Release Date:

April 12, 1947

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck

Summary:

Instead of going south for the winter, Daffy Duck has an ingenious scheme to get him a place to stay during the season. He tricks a doltish dog named Leopold into letting him stay at his home by pretending that an ordinary bone is poisoned and that Daffy just prevented him from consuming it. Leopold’s master, however, is a scientist (caricature of Peter Lorre) who needs a duck’s wishbone to complete his experiment. Daffy tries to kill Lorre, but is eventually discovered and chased around the house.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1018 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” played under the opening credits:

Story: Warren Foster

Animation: Rod Scribner, Richard Bickenbach, I. Ellis, and Cal Dalton

Layouts: Cornett Wood

Backgrounds: Richard H. Thomas

Voice Characterizations: Mel Blanc

Musical Direction: Carl Stalling

Directed by Robert McKimson

This is the second cartoon where Daffy decides against autumn migration with the first being “Daffy’s Southern Exposure”.

This is also the second cartoon to caricature Peter Lorre as a scientist. The first was “Hair Raising Hare”.

You can find out who animated what scene here.

The title is a pun on the play “The Birth of a Nation”, even though this cartoon has nothing to do with that play.

It’s rumored that instead of Fred Abranz, an animator named Fred Jones (no relation to Chuck and also no relation to the Scooby-Doo character) was involved with this cartoon (he’s the animator that’s seen drawing Porky at the start of “You Ought to Be in Pictures” shortly before the studio goes on break for lunch). However, Fred Jones was at the studio from 1936-1940 while Abranz was at the studio from 1941-1949, so it makes a lot more sense that Abranz was the “Fred” who animated on this cartoon.

This is the last McKimson cartoon to have animation by Cal Dalton. This was also Dalton’s last credit at Warner Bros., as he is in uncredited in the final two Warner cartoons he animated on, “The Foxy Duckling” and “Mexican Joyride” (both released in 1947 and directed by Davis).

The pinned to the wall by sharp objects gag would be reused in the Beatles cartoon episode of “She Loves You”.

What I Like About This One:

Daffy is first seen walking along a path with a bone and singing a variation of “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” with “Duck” replacing “Boat”. He also laughs about how crazy his fellow ducks are for knocking themselves out flying south every winter. “Why, they just don’t use their brains! An intelligent duck don’t fly thousands of miles to get warm” (animated by Rod Scribner).

Carrying out with his scheme, Daffy puts the bone down on the porch of a house and whistles for Leopold to come out (animated by Richard Bickenbach). Leopold is about to get at the bone before Daffy stops him, “Stop! That’s deadly poison! Shaped like a bone (animated by Anatolle Kirsanoff). Now if you would’ve eaten it, here’s what would’ve happened to ya!” and goes into a dramatic death that includes him stiffening like Rigor Mortis (animated by Fred Abranz).

Unaware of the deception, Leopold gratefully shakes Daffy’s hand and asks if he can do anything to repay him (animated by Scribner). Fluttering his eyebrows at the audience, Daffy requests “a home for the winter for the the fella who saved your life” but Leopold is shocked at the idea since his master, Lorre, is busy with a scientific experiment that requires a duck’s wishbone (animated by Bickenbach).

After we see Lorre worrying about where he’ll get a duck (animated by Scribner) Leopold finally agrees to let Daffy into the house, wanting them to sneak in quietly (animated by Kirsanoff). Daffy turns on the radio that plays a big band version of “Concert in the Park” before Leopold quickly shuts it off (animated by Cal Dalton) and tells Daffy that as long as he stays in a nearby closet, everything will be alright and he’ll give him food and water all winter (animated by Kirsanoff).

Daffy watches Lorre talking to Leopold about how he needs a duck’s wishbone and is insulted at the idea. Leopold stops Daffy from throwing a vase at Lorre (animated by Kirsanoff). Daffy argues, “Listen, I saved your life, right? Right. And three is a crowd, right? Right. Well, let’s get rid of him then, right? Right” (animated by Dalton). Leopold doesn’t want anything to hurt his master, because dog is man’s best friend (animated by Kirsanoff), but Daffy still wants to fix Lorre’s wagon himself and walks into another room (animated by Bickenbach).

In order to prevent Lorre from seeing Daffy, Leopold does a dance as a distraction. Unfazed, Lorre tells the audience, “I didn’t know Leopold could dance” before shrugging and going up the stairs (animated by Bickenbach).

Leopold then stops Daffy from throwing another vase at Lorre (animated by Kirsanoff), and catches a baseball bat that Daffy throws, but the momentum of how fast the bat was thrown causes Leopold to hit the back of Lorre’s head. Lorre turns around and asks, “Why did you hit me in the head, Leopold?” He then breaks the bat into several pieces while warning, “Don’t you know that might make me very angry and I’d do terrible, horrible things to you!” (animated by Bickenbach)

Lorre goes into his bedroom but after his door shuts, Daffy sneaks in with a knife, intending to murder him. With only Daffy’s eyes seen in the dark, only a thunking noise is heard when he attempts to stab Lorre. The lights turn on, revealing that Lorre was anticipating the attack and protected himself with a metal shield (animated by Abranz).

Daffy is stopped from running out the door by Lorre blocking it (animated by Kirsanoff). He then tricks him into putting up his dukes before punching him and making his getaway. After a vase shatters at the door, Daffy brags “Missed me!” before another vase hits him in the face (animated by Bickenbach).

Lorre turns the stairs into a slide that results in Daffy sliding into a wall and avoiding getting chopped by an ax that appears out of it (animated by Izzy Ellis).

Daffy then drops Lorre through a trap door in the hallway but Lorre rises from the floor right next to him. Shaking in fear, Daffy offers him a cigarette which is actually a water sprayer disguised as a cigarette dispenser. Attempting to go out the front door, the scenery passes by as if they are traveling by train. “Say, that’s just plain old silly! What a house! What a house! All it needs is hands coming out of the wall! Like those over my head!” Daffy says the latter sentence quickly before two hands from a painting of a clown actually attempt to grab him! (animated by Ellis)

Another door is revealed to be a pinball door with 12 panels. Lorre’s head pops out of the 12th panel and demands, “Give me your wishbone!” Daffy slaps his head around, “Oh, you mad, impetuous boy, you!” (animated by Abranz)

We then cut to Leopold sulking, apparently not liking that he was forgotten about until now. “I’m Leopold, remember? Some part I got in this picture! Phooey!” (animated by Kirsanoff)

After getting pinned to the wall by several sharp objects (animated by Kirsanoff), Daffy decides to leave, taking the hint that he’s not wanted around here. He opens the door back up to insult Lorre, “And another thing, you’re a slovenly housekeeper!” With Daffy now gone, Lorre considers, “Maybe I could use a dog’s wishbone, instead”. Leopold frantically shakes his head as he backs away from Lorre laughing in insanity before running off (animated by Ellis).

Daffy decides to try the poisoned bone scheme at another house, but a Joe Besser duck has beaten him to it and has had the same idea: “Not so fast! I’m working this side of the street…. ya crazy!” (animated by Dalton) He then kicks Daffy into the air, who decides “So I’m going south- jet propelled!” Leopold joins him with a fan strapped to his back and wearing aviator goggles, “You got company, duck! I’m headed south too!” (animated by Bickenbach)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕