Film's Title (Year of Release)^{Director (see below) Years of Colorization (see below) Blue Ribbon (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 Lafayette Ledger in Lafayette, MN on August 2, 1940.

Porky's Last Stand (1940)^{RC 1995}

Porky and Daffy run a lunch stand, where a customer prompts Daffy to go after a bull's calf for hamburger meat.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Baby Duckling, Hatched Chick, Bull
Robert C. Bruce: Customer
The Rhythmettes: Singing Group

Critique
Decent but very routine cartoon. Daffy more or less carries the picture by himself—even though his quest to follow the calf has echoes of The Daffy Doc without any of its comic malice or terror—but not much is done to elevate this one above any of the other "Porky owns a small business and hijinks ensue" stories that have populated the Looney Tunes series. The opening "Start the Day Right" musical number goes on a bit too long, and Daffy's ending butt-wiggle to the music attempts to liven things up but it comes too little too late. To Clampett's credit, he does try to shake up the formula (and provides the almost too-clever line from Daffy's customer: "I want a good hamburger, and I want it bad!"). At first it seems like we're going to get one of those Porky cartoons where a side character goes off on some B story that we keep cutting back to only to have everything converge at the climax (such as in Get Rich Quick Porky or the later, similar Porky's Cafe), but Porky gets involved with the bull chase pretty quickly and it's refreshing to see the two leads work together to resolve the problem. Regardless, it's nevertheless becoming clear that the director was exhausting himself on the pig.

Bette Davis Collection Volume Three boxed set (WHV DVD, 2008)
All This, and Heaven Too (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2016)
Porky Pig 101 (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in the Plattsburgh Daily Press in Plattsburgh, NY on October 5, 1940.

You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)^{FF 1995}

Friz Freleng's live action/animation masterpiece in which Daffy talks Porky into quitting Leon Schlesinger's studio to try to make it in feature films. Schlesinger, Michael Maltese, and other members of the animation crew appear. Features Daffy's first jealous tendencies.

Mel Blanc: Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Studio Guard (voice), Animator (voice), Crewmen (voices)
Leon Schlesinger: Himself
Michael Maltese: Studio Guard (body)
Fred Jones: Animator (body)
Gerry Chiniquy: Director
Smokey Garner: Crewman (body)
Henry Binder: Crewman
Paul Marron: Crewman (body)

Vintage Reviews
"Should provide laughs" (Motion Picture Daily, May 14, 1940)
"Very entertaining...photography and synchronization exellent" (Film Daily, May 29, 1940)

Critique
Extraordinarily entertaining! After a brief tenure at MGM, director Friz Freleng returns to Warner Bros. with a vengeance, not only working with Porky for the first time since creating him back in I Haven't Got a Hat but also delivering one of the character's quintessential films. (It's virtually a toss-up which one is more celebrated and remembered, this one or Porky in Wackyland.) This is also the start of Freleng coming into his own as a brilliant comedy director after spending the 1930s honing the mechanics of his craft. Not surprisingly, in this next decade the director would offer such further milestones as Pigs in a Polka, Rhapsody Rabbit, Tweetie Pie, Bugs Bunny Rides Again, Curtain Razor, and many others. The blending of animation and live action is pretty simple (in most cases cel animation over still-photo backgrounds) but amazingly effective. Technical innovation aside, the cartoon is also thoroughly funny, making it stand out as more than a mere experiment. Michael Maltese almost steals the show as the studio guard (aided by some hilariously angry Mel Blanc vocal work), Daffy's nonsensical "audition" song-and-dance number is funny, Porky's Oliver Hardy impersonation is a refreshing moment of levity from the pig, and heck, even Leon Schlesinger looks like he's having the time of his life appearing on screen. It's a lesson proved time and time again with animated films all the way through the days of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Aardman, and Pixar: audiences can be wowed by the technique all they want, but story is always key to make a lasting impact. Freleng understood that back in 1940.

Porky Pig's Screwball Comedies (WHV, 1985)
Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
*Carrotblanca: Looney Tunes Go to the Movies (WHV, 1996)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: A Looney Life (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV 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)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
Porky Pig 101 (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Mt. Adams Sun in Bingen, WA on October 17, 1941.

A Coy Decoy (1941)^{RC 1968 1990}

Singing cowboy Porky introduces this "books come to life" adventure about a wolf who uses a female duck decoy to lure Daffy.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, The Wolf of Wall Street, Baby Decoy

Vintage Review
"Amusing cartoon...fast and funny" (Film Daily, June 19, 1941)

Critique
Sort of a simplified version of the "books come to life" series, not quite as brilliant or energetic as Frank Tashlin's Have You Got Any Castles? and Clampett's later Book Revue but still entertaining. Apart from the key characters, the books only provide backdrops and environments for the central story, allowing for a good use of literary puns such as the wolf literally blocking Daffy from entering the play Escape. (Although the Black Beauty joke is pretty uncomfortable to watch and argues against the revisionist narrative that the director was somehow a champion for African Americans.) Daffy really shines throughout, especially while offering a "don't eat me" sob story to the wolf in which he lists such ailments as dandruff and dishpan hands (and is lightyears funnier than the similar scene from Hare-um Scare-um). Porky's role, meanwhile, is unfortunately more or less as an emcee, continuing a trend in Clampett's recent Looney Tunes where the pig is essentially used only for bookend scenes—see also The Chewin' Bruin, Meet John Doughboy, The Henpecked Duck, and We, the Animals- Squeak! There's not even a good transition between the two leads; once Daffy starts singing Porky is just abruptly missing until the very end. The final gag is memorable if a tad expected and foreshadows some of the racier gags Clampett would attempt to get away with going forward. Ultimately it's a very fine film on its own, but in hindsight it would come off as a quaint, budget version of Book Revue.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Cartoon Explosion Vol. 2 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001) (1968 version)
Porky Pig 101 (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, KS on January 8, 1942.

The Henpecked Duck (1941)^{RC 1968 1992}

Mrs. Daffy Duck is demanding to Judge Porky that she divorce Daffy, who lost their egg doing a magic trick.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck Jr., Divorce Plaintiffs
Sara Berner: Mrs. Daffy Duck, Elderly Hen, Divorce Plaintiffs

Vintage Reviews
"Cleverly done on all counts" (Motion Picture Daily, September 8, 1941)
"Funny cartoon" (Film Daily, September 18, 1941)

Critique
Essentially a one-act play that at times offers some brilliant lunacy despite being hampered by a central premise that really isn't inherent funny (losing a child) and stretches even cartoon logic: Daffy isn't a wizard that put the egg into some pocket dimension, so it's clearly somewhere on his person, but he can't find it until a week later? Daffy's wife du jour is an unpleasantly depicted battle-axe whose main character trait seems to be to screech violently at her husband; it's never clear if it's being presented as funny or sexist but at least it allows for Daffy's increasingly mocking "yes, m'love" replies. There is an attempt to lighten up the dreary tone with some screwy irreverence: the surreal notion of divorce court just having unhappy couples in the stands begging to be next, Daffy's little leap in the air after sitting on the wrong end of the doorknob, and of course the short's punchline with the ZaSu Pitts-like hen watching Daffy successfully produce his egg via magic and then bemoaning that "for fifteen years I've been doing it the hard way!" Clampett also tries to make the story visually interesting with a few faux-dramatic angles (most notably when Mrs. Duck is demanding a divorce), while the effect of Daffy "stepping" out of the cartoon's frame to perform his trick on the real-world theater's stage is much more natural than the awkward pullback in the Fleischers' Goonland—but unfortunately it's all for naught in this very average cartoon. Perhaps its greatest legacy is the first appearance of the director's vocal "bee-woop!" sound effect (used here repeatedly when Daffy presents the prestige to his trick), which would become almost as synonymous with his films as Rod Scribner's animation and Robert McKimson's character designs.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Inside Termite Terrace Volume V: The Booze Hangs High (Bosko Video, 1988)
Cartoon Explosion Vol. 2 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001) (1968 version; ending cut)
Porky Pig 101 (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in the Ottawa Citizen in Ottawa, ON on May 18, 1942.

Conrad the Sailor (1942)^CJ

Daffy gets in the way as sailor Conrad Cat tries to swab the deck. Pinto Colvig (Goofy) voices Conrad for the cat's final appearance.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck
Pinto Colvig: Conrad Cat
Paul Taylor Group: Singing Sailors

Vintage Review
"A howl. Laughs galore are to be found" (Film Daily, April 2, 1942)

Critique
In his early, pre-Dover Boys years, most of Chuck Jones's cartoons could be lumped into one of two categories: charming whimsy (Inki, Sniffles, the Curious Puppies) or some entity annoying a hapless loser (Porky's Midnight Matinee, anything with Elmer, etc.). This is essentially one of the latter but with a pace considerably faster than what the director had been utilizing before, the needlessly long musical-number opening notwithstanding. (Did we really need Conrad singing the entirety of "The Song of the Marines" from the top, too?) Pinto Colvig takes over as the voice of Conrad for this final appearance; it's interesting and historic for novelty's sake, but unfortunately his casting doesn't add much to the characterization. It's certainly nothing Mel Blanc or Kent Rogers couldn't have done with one of their stock "dopey" voices—it just seems like a wasted opportunity. Once Daffy finally shows up the antics come in relatively quick succession, although the duck is perhaps funnier with his snarky little asides and non sequiturs (such as the inexplicably classic line "Very sloppy, Roscoe! You're a slovenly housekeeper!"). The animation has a graceful, fluid look to it, especially during Conrad's little sashaying walk while he's mopping and some of the faster chase scenes—a panning shot showing the characters only through the portholes of the ship is more technically complex and visually interesting than anything Jones had done at this point. And of course, the running gag with the ship captain scurrying across is cute and typical of Jones's films of the time (including a hilarious moment where an unconscious Daffy salutes him), but it feels like some setup was removed—we immediately start off with variations of the gag. (We could have used an early go-through with the crew rather than the extended song opener.) Very good effort, one showing that Jones is rapidly improving his craft with each film.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Ain't That Ducky" (MGM, 1986)
Daffy Duck and Company (MGM, 1990)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 4 (MGM Laserdisc, 1993)
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)

An ad appearing in the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC on May 31, 1942.

Daffy's Southern Exposure (1942)^{NM 1968 1992}

When winter hits, Daffy decides against flying south and instead becomes lost and starving in a blizzard. He comes upon a cabin, where a wolf and a weasel are looking for an alternative to beans.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Wolf, Ducks, Porky Pig
Mina Farragut: Carmen Miranda

Vintage Reviews
"Plentifully gagged, swiftly gaited and with nice spotting of animal voices" (Variety, April 22, 1942)
"A pleasant black-and-white cartoon" (Motion Picture Daily, April 28, 1942)
"Splendid...snappy music adds to the enjoyment" (Film Daily, April 30, 1942)

Critique
In the wake of Tex Avery's firing from Leon Schlesinger Productions and Bob Clampett taking over Avery's production crew, animator Norm McCabe assumes control of the black and white Looney Tunes unit. His tenure was unfortunately very short-lived, only serving as director for about a year and a half before being drafted into the Army. His output was something of a mixed bag; offering a few average Porky shorts, a few oddball one-shots (including the wartime films The Ducktators and the notorious Tokio Jokio), and three solo Daffy outings that are generally regarded as semi-classics of the studio's final black and white years. McCabe's take on Daffy is sort of a milder, less zany version than what Clampett had been doing (which is more or less the style of his films in general, like Clampett leftovers)—but at times much more rounded and three-dimensional, which helps make him a better comic hero than in the past. We have the duck wryly mocking this cartoon's faux melodrama one moment ("What are you laughing at? I'm really hungry!"), aggressively fighting his hunters the next, and invoking the screwy nutball of old in another. The central food-based "Latin Quarter" parody with the wolf offering meals to Daffy is an inspired delight, with not only some terrific rhyming ("Our buttered buns we boast/Do try our free French toast") but also giving Mel Blanc a great acting opportunity to sing in character while the character itself is in disguise. Speaking of songs, the final Carmen Miranda "Gaucho Serenade" number leads to a pretty contrived pun ("Souse American way," even though Daffy isn't seen drinking), but it's a harmless goofy ending. Daffy is in good hands.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: A Battle of Wits (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Cartoon Explosion Vol. 1 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001) (1968 version; opening scene cut)
Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 2 (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 Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on February 12, 1943.

The Impatient Patient (1942)^{NM 1968 1992}

Lost in a murky swamp, messenger Daffy has a bad case of hiccups. A sign on an eerie old house promises that a doctor, Dr. Jerkyl, can help Daffy. Once inside, Daffy soon meets the doctor's alter ego, Chloe. Daffy cribs a line from Bugs when he says, "Ehh, hey doc! What's cookin'?"

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Dr. Jerkyl/Chloe, Cuckoo Clock, Receptionist, Radio Commercial Pitchman, Race Announcer, Porky Pig

Critique
Perhaps the most widely seen of Norm McCabe's Daffy cartoons, due in part to its constant presence on public domain video releases—and easily the director's most accessible film today thanks to its almost total lack of wartime references. There's a great spooky atmosphere throughout, from the eerie swamp opening to the various disembodied limbs and voices that appear throughout Jerkyl's house—if the cartoon wasn't in black and white and relegated to such TV packages it would have easily become a perennial staple every Halloween. What helps make it so entertaining is that Daffy is genuinely creeped out by his surroundings; we're not seeing the stock "hero is too oblivious/naïve to be spooked" scenario here (like in Scaredy Cat or Transylvania 6-5000). The hiccups force Daffy's movements to the front door and throughout the house (including a fun moment where he rattles a suit of armor apart), and each jump and jostle is uniquely animated as opposed to a repetitive "hopping" spasm—definitely giving McCabe's animators a rare chance to shine. Some plot points don't make a lot of sense (why are Daffy's hiccups contagious?) and the jitterbugging bit goes on a bit too long (and gets a reprise), but McCabe is nevertheless able to deliver a fun and moody comic adventure, something one didn't usually associate with the duck at the time.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

*Daffy Duck: Tales from the Duckside (WHV, 1992)
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 Geneva Daily Times in Geneva, NY on January 2, 1943.

The Daffy Duckaroo (1942)^{NM 1968 1990}

Singing cowboy star Daffy decides to quit show business and roam the countryside, where he meets an Indian squaw and her jealous boyfriend Little Beefer.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Little Beefer, Horse, Tire Indian, Porky Pig
Sara Berner: Daisy June

Vintage Review
"Okay...has some good laughs" (Film Daily, November 18, 1942)

Critique
Having just put Daffy in a horror picture, Norm McCabe goes for another stock genre and sticks our hero in a western. The notion of Daffy being some sort of singing star leads to a few cute musical numbers (including the nicely staged "My Little Buckaroo" opener) but is then quickly abandoned in favor of a bunch of uncomfortable Native American stereotypes (a "Do Not Disturbum" sign, a "wanted for ticket scalping" poster, etc.), resulting in a very thematically uneven film. Daffy's motivation for heckling Little Beefer is a little unclear. Once he's in drag and the big lug is convinced he's not trying to woo Daisy June, why bother staying? Daisy had no problem leaving the teepee, so why couldn't Daffy? The fact that he then proceeds to dance for Beefer and even kisses him a few times makes the whole middle of the cartoon odd and tedious. Despite a briskly paced chase sequence leading up to it (featuring the quite brilliant gag of Daffy freezing once he enters the Petrified Forest), the Indian-attack ending offers no resolution and simply closes with a lame wartime joke. McCabe's films in particular seem to have the most gratuitously placed war gags, which even for the time and context often just sit there like dead weights. (Of course, this was the director who gave us both The Ducktators and Tokio Jokio.) Notably and speaking of which, this does mark the final Daffy cartoon directed by McCabe, who will only complete a few more shorts before heading to the Army, after which he would stay away from theatrical animation for another two decades. He wouldn't work with the duck again until 1965, and then only as an animator on the DePatie-Freleng Speedy shorts.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Cartoon Explosion Vol. 1 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001) (1968 version)

An ad appearing in The Owosso Argus-Press in Owosso, MI on August 6, 1943.

My Favorite Duck (1942)^{CJ BR}

Daffy bothers camper Porky as he tries to pitch a tent, fish, and cook food. Porky can't retaliate because he'd be fined since duck season is over...or is it? Features a fake "film break" ending.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Mommy Eagle, Baby Eagle

Vintage Review
"While this Leon Schlesinger cartoon is far from a scream, it has enough laughs to deserve booking" (Film Daily, January 21, 1943)

Critique
One of Chuck Jones's earliest comic masterpieces, coming at the tail end of a banner year for the director and right off the heels of his revolutionary The Dover Boys at Pimento University (or the Rivals of at Roquefort Hall). His crew is providing animation faster and sharper than anything the unit had done before, trading in the often-casually paced sluggishness of old. It doesn't quite have the same smeary zip as in The Dover Boys, but one can clearly see the animators still looking for ways to streamline the process—and the two films do complement each other as a case study on the way animation was quickly evolving at the time. Historically this is the first time Porky has been in a color cartoon since the extra-special production of Old Glory back in 1939, marking not only his formal introduction as a continued presence in the color shorts but also the beginning of the end of the differences between the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series. Considering how hit-or-miss his shorts with them individually had been, it's amazing that Jones hit instant paydirt having Porky and Daffy play off each other—and even more amazing that he would explore that pairing only once more for the rest of the decade. So many little touches elevate this beyond the director's usual "pest annoys random loser" theme: Daffy sitting in a tiny nest each time he gets in the way of Porky's tent-pitching, Porky getting frustrated with himself as he mindlessly repeats Daffy's singing of the title song from Blues in the Night, and the genuine dramatic suspense as Porky starts rubbing the two dynamite sticks together. The final sequence of Porky menacingly stalking Daffy through the woods is quite terrifying, tempered only by the increasingly ridiculous signs encouraging the pig ("Shoot all you want") and then Porky's bullet-riddled "Start praying duck" warning. The film-break conclusion is a novel idea and seems almost like the kind of device Tex Avery would soon be trying over at MGM, laying the groundwork for other similar meta gags in such Jones cartoons as Hare Tonic, Rabbit Punch, and of course Duck Amuck.

Porky Pig Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tom Turk and Daffy" (MGM, 1986)
Bugs Bunny Superstar (MGM, 1988)
Bugs Bunny Superstar (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
Porky! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 5: Chuck Jones (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four (WHV DVD, 2006)
Blues in the Night (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Six (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 6 (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Bugs Bunny Superstar (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2012)

An ad appearing in The Binghamton Press in Binghamton, NY on January 14, 1943.

To Duck....or Not to Duck (1943)^CJ

In their first pairing together, prey Daffy challenges hunter Elmer Fudd to a "fair" boxing match, with a duck referee and duck crowd watching.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Larrimore, Duck Referee, Duck Audience, Porky Pig
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Reviews
"The film is moderately amusing" (Motion Picture Daily, March 8, 1943)
"Another ace Technicolor cartoon featuring the characters Daffy Duck and the goofy hunter" (Film Daily, March 31, 1943)

Critique
Casually paced but briskly animated cartoon. Pitting Elmer against Daffy is a refreshing change of pace for the hunter, harkening back to the dynamic in Daffy Duck & Egghead while offering a new semi-regular protagonist for Elmer to face. Lovely brown backgrounds and a general outdoors-centric color palette give the whole production a warm, autumny look to it—maybe not as groundbreaking as the designs in, say, Wackiki Wabbit or The Aristo-Cat, but it was clear that Jones and his crew (IMDb credits John McGrew with layout and Bernyce Polifka with backgrounds, though neither is listed on screen) were trying to make even the more routine comedy pictures stand out. Even with the one-sided premise of the boxing match, Daffy comes off as a little too cruel to Elmer throughout the short, not so much outsmarting him but rather abusing and humiliating the hunter for his stupidity. (To compound the indignity, Elmer's pants even drop when Daffy backs him into the ring.) The ending offers a satisfying comeuppance and a rare sorta-win for Fudd. It helps that Daffy isn't exactly the most competent or confident of heroes (even tripping up his own outrage to Elmer by revealing his bullet-proof vest)—it would have been hard to watch the cartoon, and definitely the ending, if Bugs had been in his place.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Daffy Duck and Company (MGM, 1990)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Porky and Daffy (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Cartoon Explosion Vol. 3 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001) (title sequence tinkered with)
Cartoon Craze Presents Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (Genius Entertainment DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Six (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 6 (WHV DVD, 2008)
TCM Spotlight: Errol Flynn Adventures (WHV DVD, 2010)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Edge of Darkness (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2018)
Edge of Darkness (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2022)
Errol Flynn Collection (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC on August 8, 1943.

The Wise Quacking Duck (1943)^RC

"Sweetiepuss" has sent Mr. Meek (a stand-in for Mr. Wimple from Fibber McGee and Molly) to get a duck for dinner. Instead of getting into the oven, Daffy dresses up as a psychic and does a striptease.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig
Darrell Payne: Mr. Meek

Vintage Review
"Introducing another howling success starring Daffy Duck...Audiences will have a grand time following the battle of wits between the duck and the man" (Film Daily, June 9, 1943)

Critique
A good comedy that anticipates Bob Clampett's later masterpieces with Daffy, but one that's hindered by an extremely inconsistent gag structure. Many of the jokes land rather awkwardly, and a lot of them overstay their welcome (the headless scene, Daffy's prolonged bomb noises, etc.). Some of the problem is unfortunately the use of Mr. Meek because instead of adapting the Wallace Wimple shtick to the cartoon format it just gets translated over—the genius of those bits were always that Wimple was painting an off-screen picture with the verbal jokes describing the aftermath. In a cartoon, that dynamic can be shown, either by designing the house with a sense of menace or having a simple appearance by "Sweetiepuss" to put the fear of God back into him (similar to Bogart in Slick Hare). But instead it just copies the style of the radio gags, and forcing the comic rhythm of the off-screen radio humor into it is done to the detriment of the pace of the on-screen action, with the result of Meek's various jokes coming off more like labored puns (such as he better roast a duck for his wife or "she'll cook my goose"). A good example is the "how many lumps do you want?" bit having Meek spoil the punchline by saying his wife already gave him one before Daffy is able to himself—it's like having an outside player stepping on the duck's act. Sure enough, when Daffy shows up later as a fake Jerry Colonna-like psychic to do almost the exact same routine, the difference in effectiveness is like night and day. The scenes that do work (the striptease, the psychic reading) are well executed and display Clampett's growing skills as a master director, but they're surrounded by the forced Wimple-style humor or weak bits that are drawn out for far too long. Even Daffy himself complains about a moment being repeated ("Not TWICE in the same picture!"). Despite the famous inspiration, Mr. Meek is kind of a wasted character here. Even without the Fibber McGee influence, a whipped husband is an original concept for a cartoon villain, but once the idea is established it doesn't go anywhere—there's no payoff like something we would see later in, say, His Bitter Half or Honey's Money. (And the voice gets a little grating by the end, which is ironic considering it's based on an actor who was thriving as a voice artist for a rival studio.) Kind of like a much later attempt to simply borrow sitcom characters verbatim for antagonists (in McKimson's Half Fare Hare), the plot's resolution doesn't say anything about the use of a well-known pop culture figure—and this is in a Warner Bros. cartoon, which has had no trouble ending shorts with lines from the same program. It just ends with a nude Daffy doing a stupid reference to a commercial-turned-Bob-Hope-line. The whole thing just feels like someone thought simply appropriating Wimple would make the cartoon just write itself, and much of the cartoon ends up being genuinely funny almost in spite of that.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Ain't That Ducky" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Bette Davis Collection Volume Three boxed set (WHV DVD, 2008)
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 8 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Watch on the Rhine (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2019)
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 17, 1943.

Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943)^FF

Theatrical producer Porky Pig is about to go on vacation. He's soon interrupted by talent agent Daffy, who tries to sell Porky on the idea of hiring one Sleepy Lagoon with frantic showstopping "demonstrations."

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sleepy Lagoon (coughing)
Ken Bennett: Sleepy Lagoon (singing)

Vintage Reviews
"Pleasant little subject" (Motion Picture Daily, July 22, 1943)
"Good...The animation is excellent" (Film Daily, August 4, 1943)

Critique
Classic musical farce from Friz Freleng that features the duck at his in-your-face best, essentially taking Daffy's audition scene from You Ought to Be in Pictures and expanding it to perhaps its utmost extreme. The true genius to the whole short is that apart from the occasional mocking jab at Porky (including the brief bit where he stops to make fun of the pig's golf cap), Daffy isn't acting out of maliciousness. His pushiness would have been unbearable if not for the absurdity of the performances he's pitching to Porky. He truly believes there's real potential in a Carmen Miranda impersonation (played by a child-sized bass singer, keep in mind) or the goofy circus acrobatics he presents as the "finale" (Daffy races back and forth among the tricks so quickly that he literally kicks himself up into a somersault). Following a maudlin-cum-maniacal version of "Laugh, Clown, Laugh," all is lost: Daffy just starts hounding Porky with ridiculously appropriate song cues. Sleepy Lagoon provides an interesting break from the mania every so often, revealing "ham" and "screwball" signs in a silent, Greek chorus type of way—even he doesn't quite buy into Daffy's sales pitch of himself. Of course, by the time Lagoon finally gets his chance to perform, there shouldn't be any possible punchline that could live up to the preceding six minutes, but Freleng nevertheless delivers. The whole thing is a joy to watch.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Cartoon Superstars (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Cartoon Explosion Vol. 1 (Front Row Entertainment DVD, 2001)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (WHV DVD, 2003)
Warner Legends boxed set (WHV DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Cartoon Craze Presents Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (Genius Entertainment DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Daffy Duck and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2014)

An ad appearing in The East Hampton Star in East Hampton, NY on January 25, 1945.

Porky Pig's Feat (1943)^{FT 1968 1990}

Daffy blows all of his and Porky's money on gambling, so the two try to sneak out of the Broken Arms Hotel without paying their bill. Bugs makes a cameo appearance at the end, marking the first time he and Daffy appear together on screen.

Mel Blanc: Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Broken Arms Hotel Manager, Elevator Gambler

Vintage Review
"Productive of a fair number of laughs" (Film Daily, July 22, 1943)

Critique
Easily one of Frank Tashlin's finest cartoons. It's a standard "sneak out of a place undetected" plot, but everything works. The timing is spot-on, the interaction of the characters is entertaining, the villain is nice and buffoonish while still posing a threat, and the comedy is mixed well with elements of suspense. And of course, many bonus points are due for not only the first meeting of Bugs and Daffy but also the historic moment of putting Bugs, Daffy, and Porky all in the same room together for the first time.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Inside Termite Terrace Volume I: Daffy the Commando (Bosko Video, 1988)
*Daffy Duck: Tales From the Duckside (WHV, 1992)
*Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection (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 Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2014)
Porky Pig 101 (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2017) Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Winona Republican-Herald in Winona, MN on December 15, 1943.

Scrap Happy Daffy (1943)^{FT 1995}

Daffy is in charge of a scrap metal drive for the war effort, but the Nazis send out a goat to get rid of it. Features Daffy's manic musical number "We're in to Win." Daffy's final appearance in a black and white cartoon, and in fact the final black and white Warner Bros. cartoon to star a recurring character. Also features animator Art Davis's first onscreen credit for the studio.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Nazi Goat, Hitler, Nazi General, Berghof Guards, Nazi Motorcyclist, Nazi Commander, Nazi Submarine Captain, Dillingham Duck, Valley Forge Duck, Daniel Boone Duck, John Paul Duck, Lincoln Duck, Nazis, Daffy's Ancestors, Porky Pig
Dorothy Lloyd: Daffy Duck (whistling)
Tedd Pierce: Nazis

Critique
Right from the start of Daffy's phenomenal "We're in to Win" number with its breakneck list of donate-eligible items, we're in for easily one of the greatest of the wartime Looney Tunes, one that definitely stands leaps and bounds over the stereotype-heavy ones this same unit had been offering under recently enlisted Norm McCabe (The Ducktators, Tokio Jokio, etc.). The cartoon is incredibly fast-paced, almost to a hyper-energetic point, yet it never feels rushed. Tashlin cuts scenes in such a masterful way that he's able to heighten the more dynamic moments (like the buildup to the reveal of the goat) but also knows when to linger in order to give a calmer joke room to breathe (such as Daffy mistaking his own reflection for an enemy, resulting in the standard "nincom...poop!" punchline). As if a ridiculous satire of the Nazi hierarchy (including one of the more fearsome depictions of Hitler in a Warner Bros. cartoon) and the central conflict with the goat weren't enough, we also get a rather stirring and truly patriotic musical finale with charming depictions of Daffy's ancestors throughout history, resulting in an action-packed climax of Daffy as Superman (after already alluding to another animated Fleischer hero, Popeye). Unfortunately, the inescapable wartime theming and black and white palette have prevented it from being more widely seen and appreciated by modern audiences.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Air Force (WHV DVD, 2007)
World War II Collection Volume 2: Heroes Fight for Freedom boxed set (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Air Force (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2013)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (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 March 21, 1944.

Daffy-The Commando (1943)^FF

Daffy is parachuted in to fight a squad of Nazi birds, and he then mallets the big stinker himself!

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Uberkomt Von Vultur, Hitler, Porky Pig

Vintage Reviews
"Excellent satire...Highly amusing" (Motion Picture Daily, November 18, 1943)
"Daffy and funny...an ace filler" (Film Daily, November 24, 1943)

Critique
One of the better all-out "characters in battle" wartime cartoons of the period, helped in part by a nice "murky" background design throughout that really makes one feel like we're right there in the trenches with Daffy. Freleng has Daffy acting more aggressively toward the enemy than he would Bugs in, say, Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips, but the short is nevertheless a bit tamer compared to the wartime material that Tashlin and Clampett were producing at the time. The running gag with Von Vultur calling for Schultz and hitting him on the head gets old pretty fast, although it does allow for the occasional clever variation such as calling Schultz while in mid-air and forcing back him down. Where the cartoon really shines is in its subtler Mike Maltese-gagged moments: Daffy providing subtitles to his German dialogue, Daffy and Von Vultur fighting over a returned payphone nickel, Mussolini's caricature being crossed out on the Nazi stationary, etc. (not to mention a blink-and-you-miss-it nude poster hanging in Von Vultur's bunker). And of course, the cartoon's most memorable moment is Daffy bonking Der Fuhrer on the head, an image that has since transcended the short and become iconic on its own.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

Inside Termite Terrace Volume I: Daffy the Commando (Bosko Video, 1988)
Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM, 1989)
Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM Laserdisc, 1989)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Cartoon Craze Presents Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (Genius Entertainment DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Six (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)

An ad appearing in the Ellensburg Daily Record in Ellensburg, WA on July 22, 1944.

Tom Turk and Daffy (1944)^CJ

Tom Turk seeks help from Daffy to hide from pilgrim-dressed hunter Porky, but Daffy soon betrays his fellow bird. Tom turns the tables on Daffy, so Porky chases the duck instead.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig
Billy Bletcher: Tom Turk

Vintage Reviews
"A genuine howl...Robert Cannon's animation is of a high order" (Film Daily, February 18, 1944)
"This is a very entertaining cartoon" (Motion Picture Daily, February 24, 1944)

Critique
"THE YAMS DID IT!" Daffy defeatedly screams during the short's centerpiece display of comic acting as he turns on Tom Turk. The sequence itself serves as something of a breather between some rather fast-paced beginning and end scenes, many of which utilize some excellent gags that play on the physics of winter and the cold. The mysterious story credit to "The Staff" leaves one to wonder who contributed what only because the humor offers something of a crossroads: there are some definite Jones-style cerebral gags—such as a panicky Tom dreading how he'll miss out on "Love! Travel! Good books!"; while an abstract bit with Daffy "rolling" himself into a shrinking snowball recalls the director's slower, more enigmatic Minah Bird scenes from the Inki cartoons—and of course the opening "hide me" sequence the central Porky/Daffy chase is chock full of fast action and slapstick that was becoming Warner's hallmark at the time. The use of the titular Tom Turk sometimes feels like a missed opportunity; for a new character he provides little more than the setup and later the expected "turnabout is fair play" end gag—though points always go to using Billy Bletcher as a voice (especially in Tom's chilling read of calling Daffy a "quisling" after ratting him out to Porky). It all makes for a pleasing Jones cartoon that offers plenty of memorable gags against a beautifully striking, stark production design.

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tick Tock Tuckered" (MGM, 1986)
Porky Pig Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tom Turk and Daffy" (MGM, 1986)
Porky Pig and Company (MGM, 1990)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 4 (MGM Laserdisc, 1993)
Porky & Friends: Hilarious Ham (WHV DVD, 2012)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)
Looney Tunes Collector's Vault Volume 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in the Plattsburgh Press-Republican in Plattsburgh, NY on March 18, 1944.

Tick Tock Tuckered (1944)^{RC BR}

In this remake of Clampett's earlier Porky's Badtime Story, if Porky and Daffy are late for work one more time, they're fired. They decide to turn in extra-early that night, but getting a peaceful night's sleep isn't going to be that easy!

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Boss

Critique
An almost exact shot-for-shot, beat-for-beat remake of Bob Clampett's own directorial debut, Porky's Badtime Story, starting a small cycle of color remakes of some of his 1930s Looney Tunes. While some of these were just straight reuses of animation like Slightly Daffy, and others were vast improvements and redos like Wagon Heels, this one falls in the middle—the major differences here being Daffy put in place of Gabby Goat and the Porky animation from the original film being tweaked ever so slightly to update his design (particularly around the eyes). Sure enough, the few times Clampett does alter a sequence one can see the tighter, sharper direction that was becoming his trademark (pretty much in any of the Daffy animation), but the meat of the story still shows signs of the casual, more syrupy direction and timing that dominated his early films—and just to make the short even more stylistically schizophrenic, the entire book-throwing gag from Friz Freleng's Notes to You is pasted in, right down to using the same Porky animation. The duo's boss has a more sinister air about him this time, creating a greater sense of tension than in the original, while Daffy is wholly more entertaining to watch and listen to than Gabby was—from his annoyed look of outrage when thinking Porky has wet the bed to his manic "Where's my pants? Here's your girdle!" babbling during the pair's mad dash to get ready for work to his goofy "now he tells me" head-slapping at the end. It's still an excellent cartoon with a hilarious premise that is universally relatable, but whether such a halfway redo was necessary is debatable—especially when knowing that Clampett would be out the door in just two years' time.

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tick Tock Tuckered" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Porky and Daffy (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (WHV DVD, 2010)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in the Elmira Star-Gazette in Elmira, NY on June 30, 1944.

Duck Soup to Nuts (1944)^{FF BR}

Once again, Porky is hunting Daffy. This time, Daffy causes Porky to empty out a whole lake and is able to confuse Porky as to which animal is which. We even meet Daffy's supposedly grief-stricken family.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Cecilia, Sylvester, Lathrop, Stanislaus

Vintage Review
"Funny" (Film Daily, June 26, 1944)

Critique
Friz Freleng hasn't quite warmed up to using Elmer Fudd in non-Bugs pictures, so here he has Porky going after the duck. It's not nearly as awkward of a fit as it could have been, and the use of Porky at least leads to the ridiculous "I'm a pig"/"You're an eagle" debate. It would have left us with a pretty average short if not for the little comedic throwaways peppered throughout by storyman Tedd Pierce. They help put Daffy in a rare form; his "I got a contract with Warner Bros!" aside is cute enough when bragging about his acting ability, but then he goes overboard with a Charles Boyer impression and an even funnier mustachioed melodramatic villain guise. The screwiness provides Daffy a chance to knock on Porky's diving helmet as a door-to-door "Filler Brush man" (complete with a suitcase of samples) and perhaps reaches its apex at the end with the duck calling for his family with a Tarzan yell (the "youngest" also gets a moment to shine by spitting in disgust at Porky's feet). Porky is no slouch here either, offering a timely and snarky threat of "Now I'll tell your future, gremlin!"—not to mention the pretty clever (and should be a little more famous than it is) scene of him emptying out the lake one bucketful at a time. Very good, so close to being great, cartoon.

The Best of Bugs Bunny and Friends (MGM, 1986)
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tick Tock Tuckered" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 6: Friz Freleng (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
Tweety Pie and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)

An ad appearing in the Rome News-Tribune in Rome, GA on February 16, 1951 at the time of the short's "Blue Ribbon" rerelease.

Slightly Daffy (1944)^{FF BR}

In this almost identical color remake of 1939's Scalp Trouble, Native Americans attack Daffy and Porky's cavalry base.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Cavalry Scout, Auerbach Indian, Reveille Bugler, Singing Soldier, Tenth Indian, Colonna Indian
Michael Maltese: Auerbach Indian

Critique
The very existence of this cartoon is a mystery. Here you have an exact color remake of a black and white Bob Clampett short credited to Friz Freleng. And unlike the later Freleng-unit Clampett remake Dough for the Do-Do, no discernible effort was made to create any new animation. Daffy and Porky have retained their late 1930s Clampett designs, none of the other characters or animation drawings appear to have been given any update by Freleng's crew, and the only differences in story are a result of recycling further footage from two other films (Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas and The Hardship of Miles Standish). So, why does this exist?? Due to editing, some of the scenes now have a more abrupt pace to them. The story itself remains mainly unchanged, and Mel Blanc gives Daffy something of a bitier performance than he did in the original, but in the context of the rapidly evolving 1940s Warner Bros. studio the wiry early Clampett direction seems a tad antiquated—to say nothing of how rusty it would have looked even later in 1950 during its "Blue Ribbon" reissue. Stick with the original.

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 3 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)

An ad appearing in the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, SC on February 3, 1945.

Plane Daffy (1944)^FT

Woman-hating American spy Daffy is in possession of a military secret, so he must avoid the advances of Nazi seductress Hatta Mari.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Homer Pigeon, Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, Joseph Goebbels, Porky Pig
Sara Berner: Hatta Mari
Robert C. Bruce: Narrator, Pigeon Captain

Vintage Reviews
"It's zany, but will get laughs" (Film Daily, September 29, 1944)
"This cartoon is one of the cleverest in the new Warner series" (Motion Picture Daily, October 6, 1944)

Critique
Exciting wartime cartoon from Frank Tashlin, maybe not as wall-to-wall action-packed as Scrap Happy Daffy but leaps and bounds over what some of the other Warner units and studios were producing. The eerie, very visual opening scenes effectively set a moody tone for the short, while Robert C. Bruce's almost Seussian narration for such a grim story recalls the likes of The Ducktators and the Private Snafu cartoons. The film would have made for an excellent one-shot on its own, but Tashlin tops even that idea by introducing Daffy in the second half (a surprising reveal spoiled only by the opening titles). Tashlin's duck is quite unique in that he has an edgier way about him—he's not the wiry goon or hectoring wiseguy that the other directors depict. He stands firm here and not only defies but then counters Mari's advances, whereas it would have been so easy and lazy to just have him be the clichéd incompetent male boob who fell for the same trap that everyone else did. But true to the character, Daffy also offers some much-needed levity during the rather exciting third-act chase, including the brilliant aside about a refrigerator he had hidden inside of ("The little light—it stays on!"). The end gag goes for the usual easy wartime targets with the "Hitler is a stinker" line and the subsequent Nazi suicides, but Daffy's pre-climactic line of "I regret that I have but one secret to swallow for my country" is a better representation of the Warner films of the period: patriotic but still offering some irreverence.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur" (MGM, 1986)
Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM, 1989)
Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM Laserdisc, 1989)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four (WHV DVD, 2006)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Ogdensburg Journal in Ogdensburg, NY on August 9, 1946.

The Stupid Cupid (1944)^{FT BR}

Elmer Fudd is quite busy in his role of Cupid, but henpecked married man Daffy won't allow him to shoot the duck again this year. Elmer decides to fight dirty.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Horse, Dog, Cat, Rooster
Frank Graham: Elmer Fudd

Vintage Review
"They'll love this...a succession of laughs" (Film Daily, January 5, 1945)

Critique
Another classic Tashlin cartoon that would have worked just fine as a one-shot but then throws in the added benefit of two star characters playing unique parts. Casting Elmer in the title role is inspired and allows for an absurd, near-iconic opening scene of him dancing and laughing to Strauss's "Voices of Spring"—a concept soured only by the lack of Arthur Q. Bryan providing Fudd's signature sputtering laugh. Elmer's targeting of the various animals results in a number of funny blackout-style vignettes that would have made a zany short on its own, but just when we think we're understanding the rhythm of the story we get a great left turn with Daffy's introduction. Daffy's ranting at Elmer is a delight to watch, from the odd angular movements of his beak to the ridiculous photo album depicting his shotgun wedding and subsequent brood of children (yes, including the two-headed son!). The cartoon becomes decidedly sinister from this point on, from Elmer sadistically aiming a giant love arrow at Daffy's rear to the duck's pretty creepy advances toward the chicken—it almost becomes a Pepé le Pew chase with Daffy turning up in various locations (while Daffy's constant chirruping is weird and obnoxious and a trait that thankfully the skunk didn't really develop). The third-act conflict ends rather suddenly, which unfortunately doesn't make the "here we go again" ending that much of a payoff—whether the cartoon's infamous lost final punchline provided more of a laugh remains a mystery.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur" (MGM, 1986)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Four (WHV DVD, 2006)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2014)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Ogdensburg Journal in Ogdensburg, NY on March 31, 1945.

Draftee Daffy (1945)^RC

A patriotic Daffy receives a letter from the president and soon learns that you can't escape "the little man from the draft board."

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, The Little Man from the Draft Board, Porky Pig

Vintage Review
"Daffy Duck creates a laugh riot...The pace is furious" (Film Daily, March 1, 1945)

Critique
Energetic, hilarious effort from Clampett, the start of a remarkable streak of excellent pictures the director would do with the duck. This also more or less marks the first appearance of the cowardly, self-serving Daffy that would be developed more throughout the 1950s and that Chuck Jones would take a particular shine to. It starts off strong with Daffy running the gamut of emotions through song, singing praises for the U.S. military's victories before launching into a weeping parody of "It Had to Be You" upon learning he's been drafted (including a ridiculous moment where he sings "it couldn't be him" while pointing at his pet goldfish). Once the Little Man from the Draft Board shows up it essentially becomes a Droopy cartoon, with the only major difference being Tex Avery usually had his antagonists travel to far-away locales to escape the dog whereas here the action is centralized throughout Daffy's house. The Little Man comes off a tad annoying at times (were selective service workers allowed to just come into people's homes?) but he's relatively harmless. The true joy of the short comes from watching Daffy's increasingly manic and aggressive actions to stop him—in short order we go from the duck merely slamming a door in his face (creating a man-shaped bulge) to Daffy locking him in a safe and then building a solid brick wall, adding studs, drywall, a front door, porchlight and "home sweet home" sign. The energy also builds as the cartoon progresses; by the end Daffy is literally zooming around his house with a trail of fireworks and lightning behind him. There really is no other possible climax but to rocket-crash Daffy directly into Hell—an insane, but moral, bit of storytelling that only Clampett could deliver.

Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM, 1989)
Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons (MGM Laserdisc, 1989)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Welcome to Wackyland (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2005)
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 Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (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 July 9, 1947.

Ain't That Ducky (1945)^{FF BR}

A middle-aged hunter is out looking for ducks, while Daffy can't figure out why a little duckling is bawling over whatever's inside his briefcase.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Duckling
Victor Moore: Hunter

Vintage Review
"Excellent" (Film Daily, May 14, 1945)

Critique
Let's get this out of the way: the running gag and its meta ending is inventive, classic, and one of the most famous of the Warner canon. But, there is still a pretty funny hunting picture here that is often in danger of getting overshadowed. Freleng still doesn't seem all that enamored with the idea of using Elmer Fudd so here he creates an entirely new character—and really, the only thing that separates him from actually being Fudd is the guest voice and likeness of character actor Victor Moore, so it all just leads to the question if the stunt-casting was even necessary (and this is a good fifty years before shows like The Simpsons made one-off special-guest-star characters a regularly occurring thing in cartoons). As for the other antagonist, the duckling is such a quirky little character, starting off loud and angry right off the bat (probably no better exemplified than through Mel Blanc's hilariously disgusted read of the insult "Lay off, you...duck!"). He isn't really sympathetic, either; for someone who keeps claiming to want to be left alone he sure tries hard to disrupt the proceedings, even ratting out Daffy's ruses. Speaking of our hero, the duck is in fine form here, as once the chase proper gets underway there's a flurry of fun and unique sequences. Highlights include a fence gag where Daffy is posing as a train passenger, a pre-Duck Amuck scolding of the animators for forgetting to draw the barrel he was supposed to hide in, and a pretty gruesome trick where he has the hunter crash into a Daffy standee so he could pose as a grieving child ("And I'll be the mean widdle kid!")—while the beautiful opening shot of Daffy taking the huge bubble bath in the lake should be more famous than it is. It's a funny, fast-paced cartoon, and the classic ending is only the cherry on top.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Ain't That Ducky" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 3 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)

An ad appearing in the Buffalo Courier-Express in Buffalo, NY on December 6, 1945.

Nasty Quacks (1945)^FT

Daffy is the spoiled pet of a little girl named Agnes, who lets him have the run of the house, much to her father's dismay. Dad spends the rest of the film trying to get rid of the duck, one way or another.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Father, Duckling
Sara Berner: Agnes
Robert C. Bruce: Narrator

Vintage Review
"Okay...a most amusing Technicolor cartoon" (Film Daily, November 28, 1945)

Critique
Led off right from the start with a humorously unnecessary storybook-style opening, we're in for the last all-out Frank Tashlin classic before he left the cartoon studio for good. Maybe not his utmost best, but it is probably the most accessible of the director's Daffy cartoons—it being in color and devoid of any wartime elements surely help its exposure to modern audiences. Stylistically it's a very sharp, visual cartoon, which is all the more impressive considering it primarily takes place in one room. Tashlin makes the most of the restrictive setting by making every shot, every angle, and every motion funny to watch; when Daffy gets outraged and packs up to "move out"—complete with suitcase and hat like a soldier leaving home—he zips back and forth past the father. The dad himself is such a unique antagonist—imposing but still buffoonish. One can't help but feel the great joy the crew must have had designing and animating him, from his cold scowl at the breakfast table while Daffy is babbling and carrying on (and let's also give a shout out to Mel Blanc's wonderfully breathless delivery of Daffy's laugh-filled joke-telling: "Come to think of it, he WAS a monkey!") to the ridiculous swordfight he and Daffy partake with butter knives to the graceful way he changes directions before speeding out of the house. At the center of it all is a ludicrous (yet relatable) conflict; almost the "protected houseguest won't leave" plot. The first half is so absurd—the father reducing himself to asking the duck to pass the coffee and toast, Daffy the family pet supposedly having a wild nightlife, etc.—that when the tables turn with the introduction of the new duckling a real sense of tension builds. The dramatic stress builds as Agnes takes her new pet upstairs and Daffy begs to be let in (which itself is undercut by the serenely pleasant look on the approaching father's face as he's pounding his fist into his hand), and even Daffy's plan to fix everything gets immediately dark (he wants to kill a baby). It's a roller coaster of a cartoon, the type that Tashlin was a sorely missed master at.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 8: 1940s Zanies (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (WHV DVD, 2010)
The Essential Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2014)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Ogdensburg Journal in Ogdensburg, NY on June 15, 1946. Coincidentally, the misspelling of the title would eventually be used on the film's actual "Blue Ribbon" reissue print in 1951.

Book Revue (1946)^{RC BR}

In this ultimate "books comes to life" cartoon, manic Danny Kaye-like crooner Daffy (leapt from the cover of a Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comic book) intervenes in the story of Little Red Riding Hood and ends up being pursued by the Big Bad Wolf.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Big Bad Wolf, Cuckoo Clock, Sea Wolf, Jazz Mice, Judge, Police Dispatch, Porky Pig
Sara Berner: Alice Aldrich, Farmgirl, Freckles, Mother Goose, Gosling, Whistler's Mother, Lady in the Dark
Robert C. Bruce: Henry the VIII
Richard Bickenbach: Frank Sinatra
The Sportsmen Quartet: Singers

Vintage Review
"Excellent" (Film Daily, December 13, 1945)

Critique
The first in a trio of absolutely brilliant Daffy films that Bob Clampett would deliver this year, his final one at Warners (well, he was already gone at this point, but you know what we mean). It also marks the final attempt by the studio to do their reliable "books comes to life" story—and really, after this masterpiece, what would have been the point? Sort of a cross between the director's earlier A Coy Decoy and Frank Tashlin's equally excellent Have You Got Any Castles? but with the wilder, more freewheeling animation of the mid-1940s Clampett unit, allowing each of the crew's artists a chance to shine. The film is animated with an almost maniacal frenzy, giving it an exaggerated look unlike anything else the studio was creating. Every shot is made to exist in another world—the mechanical Bard on the cover of the Complete Works of Shakespeare doesn't merely blow a gasket when horny over the Cherokee Strip girl, a spring violently launches at the viewer—when the solemn Drums Along the Mohawk Native American morphs into a crazy white jazz percussionist, he vacantly stares at the screen while frantically drumming—etc. By the time Daffy appears and goes into his Danny Kaye musical number it seems as if we're getting thrown some sort of curveball, but everything still works. His breathless scat-singing summary of the Red Riding Hood story (complete with improvised visual aids) is deservedly one of the most joyous bits of Warner animation ever. Some of the literary chase gags are a little familiar (petrified forest, etc.), but the energy is so amped up that everything feels fresh and newly irreverent. Essential Daffy, essential Clampett, and essential Warner Bros. viewing.

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 8: 1940s Zanies (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Welcome to Wackyland (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
**Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV 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)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in the Jamestown Post-Journal in Jamestown, NY on March 12, 1946.

Baby Bottleneck (1946)^{RC BR}

While the country is in the midst of the Baby Boom, stork manager Porky hires Daffy as his assistant to streamline the factory's sorting process. All goes well until the two find an unmarked egg, which someone needs to hatch to find out where it belongs.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Narrator, Durante Stork, Baby Kitten, Baby Gorilla, Scottie Dog, Baby Cat, Inventor Dog, Baby Hippo, Baby Turtle, Baby Puppies, Egg
Sara Berner: Mother Gorilla

Vintage Review
"Excellent...it should amuse all audiences" (Film Daily, March 29, 1946)

Critique
Another whirlwind epic from Clampett, one vastly different in tone and style from the previous Book Revue but still equally manic and hilarious. The opening sequence explaining the baby mishaps offers a fun couple of blackouts and in a way kinda lets our guard down; we're not quite sure what kind of cartoon we're in for. Even once Porky and Daffy are introduced it sorta seems like everything is in place: wonderfully timed factory gags, goofy baby gags (including the intentionally groan-inducing "I'm only three-and-a-half seconds old."), and a bizarre little bit player with the dog inventor. BUT then that third act starts with the untagged egg and it's, as Daffy says, full speed ahead. Animator Rod Scribner reportedly takes over for the rest of the short, and his poses while Daffy and Porky are fighting literally over the egg are out of this world (including a climactic moment where Porky balances himself with his tongue). It all results in an insanely fast-paced finale and a ridiculous end gag. Top-notch effort from the Clampett crew.

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tick Tock Tuckered" (MGM, 1986)
Porky! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 8: 1940s Zanies (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
**Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV 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)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
**Tweety Pie and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
**Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)
**Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Victoria Advocate in Victoria, TX on September 18, 1953 at the time of the short's "Blue Ribbon" rerelease.

Daffy Doodles (1946)^{RM BR}

The big city is plagued by a fiendish vandal (Daffy) who paints mustaches on every picture, while Officer Porky Pig is sworn to catch him. The first theatrical short directed by Robert McKimson.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Bulldog Judge, Jerry Colonna Jurors
Robert C. Bruce: Narrator

Vintage Review
"Many amusing incidents which should entertain audiences" (Motion Picture Daily, May 17, 1946)

Critique
Another difficult cartoon to review in the face of history, as this is the debut theatrical short of one of the studio's longest-serving animation directors. Robert McKimson's style at this time falls somewhere in the middle of the Warner oeuvre; tamer and milder than what Clampett and Tashlin were ending their careers with, initially more aggressive than what Freleng and Jones were doing, and whatever shortcomings he first had in timing and direction were made up by some outstanding animation and layout (such as in this short with a pretty dynamic three-dimensional chase around a skyscraper ledge, especially once Daffy returns on a motorcycle). Ironically, this very first outing is one of the director's more excellent efforts. It does also sort of set the template for McKimson's later films with the pair: Porky as a straight-laced everyman at the mercy of deranged troublemaker Daffy. Here the plot is pretty straightforward (despite its craziness) and progresses naturally—it's all the little throwaway moments that put it over the top. Porky is a determined cop trying to trap Daffy, yet he's immediately duped by a ridiculous ploy involving a Christmas present—Daffy's dark lyrics to "She Was an Acrobat's Daughter" while painting his "masterpiece"—the Hitler mustache on the baby riding the subway—all of these add just a touch of dementia to what otherwise could have been a pretty routine chase picture. By the time the cartoon reaches a climax, the action gets wilder and the gags get sillier, helped in part by Daffy suddenly using a "mustache stencil" and then painting a mustache in midair for Porky to run into. The epilogue in the courtroom is equally nutty (with Daffy lecturing the judge with "you might be a fiend yourself someday!"), complete with a "here we go again" end gag. Brilliant start to a directing career that unfortunately rarely reached this zenith again.

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Tick Tock Tuckered" (MGM, 1986)
Porky! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 8: 1940s Zanies (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Daffy Doodles (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
My Reputation (WHV DVD, 2007)
Barbara Stanwyck: The Signature Collection boxed set (WHV DVD, 2007)
Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Legends Film Collection: Barbara Stanwyck (WHV DVD, 2013)
My Reputation (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2016)
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 Ogdensburg Journal in Ogdensburg, NY on March 8, 1947.

Hollywood Daffy (1946)

Sightseeing tourist Daffy is determined to get on the Warmer Brothers studio lot to see celebrities, but the studio-gate guard won't let him inside. No director is credited; reportedly Friz Freleng was so dissatisfied with Michael Maltese's script that he refused to work on the picture, forcing layout man Hawley Pratt to direct instead (though there is some speculation that Freleng may have at least performed timing duties on it). Includes the only known instance of Mel Blanc impersonating his friend Jack Benny.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Studio Cop, Hollywood Wolves, Johnny Weissmuller, Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny
Sara Berner: Bette Davis
Richard Bickenbach: Daffy Duck (impersonating Bing Crosby)

Vintage Review
"Excellent...Clever dialogue and story" (Film Daily, July 1, 1946)

Critique
It's the classic "sneak past the guard" comedy storyline, and it's a complete mystery as to what Friz Freleng could have objected to (especially since that was essentially the second act of his opus You Ought to Be in Pictures). Considering the short takes place at a movie studio, the celebrity cameos and impressions are fairly reserved and don't beat you over the head with gratuitousness—save for perhaps the double dose of Jimmy Durante references (but it's worth it for Daffy's side-splitting "Umbriago!"). The Besser-sounding guard has his moments (calling Daffy a "buttinski"), and there is a pretty inspired bit where a gloved mechanical hand paces and "thinks" about how to eject the duck before simply kicking him out, but really it's all Daffy's show here. He's hysterical throughout when he's being defiant (stopped at the start and forced to leave only to turn right back around and head in), when he's momentarily defeated (thrown into the side of a mailbox and then coming back to return a letter), and especially during his numerous guises (particularly when posing as a director and repeating yelling "Quiet!" to his nonexistent crew). For a production that for all intents and purposes was run on autopilot, it turned out just as complete and entertaining as the films with Freleng fully at the helm. Chalk that up as a testament to the kind of crew the director had assembled and guided.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Ain't That Ducky" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 9: Hooray for Hollywood (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
Bette Davis Collection Volume Three boxed set (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
All This, and Heaven Too (WHV/Warner Archive DVD, 2016)
Bugs Bunny Golden Carrot Collection (WHV DVD, 2020)

An ad appearing in the Geneva Daily Times in Geneva, NY on May 20, 1947.

The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)^RC

Bob Clampett's masterpiece in which Dick Tracy fan Daffy imagines that he's Duck Twacy, who sets out to solve a mysterious piggy-bank crime wave. The final Warner Bros. cartoon to credit Clampett on screen, and the director's final Daffy cartoon.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Mouse Man, Wolfman, Rubberhead, Neon Noodle, Pig

Vintage Review
"Very good" (Film Daily, July 25, 1946)

Critique
Here we are. The epic. Perhaps the most famous Daffy Duck cartoon of the 1940s and one of Bob Clampett's signature masterworks. The animation here is more restrained than it was in, say, Book Revue, but it helps better sell the story and the mood—we're sucked right into a Dick Tracy-style mystery adventure (or at least a reasonable facsimile), not some hyperanimated fever dream. There are gags from this cartoon that have become as associated with the Dick Tracy character as many of the elements from the actual newspaper strip—to say nothing of the references to various hardboiled-copper lines that are perhaps more known now for these take-offs ("Follow that car," "I'm gonna pin it on ya," "I'm gonna rub ya out," etc.). But it's not just a mere spoof, as it also shows Daffy at his finest. Clampett showcases a true range for the character, from his childlike joy as he's beaming over his new comic book to his screwiness while "calling" himself and reporting his missing piggy bank to his cool self-assuredness while tracking down clues. A scene where Duck Twacy momentarily butts heads with Sherlock Holmes is priceless as the human gets shoved off the screen and out of the picture in the process. That's how it all goes; the throwaway moments are quick and done once they serve their nonsensical purpose. The gags are truly wall to wall, but they are all in service of the story—not a joke is wasted or forced. The entire second half is filled with famous moments, but perhaps none more than the iconic villain reveals chock full of corny puns and some ingenious character designs ("Hammerhead! Batman!")—some of which turn up again during the wonderfully animated blink-and-you-miss-them group collapse following Daffy's gunfire. It's actually a pretty action-packed finale, with the duck fighting the various rogues in uniquely appropriate (yet still comical) ways; the final "Eat at Joe's" fate for Neon Noodle is especially memorable. For Clampett and his crew to be able to make not only a classic like this but also Book Revue and Baby Bottleneck—AND Kitty Kornered AND The Big Snooze, for that matter—all in the same release year is nothing short of amazing, and it is perhaps the finest exit from Warners any director could ever have hoped to have made.

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
Cartoons for Big Kids (Turner Home Entertainment, 1989)
Cartoons for Big Kids (Turner Home Entertainment Laserdisc, 1989)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes (MGM Laserdisc, 1991)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 4: Bob Clampett (MGM, 1992)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes VHS boxed set (MGM, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: All-Stars (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Two (WHV DVD, 2004)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 2 (WHV 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)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature (WHV DVD, 2014)
Tweety Pie and Friends (WHV DVD, 2014)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)
Step by Step (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2021) (SD)
Best of WB 100: Looney Tunes Complete Platinum Collection (SDS DVD, 2023)

An ad appearing in The Alfred Sun in Alfred, NY on May 29, 1947.

Birth of a Notion (1947)^{RM BR}

To avoid flying south for the winter, Daffy scams a dog named Leopold into taking him in and caring for him for the season. Little does Daffy know that Leopold's master is a very Peter Lorre-ish mad scientist, who needs a duck wishbone for an experiment!

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Leopold, Besser Duck
Stan Freberg: Scientist

Vintage Review
"Full of gags and mirth" (Film Daily, April 29, 1947)

Critique
Very good early effort from Robert McKimson, with the director tackling a genre he wouldn't really become associated with: the horror cartoon. Daffy sets the tone early with his fake death throes to Leopold, complete with the climactic "and now rigor mortis—BOING!" And it just continues from there, and luckily McKimson and company never play the duck as naïve or oblivious—he knows there's danger all around the house, and he's confronting it head-on. ("All it needs are hands coming out of the wall, like those over my head!") Leopold, meanwhile, is a unique character, trying to do right by both Daffy and his master yet never falling into that cliché of being a manipulated pawn between the two (such as, say, Mandrake in McKimson's concurrent One Meat Brawl). And of course, the dog offers perhaps the short's funniest gag with his midway gripe to the audience, "Some part I got in this picture." If there's any major flaw it's with the mad scientist. Stan Freberg's rather subtle Peter Lorre impression is a wholly weird and wonderful performance, but the character moves unnaturally. It's almost as if the animators were restricted to only a few poses of the Lorre caricature and couldn't comfortably apply any three-dimensional action to them. It's particularly noticeable only because the rest of the cartoon is so visually striking, from the beautifully fall-colored opening shots to the creepy shadowy interiors of Lorre's house. It's rare for a McKimson short to be such a feast for the eyes, and it's cartoons like this that makes the director's later, "chunkier" style all the more heartbreaking to see.

Daffy Duck and Company (MGM, 1990)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Six (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 6 (WHV DVD, 2008)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Best of Warner Bros.: 50 Cartoon Collection - Looney Tunes (WHV DVD, 2013)
Looney Tunes Collector's Vault Volume 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in the Plattsburgh Press-Republican in Plattsburgh, NY on July 18, 1947.

Along Came Daffy (1947)^{FF BR}

Twin brothers (one of who appears to be none other than Yosemite Sam!) are starving in a snowbound cabin, where they get a visit from traveling cookbook salesman Daffy!

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Sam's Brother, Mice, Duck Decoys

Vintage Review
"A very good cartoon with a great many laughs" (Film Daily, July 10, 1947)

Critique
Underrated, fun chase cartoon from Freleng. The mountain-men brothers are somewhat unique antagonists in that they pose an equal threat; there isn't any real "smart one/dumb one" dynamic as we've seen in similar two-against-one shorts like Wackiki Wabbit, A Gruesome Twosome, or Hop, Skip and a Chump. (In all fairness, it's doubtful that the red-mustached brother is really meant to be Yosemite Sam and it's more likely that Freleng was just using the same design as a yet-to-be-firmly-established continuing character.) The starvation gags are pretty effective (including the standard "sees the other person as food" trope), with perhaps the funniest being a mouse resorting to eating a picture of cheese placed inside a trap as bait (and then hiccuping confetti). If anything really stands out it's that Daffy isn't acting like his normal, screwy self—or even the more-sedated version we've started to see in these late '40s shorts. And yet he still turns in an entertaining performance, such as becoming mortified and disgusted by his cookbook's duck-based recipes (and only becoming aware of his peril upon repeating the direction of "lopping off its head and feet"). Apart from trying to interject a businesslike "my company has authorized me—" once or twice while being chased, the only time he really reverts back to the Daffy of old is during perhaps the film's most memorable moment: when he hides within a cluster of hopping, woo-hooing duck decoys. And of course, we get a fun moment of suspense as each one gets blasted away and we're left with a sweating, terrified Daffy still hopping. The conflict's resolution may seem a tad like a deus ex machina, but it's all redeemed by literally giving us a spoken-on-screen "here we go again" ending.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 3 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
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 News of the Tonawandas in North Tonawanda, NY on January 7, 1947.

A Pest in the House (1947)^CJ

Bellhop Daffy constantly disturbs the peaceful hotel stay of an exhausted businessman, who takes it out on manager Elmer Fudd. Arthur Q. Bryan also makes a rare non-Fudd appearance as the businessman.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Narrator, Drunk
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd, Businessman

Vintage Review
"Good for lots of laughs" (Film Daily, August 27, 1947)

Critique
Hysterical short that serves as one of the better pairings between Daffy and Elmer. Making Fudd the hapless victim here does a great deal in establishing a comic personality to the character not tied to the concept of hunting, setting the stage for later shorts like Ant Pasted and Pests for Guests—and it's leaps and bounds over Jones's previous sad-sack portrayals of him in Elmer's Candid Camera and Good Night Elmer. The running gag of the businessman socking Elmer to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel" is so inspired and ridiculous that it's unbelievable that it wasn't repeated elsewhere. What makes everything work is Daffy's sincerity. Apart from maybe one early bit where he forced the businessman to carry up his own luggage (and proceeds to tip him), the duck is not acting out of maliciousness; he genuinely thinks he's helping the man sleep. This makes Daffy's interruptions all the more hilarious, from his prolonged retelling of a traveling-salesman joke (trying to will himself to remember the forgotten punchline with "the salesman answers, he says...") to his attempt to silence a loud drunk next door only to join in on the drinking and singing (with Mel Blanc harmonizing with himself on "How Dry I Am"). The climax of Daffy berating Elmer in the businessman's room provides a wonderful mix of dramatic tension and misdirection, complete with the duck screaming insults at Fudd only to immediately zip back to him with a pleasant "Yes, sir!" upon hearing the front-desk bell. It's a great comedy of errors that only late '40s Warners could deliver.

Elmer! (MGM, 1988)
Bugs! & Elmer! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Five (WHV DVD, 2007)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 5 (WHV DVD, 2007)
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)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Double Feature Vol. 2 (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 Alfred Sun in Alfred, NY on November 20, 1947.

Mexican Joyride (1947)^AD

Daffy takes a relaxing vacation in Mexico, where he tries the local cuisine and interrupts a bullfight.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, El Toro, Diner Patron, Restaurateur, Program Vendor, Bullfight Audience

Vintage Reviews
"Laugh-getter" (Film Daily, December 8, 1947)
"Good. A lively and amusing cartoon" (Boxoffice, December 20, 1947)

Critique
And with a rather subtle musical number, we begin the first Daffy cartoon during Arthur Davis's frustratingly short stint as a Warner Bros. director. With the senior units having Bugs Bunny all to themselves, newbie Davis was given the likes of Daffy and Porky to use, which fortunately gave him the opportunity to deliver some of better shorts with these characters during this period. Daffy in particular seemed to play more to Davis's freewheeling style, and boy his unit went on a frenzy, with five Daffy shorts released in just a little over a year's time—certainly an impressive rate but in retrospect such a paltry amount given how well of a handle the director had on the character. (Much later, in 1962, Davis would direct an additional, final Daffy cartoon, Quackodile Tears.) The first act suffers a bit from a lot of needless setup and some rather generic gags, going more for "stranger in a strange land" type of humor rather than simply letting Daffy be Daffy. This reaches its peak during a prolonged diner scene with hot-food jokes such as Daffy screaming "It's burning holes in me!"—it leads to a cute visual but feels forced. Thankfully things pick up once Daffy heads to the bullfight. From here on in we see Davis's sort of aggressive insanity in full force—Daffy isn't just happy tricking the bull with a "duck season/wabbit season" type of turned-around argument, he then has to talk him into (almost) committing suicide. There is such a distinct looseness to Davis's direction that lends itself well to comic action—not as noodly as Clampett or as exaggerated as McKimson. While this style is skillfully used in moments of slapstick—such as the bull crashing into the arena stands and the only visual cue is a trio of sombreros casually leaping up in the air—the downside is unfortunately it also gives the various Mexican characters a large, sloppy look to them, which likely has contributed to the cartoon's lack of exposure. It's a very fine example of the director's work and a great start to his Daffy shorts, even though in just six years it will be topped by what is easily animation's greatest bullfight cartoon.

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
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 Lockport Union-Sun & Journal in Lockport, NY on July 24, 1948.

What Makes Daffy Duck (1948)^AD

Elmer Fudd and a fox each go after Daffy, that is until the duck turns the hunters against each other.

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

Critique
Art Davis is clearly getting more comfortable with Daffy, giving us a more three-dimensional and funnier character than we just saw in Mexican Joyride. The duck confides in us right away as if he's scared of all the hunters, but then he throws a curveball by griping that he simply wanted to take a shower. It's more or less the norm for Daffy throughout the story: he plays the situation straight until he finds just the right moment to twist the whole thing sideways. A faux plea for mercy devolves into a rant about a duck's life having to avoid "machine guns! Anti-aircraft!", while he knowingly woos a female duck decoy with non sequiturs like "you too can have a swimming pool!" All of this is paired with some beautiful animation of the duck, with lots of manic facial expressions and a rather angular design to his head and beak (one that daresay might even have improved on what Frank Tashlin had done at the end of his Warner reign). This is also the director's only time working with Elmer (not counting whatever he finished up for The Big Snooze), and he nails the characterization in such a way that one regrets that he never got the chance to do a hunting picture with Bugs. Fudd here is at his determined-but-stupid best, clearly at the mercy of the other characters but still being given moments to shine (most notably the sudden "Dwop that duck!" punchline after the fox's extended traveling sequence)—it's such an absolute portrayal that it's all the more odd how Davis infamously took other established characters like Sylvester and (debatably) Pepé into different directions. The fox, meanwhile, is a weird new antagonist, not as strange as the dog in Two Gophers from Texas or as overbearing as the squirrel in Porky Chops but still having that quirky, brash Arthur Davis edge. Right off the bat he is inexplicably wielding an axe while stalking Daffy, and by the time he literally gets into a fistfight with Elmer everything seems normal. It's all just a part of Davis's eccentric world that we sadly didn't get to see all that much of.

Elmer! (MGM, 1988)
Bugs! & Elmer! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
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 Citizens Journal in Atlanta, TX on December 2, 1948.

Daffy Duck Slept Here (1948)^RM

When a convention makes a hotel room scarce, Porky must share a room with stranger Daffy, who manages to keep the pig from getting a good night's sleep.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Hotel Plaza Manager, Other Hotel Plaza Manager, Laughing Hotel Manager, Hotel Bromo Manager, Elevator Operator

Critique
Somewhat underrated classic from McKimson that reinforces the idea that he really understood the character dynamic between Daffy and Porky. He perfectly depicts Porky as a victim of his own naïvete—the pig sees a picture of Daffy and concludes without rhyme or reason that he "looks like a nice, levelheaded fellah" and then keeps repeating the notion. (To say nothing of the added bizarreness of why Daffy even has a framed picture of himself on his hotel-room dresser.) The eventual sleep gags are pretty straightforward: Daffy annoying Porky in an Odd Couple type of way, with the occasional vague shade of Tick Tock Tuckered creeping in. Just based on that, the meat of the story would have made for a pretty average cartoon if not for the added comedic elements provided by Warren Foster, who clearly was the best fit for McKimson despite the director's longer association with Tedd Pierce. The entire opening sequence is a mini-movie of frustrating absurdity: the convention causing all the hotel bookings is called D.O.P.E., a fully booked flophouse has a "Gwan- beat it!" sign out front, the hotel managers (including either two from a Hotel Plaza or ones from two different Hotels Plaza) get increasingly condescending to Porky, a bradylalic slowpoke zooms Porky up in a jet-propelled elevator, and the capper to the vacancy-free town with a sidewalk full of people waiting to get into a hotel that hasn't even been built yet. It's the kind of meticulous setup that made these early McKimson shorts so much more rounded and three-dimensional in structure than what would come in the next decade. We're already in for an abnormal ride before Daffy even bursts in singing the praises of his invisible kangaroo friend, which at first seems to merely be a Harvey spoof before offering the classic visual gag of Daffy "bouncing" inside Hymie's pouch. By the time the two actually have their final confrontation the whole thing turns into an exercise in ridiculousness—Daffy only gets offended by Porky calling him "Unsanitary?!?" and then the pig literally throws him out their thirtieth-floor window. The fact that Daffy returns (momentarily) wrapped in bandages is meaningless—he's not really hurt. It's just a visual for us to know he's going to amp up the craziness. He stages a fake wake-up routine for Porky complete with brief calisthenics before deciding "that's enough of that" and proceeding to get rid of him. None of this is meant to be violent or cathartic for either character; it's just that aggressive nuttiness that these early McKimsons excelled at.

Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival Featuring "Ain't That Ducky" (MGM, 1986)
Just Plain Daffy (MGM, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 2 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Daffy Doodles (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three (WHV DVD, 2005)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Stars of Space Jam: Daffy Duck (WHV DVD, 2018)
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1 (WHV DVD, 2019)

An ad appearing in the Vernal Express in Vernal, UT on February 23, 1949.

The Up-Standing Sitter (1948)^RM

Babysitter Daffy is hired to look after a hen's egg, which hatches to reveal a chick who thinks the duck's a stranger. Daffy tries to go after the fleeing chick, but he keeps upsetting a bulldog's nap.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Chick, I. Squeel, Mother Hen, Spike

Vintage Review
"Slapstick sequences are mildly diverting" (Film Daily, September 16, 1948)

Critique
Funny cartoon but one that unfortunately hinges on that annoying lazy comedy contrivance of omitting the one sentence that would diffuse the whole conflict. The chick is smart enough right off the bat to know about second cousins, cars, and tigers, but Daffy can't say, "I'm your babysitter"? The little hatchling is actually the weakest part of the film; apart from a well-acted bit where he mentions all the dangers of the world, his constant antagonizing and taunting Daffy soon gets pretty grating—wasn't he scared of being around the "stranger" duck? The cartoon is at its best when it focuses more on our hero: his bizarre "Life is bitter, for I'm a sitter" poem at the beginning offers a lovely blend of dark humor and fun character animation (particularly in the close-ups). Daffy's attempts to collect the chick almost foreshadow the eventual blackout-gag style that the Tweety and especially Road Runner shorts would perfect—we get treated to a brief and humiliating failure before everything resets for the next scene. Spike the bulldog seems to be the secret ingredient to making this whole cartoon work, though; he provides just enough sympathy and intimidation to serve as a threat to Daffy without being a bully (he even sports an odd smile while unsuccessfully trying to whack the duck with a shovel). By the time we get to the final scene with the rocket we know how it's going to end and what's going to get destroyed, allowing the tension to build with a long silent pause inside the doghouse. And after a ridiculous display of comic action and exaggerated slapstick the whole thing ends with a silly butt punchline—it's 1940s Warner cartoons in a nutshell.

Daffy! (MGM, 1988)
Daffy! & Porky! (MGM Laserdisc, 1988)
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 3 (MGM Laserdisc, 1992)
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 Alfred Sun in Alfred, NY on November 11, 1948.

You Were Never Duckier (1948)^{CJ BR}

To win five thousand bucks in a poultry show, Daffy disguises himself as a prize rooster. Meanwhile, Henery Hawk decides to sneak out of his house and find a chicken to impress his father. For four decades this was the earliest color cartoon in Warner Bros.' "post-'48" television package.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Henery Hawk, George K. Chickenhawk, Rooster, Award Presenter

Vintage Review
"Very good...Well developed humor in this one" (Film Daily, September 24, 1948)

Critique
A minor classic from Jones and company and the first of a number of inspired one-off pairings between Daffy and completely unrelated recurring Warner characters. It's a very talky picture, but all of the dialogue serves a purpose and nothing is wasted. But this isn't mere "illustrated radio," as Jones and Tedd Pierce match the verbal comedy of errors with visual action and sight gags. Daffy's silent reactions are especially hilarious, such as his terrified takes while watching George prep a kitchen hatchet and the looks in his eyes downgrading from dollar to cents signs when comparing the rooster and duck prizes. Some scenes are simply lovely to watch, including some rather three-dimensional animation of Henery lifting up and carting away Daffy's exhibition box—and Daffy's exasperated "What's going on around here?!?" creates something of a punchline to the bizarre visual of the room seemingly moving past him. Despite the novelty of the crossover, the cartoon should perhaps be more noteworthy for being the first time Daffy is overtly acting out of greed and not screwiness. It really could have been any duck character as the lead, and the only time we get a glimpse of the nutty Daffy of old is with a fleeting "woo-hoo" as he races out of the hawks' kitchen. It's a more methodical and more grounded Daffy, and the drive for (unearned) wealth would become a central trait adopted by all three directors early in the next decade.

Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: Porky and Daffy (WHV/Columbia House, 2001)
**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 Interlaken Review in Interlaken, NY on March 25, 1949.

Daffy Dilly (1948)^{CJ BR}

Novelty-selling street vendor Daffy learns that ailing millionaire J.P. Cubish would give $1 million for one good laugh before he passes on, but unfortunately Cubish's butler won't let the duck through the front door. Became the groundwork for the 1988 film Daffy Duck's Quackbusters.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Butler, J.P. Cubish, Newscaster

Critique
Another strong Chuck Jones entry, kicked off with a hysterical opening sequence with Daffy unsuccessfully trying to sell a variety of cheesy gag gifts (the most ridiculous being the "chicken inspector" badge, which was an actual novelty item back then but seems incredibly bizarre and deranged now). Once Daffy gets to the Cubish mansion the short becomes a sort of variation of the "get past the guard" story, going for a blackout-gag structure that Jones would soon use as the basis for both the Road Runner and Sam Sheepdog series (and then, much later, use it again in Robin Hood Daffy). The butler isn't that much of a distinctive adversary; more annoying than villainous—but Mel Blanc delivers a fine "snooty" performance that works well when he's being grilled by Daffy ("I...I..."/"A likely story!"). The climactic interrogation sequence is a masterwork of staging and comedic suspense—it's such a simultaneously ridiculous and satisfying resolution to the cartoon's conflict that Jones wisely speeds through the meeting of Daffy and Cubish just to get us to the iris out. At this point the ending is inconsequential, but the crew still respects the audience to give us a parting laugh (literally!).

Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (WHV Laserdisc, 1993)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: The Vocal Genius (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (WHV DVD, 2010)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)
Looney Tunes Collector's Vault Volume 1 (WHV/Warner Archive Blu-ray, 2025)

An ad appearing in the Nashua Telegraph in Nashua, NH on November 22, 1948.

The Stupor Salesman (1948)^AD

Escaped criminal Slug McSlug eludes the police and hides out in a secluded cabin, where traveling salesman Daffy arrives, determined to sell the convict anything.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Slug McSlug, Newscaster, Newsboy, Police Dispatch, Snoring Cops

Critique
An underrated gem that starts off deceptively routine but becomes anything but. The opening nighttime bank-robbery scene creates an eerie atmospheric mood typical for a crime picture, but in true Art Davis fashion we start seeing quirky left turns right away like the car-painting drive-thru and Slug McSlug's hideout "camouflage" complete with running water. Daffy's eventual presence only heightens an already twisted situation (even his entrances get increasingly bizarre, arriving in Slug's house by helicopter and then later by elevator). On the surface it seems like we're getting a typical "little guy is too oblivious to know he's in danger" plot—Daffy's mistaking bullets whizzing past him for mosquitoes sets up the premise—but similar to McKimson's Birth of a Notion, Daffy confronts the situation head-on in his own unique way. One moment he's calling McSlug "my snarly-looking friend" and then the next he defiantly yells after one rebuff, "Gimme back the brush I gave you!" Davis portrays the duck in such a weird way that you're always questioning his sanity, helped in part by a goofy far-away look to Daffy's face throughout. He knows McSlug is pointing a gun at him, he just doesn't care about the threat—and furthermore, he tries to apply the situation to his role as a salesman. Davis is also a master at staging and directing the comic action with such a tongue-in-cheek intensity (including an ingenious use of Morse code noises for pain). Every potential attack from McSlug is choreographed with a speedy looseness that even Clampett at his best didn't use. The Art Davis films looked, moved, and sounded different from what the rest of the Warner directors were offering at the time, and certainly a distinct edge will leave the studio style when his unit gets shut down.

Guffaw and Order (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Superior Duck (WHV, 1998)
Looney Tunes the Collector's Edition: The Vocal Genius (WHV/Columbia House, 1999)
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)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (WHV Blu-ray, 2014)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Three (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 Ticonderoga Sentinel in Ticonderoga, NY on December 29, 1949.

Riff Raffy Daffy (1948)^AD

Officer Porky keeps vagrant Daffy from sleeping in public places, but when a snowstorm hits the duck resorts to taking shelter inside a department store's window display.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Crying Gopher, Cuckoo Clock

Critique
Considering this is Art Davis's only pairing of Daffy and Porky—the two recurring characters he had the most success with—it's ironic that this cartoon falls mainly in the "good not great" category. A few delightfully corny gags pop up here and there, but there's a distinct lack of the director's trademark zaniness. The prolonged setup and central chase in fact give off a vibe similar to the epic Daffy/Porky shorts McKimson had been doing around this time (surely this could even play off as something of a sequel to Daffy Doodles). Even in what is arguably the film's most memorable sequence—where the two engage in a pantomime argument on opposite sides of the store's front window, punctuated then by a few seconds of them finally yelling profane gibberish at each other—there's a comfortable casualness to the direction. Much of the craziness is provided by the dialogue rather than the timing or execution, such as Daffy threatening to throw Officer Porky out of the store for invasion of privacy ("Get out, before I call a cop!") or him later selling the pig on a rifle from the sporting goods department. The absurd end gag serves as a nice payoff to the more-routine gags that preceded it, and again it's a shame that Davis wasn't given more chances to stretch his comedic muscle with these two characters.

Guffaw and Order (WHV Laserdisc, 1994)
Porky & Friends: Hilarious Ham (WHV DVD, 2012)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)
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 Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, KY on December 15, 1949.

Wise Quackers (1949)^FF

When Daffy crash-lands on Elmer Fudd's farm, he cons the hunter into letting him become his slave. Daffy's duties of shaving his master and testing his food for poison enrage Elmer, but President Lincoln (Daffy) shows up to free the slave.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Neighbor, Hound Dogs
Arthur Q. Bryan: Elmer Fudd

Critique
For all the years he worked with these two characters, this incredibly marks the only time Friz Freleng squared Daffy against Elmer (without Bugs being involved, that is)—and like with every other director's attempt to pair the two, it results in an inspired, funny short. The whole slavery angle, however, makes the cartoon uncomfortable to watch nowadays (especially Daffy's needless "Yessir, yessir..." bit), and sadly it does sour what's otherwise a unique plot and allows for some memorable sequences. Due to its use in 1001 Rabbit Tales, the opening with Daffy "flying blind" as he crash-lands (with Elmer acting as the control tower) has become a recognizable bit of goofiness for the character, but the real highlight is perhaps the later shaving scene. From the truly classic gag of Daffy burning off Elmer's face with a hot towel to his nonsensical barber chatter (such as claiming to have been given an opportunity to bet on Vassar in college football—they've never had a team) to Elmer being forced to assist Daffy in the patching up of his own face, it's all a symphony of ridiculousness that gets crazier and crazier without ever seeming too illogical to the premise. The third act is a little inconsistent, but much of it is saved by Elmer's hounds as they plan their attack by drawing in the dirt, etc. All in all, it's a short that would deservedly be more known and appreciated if not for its central theme.

Daffy Duck: Tales From the Duckside (WHV, 1992)
Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (WHV DVD, 2010)
Family Multi-Feature: Looney Tunes Super Stars Vol. 2 (WHV DVD, 2017)

An ad appearing in the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal in Lockport, NY on June 6, 1948.

Holiday for Drumsticks (1949)^AD

With Thanksgiving approaching, a lazy hillbilly takes Thomas Turkey home and starts fattening him up, but jealous coupmate Daffy scares the turkey into an intense exercise regimen...while the duck stuffs himself.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Thomas Turkey, Pa, Ma, Neighbor Hillbilly

Vintage Review
"This is well drawn and has some good gags" (Boxoffice, February 5, 1949)

Critique
Pretty routine comedy that's helped a long way by some innovative animation, such as right off the bat with all the lazy, slowpokey actions of the hillbilly couple. The debatable highlight is the central sequence of Thomas's frantic exercising juxtaposed with Daffy pigging out in a variety of increasingly goofy ways, but something needs to be said of Daffy's earlier Thanksgiving horror story to Thomas. The duck is in fine menacing-conman form, getting so carried away with himself that it's not the beheading that's supposed to scare the turkey but rather the aftermath of already being cooked and carved up. Thomas's third-act "hide in here, no here" comeuppance against Daffy gets a bit tedious and doesn't have the same comedic poetry as the similar sequence did back in Tom Turk and Daffy, but by the end at least there's some wonderful animation of Daffy in his beaten and battered state—even his luggage and cruise tickets have a "dazed" effect to them. In addition to the meal, Holiday for Drumsticks also serves something of a bittersweet finale. Though Davis himself would return to direct a solo Daffy short in 1962 utilizing the Freleng crew, this marks the final Daffy cartoon produced before the closing of the Art Davis animation unit. Under previous directors Tex Avery and then Bob Clampett this team gave the world not only some of Daffy's finest performances but also many of the defining Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1940s including The Great Piggy Bank Robbery and Book Revue. A moment of silence is definitely deserved.

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 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 19, 1949.

Daffy Duck Hunt (1949)^RM

Porky and Barnyard Dawg go duck hunting, and the dog cons Daffy with a sob story in order to make the duck come with him. The dog later gets in the way of Daffy's attempts to escape from Porky's meat freezer.

Mel Blanc: Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Barnyard Dawg

Critique
Daffy ends the decade with a bang thanks to this classic from Robert McKimson. This one is a sorta sequel to One Meat Brawl, only with a more palatable protagonist in Daffy and more countrified personality of McKimson's dependable Barnyard Dawg (called "Mandrake" back in Brawl but unnamed here, depending on if one considers the "shoulder devil" referring to him as "Jack" a nickname or not). Only about the first third of a film called Daffy Duck Hunt actually involves hunting, but it's chock full of gags big and small from Daffy's oddball giant-duck boat to his "Latin Quarter" dance number leading to a fake death. Once the action moves to Porky's kitchen we get a unique story conflict, with Daffy emerging from the freezer with ridiculous cold-weather ruses (including a great sequence describing a survival story in a blizzard) before setting up the dog to take the fall in front of Porky. This dynamic provides a lot of great moments, from the argument between the dog's devil and angel to a menacing shot of Porky advancing on the dog to punish him to a classic ending with Daffy emerging as Santa and leading a sing-along. Daffy's memorable final line and "eye-winking" iris out serves as a perfect end to a standout short.

Daffy Duck's Madcap Mania (WHV, 1988)
Duck Victory: Daffy Duck Screen Classics (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: The Premiere Collection (WHV DVD, 2003)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1-6 boxed set (WHV DVD, 2011)
Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 2 (WHV DVD, 2014)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 (WHV DVD, 2018)