Release Date:

April 6, 1946

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Summary:

Daffy Duck is a vandal known as the “Mustache Maniac”, whose sole mission in life is to draw mustaches on every lip. Officer Porky Pig is the unlucky cop assigned to go after him. Throughout the cartoon, Porky finds himself constantly getting a painted-on mustache.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 13-15, the 13th Looney Tune in the 15th release season.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “All the Time” played under the opening credits:

Story: Warren Foster

Animation: Art Davis, Richard Bickenbach, Cal Dalton, and I. Ellis

Backgrounds: Richard H. Thomas

Voice Characterization: Mel Blanc

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

Direction: Robert McKimson

A print with the original titles is also rumored to exist at UCLA’s Film and Television Archive, so hopefully that will be unearthed to the public one day.

This is the very first cartoon to be directed by Robert McKimson, who would become the studio’s third major director, with Jones and Freleng being the first two. McKimson became a director after Tashlin’s departure, and rather interestingly, the same year that Clampett left.

The cartoon was originally titled “Mustache Maniac”.

You can find out who animated what scene here.

Speaking of which, nearly all of the animator drafts for McKimson’s cartoons from 1946 to 1964 still exist to this day, thanks to McKimson himself saving them for a book that was being written about him, but very sadly never happened due to McKimson passing away of a sudden heart attack in 1977. What is fortunate though, is that us fans can now easily view all of these drafts on the Internet (and are very useful for people like me who love to identify animators, which is why I point out their scenes on this blog).

The judge in this cartoon would later appear in the Looney Tunes Cartoons episode “Mallard Practice” (2021).

The cartoon was originally going to be included on the Looney Tunes Super Stars Daffy Duck Frustrated Fowl DVD set in 2010, but was reconsidered. The cartoon was later restored for HBO Max in 2020, with this same restoration later appearing on the Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Volume 1 Blu-ray set in 2023.

This is the first non-Bugs Bunny cartoon to have Mel Blanc credited. From this point until the early 1960’s, Blanc was the sole voice artist credited in the cartoons. If he didn’t voice a major character in a cartoon or if he didn’t voice any character in a cartoon, said cartoon would have no voice credits.

This is the penultimate cartoon to use the Porky drum ending (in the original titles).

As we will see in several fantastic later cartoons such as “Daffy Duck Slept Here” (1948), “Boobs in the Woods” (1950), “The Prize Pest” (1951), “Thumb Fun” (1952), “Fool Coverage” (1952), and “Dime to Retire” (1955), McKimson absolutely nailed the Daffy and Porky dynamic.

What I Like About This One:

The cartoon begins with a background of New York City with evil laughter heard: “In a large eastern city a demon is on the loose. The people are terrified, the police baffled. With diabolical cleverness, the monster strikes without warning….. and draws mustaches on all the ads”. Said ads are seen with mustaches drawn on the lips of various mascots, as well as a few statues.

“No one knows who this fiend is. It could be you. It could be me”. Daffy suddenly appears and answers, “But it happens to be ME”. He then explains that “we’ve all got a mission in life. We get into different ruts. Some are the cogs on the wheels. Others are just plain nuts”. After briefly singing, “I’m Just Wild About Harry”, Daffy continues, “Science is some folks’ calling. Others pilot a ship. My mission in life stated simply is…. a mustache on every lip!” (animated by Arthur Davis)

Porky is seen stationed in a barrel holding an empty picture frame as he confides, “I’m a b-b-b-booby trap!” Daffy, however, is not fooled and places a box in front of Porky that reads Do Not Open Until Xmas. Since Porky won’t be there at Christmas, he decides to take a peek. Out comes Daffy, who paints a mustache on Porky’s lip, who angrily wipes it off (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

To the tune of “42nd Street”, Daffy heads down into the subway with black paint to smear the lips of the passengers. He heads back up aboveground, only to be met by Porky who orders him to “Halt in the name of the law!” (animated by Izzy Ellis) Daffy imitates a conductor trying to get everyone on board and once he gets Porky in, draws another mustache on him as the subway sets off again (animated by Bickenbach).

Vowing “I’ll get that duck if it’s the last thing I do!”, Porky sees that various movie posters now have mustaches including one of Bugs Bunny (animated by Cal Dalton).

Overjoyed by a large billboard advertising “Tamara Cosmetics” atop a building, Daffy is in ecstasy: “Wow, it’s colossal! It’s stupendous! It’s magnificent! It will be my masterpiece!” (animated by Bickenbach)

After spotting a maid and a baby with mustaches with the latter having a wet paint sign attached to him (animated by Anatolle Kirsanoff), Porky spots Daffy swinging by a rope while painting a mustache on the woman on the billboard (Bickenbach animated all shots of Porky while Kirsanoff animated all shots of Daffy).

Catching up to Daffy, Porky clubs him on the head (animated by Bickenbach), causing Daffy to dizzily walk all over the top of the building in the manner of Leon Errol. Coming to his senses, Daffy threatens to jump off the building if Porky takes one step closer. Porky does, so Daffy jumps screaming. Porky peers over and sees that Daffy just simply jumped to the ledge, and gets another painted on mustache. Porky whispers in an angry tone, “I hate that d-d-d-duck!” (animated by Dalton)

Porky then chases Daffy around another ledge, and nearly falls off, only for Daffy to prevent this. “Mighty sporting of the little black duck!” Daffy then chases Porky along the ledge on a motorcycle (animated by Dalton), ending with them crashing through the skylight (animated by Don Williams). Amidst the wreckage, the handlebars resemble a mustache on Porky’s face (animated by Dalton).

During a chase inside the building, Porky gets one painted mustache after another by running into mustache stencils placed by Daffy and one in mid-air at one point. Daffy then escapes through the mail tube, to which Porky tries to reach for him. Daffy suddenly appears behind him, and accuses him of robbing the mail, and handcuffs himself to Porky. “You’ll swing for this! Wait till J. Edgar-whosit hears of this!” He then paints one final mustache on Porky before hoo-hooing and getting hit with Porky’s club (animated by Davis with Ray Patin animating the first mustache stencil scene).

On trial, Daffy begs the judge for mercy. “Be magnanimous. You might be a fiend yourself someday”. The judge lets the jury decide. The jury is made up of Jerry Colonnas who all declare Daffy as, “Ah, yes! Not guilty!” in unison. Daffy thanks them and vows, “Never again will I paint another mustache! I’m doing beards now!” He paints a beard on the judge’s face and paints over the screen, ending the cartoon (animated by Davis).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕