Release Date:

December 3, 1938

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck

Summary:

Daffy Duck causes trouble at the Hollywood movie studio, Wonder Pictures (“If it’s a good picture, it’s a wonder”).

That’s Not All, Folks:

This is Daffy’s first solo cartoon (in cartoons, “solo” means not appearing with any continuing characters).

This cartoon uses a unique, clunky version of the Merrie Melodies end theme that was only used for this cartoon.

This is the last Daffy Duck cartoon to be directed by Avery. Avery cared more about gags than he did characters (which is why he directed so many one-offs in both his Warner and MGM years).

What I Like About This One:

Daffy asking producer “I.M Stupendous” if he needs a “good duck actor” with Stupendous replying “NO!” and throwing a bin at him, sending him out the door. Stupendous comments on Daffy being screwy. Then the phone rings. Daffy pops out of the phone and tells Stupendous he is correct about the remark and honks him on the nose (animated by Irven Spence).

Stupendous talking to the director, Mark von Hamburger (a large pig with a German accent and who speaks with rolling r’s.) on the phone with von Hamburger also talking to him on the phone- right in front of each other! (animated by Spence).

Von Hamburger having a ton of assistants who all reply in unison, “Yes sir!” saying it four times (animated by Virgil Ross).

The assistants all lighting von Hamburger’s cigarette at once (animated by Sid Sutherland).

Daffy stealing von Hamburger’s cigarette (animated by Ross) and spelling out “Warner Bros” with the smoke, saying “Just giving my bosses a plug. I got an auction coming up!” (animated by Sutherland).

Daffy whistling into the microphone to irritate the guy responsible for the sound (animated by Spence).

Daffy pulling a prank where he puts the fire hose into the light control (animated by Cecil Surry), so that when the lights are turned on, the actors get drenched (animated by Sutherland).

Daffy putting bullets in the camera (animated by Ross) so the cameraman ends up firing bullets from the camera (animated by Paul Smith).

After Daffy’s prank with the camera, von Hamburger cries in frustration that this isn’t a gangster picture. Daffy pretends to feel bad, saying he won’t be screwy anymore and gives him a present. Daffy pops out of it and honks him on the nose (animated by Ross).

Daffy cutting in on a Romeo and Juliet-like love scene between two chickens (with the female sounding like Katharine Hepburn) by kissing the female lead (animated by Smith).

Daffy substituting for von Hamburger’s lunch (animated by Ross).

While the crew has lunch, Daffy heads into the film library and decides to “give ‘em a REAL feature!” by making a ridiculous hodgepodge of various films cobbled together into one (animated by Ross although Sutherland animates him saying "I’ll give ‘em a REAL feature”). Then, when von Hamburger presents his film to Stupendous (animated by Ross), Daffy secretly switches it out with his film (animated by Surry).

Daffy’s film (all live action footage) being the opening title card of “Gold Is Where You Find It” with stock footage of a gold mine and several fire hoses spraying, a “New Arrival in Central Park Zoo” being a lion with the line “Motion pictures are your best entertainment” dubbed over it, legionnaires marching in the rain, a new type of aircraft crashing into a shed, with the footage going backwards and repeating the crash over and over again, an energetic drum solo being dubbed over footage of a slow dance, a fight in “Madison Round Garden” that doesn’t specify the names of the fight’s contestants and also doesn’t show their moves, and the winner of a bathing beauty contest being an obese participant with Katharine Hepburn’s voice.

After Daffy’s film ends, Stupendous reacts wildly to it: “Amazing! Marvelous! Stupendous! Colossal! Tremendous! Gigantic! Outstanding! Unbelievable! Spectacular! Phenomenal!” before adding “And it’s good too” (animated by Spence).

In the end, Daffy is now director and speaking with von Hamburger’s voice (animated by Ross) with von Hamburger now pulling pranks on him (animated by Spence).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕