expect a post next week. While I can’t promise that I won’t have time to write one, I also can’t claim to have the time to do it. So for just once in your life, don’t expect the unexpected.

Posted on

To Duck…. Or not to Duck

“No rough stuff!”

Supervision by Charles M. Jones; Story by Tedd Pierce; Animation by Robert Cannon; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1943.

Daffy is having a grand time flying as only he would up in the clouds, when he is nearly shot. This leaves an impact shaped like him in the cloud, much to his amusement. He screws around with this for a bit, but he is eventually hit and he goes down. After berating the dog who is retrieving him about not being gentle, (whose name is Laramore. A name I’ve never heard outside of this short) he is brought back to the one who shot him: Elmer. Elmer is pretty polite about things. He apologizes for killing Daffy at least. But he defends his actions as sport. Daffy quits faking (Oh come on. Were you really buying it?) and rightfully complains about what a bad example of sport it is. Elmer is armed to the teeth, and Daffy doesn’t have anything but a bullet-proof vest. (“How did that get there?”) He demands that Elmer and him fight in a real sport: boxing. There’s already a ring set up even. (Ducks love boxing you know. How else would there be a full house there already? Clearly, they just sit there constantly waiting for a fight. ) I love the referee at this match. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s voice by Tex Avery due to all the laughing he does when he is supposed to introduce Elmer. (“You can have him!”) He finally does get Elmer’s name out, and he is promptly booed by the audience. (To be fair, Laramore cheers for him but the ducks pelt him with projectiles.) When introducing Daffy however, he not only gives him a hug, but addresses him as “Daffy, (Good to his mother) Duck.” Daffy is promptly applauded by the audience. (To be fair, Laramore boos him, but the ducks pelt him with projectiles.) The ref. (who I’m calling Tubbs) begins listing all the moves that are not allowed. He even demonstrates them on Elmer. Daffy wants to be absolutely clear on things, so he repeats all of them on Elmer just so he knows they’re illegal. When the fight is ready to begin, the two are ordered to shake hands. Daffy tells Elmer to pick a hand, and Elmer picks the wrong hand. (There was nothing in it.) Daffy is willing to let him try again, and there is something in the other: a mallet that clobbers Elmer. Tubbs starts the match, but Elmer is already out and Daffy is declared the winner! (Definitely more fair. Daffy is looking out for all the animals that are unfairly killed) Elmer is a good loser. He doesn’t complain, but he does point out that he thought they weren’t supposed to use certain moves. The moves in question being, the ones he is now using on Daffy and Tubbs.

Personal Rating: 4

Posted on

Cartoon Network Groovies

“What’s all that racket? ”

You know what made Cartoon Network so much fun to watch, back in the day? Well, yes, having cartoons that I wanted to watch was nice, but they went out of their way to make the commercials a joy as well. It’s a network where the cartoons are in charge, so naturally, the cartoons would be working there. During a commercial break, we could see the toons working at their jobs, and interacting with each other. But my favorite thing they did was the groovies. Short music videos about the cartoons we loved and if we didn’t already love them, then these videos might encourage us to take another look.

They were brilliant. Each one was different. Even the ones that were based on the same series. “Dexter’s Laboratory”, and “The Powerpuff Girls”, each had more than one for their series. (Not that I mind. I love those shows.) Even a few shows you wouldn’t think would be popular enough to get one, got one. Like JabberJaw and Betty Boop. (I didn’t even know her shorts ever aired on that channel.) Although there were some weird ones. There’s one based on “Ed, Edd and Eddy” where Sarah gives the titular boys a drink that shrinks them for her amusement. It’s a great song, but is that really related to the show? I never really watched it.

Another one is based on “Courage the Cowardly Dog”. It takes place somewhere not in Nowhere, Kansas; Eustace and Muriel look much younger; and they are having a party. This show, I did watch. And Eustace doesn’t seem like the type to allow that many people into his house without giving him something. But of course, the reason I’m talking about them here is because there were some based on “Looney Tunes”. And they get looked at more in-dept.

L’Amour A Un Odeur: A remix featuring Pepe Le Pew and his various shorts. It’s my least favorite just because it feels the most rushed to me. The music is that classic faux French they put in all his shorts.

Personal Rating: 3

Wascally Wemix: As you’d expect, this is Elmer’s song. A bunch of his lines remixed. Bugs and Daffy feature prominently too. The music kinda dying near the end, keeps it from being higher on my favorites.

Personal Rating: 3

Pork Jam: AW YEAH! My pal Porky gets a remix, and it’s awesome. His lines mixed with the music, never fail to put a smile on my face. It was my favorite as a kid. So, what could possibly top Porky?

Personal Rating: 3

Mars Forever: My favorite out of all the groovies. A recruitment video Marvin made to build up his troops. Best music in my opinion. Contains bits from all his shorts, plus “Rocket-Bye Baby.” A masterpiece if ever there was one.

Personal Rating: 4 (I could see someone wanting to watch the others if this was viewed first.)

In memory of my good friend, Abby the Dog. 2006-2017. While there are no shortage of great dogs, there was only one of you.

Posted on

Bugs and Daffy’s Carnival of the Animals

“Wait’ll you hear MY arpeggios!”

There’s nothing corny about this concerto!

Produced, written, and directed by Chuck Jones; Production Design by Herbert Klynn. A TV special released in 1976.

The first television special for the Looney Tunes! Bugs and Daffy are going to play parts from Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals,” And quote the poems Odgen Nash wrote about said music. I love animals, I love animation, and I love music. Throw chocolate and video games in there, and you’ve got my nirvana!

Things start rather rocky as Bugs and Daffy argue on the pronunciation of the man’s name. Bugs says it correctly, while Daffy insists it be pronounced phonetically. Porky (making a quick cameo) arrives to tell that the show is starting and Bugs walks out on stage, getting tons of applause. Daffy gets none as he enters. The conductor begins and the two take their places each playing a piano. (Not all of the pieces are here, but they got a good number of them. Besides, pianists don’t belong at a carnival of animals anyway.)

Lions: This part is drawn in a simplified style as we see a pride of lions heading off into a cave. Inside, only their eyes and roaring mouths can be seen. (Kinda creepy to be honest.) These are also some pretty lively lions. You’d think they’d be sleeping in the day.

Roosters and Hens: Daffy and Bugs introduce this part by wearing gloves as combs, Daffy still not get any any love. It’s a shame Foghorn couldn’t have made a cameo at this part. The chickens peck and crow.

Wild Jackass: Daffy throws in the the mule couplet Ogden wrote as well. Which is kind of weird. Camille made a part about donkeys AND mules? Why not include horses, ponies, quaggas, zebras, hinnies, zedonks, zorses and unicorns as wells? Carnival of the equines. Instead of showing any animals at this part, we just see a carousel with color changing donkeys.

(Passing by the elephant for now and skipping the tortoise altogether)

Kangaroos: I should mention that Bugs and Daffy don’t admit they are quoting Mr. Nash and instead act like they are making up the rhymes on the spot. Daffy challenges the rabbit to rhyme boomerang. It’s a good thing Australians enjoy kangaroo-meringues. Represented by a couple of kangaroo silhouettes jumping to the music. (They have to jump because they are incapable of walking)

(More skipping around to…)

Birds: Wait, we already had chickens. Which by the way, are BIRDS! Luckily, Bugs and Daffy don’t play the parts of the cuckoo and the swan. I guess Camille just meant Passerines, here. Songbirds, to you commoners) Daffy likes this part, as he himself is a bird. (His neck stripe is orange in this special.) The birds sing in a piece that looks like it came from “Yellow Submarine”

(Backing up a bit)

Aquarium: Bugs and Daffy seem to be having fun together now. (Bugs is speaking with Daffy’s voice for some reason.) The music perfectly conveys the idea of submerging under the sea. (For the longest time I thought this was the “Harry Potter” theme. I’m glad I never told anyone they were the same.) Since they didn’t claim to only be fish, we are also treated to an image of a (demon) whale, a sea star, and a jellyfish.

(Now we get to the…)

Elephant: (What’s with Nash’s words here? How are the elephants teeth upside down? Teeth can grow upwards) This part looks like it came from a schoolhouse rock video. For some reason, a few of the elephants have purple eyes that stare into my soul. More creepyness.

(Back in order…)

Fossils: How nice of Camille to include extinct animals as well. No reason they should be left out of a carnival saluting them. Nash’s poetry is actually kinda scary here. Imagine being alone in a museum at midnight, and suddenly all the fossils start to sing and make music with their bodies. (Even Daffy is hiding during this part.) The animation here is just some rough images of dead things. Not just dinosaurs either. I spy a hominid skull, a mastodon, and a plant fossil. (Why is that there? Carnival of the ANIMALS! The botany parade is next week.)

Finale: My favorite part! Something one can dance to! Much like “Fantasia 2000” I wouldn’t mind whole movie set to this music. (But I suppose that would take a lot of the fun out of things. The music here kind of outright tells you what to picture, as opposed to letting the animators coming to their own conclusions.) It’s like a Rhythm Heaven Remix with the animals of the previous pieces returning to strut their stuff one more time.

The two pianists finish and leave. Daffy is still not getting any of the attention he deserves. Why ever not? Seems the audience is comprised of nothing but rabbits. (Who better to perform “The carnival of the Animals” to?)

Personal Rating: 4. (Beautiful music. Beautiful animation. It’s like “Fantasia” with a fraction of the budget.)

Posted on

Wise Quacks

“I’m a poppa four times over!”

Da deuce he said?

Supervision by Robert Clampett; Animation by I. Ellis; Story by Warren Foster; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1939.

Sorry for not posting until later in the day. Things came up, but unless otherwise noted, updates WILL happen every “Tunes-day.” And here’s some news worth celebrating: Daffy’s gonna be a father! (He’s so excited, he’s gone back to that cross-eyed design he had in “The Daffy Doc” It would be used one more time in “Porky’s Last Stand”) His wife is something else all together. Other than looking just like him, save for the pair of glasses on her bill, she sounds a lot like someone trying to imitate Donald Duck and not doing a great job at it. (At least they’re doing better than I would.) I’m calling her Daphne, seeing as how Daffy is married to a Daphne in a later short, and this duck is no Melissa.

The good news is put out in the paper. (Seems a bald eagle is also expecting an heir.) It’s spotted by Porky, who is happy for his old childhood pal. (I wish there was a short where the two of them were kids together. That would have been interesting.) I also love the reaction from the dog Porky tells the news to. A flat “Amazing.” That’s how I would react to someone I didn’t know awaiting kids. While Daffy is excited, he is also nervous and has taken to chugging large amounts of corn juice to steady his nerves. I first saw this short on Cartoon Network, and maybe they left the label off, but I swear that they changed it to maple syrup. That really made me ask questions. I may have only been five at the time, but I knew what being drunk was and I couldn’t figure out why my pancake topping of choice would effect Daffy that way.

Daphne finally gets the ducklings to hatch, by threatening to put her boiling rump on them. They emerge just in time for Porky to come witness the event. One egg has not hatched completely yet. Porky grabs it to keep the unborn from hurting itself and it hatches at last. This duckling is…special. I can’t help but just watch him uncomfortably. He nods his head when saying no, and shakes it when saying yes. He moves his neck around like he’s struggling to hold his head up. It’s a shame too, as he might be the funniest part of the short. Daphne meanwhile, has become aware of her husbands alcohol consumption. (Partly because Daffy bluntly admits it.)

The youngest during this time has just accepted a ride from a strange bird. Maybe he just is playing. Most predators don’t allow their prey to ride on their backs. Despite being up in the sky when he whispers goodbye to his mother, she hears him and begs Daffy to rescue their child. Tipsy he might be, Daffy is not a father to be messed with and catches up to the raptor. He takes his son back, but the bigger bird has friends that are happy to help and they chase Daffy.

The poor duckling is dropped (although this does lead to the best line of the short: “I’m flying.”) With Daphne too busy being hysterical, It’s up to Porky to save the day. (He does of course. Porky is amazing) The raptors chase Daffy back home and lock themselves in with him. Porky gets a club and opens the door to save his pal, but Daffy is in no danger. He’s shared his liquor with the others and they are all happily wasted.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

Scrap Happy Daffy

“What I’d give for a can of spinach now.”

Supervision by Frank Tashlin; Animation by Art Davis; Story by Don Christensen; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1943.

Another one considered to be one of the 100 greatest Looney Tunes. This was also the first cartoon Tashlin directed upon coming back to Warner Bros. after leaving Columbia Studios.

We open on Daffy climbing his giant scrap pile. He’s got plenty of American pride! (And cans whose insides change colors.) Would you like to make your own scrap pile? It’s easy! There is plenty of items you can donate to help the troops, and Daffy is happy to list them all! (Although he will take a quick break to whistle at the bathing suit model painted on his fence.) This will surely get the ire of Hitler. And it does indeed. Daffy’s pile is known the world over and Adolf is furious. He wants that pile destroyed and sends one of his subs to do so.

The sub has a secret weapon. The perfect way to get rid of metal in a cartoon: a goat. (I would like to point out how scientifically inaccurate this is, but I hope you already know it.) The goat happily chows down, but soon comes down with a case of hiccups. A patrolling Daffy hears the noise and attempts to intimidate the intruder, before realizing he’s looking at his reflection. Finding the real source of the noise, he takes pity on the ungulate and mixes him up a hiccup cure. Not long after this, he spies the swastika on the goat’s collar and realizes what it is there for. (And calling it one of the best insults I’ve ever heard: a tin termite. Brilliant.)

The goat tries to strike, but Daffy takes advantage of its moral compass by wearing glasses. (Nazi goats have limits to their cruelties) All too soon though, he loses this protection and is sent flying. He wants to give up, but the apparitions of his ancestors remind him that Americans don’t actually give up. (Did you know Lincoln was a duck? A duck that somehow grew a beard even) Filled with some new found pride, Daffy evolves into: SUPER AMERICAN! (Two references to cartoons from the Fleischer studios based on already existing characters in one Looney Tune? It must be my birthday! No wait, that’s this Sunday.)

With his new abilities, Daffy has the goat running back to the sub. The Nazis fire their cannon at him, but he punches their shots away one by one. With no other alternative, they try to escape. Daffy grabs hold of the sub’s periscope before the screen dissolves to him wrestling with a faucet back at his pile. It was nothing but a dream! However, the goat and Nazis are there too, with their sub now part of Daffy’s collection. They ask to be left out of his next dream. (Spoilsports.)

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

The Daffy Doc

“I gotta find a patient.”

Supervision by Robert Clampett; Animation by John Carey and Vive Risto; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. Released in 1938.

When this short begins we see two ducks on their way to a hospital. I only bring this up because they’re wearing pants! Ducks in pants! They don’t wear pants! That’s one of the unspoken rules of cartoons!

Okay, okay. I’m calm now. Inside the hospital, (Which above the entrance has one of the best puns ever, “As we sew, so shall we rip.” Genius!) there is a surgery underway by Dr. Quack and his assistant, Daffy. (He is also a quack.) Daffy in this short has eyes very similar to the first Woody Woodpecker and he’s been practicing his ventriloquy as there are several times he talks and his beak clearly doesn’t move. The doctor wants it quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Which thanks to Daffy checking, we can confirm it is. (But not for long.)

He hands the doctor his tools but soon starts acting like his daffy self we know and love. Throwing the tools everywhere, and using the oxygen bag as a punching bag. He is thrown out and he lands in an artificial lung, which causes his body to inflate and deflate constantly. Believe it or not, people have taken offense to that. Why? Because some people NEED artificial lungs. Pathetic reason, that. People need food too. Should I be offended when a fictional character eats? Daffy is angered and vows to show that he is as competent as any doctor. All he needs to prove it is a patient. He grabs a mallet and begins his search. (I love his methods.)

Meanwhile, Dr. Quack is pointing out that his operation is too serious for any wackiness. He’s stitching a football. (Hey! That’s insensitive. Some people NEED stitches!) Back with Daffy, he has found a perfect patient: Porky. He knocks him out and carries him to his room. Daffy is clearly not the best doc. His thermometer is just a lollypop. (Labeled in case you couldn’t recognize it.) He smacks himself with his mallet which causes him to vibrate so he can consult with his ghostly selves. They agree that an operation is the only solution and he prepares to carve Porky open. (This seems to happen to the poor guy whenever he is near a hospital.) Porky runs for it, but in the resulting chase, the two of them fall into that lung again, and once more inflate and deflate.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

The Wise Quacking Duck

“Buck up, B.B. eyes!”

Do you like quacksberry pie?

Supervision by Robert Clampett; Story by Warren Foster; Animation by Phil Monroe; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. Released in 1943.

Hope you weren’t expecting me to keep trying to tie the week’s featured short into something related to the time of year. I’m past that. Here’s another short with a one of those one time appearing characters that Termite Terrace loved so much. This is Mr. Meek. His voice annoys me to no end, but he isn’t Red Hot Ryder so he’s not all bad. Today, his wife wants roast duck for dinner. He doesn’t really have the heart for it, but what Sweetie-Puss wants, Sweetie-Puss gets. Luckily, there is a duck who is casually resting his head against a tree stump. Just begging to be chopped off. Unluckily, it’s Daffy. (Oh, like you couldn’t tell.)

He doesn’t take too kindly to the near decapitation and decides to really mess with Meek. (He looks like a Marvin. Let’s call him Marvin.) He starts by shoving his head into his neck and spraying ketchup around. (Geeze!) This does not help Marvin’s case at all and he slumps back to his house. There’s a kind soul inside willing to lend an ear to his woes: Daffy again. He offers Meek a cup of coffee, but finds that Sweetie-Puss already beat him to the “giving lumps” joke. This doesn’t stop him from adding more. And cream! AND DANCING IN THE FOOD! (This might be Daffy at his craziest.)

Meek catches on that it’s the same daffy duck as earlier and chases, running into a drawing Daffy put up on the wall. The duck then drops an egg on him from high up in the air. (Is there no roof?) But Meek has reached his boiling point. He points a gun at Daffy. What else can he do? Strip! No, really. Daffy starts taking off his feathers rather seductively, causing the poor man to blush. (It’s a good thing his wife doesn’t come in at this point. In fact, we never see her. She’s probably really beautiful.) Don’t worry, he stops once he reaches his boxer shorts. Next he dresses up as a swami with a Jerry Colona-esque voice. Not only does he read the bumps on Marvin’s head, (The one’s from earlier have healed, so he thoughtfully adds more.) but he offers him his palm red. (This is such a great joke. I’ve used it on my friend before. He luckily thought it was funny too.)

Meek grabs his gun again in a bit of animation that looks just like the one earlier. (Even Daffy points out this is the second time it’s happened in the same picture.) Meek shoves him in the oven and turns it up full blast! But he can’t bear to hear Daffy screaming from inside and opens the door. Is this the end of Daffy Duck? Nah. He’s still alive and well and happily basting himself. It ends like that, leading me to believe that they didn’t have much of a story in mind and just wanted to have Daffy be daffy for the sake of being daffy. (And God bless them for it.)

Personal Rating: 3