Film's Title (Year of Release)^{Director (see below)}

Short synopsis (or is that "short's synopsis?")

Cast (click here to learn about our new ongoing project, The Mel Blanc List)

Vintage Review (where available)

Critique

Video Release of the Cartoon (Video Studio, Video's Year of Release)

An ad appearing in The Victoria Advocate in Victoria, TX on April 27, 1951.

Boobs in the Woods (1950)^RM

Artist Porky is camping in the woods hoping to paint the landscape, but he is constantly bothered by Daffy. Features Daffy's zany "Oh people call me Daffy..." musical number.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Critique
Right from the start of his opening "Oh, people call me Daffy, they think that I am goony" lyrics, this is one of the defining Daffy cartoons of the decade, yet ironically it will later seem anachronistic compared to what's to come in the very near future. We're treated to prime "Daffy the crackpot meddler" here, offering the kind of setup with Porky that McKimson excelled in--and he would be the last director to keep trying to carry on this dynamic while Jones and Freleng attempted to take the duck into other directions. Daffy acts pretty hysterical on his own but then takes things to a new level with the guises he comes up with, from his absurd turn as "the Old Man of the Mountains" to his three-act playlet forcing Porky through a beheading (while the pig just goes along with the whole ordeal). Speaking of him, Porky has a few good moments as well, with one highlight being his series of increasingly ridiculous licenses to produce upon Daffy's prodding (and each one kept in a different location on his person). The McKimson animators are still at the top of their game--from Porky tripping over obstacles to check his fishing lure to Daffy's subsequent petrified takes to even Porky's baffled gaze while "tagging" the baseball to nobody in particular--but there is definitely a more subdued vibe to the action than in the unit's 1940s works. (Perhaps not coincidentally, Rod Scribner was just about ending a three-year quarantine from tuberculosis at the time this cartoon was in production, and he would soon return to the unit.) A cruelly cathartic ending wraps up one of the funniest Daffy, and McKimson, cartoons.

Porky Pig's Screwball Comedies (WHV, 1985)
Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Daffy Doodles (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Porky & Friends: Hilarious Ham (WHV DVD, 2012)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)

An ad for the cartoon (erroneously billed as starring Bugs Bunny) appearing in The Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on October 2, 1952.

The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950)^CJ

Tired of performing comedy, Daffy pitches to J.L. a dramatic film in which the Scarlet Pumpernickel (Daffy) and the Grand Duke (Sylvester) vie for the hand of Melissa, daughter of the Lord High Chamberlain (Porky). Includes cameos by Mama Bear, Henery Hawk, and Elmer Fudd (voiced for a rare change by Mel Blanc).

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Elmer Fudd, J.L.
Marian Richman: Melissa

Critique
On the surface, it's a hilarious cartoon. Beyond that, Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese give us such a game-changer that it not only adds a whole new dimension to Daffy's character but it also creates a whole new direction for the duck, setting the stage for a series of outstanding shorts presenting him as a sincere but inept genre hero. The pitch-meeting framing scenes with "J.L." (as in Jack L. Warner) might seem a tad unnecessary, but they serve a purpose by keeping the gags in check. Unlike later entries of this series like Robin Hood Daffy or Stupor Duck, Daffy's Scarlet Pumpernickel is not necessarily portrayed as a fool; he's actually pretty competent and heroic. Like in all great satires, the tropes of the swashbuckling genre are presented with respect and the action has a definite dynamic flair to it--all of which is match by a fantastic, underrated Carl Stalling score. The various cameos are fun without seeming gratuitous (it's supposed to be a sly nod to how studio contract players would show up anywhere), and something needs to be said of Jones doing a bang-up job directing a villainous Sylvester for the only time in his career (as opposed to the mute, scared version in the spook stories with Porky). Sylvester approaching Melissa before the final showdown is downright frightening, and the confrontation itself between hero and villain has a wonderful flair to it. And yet, there is still great humor throughout, from Daffy's self-referential "foppish as I am" admission while in disguise to the duck's exhausted "Yeah, yeah, then what happened?" to the audience when he runs out of script pages. Even with the out-of-nowhere suicide end gag, it's still a fun, silly epic, one that Jones will only try to keep topping throughout the decade.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Looney Tunes Curtain Calls (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Carrotblanca: Looney Tunes Go to the Movies (WHV, 1996)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Running Amuck (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Manekko Shiyou! (Rabbit of Seville) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Showcase Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV DVD, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on September 1, 1950.

His Bitter Half (1950)^FF

Greedy Daffy answers a personals ad from a rich widow seeking matrimony, but he gets more than he bargained for when he meets her rambunctious boy, Wentworth.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Wentworth, Carny
Martha Wentworth: Mrs. Duck

Critique
Compared to Jones and McKimson, Friz Freleng would direct relatively few Daffy cartoons during the 1950s. But unlike the would-be genre hero of the former's shorts and the screwy troublemaker of the latter's, Freleng's depictions of Daffy in this period are perhaps the most fascinating--often put into a beleaguered "everyman" type of roles and creating humor from the duck's reactions to his situations. Right from the start we get a clear picture of Daffy's easy-street motivations: buying an engagement ring at a five-and-dime, and then later his constant scowl during the montage of housework. The introduction of Wentworth in the second act more or less sets the dynamic of the story: Wentworth enrages Daffy, whose too greedy and henpecked to take a stand. It makes for a funny test of wills, but the child's aggressiveness toward our hero sours the whole thing a bit. (Sure enough, when Freleng remade this short a decade later as Honey's Money with Yosemite Sam, the one improvement was making that Wentworth more of an innocent brute than a hellraiser.) The wife meanwhile is a pretty fearsome character; we don't see too much domestic violence on screen but we definitely feel the threat (such as the menacing slapback of her hat's flower when grilling Daffy about how cute Wentworth is). Once the setup gets firmly established, there are many funny moments, from Daffy's annoyed "Yeah, cute like a stomach pump" to a quick background shot of Wentworth chasing Daffy with a large axe while playing Indians. The highlight is perhaps the carnival sequence with the rarely used "misplaced cause and effect" gun gag. Everything works here: Daffy's nervous mispronunciation of "ricocheted," the carny's angry take to the camera after Daffy's "that big moose with the silly-looking puss" comment, and of course Daffy's self-vindicated "SEE?!" look followed by the punch to the face. Masterful comic timing from Freleng.

The West Point Story (WHV DVD, 2007)
James Cagney: The Signature Collection boxed set (WHV DVD, 2007)
The West Point Story (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2023)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad for the "corol" cartoon appearing in the Cortland Standard in Cortland, NY on December 23, 1950.

Golden Yeggs (1950)^FF

Daffy is miscredited for miraculously laying a golden egg found in Porky's chicken coop. The news catches the attention of gangster Rocky (in his first appearance), who "purchases" Daffy and gives him just five minutes to lay another one.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Rocky, Goose, Nick, Laundry Valet, Chickens

Critique
Another Daffy classic courtesy of Friz Freleng, who also presents the Looney Tunes stable with a wholly new and memorable antagonist in diminutive gangster Rocky (it would be a couple more years before he meets his match in Bugs and gains a comedic sidekick in Mugsy). The story structure feels a bit lopsided, with either the Porky segment coming off too short or the whole "five minutes" sequence running too long, but for the most part the plot does move briskly and no one scene overstays its welcome. Unit newcomer Art Davis particularly shines here, especially with his posing and animation of Daffy's harrowing survival-at-sea tale. Much of the cartoon's humor arrives with the gangsters, from the absurd "Crime Inc." office door to the thug posing as a door and offering Daffy a key during an escape attempt to the not-so-subtle tip-toeing out of Porky's barn. Rocky himself has a few good moments as well, perhaps none better than his oddly menacing threat of "I said lay a egg, duck." Even when everything seemingly gets resolved and we're treated to a funny visual of Daffy literally picking up Rocky to move him out of the way do we get a great classic end gag. Perhaps not surprisingly, it's one of writer Tedd Pierce's last hurrahs for the Freleng unit.

Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Superior Duck (WHV, 1998)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: The Vocal Genius (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Warumono wo Yattsukero! (Drip-along Daffy) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on August 10, 1951.

The Ducksters (1950)^CJ

Daffy is the host of the radio game show Truth or AAAAAIIIGGHHH!, where unlucky contestant Porky must answer questions correctly or "pay the penalty."

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Audience Member, Mamie

Critique
Hilarious cartoon by Jones and Maltese, but unfortunately one that often gets overshadowed by the duo's genre spoofs. On the surface, it's an absurd spoof of game shows, and really apart from references to the then-48 United States and a radio company, most of the humor here is pretty timeless--and the concept alone would keep becoming relevant again and again thanks to the quiz-show scandals later in the decade right through recent history with the likes of Deal or No Deal and reality competition shows. Some of the more evergreen gags include the ridiculous grand prizes (and of course the specific jackpot of $26 million and three cents) to the forced mentions of sponsor Eagle Hand Laundry (whose tagline gets more preposterous with each mention) to the obligatory moment when contestant Porky easily knows the right answers to Daffy's increasingly obscure trivia questions (and of course the duck's bemused reactions put things over the top). In the middle of it all, though, is an amazingly perverse characterization of Daffy, who torments Porky with the kind of demented glee that can only come from job security (except, of course, for when Porky stands up to Daffy, and the duck folds immediately). He is so aware of how cruel he's being to the pig--offering everything from a maniacal laugh to the obvious aside "Aren't we gruesome??"--that actions like gunning down an audience member or threatening Porky with "You've got thirty-two teeth; would you like to try for sixteen?" come off naturally. We're so sucked right into the insanity of this program and its host that even the most nonsensical (and arguably the short's funniest) "gotcha" moment--"Your name isn't Jack, so you must pay the penalty!"--has as much sincerity as the pig's "fairer" losses. It's a wonderfully constructed story as well, and when we get to the inevitable "what goes around comes around" ending there is a distinct feeling of satisfaction without dragging Porky down to Daffy's level. It's perhaps Jones's final cartoon that just lets the duck and pig be themselves, but what a cartoon to end it on!

Looney Tunes Video Show #1 (WHV, 1982)
Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Dai Star wa Tsuraiyo (Big Top Bunny) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)

An ad appearing in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC on January 28, 1962 at the time of the short's "Blue Ribbon" rerelease.

Rabbit Fire (1951)^CJ

In the first cartoon in which they both star, Bugs and Daffy argue over which hunting season it is. Daffy doesn't fare too well at the end of Elmer's gun.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elephant
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"Very good...the dialogue is very funny" (Boxoffice, June 30, 1951)

Critique
And here we are, the first of the trio of Chuck Jones films casually known by such names as "the hunter's trilogy," "the wabbit season trilogy," etc., followed a year later by Rabbit Seasoning and then Duck! Rabbit, Duck! a year after that. The word "classic" doesn't seem to do this initial entry any justice. There is so much going on here: Elmer's character and personality both get revitalized; Bugs receives a major new adversary in the form of Daffy; and we're introduced to perhaps the most revolutionary cartoon character grouping since Mickey, Donald, and Goofy first teamed up over a decade before. It also seems to have the most belly laughs among the three films in the trilogy with some wonderfully constructed gags by Mike Maltese, who also provides a few silly random quips such as having Bugs refer to Daffy as "Laughing Boy." Practically every scene is rightfully iconic, from Bugs and Daffy's initial "Rabbit season/duck season" back-and-forth to an amazingly meta moment where the characters dress up as each other, allowing Mel Blanc to outdo himself by performing impersonations of his own voices while in character! The short also adds a new dimension to Daffy's personality, forcing him to live in the shadow of another character as they try to achieve the same goal; he's now outclassed and he knows it, and it frustrates him to no end. Both characters act out of survival, but while Bugs surveys the situation first to know exactly how to manipulate it, Daffy carelessly jumps right in like a bad comedian who has over-rehearsed his routine. He's too busy playing to Elmer to realize that the real threat--and the real one he needs to outsmart--is Bugs. That is the genius of this interpretation of Daffy: he's not so much fighting for his physical survival as he is from letting Bugs take his position as the Looney Tunes stable's biggest con man. It's cartoon Darwinism. Some fans like to give Jones flak for supposedly introducing this "villainous" version of Daffy, but really it's just the natural result of the character's evolution under all of the directors: Clampett made him a sneaky coward in Draftee Daffy, Freleng a jealous opportunist in You Ought to Be in Pictures, and McKimson an incompetent braggart in The Up-Standing Sitter. To single Jones or this short out is being a little blind to history.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Hare Beyond Compare (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
From Hare to Eternity (WHV, 1998)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: The Vocal Genius (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection (Volume One) (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Kari no Kisetsu (Rabbit Seasoning) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
The Essential Bugs Bunny (WHV DVD, 2010)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection - Limited Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2020)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on April 29, 1952.

Drip-along Daffy (1951)^CJ

Chuck Jones's classic in which "western-type hero" Drip-along Daffy and "comedy relief" Porky clean up a lawless, one-horse town and battle outlaw Nasty Canasta.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Nasty Canasta, Bartender, Ice Cubes

Critique
"Unhand that rancher's daughter!" Daffy heroically orders to nobody in particular with his flowery boxer shorts exposed--the gag is this cartoon in a nutshell, treating the western motif seriously while making our lead an obvious fool. This begins Chuck Jones's Daffy series of genre spoofs in earnest, with the duck serving as a comically inept phony and Porky as a level-headed and more competent sidekick. It's a formula that works extraordinarily well and would eventually result in such unquestionable masterpieces as Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century and Robin Hood Daffy--not to mention also give Porky a whole new lease on life as a major studio character. The montage of lawlessness throughout Snake-Bite Center acts as its own mini-movie, almost a distant cousin to the spot-gag shorts of old like Saps in Chaps. It's a great, well-paced setup, throwing in gags ranging from the ridiculous (a cigar store Indian being held up) to the classic (a shootout waits at a red light for another to cross) to the wickedly sublime (the multi-story business tower owned by Rigor O'Mortis, "the Smiling Undertaker"). There's an attempt to have Daffy play the hero role straight, but unlike back in The Scarlet Pumpernickel the duck offers a larger amount of absurd touches, from his "chicken inspector" badge (last seen in Daffy Dilly!) to constant mispronouncing of "hombre" as "hom-ber." Things get taken up a notch with the introduction of Nasty Canasta, providing an entrance as fearsome as Daffy's was ridiculous (even despite the warning that he is a known "rustler, bandit, square dance caller," an in-jokey nod to the director's passion at the time). The animation of Canasta advancing on Daffy is marvelous in its simplicity--something Jones once described as a human steamroller--as is the single hat flip in response to his drink. The entire final showdown sequence offers great visuals from the staging to the toy soldier animation to the rush of townspeople cheering Porky. And just in case anyone was about to confuse all of this with high art, Maltese ends things with not one but two consecutive horse manure gags. Essential Daffy viewing.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Carrotblanca: Looney Tunes Go to the Movies (WHV, 1996)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Warumono wo Yattsukero! (Drip-along Daffy) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on May 29, 1953.

The Prize Pest (1951)^RM

Porky wins a prize from a radio show, and it turns out to be Daffy, who immediately starts trouble and causes Porky to throw him out. When Daffy returns, he explains to Porky that he has a split personality: one good, and one hideously evil.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, What's the Name of Your Name? Host, Grand Prize Announcer, Delivery Man
Tedd Pierce: Wentworth J. Whistlestop

Critique
Such a weird, funny cartoon, the kind the McKimson unit would start shying away from as its milder 1950s style settled in. If the short has any major fault it's with the pacing; we get so much unnecessary setup that we're past the halfway point when the Jekyll/Hyde portion starts up--and that could have easily been the entire story. But instead the plot was getting bogged down with some general Daffy troublemaking; some of it funny (such as the duck randomly throwing things out of Porky's window, including an attempt at the pig himself) but ultimately coming off as filler. Once Daffy starts his split personality act things really pick up, and kudos are deserved to the McKimson animators on both some great reactions from Porky but also in actually making the duck look pretty hideous. What balances the manufactured terror so well are the purely ludicrous gags throughout--Daffy posing as Porky's telephone, Porky inexplicably having explosive gag cigars on his person, and the completely random skeleton in the closet. And of course, we get not only a satisfying conclusion but also a classic scared take from Daffy as he literally falls apart, a gag so memorable it was attempted again almost a decade later in Hyde and Go Tweet. Porky gets in a final line at his own expense that may not be gut-busting, but serves its purpose for this very fine cartoon.

Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (WHV DVD, 2010)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on February 11, 1954.

Thumb Fun (1952)^RM

Once again avoiding the long flight south for the winter, Daffy decides to hitchhike. He hustles his way into Porky's car and gets the pig in trouble with other motorists and the police.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Southern Motorist, Motorcycle Cop, Muddville Judge

Critique
"In the back! BOOIIIING!" This is the kind of plot and character dynamic McKimson excelled at: Daffy as an obnoxious troublemaker putting hapless victim Porky into increasingly awkward situations. What saves the duck from coming off as completely unlikable as that he's not really acting out of malice--he's just being that mouthy, devil-may-care buddy who's oblivious to the consequences of his actions onto others. Perhaps the most he serves as an actual villain is by antagonizing the very large driver of the tiny car (allowing for a great visual reveal, by the way), who takes it out on Porky. The entire atmosphere of this short could be described as quaint and folky--the appearance of a Model T, the duo ending up in a small town called "Muddville"--while the human characters all have a quirky, larger-than-life look to them, which in a way makes them all very intimidating to the meek and timid pig. It's a very fun film to look at, and the gags are at times so ridiculous one cannot help but laugh.

Porky Pig: Days of Swine and Roses (WHV, 1992)
Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: A Battle of Wits (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Porky & Friends: Hilarious Ham (WHV DVD, 2012)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on December 17, 1953.

Cracked Quack (1952)^FF

Struggling to fly south through a blizzard, Daffy smashes into Porky's house. He breaks in and takes the place of the stuffed trophy duck on Porky's mantle, but the pig's dog Rover thinks something is amiss. The final Porky Pig short directed by creator Friz Freleng.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Rover, Housefly, Duck Squadron Leader

Vintage Review
"There are a lot of funny situations and lively action...The end is hilarious" (Boxoffice, August 23, 1952)

Critique
Pretty hysterical film that doesn't quite get the recognition it deserves--but in all fairness, a number of Freleng's Daffy cartoons like this one suffer from generic-sounding titles that may make it difficult for casual fans to recall specific plots (see also Duck Soup to Nuts, Ain't That Ducky, and Wise Quackers). Daffy is in fine form--and we're still in that weird era where he's fiendish and looking out for himself but hasn't become a full-blown antagonist or perpetual loser yet, so even at his meanest here he's still pretty funny ("I can't stand to see a dumb animal suffer" he admits before pulling a window shade down in front of a trapped-outside Rover). The early scene with Daffy trying to bargain with the stuffed duck (and then beating it up) is pretty memorable, with his emotions ranging from phony politeness to abrupt rage. The duck is spinning a lot of plates here by avoiding Porky and gaslighting Rover, but honestly his one scene battling the housefly is one of the bigger highlights (swatting it with his eyelids, no less), eventually prompting the fly to start quacking while it's trying to rat Daffy out to the dog. For as little screen time he gets, Porky is in actuality the cartoon's secret weapon. His part is mostly reactionary, but by doing so he provides the cartoon's funniest lines ("Oh Rover, there's a dog here to see you.") and gags (proving Daffy is supposedly stuffed, "w-w-wood! Wood! Wood!"). The character dynamic between the pig and the duck will evolve significantly this decade, making this final pairing by Friz a fine, funny farewell.

Porky Pig's Screwball Comedies (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: A Looney Life (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2023)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, KY on January 15, 1954.

Rabbit Seasoning (1952)^CJ

Bugs and Daffy again confuse Elmer about which season it is. This time, Bugs uses "pronoun trouble" to trip up the duck.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"Good...clever" (Boxoffice, December 13, 1952)

Critique
One of the defining Bugs and Daffy cartoons; the wittier and more cerebral sequel to Rabbit Fire. The previous film went for the bigger, heartier laughs; this one goes for the more psychological humor. Daffy isn't perturbed by being outsmarted so much as he is in the way Bugs outsmarts him, turning the "Rabbit season/duck season" exchange of the first cartoon into a ridiculous argument over semantics. Daffy is so much fun to watch in this one because he's simultaneously trying to beat Bugs at his own game while also showing disgust at the usual Bugs-versus-Elmer dynamic. He's annoyed at the seemingly low-brow levels of trickery Bugs uses to outsmart Elmer and then gets outraged all over again that Elmer is actually duped by them! He's trying to get his foot into an act that he feels is beneath him, allowing him to act as a subtle commentator on the Bugs/Elmer series ("Surely you're not going to be taken in by that old gag??"). Michael Maltese's wordplay alone would have made the short a classic (Daffy refers to Elmer as "Hawkeye" after being on the receiving end of his rifle numerous times), but Chuck Jones masterfully keeps the pace moving so that it doesn't bog down into characters merely having a conversation. It's a Bugs Bunny cartoon for the intellectuals in the audience--and it's a masterpiece!

A Salute to Chuck Jones (WHV, 1985)
Elmer Fudd's Comedy Capers (WHV, 1986)
Winner by a Hare (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: All-Stars (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection (Volume One) (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Bugs Bunny (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Kari no Kisetsu (Rabbit Seasoning) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 7 (WHV DVD, 2009)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Bugs Bunny and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Niagara Falls Gazette in Niagara Falls, NY on February 5, 1953.

The Super Snooper (1952)^RM

Private eye Duck Drake has been summoned to the Axehandle Estate, where an accused seductress has her eyes on the duck.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Axehandle Estate Caller, Butler
Grace Lenard: "The Body"

Critique
Robert McKimson presents something of an off-shoot of the genre parodies Chuck Jones was establishing at the time. Taking more of a page from The Great Piggy Bank Robbery, McKimson's Daffy in these shorts is very self-aware of all the tropes he has to work with--and yet, he comes off as completely incompetent despite his self-assuredness and supposed success in his profession, resulting in this weird hybrid style of stories that would lead to such entries as China Jones and perhaps most notably Stupor Duck. The cartoon here is very heavy on puns and literal gags: Daffy disposing of "my last case," "hop on out there," the obligatory "walk this way," etc.--even Daffy's alter ego Duck Drake is something of a pun since male ducks are called drakes and the name is a play on that of Barton Drake, the detective/author lead of the now-obscure, even then-defunct radio show Murder Is My Hobby (a.k.a. Mystery Is My Hobby when the show was syndicated). Daffy is a joy to watch throughout, and the animators take great care in giving him some amazing poses and facial expressions, especially as he suggests the murder scenarios. The duck is so animated and engrossed in his own deductive greatness that by the time we get to dropping pianos and moving railroad tracks he is completely convincing despite the increased absurdity--helped in large part by a very underrated performance by Mel Blanc here. Unfortunately, the plot's fatal flaw (no pun intended) is that the femme fatale duck just isn't that engaging of a character, and writer Tedd Pierce is more interested in just making her man-crazy than trying to pass her off as an actual possible murderer in the film noir style. At the end of the cartoon she's still oblivious to any crime taking place, but then why was she helping Daffy act out the murders? It treats her more as a prop than an actual character, and even in parody you need a good back-and-forth in a whodunit. It's still a very funny cartoon, but sadly one or two elements prevent it from being over the top.

Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Big Jim McLain (WHV DVD, 2007)
The John Wayne Film Collection boxed set (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on September 16, 1954.

Fool Coverage (1952)^RM

Insurance salesman Daffy tries to con Porky into buying accident insurance by setting up traps all over the busy pig's house.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Critique
It's the first time director McKimson cast Daffy as an all-out antagonist since Daffy Doodles, and this time the duck being a smarmy insurance salesman is actually a pretty perfect vehicle for his fiendishness. The major problem, though, is that the plot, gags, and resolution are all well telegraphed--we know as soon as Daffy gives the detail-laden conditions to the insurance policy at the start what the short's eventual payoff will be. Daffy's accident traps start resembling blackout gags; some of them funny but nothing that really advances the story until the very end. And really, what makes most of these scenes funny are the peripheral elements, such as Porky wondering aloud, "Now where did I put that screwdriver? I bet I left it in the oven." The McKimson animators do a wonderful job given the little they have to work with, with Rod Scribner's Daffy scenes in particular having a quirky mix of exaggerated and grotesque. Sure enough, it's Scribner who handles Daffy's second, frazzled sales pitch after he's been blown up. It's a great rough-around-the-edges look that the McKimson shorts would soon lose.

Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Porky & Friends: Hilarious Ham (WHV DVD, 2012)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)

An ad appearing in The Acton Free Press in Georgetown, ON on December 3, 1953.

Duck Amuck (1953)^CJ

Chuck Jones's masterpiece in which Daffy is at the mercy of a ruthless, unseen animator.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny

Vintage Review
"Good...some of this is hilarious" (Boxoffice, May 2, 1953)

Critique
Revolutionary cartoon that doubles as a classic comedy and an inventive character study. Daffy does more here than merely interact with the animator in a charming Out of the Inkwell/Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid manner; he reacts and becomes incensed by what he's being subjected to, essentially making Chuck Jones and his crew the adversaries of the picture. Simply fiddling around with the backgrounds and settings wouldn't necessarily be funny on its own (see the later Rabbit Rampage) if not for Daffy at the center. He tries so hard to be a trooper at first but quickly sees that it's a losing battle, and his reactions to his changing environment are priceless ("And on this farm he had an igloo..."). As each element of film production gets in the way--from sound design to cinematography--Daffy's temper quickly erodes and he begins setting himself up for the fall, becoming his own worst enemy (both figuratively and then literally!). Perhaps the centerpiece to this mayhem involves Daffy critiquing a satirically "simple" line-drawing background (complete with a building labeled "store" and a "honking" static car) only to be redrawn as a goofy-looking, flowered-headed, bird-marsupial creature. The final gag is ingenious and appropriate without betraying any single character. Easily one of Daffy's finest films.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Running Amuck (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection (Volume One) (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Star wa Taihen! (What's Up Doc?) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Showcase Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV DVD, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Rome News-Tribune in Rome, GA on April 26, 1953.

Muscle Tussle (1953)^RM

Jilted by a girl in favor of a beach hunk, Daffy tries a strength elixir and challenges the bodybuilder to a series of athletic matches.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Bodybuilder Duck, Atomcol Salesman
Gladys Holland: Lady Duck

Vintage Review
"Good" (Boxoffice, June 27, 1953)

Critique
Pleasant but rather mild outing, with all of the outright belly laughs being concentrated in the second act. Notably, it's the only Warner Bros. cartoon to do the time-honored "bully at the beach" comedy plot--unfortunately though, it's such a paint-by-numbers kind of story that there's really nothing any of the directors could have done to make it remarkable. This one almost plays out like a Famous Studios era Popeye cartoon, with our hero getting comically bested in competition until the very end. Daffy gets a rare (for this period) sympathetic turn as the protagonist, and his final victory comes off as earned and satisfying for a change. The "bully" character is a little on the bland side, not really intimidating in any way and he gets a fairly casual comeuppance. The really weird element here is the duck girlfriend. In what would have otherwise been a fairly generic part, McKimson has actress Gladys Holland give her this odd squeaky voice. Some of her dialogue gets grating after a while and it makes her genuinely funny lines a little hard to decipher, but points are definitely due for trying something unique here. The highlight of the short is definitely the centerpiece "tests of strength" sequence. It's a fun couple of gags, heightened in large part by Carl Stalling's score, switching to a loose, jazzy version of the standard "Over the Waves" whenever Daffy tries a feat. Given the cookie-cutter plot, it's unfortunate the rest of the cartoon wasn't this inspired.

Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Trouble Along the Way (WHV DVD, 2007)
The John Wayne Film Collection boxed set (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in The Acton Free Press in Acton, ON on March 4, 1954.

Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (1953)^CJ

The science-fiction classic in which Duck Dodgers and his Eager Young Space Cadet (Porky) are sent by Dr. I.Q. Hi to Planet X to look for Illudium Phosdex. Once there, Dodgers must square off against Marvin the Martian for possession of the planet.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian, Dr. I.Q. Hi

Critique
One of the quintessential Daffy cartoons, and arguably the one that has had the biggest impact on the Looney Tunes property, eventually spawning latter-day sequels, theme park attractions, toys, and even a spin-off television series. On the surface it's just another entry in Jones's genre-spoof series (this time of the Buck Rogers franchise, of course), but everything about it is so pitch-perfect that it transcends parody and becomes its own thing--it is thoroughly entertaining even if a viewer has no idea what the source material is. And yet, the sci-fi motif isn't merely window dressing, as the humor comes a great deal from the ridiculous technology on display, whether it's of the evaporators replacing mass transit or Daffy falling off the turbolift after heroically announcing his own name--and perhaps miraculously, nothing present in this "future via 1953" setting has become dated, allowing for a very timeless cartoon. Almost every gag is iconic in its own right, with perhaps the entire disintegration-proof vest sequence being the most memorable. (Although, in all fairness, the simplicity of Marvin's Ultimatum Answerer just shooting Daffy in the face provides as great of a belly laugh.) Despite all the slapstick, Chuck Jones never lets his guard down, treating the faux drama and suspense of the story with all due sincerity--it isn't enough that Daffy merely copies Porky's idea to find Planet X, but Porky also has to genuinely admire his brilliance. In addition to the pig, special mention must be given to Marvin the Martian, whose appearance and downright menacing characterization here goes a long way into securing him into a position as more than just an occasional Bugs Bunny adversary. And of course, there's Maurice Noble, whose sci-fi designs throughout the film are inspired and remarkable, showcasing an imaginative world without ever being excessive (as tempting as that would be). Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would later say (even if in jest) that some of the ideas for their own epic sci-fi films could be traced directly to what Noble produced for this short. Regardless, it's a fun cartoon to look at, and it's definitely a funny cartoon to watch, right up to the very last shot. To paraphrase Porky's final, classic line, this film is most certainly a "big deal."

A Salute to Chuck Jones (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes (WHV, 1998)
Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes (WHV, 1999)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Running Amuck (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens (WHV DVD, 2002)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Daisenso (Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV DVD, 2012)
Duck Dodgers: Dark Side of the Duck (WHV DVD, 2013)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Calamity Jane (WHV Blu-ray, 2015) (SD)
Musicals 4-Movie Collection (WHV Blu-ray, 2015) (SD)
Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes/Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2020)
Duck Dodgers: The Complete Series (SDS Blu-ray, 2023)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on April 14, 1955.

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953)^CJ

In this winter-themed conclusion of the "rabbit season trilogy," Bugs is able to convince Elmer that Daffy is a goat, a mongoose, and a dirty skunk, and that they're all in season, too.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"Good" (Boxoffice, October 31, 1953)

Critique
The "rabbit season trilogy" comes to a respectable if not excellent close. Chuck Jones and Mike Maltese try hard to retain the energy that made Rabbit Fire and Rabbit Seasoning seem so effortless, but there's a faint air of derivativeness that dampens the action--the wordplay and battle of wits displayed here are good but no match to what happened in the short's predecessors. The dialogue is fun but a tad convoluted, a sign of how this specific series would have devolved had it continued. The increased implausibility of the jokes is what nevertheless make them work, though, capped with an inevitable "season" gag that perhaps the whole trilogy was leading to. Bugs, Daffy, and Elmer would be teamed up in various settings in the future (with the same expectation of wordplay), but never more perfectly than in these three films.

Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2005)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)
A Lion Is in the Streets (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Alfred Sun in Alfred, NY on June 3, 1954.

Design for Leaving (1954)^RM

Daffy is a futuristic push-button salesman who fits Elmer Fudd's house with all of his products while he's away. When Elmer returns home, Daffy takes him on a tour of his new push-button home, complete with demonstrations of everything except the "red button."

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Burglar Alarm, Delivery Man
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"Good" (Boxoffice, April 24, 1954)

Critique
Robert McKimson combines two of the more underappreciated types of Daffy cartoons--Daffy as a pushy salesman and his occasional solo battles with Elmer Fudd--and delivers perhaps his unit's last great cartoon before the 1953 shutdown threw everyone for a loop and hurt McKimson especially. This cartoon could have easily devolved into a blackout-filled House of Tomorrow knock-off if not for the solid Tedd Pierce plot running through it--the gizmos themselves are funny, but it's the back and forth between Daffy and Elmer that helps sell the jokes. There really isn't a dud scene here, as all of the house gadgets provide fun gags either through their corniness or destructive incompetence (right at the very start, the coat remover rips a button off Elmer's)--and one can clearly see how the "household efficiency" theme influenced (or was directly stolen by) jokes on The Flintstones and The Jetsons (the pig garbage disposal was definitely used once on the former). Even the rare darker gag (Elmer getting hanged by a necktie) is balanced out by something routine (the fire extinguisher robot running gag a la the House Hunting Mice cleaners) or something so ridiculously stupid as to come out the other side as hilarious ("But what happened to the downstairs?"/"Say, that's a good question!"). Elmer shines as the luckless victim to Daffy's wares, giving him a rare "everyman" role that hadn't been used too much in the 1950s. (His annoyed glances at Daffy are particularly priceless.) It's really hard to hate Daffy in this. He's not playing a con man or sneak like in, say, McKimson's own Fool Coverage. He's just selling crummy product and is just maybe too enthusiastic about pushing it all onto Elmer. Of course, his final pitch to sell the blue button to correct the errors of his "free" demonstration may put that into question after all....

Elmer Fudd's Comedy Capers (WHV, 1986)
Superior Duck (WHV, 1998)

An ad appearing in The Daily Illini in Champaign, IL on February 11, 1955.

Quack Shot (1954)^RM

If Elmer Fudd harms one more duck, he's in trouble. Daffy declares war on the hunter, but his schemes don't exactly work on their intended target.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Giant Fish, Elmer Fudd (laughing)
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"There are a lot of laughs in this episode" (Boxoffice, January 1, 1955)

Critique
Surprisingly funny Daffy cartoon, one that usually gets lost in the 1950s shuffle among the genre spoofs or his clashes with Bugs Bunny. McKimson animator Phil DeLara provides the script, as this was during a very weird time at the unit right before the studio shutdown. Tedd Pierce had temporarily left Warner Bros. to work on Mr. Magoo for UPA and McKimson started using stories from Sid Marcus and various animators throughout the studio (Charles McKimson and Jones animator Ben Washam also provided plots at this time)--this would be DeLara's only writing credit and also one of his final animation credits. This is also one of the final McKimson shorts before the shutdown to utilize a full animation crew, as some of the very last ones done before the layoff were animated almost entirely by the director himself. In addition to being a great Daffy/Elmer cartoon (again, one of the more underutilized Warner pairings), what's notable is that for most of it Elmer is fairly victorious--in fact, he's pretty vicious here, even shooting Daffy in the rear while the duck is merely jumping back into the lake. It makes it stand out from the usual hunting pictures the studio used to do, and the green-and-blue color design for the lake environment makes it stand out visually as well. The pretty inspired twist to this whole thing is that Daffy is actually being noble and is trying to attack Elmer for a worthy cause, whereas in most blackout-style cartoons we're watching a clear and decided villain fail at their schemes. In any other circumstance such a dynamic would make the gags uncomfortable to watch (who wants to see a protector constantly lose?), but what threads the needle enough to make it work is that Daffy is so obnoxiously sure of himself that it turns into a burlesque of a braggart. The concept starts stalling a bit in the second half as Elmer begins unknowingly subverting Daffy's schemes (covering dynamite with a bucket the duck was hiding in, etc.) as opposed to outright stopgapping them with a blast to the face, but the whole thing ends with a satisfying victory for our "hero" and even a corny "here we go again" end gag. And so ends Warner's final duck-hunting cartoon, and they ended it with a good one.

Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in The Paris News in Paris, TX on January 23, 1955.

My Little Duckaroo (1954)^CJ

In this sequel to Drip-along Daffy, the Masked Avenger (Daffy) and his "comedy relief" (Porky) go after Nasty Canasta, who is holed up in a hideout. The Avenger promises to "fix his little red wagon," but first he has to get the villain to even notice him.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Nasty Canasta

Vintage Review
"Good" (Boxoffice, December 18, 1954)

Critique
Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese attempt to repeat the success they had three years ago with Drip-along Daffy, but unfortunately what they deliver is a very listless, boring picture. Many of the gags feel like outtakes from the previous film, and certain scenes are not only repeated but also stretched out to the point of minutiae--e.g., Daffy's classic "Anyone for tennis?" entrance bit from Drip-along becomes its own three-act play here with not nearly the same comedic effect (save for the duck's defeated "Trick or treat?" at the very end). In all fairness, the cartoon does start off strong with a goofy wanted poster; Daffy's sincere "It isn't the principle of the thing, it's the money"; and Canasta's clearly marked hideout and Daffy admiring his supposed cunning. But it's when the duck and villain finally meet does everything get bogged down, with really the only notable thing that can be admired is Maurice Noble's inspired use of book texts to make up the walls of the hideout. Jones's direction for the very few actual action moments is pretty tight, which only makes one bemoan the fact that it's overwhelmed by a very talky film. And sure enough, the few chuckles that do come in the second half are due to some of Maltese's choice lines--"This is a showdown, you show-off!" and "I think you're pretty tough, don't I?" are funny on their own, but they almost exist in a vacuum. We don't even get any kind of satisfying let alone conclusive ending. It's easily Jones's weakest Daffy cartoon of the classic era.

A Night at the Movies 1954: Dial M for Murder (WHV, 1982)
Porky Pig Tales (WHV, 1988)
Guffaw and Order (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Six (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 6 (WHV DVD, 2008)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, AL on December 25, 1955.

Beanstalk Bunny (1955)^CJ

Daffy is Jack, who had just sold his cow for some beans. Feeling gypped, he tosses the beans aside...right into Bugs's rabbit hole. The two find their way up the beanstalk, where Elmer the giant wants to "gwind your bones to make me bwead."

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Magic Bean Salesman
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Critique
It's the first Bugs/Daffy/Elmer cartoon since the "wabbit season trilogy," and it's a triumph! There's a lot going on here, as the first two minutes cram in Daffy breaking the fourth wall to make observations about the fairy-tale conventions (considering Daffy never really starred in any such spoofs), an impressively fearsome introduction of Elmer as the giant, and some quick wordplay between Bugs and Daffy over which one is the "Jack" of the story. Elmer swings back and forth between being menacing and simple-minded, allowing him to be much more of a threat than he was in the hunting films. Bugs and Daffy work so well together that the scenes where they team up are almost more enjoyable than when they're at odds, with one highlight being a spectacularly posed and acted pantomime sequence of the two of them trapped under glass. Thoroughly funny cartoon from Chuck Jones at his peak.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Hare Beyond Compare (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2023)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in The Journal and Republican in Lowville, NY on March 17, 1955.

Stork Naked (1955)^FF

Daffy's wife Daphne is expecting a "little visitor," but Daffy will have none of that. So the intoxicated stork that's delivering their egg must maneuver through traps Daffy set all over the house.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Stork 672, Daphne Duck, Mr. Pierce, French Father, Native American Father, Baby Stork

Critique
Friz Freleng's second and final attempt at doing a "domesticated Daffy" type of story is pretty fast-paced and often hilarious, but it would ultimately be a bittersweet end to the director using the duck in any kind of solo capacity--all future Freleng theatricals with Daffy would pair him with Bugs (apart from the dreadful pilot team-up with Speedy, It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House). It's also a somewhat odd characterization of Daffy here, as he immediately goes from pleasantly silly to furious--he makes mention of the stork showing up "again" but we never see any of the couple's other children, so we don't get a crazy sympathy story like what Daffy revealed back in The Stupid Cupid. Adding to the sudden nastiness, the various traps Daffy lays out have a distinct Yosemite Sam or Sylvester vibe to them, and sure enough some of these gags would later be refurbished for the two villains (including a repeat of the funny "The guillotine! I forgot about that silly thing!" bit in Here Today, Gone Tamale). What saves it from becoming a completely disturbing affair is how Freleng and Warren Foster set up the trap gags--getting more and more ridiculous with the guillotine and the alligator pit (allowing for a funny throwaway where Daffy is trying to settle them down by shouting, "Down, Snapper! Down, Blitzen! Down, Prancer!")--and Arthur Davis's lovely animation of the duck whenever he's yelling at or chasing down the stork; it all makes for a funny cartoon based on a very dark premise. The cartoon is also a good showcase for one of Freleng's great bit players, the drunk stork (later given the designation of "Stork 672" in Goo Goo Goliath but never formally named). Unlike the lazy screw-up seen elsewhere in A Mouse Divided and the subsequent Goo Goo Goliath and Apes of Wrath, here the stork is acting pretty heroic--qualities that even lead to a goofy bit where he recites a rambling, mailman-like creed. The prologue showing the character's origin story, going from polite and sober to increasingly plastered with each new delivery, is the kind of sequence that works so well that one simultaneously wishes it was its own short but also dreads how badly the concept could fall apart at a full six minutes. After a whole cartoon of menace and peril we're treated with a genuinely cute, lighthearted ending that fits the story nicely. It's everything that made these 1950s Freleng shorts so much fun to watch.

Looney Tunes Video Show #5 (WHV, 1986)
Daffy Duck: Tales From the Duckside (WHV, 1992)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Superior Duck (WHV, 1998)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in the Elmira Star-Gazette in Elmira, NY on May 20, 1955.

Sahara Hare (1955)^FF

Daffy makes a cameo appearance at the end of this Bugs adventure set in the Sahara, where he has gotten footprints all over Riff Raff (Yosemite) Sam's desert.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck

Vintage Review
"Fair" (Boxoffice, April 30, 1955)

Critique
Very funny slapstick-filled cartoon from Freleng. The idea of Yosemite Sam as a sheik is absurdly inspired, but the short also unknowingly marks a bit of a turning point in the Bugs/Sam series. With this entry, a number of cartoons will take on a formulaic quality, foregoing the humor of Sam's personality and temper by merely putting him in a costume and having him try to enter a location Bugs has secured in a series of blackout gags. A fun concept on the surface, but really no different than Sylvester trying to get into Tweety's cage on a larger scale. This cartoon's concept will essentially be repeated soon after in Knighty Knight Bugs, Horse Hare, and Prince Violent. Also introduced is another recurring element for Sam cartoons, giving him a mount or vehicle that doesn't start or stop when he needs it to; this time it's a camel, who at least provides a memorable hump gag after Sam knocks him out.

Yosemite Sam: The Good, the Bad, and the Ornery (WHV, 1992)
Longitude and Looneytude (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four (WHV DVD, 2006)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 4 (WHV DVD, 2006)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)
I Died a Thousand Times (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in The Rusk Cherokeean in Rusk, TX on June 21, 1955.

This Is a Life? (1955)^FF

Elmer is the host of a biography program that will take a look at a celebrity in the studio audience. Daffy (who sits next to Granny throughout the cartoon) thinks it will be about him, but alas it's Bugs's life that Elmer will be looking at, via scenes from Bugs's past films. A certain "varmint" also shows up as a voice from the past, making it his first pairing with Elmer.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Show Announcer
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd
June Foray: Granny

Critique
"Cheater" cartoons aren't supposed to be this good! Bugs is great in this, Elmer is even better, Daffy is in top narcissistic mode, and we're treated to Elmer and Yosemite Sam teaming up for the first time to scheme against Bugs. The older clips (from A Hare Grows in Manhattan, Hare Do, and Buccaneer Bunny) are used quicker and better than those in Freleng's previous clip show, His Hare-Raising Tale. Bugs's humble reactions to all the attention on him is charming without coming off as cocky, and his monologue about the origin of life is a highlight. Granny's appearance in the audience is a nice surprise, while her responses to Daffy's complaints and sarcastic remarks are a scream--it's a shame this character dynamic wasn't explored again in the classic era. Arthur Davis is at his peak as a Freleng animator, giving the characters a sharp fluidity and dimension as the rest of the studio's look was getting flatter and more streamlined. And of course, the climax of Daffy getting in the way of Elmer and Sam's attempt to get Bugs is the perfect capper to a fun cartoon.

Yosemite Sam's Yeller Fever (WHV, 1993)
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection - Limited Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2020)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on August 16, 1956.

Dime to Retire (1955)^RM

Exhausted Porky is looking for a hotel room, and he feels fortunate when comes upon Daffy's inn offering rooms for just ten cents a day. But Porky soon learns that a peaceful night's sleep will cost him a whole lot more.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Cat, Boxer

Vintage Review
"Very good. There is a wealth of excellent comedy" (Boxoffice, January 14, 1956)

Critique
The final truly funny Daffy/Porky cartoon that doesn't lean on a genre spoof, and one of the final Robert McKimson cartoons put into production before the director was temporarily laid off during the mid-1953 studio shutdown. In a way it kinda sorta harkens back to the screwier "Daffy causing frustration on victim Porky" formula that McKimson especially excelled with, only now with the added element of him bilking the pig for everything he's worth that falls more in line with the current Daffy. The story evolves nicely, and writer Sid Marcus deserves credit for taking the standard "mouse-cat-dog" progression into a more ridiculous continuation and then still masterfully turning it back around again--the climactic gag is still effective even for those who may see it coming a mile away. The McKimson unit was losing staff members left and right as the shutdown loomed, leaving only Keith Darling and the director himself to be credited as animators here. As a result, the animation does look a little stiff in places, with the most attention being given to the very few spots of exaggerated action (the dog and its shadow crashing out the wall, etc.). What picks up the slack is the character design, where the various animals at least look funny if they're not necessarily moving funny--from the mouse looking around blankly while its nibbling on the celery to the cat watching Porky spring up to the ceiling to the lion's sudden menacing glare at the pig. It's a cartoon that works despite every behind-the-scenes element trying to work against it.

Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)

An ad appearing in The Star (Port St. Joe) in Port St. Joe, FL on March 28, 1957.

The High and the Flighty (1956)^RM

Ace Novelty salesman Daffy crashes the rivalry between Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dawg and sells each of them traps to set on the other.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Barnyard Dawg

Vintage Review
"Good" (Boxoffice, April 28, 1956)

Critique
Almost a decade after the director had the inspired notion of pitting Foghorn Leghorn against Sylvester in Crowing Pains, Robert McKimson brings in Warner's other lisping animal to guest star in Foggy's barnyard. The conceit to get Daffy into the story works well, utilizing this era's "greedy" Daffy, but ironically the duck doesn't add much to the dynamic--the novelty items he sells to Foghorn and Barnyard Dawg aren't particularly unique or anything either character wouldn't have normally done on their own in other shorts. (Sure enough, it wouldn't take much to remove all traces of Daffy when the spring-bone scene later gets edited into the cheater cartoon Feather Bluster.) It's a 180-degree difference from Crowing Pains, where Sylvester had more distinct interactions with each character rather than just watch from the sidelines. The opening back-and-forth with Foghorn deflating a ball in Dawg's mouth and Dawg then immediately springing a "don't look up" watermelon trap seem almost too hastily done, as if the crew was trying to spoof the absurdity of the Foghorn series a little in order to set the tone. (The idea that there may be a satirical edge at play gets reinforced later with Foggy's dopey, slow-drawl version of "Camptown Races.") In addition to some good back and forth slapstick gags, we also get another instance of the recurring bit where Foghorn keeps a spare suit handy in case of emergencies--and the reveal that both Foghorn and Dawg have each purchased the Pipe Full o' Fun Kit No. 7, literally passing each other as they set their traps, is a fun visual. It would have been a decent late entry of the Foghorn series on its own; Daffy hanging around is just the cherry on top.

Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Cartoon Superstars (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)

An ad appearing in the Ellensburg Daily Record in Ellensburg, WA on September 20, 1956.

Rocket Squad (1956)^CJ

In this sci-fi Dragnet parody, Sgt. Joe Monday (Daffy) and his partner Tuesday (Porky) chase after criminal Mother Machree.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Police Chief, George "Mother" Machree, Verdict Narrator

Vintage Review
"Juveniles will eat up this gay farce and it should greatly amuse adults as well...much imagination was shown in devising various goofy machines" (Boxoffice, April 21, 1956)

Critique
A genius idea that stumbles on the follow-through. Tedd Pierce turns in a very wordy, talky story, which may play well as a spoof of the Dragnet radio show (if not the TV version) but betrays the sci-fi element of the cartoon--the motif instead comes off as mere window dressing, most of which is cribbed verbatim from Maurice Noble's iconic Duck Dodgers designs. (Ernie Nordli is credited for layout here as opposed to Noble.) The cartoon's two major visual gags--the rattling transportation tubes resulting in a crumpled Daffy and Porky and the quick "I consented" bit of pantomime--are overshadowed by attempts at wordplay that more times than not miss their mark. Some of the dialogue is in fact very clever--particularly Daffy's introductory "My partner's name is Tuesday. He always follows me." and later his describing suspect Machree's lunch order: "pastrami on rye, with mustard. That figured."--and there are flashes of brilliance in the character design and animation (such as the opening shot of Daffy and Porky in their squad "car," looking heavy-lidded and world-weary...with Porky in particular having a uniquely cleft double chin). But it's not enough to save this from the tired Los Angeles smog gag or a scene of a clue-gathering robot that goes nowhere until it just gives up and fades out. Even the obligatory spoof of Dragnet's typical verdict tag doesn't provide any kind of satisfactory ending (or resolution). Ironically, in later years Chuck Jones more than any other Golden Age director derided what he called "animated radio," referring to how television studios like Hanna-Barbera let the dialogue in their cartoons do the heavier lifting in lieu of spending money on actual, fuller animation. And here he is literally doing animated radio, and it's not all that great.

Guffaw and Order (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes (WHV, 1998)
Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes (WHV, 1999)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Porky and Daffy (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2005)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Bugs Bunny's Lunar Tunes/Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in The Winona Daily News in Winona, MN on August 30, 1956.

Stupor Duck (1956)^RM

Daffy is Cluck Trent, mild-mannered reporter who is in actuality the heroic Stupor Duck, who mistakenly believes that he needs to stop supervillain (in actuality soap opera character) Aardvark Ratnik.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Aardvark Ratnik, Observers, Submarine Captain, Mountain Climber
Daws Butler: Narrator, Observers, Managing Editor, Submarine Officer, Mountain Climber

Critique
Stupor Duck is one of the first in a long string of Robert McKimson shorts that would parody popular television shows of the day. While Freleng and Jones would also offer their own occasional takes on television, the McKimson unit would be the most inspired by the medium, providing them with fertile ground for ideas. Much as how radio was the muse for the studio's spoofs of the 1930s and 1940s, the TV influence would make the Warner cartoons newly relevant and hip all over again, leading to such stellar entries as Wideo Wabbit, the Honey-Mousers trilogy, and The Mouse That Jack Built...and to a lesser extent Half-Fare Hare, Boston Quackie, China Jones, Wild Wild World, and The Million Hare, among others. Although clearly modeled after the George Reeves Adventures of Superman series, this one is perhaps the most timeless of these 1950s TV spoofs simply because the Superman character itself has remained so. We get a couple of beats that seem familiar from the earlier (and also Tedd Pierce-penned) Super-Rabbit like a funny "wrong costume" gag and the obligatory spoof of the classic opening Superman narration (and again, compare the effectiveness of these quicker spoofs of the preamble to the later, insufferable Superior Duck that stretches such an idea into a whole short), but we are also treated to some new gags targeting the Clark Kent aspect of the Superman mythos (including pills "for mild-mannered people"). At the center of everything is Daffy, giving a great performance here as a supposed superhero--repeatedly announcing his own name (almost a la Duck Dodgers...) or fiercely challenging Aardvark Ratnik before "stopping" his schemes. Like in McKimson's earlier The Super Snooper, the duck is actually pretty competent; he's just greatly misguided. The humor comes from his lack of perception, seeing everyday occurrences as villainous threats. And even when we switch back to the "loser Daffy" personality for the aftereffects everything still works, from his dazed post-punch "Then the lights went out, all over the world!" to the movie prop man's small, surprised shrug as exploded black feathers start raining down. The ending is a little weak (merely Daffy being rocketed to the moon) and really could have irised out right after the mountain climbers do the "up there in the sky" bit, but it's a small gripe--it's still a, ahem, super cartoon.

Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Porky and Daffy (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Superman: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV DVD, 2006)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
The Superman Motion Picture Anthology: 1978-2006 (WHV Blu-ray, 2011) (SD)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2018)
Superman: The Movie (WHV UHD/Blu-ray, 2018) (SD)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)
Superman 5-Film Collection: 1978-1987 (SDS UHD/Blu-ray, 2023) (SD)

An ad appearing in The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, AL on May 16, 1957.

A Star Is Bored (1956)^FF

Disgusted with being a janitor while Bugs is a star, Daffy auditions to be an actor. However, he is hired just to be Bugs's stunt double. Another rare combination of Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, and Yosemite Sam--in fact, the final time all four would appear in the same theatrical cartoon during the studio's classic era.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Casting Director, Director, Production Assistant
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd
June Foray: Loly

Critique
Hilarious cartoon that serves as a prime showcase for the 1950s Daffy. As much as some fans like to criticize Chuck Jones for more or less introducing the "mean" version of Daffy, Friz Freleng really perfected the trait of him being a jealous show-biz personality. Freleng is able to find comedy in the superficial world of the entertainment industry without turning it into an inside Hollywood joke, making this a good companion piece to the director's This Is a Life? and even his earlier You Ought to Be in Pictures. If not for Daffy's unchecked ego throughout, his repeated humiliation as Bugs's double (and the hits involved) would come off more sadistic than funny--thankfully, one never feels sorry for Daffy only because of his inflated sense of talent and importance (even making fun of Bugs's acting as the two switch places). Moments of Daffy interfering in the filming of Bugs and Elmer's scenes are inspired, as he's so caught up in his obsession over Bugs that he thinks by "entering" the picture being filmed he'll somehow be able to exact some long-lasting harm on the wabbit. The film-production gags are wonderfully absurd, particularly a scene where Bugs's tailspinning airplane pauses in mid-air to allow Daffy to take Bugs's place for the crash. The final gag has a slight echo of Duck Amuck but is funny enough to stand on its own.

A Night at the Movies 1956: The Wrong Man (WHV, 1982)
Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
A Star Is Born: Deluxe Edition (WHV DVD, 2010)
A Star Is Born (WHV Blu-ray, 2010) (SD)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in The Rusk Cherokeean in Rusk, TX on January 31, 1957.

Deduce, You Say (1956)^CJ

Scotland Yard detective Dorlock Holmes (Daffy) and his assistant Watkins (Porky) attempt to solve the mystery of the Shropshire Slasher.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Shropshire Slasher, Messenger, Alfie, Bartender
June Foray: Lady Ashtabula, Slasher's Mother

Critique
One of Jones's better genre spoofs; not quite a masterpiece like Duck Dodgers or the later Robin Hood Daffy, but miles better than the recent ordeals of Rocket Squad and My Little Duckaroo. It's very high on mood, almost to the point where if the director had attempted this as soon as five years later it would have come off as too self-indulgent. But here it works very well, with an eerie Milt Franklyn score and oddly colored supporting characters in sickly greens and whites--considering this would (unbelievably) be the studio's only Sherlock Holmes parody, it makes the short especially stand out. Perhaps learning a lesson from the very narration-heavy Rocket Squad, Jones and Maltese try to find a better balance between funny dialogue and sight gags (or at least memorable visuals, such as the telegram boy seemingly dropping dead upon Porky opening the front door)--and for every expected play on words (the "deducting" gag, for example) we also get some inspired ridiculous moments like Daffy emptying a glass of beer into his bag of clues. The cartoon also harkens back to the "effective Porky and inept Daffy" dynamic that was more or less perfected back in Drip-along Daffy, allowing the pig to share perhaps the funniest bit of dialogue in the whole film ("Your name?"/"Shropshire Slasher."/"Occupation?"/"Shropshire Slasher."). But we're not just laughing at Daffy being a loser this time (although still having the pub darts on his beak while waiting at the bar is a nice touch); he provides a uniquely subtle and funny characterization of the all-knowing Holmes. The character's signature omnipotence when awaiting a knock on the door is tempered with, "Answer it. My pants are caught on a nail." The third act also gives "Dorlock" some time to shine, from his ludicrously casual approach of the Slasher--"I say, ol' chap, beastly weather we're having, what? HA! Deny it, if you dare!"--to his various failures at trying to physically subdue the criminal. And of course, we get a classic last line when asked what sort of detective school he went to ("Elementary, my dear Watkins. Elementary."). It's among Jones's best with the duck.

Daffy Duck: The Nuttiness Continues... (WHV, 1985)
Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Best of Daffy and Porky (WHV Japan DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Collection: Manekko Shiyou! (Rabbit of Seville) (WHV Japan DVD, 2004)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Evening Review in East Liverpool, OH on April 2, 1958.

Ali Baba Bunny (1957)^CJ

Bugs and Daffy are tunneling to Pismo Beach, but instead they end up inside a sultan's treasure cave. Trying to get in to chop the intruders is Hassan the guard.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Hassan, Sultan, Genie of the Lamp

Critique
A Chuck Jones classic! Daffy practically steals the show, as his greed and cowardice are on full display to move the plot along. Hassan is an entertaining villain--his large, imposing character design allows for some fun touches, perhaps none more than his hilariously befuddled looks while forgetting the phrase "open sesame" and then switching back to a menacing figure when he finally gets into the cave. Mel Blanc's Daffy performance here is among his best as the duck, with his comically disgusted delivery of "What a way for a duck to travel! Underground!" and the various manic iterations of Daffy's signature "It's mine, all mine..." rants. Mike Maltese offers some of his cleverest one-liners in a Bugs cartoon, from an iconic variation of the wabbit's already trademark greeting ("What's up, duck?") to Bugs's inane "Ickity ackity oop" incantation while posing as a genie (which itself leads to Daffy's even funnier mocking of it) to Daffy indifferently responding to a real genie's wrath with "Consequences schmonsequences, as long as I'm rich." One of the quintessential Bugs shorts of the 1950s.

Bugs Bunny's Wacky Adventures (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Wabbit Tales (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Stars of Space Jam: Bugs Bunny (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Tupper Lake Free Press and Tupper Lake Herald in Tupper Lake, NY on December 19, 1957.

Boston Quackie (1957)^RM

In this Boston Blackie spoof, detective Boston Quackie (Daffy) is instructed by Inspector Faraway (Porky) to guard a briefcase for the Slobovian ambassador, but the Man with the Green Hat gets it first and gives chase on a creepy train.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, The Man in the Green Hat, Narrator, Whitie, Taxi Driver, Observation Car Attendent, Slobovian Consul
June Foray: Mary

Critique
"Boston Quackie: friend to those who need no friends; enemy to those who have no enemies." And with that hilarious opening line we kick off a very uneven short from McKimson, who again tries to blend his love of TV spoofs with the "Daffy as an inept hero" genre that Chuck Jones had perfected. Perhaps taking a cue from the Jones shorts, Porky is added to the mix mainly to provide exposition as opposed to actual heroics. The main problem here is that while the Boston Blackie character started as a pulp antihero, the TV incarnation didn't take itself nearly as seriously, which waters down the need to do a parody of it. Even Daffy and Mary's opening anti-flirting is written no differently than what the real Blackie and Mary would trade back and forth--it's not funny in any kind of satirical way and it just plays out as uninspired. The nods to Boston Blackie supporting characters are really the only things that tie the cartoon to its parody source (considering at least the TV Blackie was a pretty nondescript detective); otherwise it becomes a rather ordinary secret agent story (and at a time when secret agents weren't quite at the forefront of pop culture yet). The first act moves along very slowly, with only the occasional fractured-French gag standing out ("Depot de Choo-Choo"), but things pick up greatly once Daffy gets on the train. At this point, the short takes on a chilling, faux-suspenseful vibe, with the gags quickly turning dark and funnier (such as an annoyed murder victim pulling down a window shade for privacy, or the train vendor try to sell Daffy on a "daily noose, monsieur?"). We begin getting shades of an exciting short by the time Daffy starts chasing Green Hat and confronts him in his compartment--and we even get a rare look at Hero Daffy as he shoots the poison assassin under the serving cart (Green Hat himself looks momentarily shaken by it). But then things crumble quickly with stale gags: there's a "how many lumps" bit and Green Hat hitting his head on an overhang. The final "Acme House Instant Girl" gag is cute and corny (marketed by "Pierce Packing Co.," of course!), but after the fun second act it's quite a letdown.

Guffaw and Order (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2018) (sped-up PAL master)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019) (sped-up PAL master)

An ad appearing in The Alfred Sun in Alfred, NY on February 13, 1958.

Ducking the Devil (1957)^RM

The only classic short pitting Daffy against the Tasmanian Devil, whose appetite for the duck can be subsided only by his love of music.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, Armored Car Driver, Zookeeper Burton, Zoo Visitor, News Anchor, Mailman

Critique
While Friz Freleng was relegating Daffy to show-biz encounters against Bugs and Chuck Jones was primarily using him in genre spoofs, Robert McKimson was still playing with the duck's full range, putting him in unique situations and taking the occasional risk. Here he has the duck squaring off against the head-office-revived Tasmanian Devil, and--like with Jones pairing Daffy with another Bugs villain back in Duck Dodgers--it's an inspired matchup and the short goes a long way in making the devil more than just an also-ran character, who is also referred to as simply "Taz" for the first time ever (or, specifically, "Taz Boy"). We also get a refreshingly different introduction to the beast with the zoo delivery and subsequent terror throughout, offering a setup more akin to the Hippety Hopper series than merely the random stampede of forest animals in the earlier films. Since this decade's Daffy has evolved into something of a coward (and even admits as much throughout), his reactions make Taz a much more menacing threat--definitely more so than Bugs's cool and collected demeanor. This new dynamic allows for a number of funny suspense moments in the third act, such as when Daffy fiddles the radio knob through a bunch of cowboy shows or when he's clumsily trying to put the trombone together. By the time the "turning Taz in for a reward" plot point gets established everything comes together, with both the cowardly and greedier aspects of Daffy's updated personality clashing in a way that no other short attempted. Even the peripheral gags are fun, from Mel Blanc's quick, dry read of "We now continue our program of dance music" to a repeat of the "put a letter into a mailbox and get a package" bit from Long-Haired Hare. The music gags are a little hit and miss--from the highs of Daffy struggling with the trombone before mastering it immediately to the lows of Taz lamely "killing" the bagpipes--but the whole scenario is so ridiculous that it nevertheless all works (the absurdity gets amplified when Taz produces a pipe during "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"). And it all comes back to the idea of taking risks with Daffy, as McKimson even gives the greedy duck a happy, and very funny, ending.

Stars of Space Jam: Tasmanian Devil (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Taz's Jungle Jams (WHV, 2000)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV DVD, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Stars of Space Jam: Tasmanian Devil (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Utica Daily Press in Utica, NY on May 29, 1958.

Show Biz Bugs (1957)^FF

Bugs and Daffy are dancing on stage at a concert hall in this Friz Freleng classic, but of course Daffy soon turns it into a performing competition. Became the basis for the opening theme and bridging sequences of The Bugs Bunny Show.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taxi Driver, Theater Manager

Critique
Phenomenally funny short! Friz Freleng's comic timing is at its peak, knowing exactly how long to hold Daffy's various slow burns without belaboring gags. Each of Freleng's animators have a chance to shine, such as in Gerry Chiniquy's beautiful "Tea for Two" dance sequence (which is so well done it doesn't even matter how curious of an act it would be for two comedic film stars), Art Davis's character animation as Daffy screams and rants at Bugs, and Virgil Ross pretty much doing everything else! The gags that are reused from other cartoons are augmented by Daffy's inflated ego and self-importance; it's not merely funny enough that he fails at training pigeons (a bit originally from Curtain Razor), but he sells his humiliation with an awkward tap-dance off the stage (which is then punctuated by a perfectly timed tomato to the face). Mel Blanc offers a comically sympathetic performance as Daffy, perfectly conveying just how exasperated the duck is at the supposed injustices thrown at him (such as muttering the classic line "There can only be one explanation for white tile in a dressing room...")--yet also adding some real menace as Daffy heckles Bugs while the rabbit is sawing him in half ("His turban is a fake, too! Just a hotel towel!"). Some more older bits are dusted off such as the reliable "Those Endearing Young Charms" gag, albeit this time on a xylophone (made all the more memorable by Daffy screaming insults at Bugs off-stage), and the climactic "magic act" from Curtain Razor. The latter is improved by Daffy narrating the proceedings as he goes, creating dramatic tension as it builds up. The ending is of course classic--heck, the whole cartoon is a deserved classic.

A Salute to Friz Freleng (WHV, 1985)
Looney Tunes Curtain Calls (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Superior Duck (WHV, 1998)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV DVD, 2004)
All Stars Volume 3 (WHV Japan DVD, 2005)
Looney Tunes Collection: On Stage! (Bunny Hugged) (WHV Japan DVD, 2005)
The Essential Bugs Bunny (WHV DVD, 2010)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection - Limited Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2020)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)
Cats Don't Dance (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Daily Illini in Champaign, IL on March 1, 1958.

Don't Axe Me (1958)^RM

Daffy has been stealing the food that farmer Elmer Fudd leaves out for his dog "Wover" (Barnyard Dawg), so the dog talks Mrs. Fudd into having the duck for dinner.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Barnyard Dawg, Reverend Brown
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd
June Foray: Mrs. Fudd

Critique
Very good, funny cartoon from McKimson, one of the last of the kind his unit would turn in this decade--and also the final classic short to pit Daffy against Fudd without any Bugs involvement. Daffy is again put into a totally new dynamic, squaring off against not only Elmer but also "Wover." (Again, whether this is supposed to be the Foghorn Leghorn Barnyard Dawg or just another look-alike as in One Meat Brawl, Daffy Duck Hunt, or debatably Gopher Broke is unclear, but at this point the design and voice have pretty much been exclusive to the rooster's nemesis.) The duck is in theory the protagonist here, but with McKimson starting to lean hard on the "greedy conniving Daffy" he does not evoke a lot of sympathy (although his halfhearted "I'll tear up the letter!" threat deserves a chuckle). Mrs. Fudd seems a bit unnecessary, but at least she's involved with the short's funniest bit: Dawg unsuccessfully trying to suggest to her a duck dinner via charades before just screaming out of frustration "No! Roast D-U-C-K!" Apart from this, the funnier interactions are between Daffy and Elmer, who isn't portrayed as villainous so much as he is just easily suggestible--Elmer is ordered to kill Daffy and already knows he's trying to get out of it, but he perfectly accepts the duck simply walking up to him and asking for a razor. And we're treated to another Daffy-shaving-Elmer bit, complete with the obligatory hot-towel face-removing gag. There's also a happy, if somewhat unsatisfying, ending for the little black duck, but the fact that our hero in no way contributed to it (like he did back in, say, The Wise Quacking Duck or McKimson's own Daffy Duck Hunt) speaks volumes in how far removed the character had become in the last ten years.

Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Elmer Fudd's School of Hard Knocks (WHV, 1993)

An ad appearing in The Paris News in Paris, TX on August 13, 1958.

Robin Hood Daffy (1958)^CJ

Chuck Jones's classic in which Robin Hood (Daffy) tries to convince a chuckling friar (Porky) that he is in fact the legendary Robin Hood.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Critique
A fantastic cartoon that both perfects and concludes Chuck Jones's series of genre spoofs. For the story to work, Jones and Michael Maltese wisely moved Porky from his usual role of worshiping sidekick to that of doubtful observer. It gives Daffy a more tangible outlet, because otherwise his pratfalls would be embarrassing him to no one in particular--we as the audience already accept that Daffy is Robin Hood (albeit inept), so there's no fun in him trying to sell us on the idea. The two styles of Chuck Jones humor that had been developing this decade--the pseudo-intellectual Chuck Jones of the Pepé shorts and the fast-paced slapstick Chuck Jones of the Road Runner shorts--blend together nicely here, crossing paths right from the start with Daffy's opening ode to himself turning into a tumble right into the brook (complete with an over-the-top "tripping" drum riff). From this point on practically every moment becomes its own iconic bit of comedy, from Daffy's "buck-and-a-quarter quarterstaff" battle stances to Porky's fit of uncontrollable laughter (which itself even continues into the next scene when he gets the plot going). By the time the rich traveler and his horse gallop into the picture we're essentially seeing Wile E. Coyote blackout gags, only with the added benefit of Porky acting as a peanut gallery. Here the Jones physical comedy takes over, and some of the gags are master classes in timing, with the "Yikes and away!" sequence being perhaps the funniest and most memorable (helped in part by Daffy continuing to scream off-camera while smacking into several trees). The gags all work, the character interactions all work, and just as importantly, it's a pretty cartoon to look at, from Maurice Noble's Merry Old England background designs to some elegant animation (such as the fluttering of the feather on Daffy's cap) at a time when the studio was just starting to cut corners on unnecessary movement. Robin Hood Daffy would be the last truly excellent Daffy Duck theatrical cartoon and something of a farewell to the character from the Jones crew. The director would only helm one more classic theatrical cartoon with the duck, The Abominable Snow Rabbit, while Maltese wouldn't write again for Daffy until 1980. It's very easy and tempting to give this short some hyperbolic praise like "the best Daffy cartoon of the 1950s," but is it possible to accurately make such a declaration when compared to Duck Amuck or Duck Dodgers or the "wabbit season" trilogy or Show Biz Bugs? If anything, it definitely needs to be put into contention. It's a thoroughly funny, entertaining short and perhaps the final 100-percent, from-beginning-to-end masterpiece to come from the Warner Bros. cartoon studio.

A Salute to Mel Blanc (WHV, 1985)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: The Vocal Genius (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Two-Disc Special Edition (WHV DVD, 2003)
Warner Legends boxed set (WHV DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2005)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (WHV HD DVD, 2006)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (WHV Blu-ray, 2008)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One: Ultimate Collector's Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Showcase Volume One (WHV Blu-ray, 2012)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume One (WHV DVD, 2012)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Robin and the 7 Hoods (WHV Blu-ray, 2015)
Frank Sinatra 5-Film Collection (WHV Blu-ray, 2015)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)
Errol Flynn Collection (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in the Bradford County Telegraph in Starke, FL on October 8, 1959.

China Jones (1959)^RM

In this China Smith spoof, detective China Jones (Daffy) receives a plea for help in a fortune cookie and is sent on wild goose chases by ex-con Limey Louie. Porky pops in here and there as Charlie Chung.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Limey Louie, Chinese Henchman
June Foray: Dragon Lady

Critique
Another 1950s "Daffy is an incompetent genre hero"/TV spoof from McKimson that's big on atmosphere but short on energy or gags. The Chinese stereotypes make it an extremely uncomfortable cartoon to sit through, and some of the ethnic jokes are gratuitously distasteful for 1959 (the car with the "Chinese face" for a front grill in particular). If anything positive can be said about the Chinese theming, it allows for perhaps the short's funniest gag, with Daffy speculating that "Wong Way might be the wight way." Porky is a little wasted here as the Charlie Chung running gag, though Mel Blanc gets some kudos for mixing the pig's signature stutter with a faux-Chinese accent (and for someone who never fancied himself as an impressionist, he does a great job having Daffy do a take-off of Dan Duryea's lilting speech). The main problem is just that the gags are too routine, essentially being Limey Louie sending Daffy off into a series of traps. Every bit is either some tired retread (the trap door floormat fake-out) or is telegraphed to the point of tedium (Louie's "good hot tips" being advertised via a marching band drummer)--even the short's most memorable scene, meeting the Dragon Lady, is pretty obvious. The China Smith motif isn't really necessary and doesn't add much apart from background noise (considering Louie isn't an Asian or otherwise exotically foreign heavy like Smith usually faced)--the show itself was still seen in syndication but hadn't produced any new episodes for a few years at this point, so was it even still relevant? And the final, infamous scene with Daffy yakking away in fake Chinese is just weird and unsettling, with traces of the Japanese soldier's constant ranting in Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips. All of it just adds up to a disappointingly mediocre cartoon.

Looney Tunes Video Show #5 (WHV, 1986)
Porky Pig Tales (WHV, 1988)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 3 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 1-4 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2024)

An ad appearing in the Bradford County Telegraph in Starke, FL on April 28, 1960.

Apes of Wrath (1959)^FF

Daffy makes a cameo appearance at the end of this short in which Bugs is mistaken for a baby gorilla.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Stork 672, Elvis Gorilla
June Foray: Mrs. Gorilla

Critique
A somewhat milder remake of Robert McKimson's classic Gorilla My Dreams, less dramatic but equally hilarious. Elvis here is less fearsome and more comically designed than Gruesome Gorilla was back in Dreams, but he's definitely a more entertaining villain--him running over to give bananas to fellow gorillas a la new-baby cigars is a particularly sweet touch. June Foray, meanwhile, gives the mother gorilla her typical "gruff housewife" voice; the character itself is a refreshing x-factor in what could have otherwise simply been a back-and-forth between Bugs and Elvis. The slapstick is a bit mindless but relatively fun to watch--Bugs getting a bucketful of water after intentionally whining for a drink is a silly example. Freleng's underused drunk stork is a welcome addition to the plot, and the surprise end gag is infinitely better than the orgy of violence that capped off Gorilla My Dreams.

Stars of Space Jam: Bugs Bunny (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam boxed set (WHV, 1996)
Stars of Space Jam (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1997)
Taz's Jungle Jams (WHV, 2000)
Stars of Space Jam: Bugs Bunny (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)
Looney Tunes Parodies Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in the Niagara Falls Gazette in Niagara Falls, NY on July 27, 1960.

People Are Bunny (1959)^RM

Television station QTTV will give a thousand dollars for the first rabbit brought in for the hunting season, so Daffy decides to bring Bugs in at gunpoint. But once Daffy gets distracted by the game shows going on, Bugs leads a chase through the studio.

Mel Blanc: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sportsman's Hour Host
June Foray: Old Lady
Daws Butler: Art Lamplighter, Phone Jackpot Host

Critique
Robert McKimson's first pairing of Bugs and Daffy is decent if a bit underwhelming. He definitely has the character dynamic down and knows how to use Bugs against Daffy; it's just the premise that doesn't work all that well. The People Are Phony sequence goes on incredibly too long, while Daffy in general just comes off as extremely unlikable. There are a couple of good throwaway gags here and there--including an increasingly ridiculous parade of prizes coming out of one studio--but for every one of those we're then stuck with something like a tired "rabbits are good at multiplying" joke. The cartoon's whole second half is lifted from McKimson's own Wideo Wabbit, a just barely three-year-old film that was still in general release at the time (and wasn't all that great of a picture anyway). A lame closing exchange spoils what would have otherwise been a clever final gag. Things will only get worse for the director (and the studio) in the coming decade.

A Night at the Movies 1959: The Young Philadelphians (WHV, 1982)
Bugs & Friends (WHV Japan Laserdisc, 1998)
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection - Limited Edition (WHV Blu-ray, 2020)