Ain't That Ducky
| Ain't That Ducky | |
|---|---|
| Looney Tunes (Daffy Duck) series | |
| Directed by | Friz Freleng |
| Produced by | Edward Selzer |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Voices by |
Mel Blanc Victor Moore |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by |
Manuel Perez Ken Champin Virgil Ross Gerry Chiniquy |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | May 19, 1945 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 7 mins |
| Language | English |
Ain't That Ducky is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Daffy Duck. Daffy has to outwit a hunter after him — and find out what's in the briefcase another duck is carrying around. While Mel Blanc did the voices for the ducks in this cartoon, the hunter was voiced by Victor Moore, a departure from either Blanc or Arthur Q. Bryan.
Plot
Daffy is taking a bubble-bath in a pond when he hears the sobbing of a small yellow duck carrying a briefcase. When Daffy tries to find out what's wrong with the duck, the little yellow duck stops sobbing long enough to emit a loud "AAH, SHUT UP!". When Daffy tries to find out what's in the briefcase that's causing the yellow duck so much grief, the duck tells Daffy, "AAH, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF, MISTER ANTHONY!" (a reference to the host of the radio advice series The Goodwill Hour; see the ending of Baby Bottleneck). Even the presence of a hunter does not stop the yellow duck from stopping Daffy with a loud, "AAH, LAY OFF, YOU... DUCK!"
The hunter (a caricature of Victor Moore, voiced by the actor, as well) then asks the little yellow duck if he can help, and gets the same obnoxious, "AAH, SHUT UP!". When Daffy confronts the hunter, the hunter decides to go after Daffy instead. The next few minutes follow a typical "Hunter/Prey" cartoon, with some exceptions - when Daffy comes across an empty space, he tells the artist that there's supposed to be a barrel in the scene - "It says so in my script! Someone's been laying down on the job. J.L. will hear of this!" (a hand then draws a barrel for Daffy to hide in, but with the yellow duck inside).
About two-thirds of the way through, Daffy and the hunter team up to try to get the briefcase, but are stopped when they run down the road. The hunter then tries running after Daffy, but runs over a cardboard cutout of Daffy, thinking it's the real thing. When the little yellow duck ruins Daffy's fun at the expense of the hunter, Daffy decides enough is enough and tries grabbing the briefcase away — but is knocked down the side of the mountain, 'melting' down the rocks. When the hunter is also knocked down, he reveals that he was able to swipe the briefcase. The two take a look inside, and soon are just as distressed as the yellow duck — the content is a piece of paper with the words "The End" on it, displayed as the cartoon ends.
Production notes
Daffy cries out the catchphrase "Sufferin' succotash!"