Release Date:

May 27, 1944

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Summary:

Out hunting ducks, Porky Pig is heckled by Daffy Duck.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 5-14, the fifth Looney Tune in the 14th release season.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “A Hunting We Will Go” played under the opening credits:

Supervision: I. Freleng

Story: Tedd Pierce

Animation: Richard Bickenbach

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

Additionally, a print with the original titles is rumored to exist at the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Hopefully, this will be unearthed to the public one day.

This is the last cartoon where the directors were given the credit of “Supervision” rather than “direction” or “directed by”.

The cartoon is a slight redo of “Porky’s Duck Hunt”, Daffy’s first appearance only with Daffy a lot more prominent in the cartoon.

This is the last Freleng cartoon to have animation by Gil Turner.

Notably, Daffy uses reverse psychology on Porky, which in “Rabbit Fire” (1951), Bugs would use reverse psychology on Daffy.

The “character looks into a gun and sees a beautiful woman” gag would be used again in “War and Pieces” (1964) and “Quacker Tracker” (1967).

What I Like About This One:

Filing his nails in the lake amidst a flock of realistic ducks, Daffy notes, “I kind of stand out in a crowd, don’t I?” (animated by Richard Bickenbach)

Hearing Porky’s gunshots, Daffy puts on a swim cap and dives underwater with his rear end sticking out while the other ducks fly away (animated by Bickenbach).

Porky ordering Daffy, “Come out or I’ll blow your head off!” Daffy’s feet act like hands in a stick-up and he walks up to Porky while doing a handstand. He then slaps Porky’s gun out of his hand, and gets up, demanding, “Drop that gun, son! You’re not just blasting at no ordinary every day meat-on-the-table duck! (animated by Manuel Perez) I’m gifted! I’m just slopping over with talent! I can sing!” He then scats and sings a brief part of “Laugh Clown Laugh”. “I can dance!” and does a brief tap dance. “And I am an actor! I got a contract with Warner Bros.!” and pulls it out to show Porky (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

To demonstrate his acting abilities, Daffy puts a blonde wig on Porky to make him resemble a woman and does a Charles Boyer-like lover routine. “Then the villain enters!”, Daffy comes back dressed as a snickering villain and chases Porky around a rock. He stops the chase to ask, “Say, are you following me, bub?” Porky tells him to stop, to which Daffy concludes Porky doesn’t go for the heavy drama so he offers him a bit of phrenology, “which is by no means the least of my many accomplishments”. Porky asks, “What do you mean phr-phr-phr- what you said?” Daffy tells him that it means he can tell Porky’s future by reading the bumps on his head. Porky claims he has no bumps on his head, so Daffy whacks a stick on his head, pulls up a mirror and laughs, “You have now, chubby!” (animated by Bickenbach)

Confronting Daffy with his gun, Porky threatens, “Now, I’m gonna tell YOUR future, gremlin! You’re gonna be a dead duck!” Daffy looks into the gun, sees a woman in a bathing suit, and wolf-whistles. When Porky takes a look for himself, he sees Daffy in the woman’s place. He gets Daffy out by shooting him up into the air (animated by Ken Champin). Thinking Daffy is going to make a powerful landing, Porky turns away, trembling. Daffy instead makes a soft landing but makes up for it by yelling “BOOM!” (animated by Gil Turner)

Daffy now goes into the lake and boasts, “You’ll never catch me, fatso, because I can stay underwater practically indefinitely!” In response, Porky puts a diving helmet on taking his gun with him (animated by Turner). Relaxing in an underwater hammock and singing “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”, Daffy sees Porky and tricks Porky into getting his approval to open his helmet by posing as the Fuller Brushman and knocking on the helmet like a door (animated by Chiniquy).

Going back to the surface once the helmet is opened, Porky grabs a pail and proceeds to scoop out all the water in the lake (animated by Jack Bradbury). Sometime later, the whole lake is drained and he finds Daffy flopping around like a dying fish. “Now I got ya, you darned old duck!” Pretending to be puzzled, Daffy asks, “Duck? Don’t you believe I’m a fish?” Porky doesn’t so Daffy responds with “Cynic! Then I don’t believe you’re a pig!” He claims Porky is an eagle so an argument over what species Porky is ensues with Daffy using reverse psychology to trick Porky into believing he’s an eagle (animated by Bickenbach). Giving a brief aside glance to the audience, Daffy watches Porky try to prove he’s an eagle. He jumps off a tree branch and unsurprisingly plummets (animated by Chiniquy).

Realizing he was tricked, Porky says, “I told you I was a pig!” He fires several shots at Daffy, who dodges them all. When Porky runs out of ammunition (animated by Turner), Daffy believes he is saved and says, “Praise the Lord!” But he speaks too soon as Porky brings out his trusty six-shooter (animated by Perez)

Blindfolded, Daffy pleads to Porky for him to at least say goodbye to his wife and kids. Shocked that Daffy has a family, Porky approves (animated by Perez). After Daffy gives a Tarzan yell before coughing, several ducks who resemble Daffy come in crying. One of the “kids” gives Porky a disgusted look, Porky gives a sheepish grin, and this duck spits on the ground near him in disgust (animated by Chiniquy). Giving each a sad farewell, Daffy kisses each, “Farewell, Cecilia! So long, Sylvester! Goodbye, Lathrop! Adios, Stanislaus!” Feeling guilty, Porky walks away lamenting, “Gee, kids and everything. I couldn’t shoot him. I’d feel like a r-r-rat!” (animated by Champin) Daffy’s family is actually revealed to be his buddies in disguise, with him congratulating them: “Nice work, fellas!” But their victory is short-lived as Porky comes back with his rifle and shoots at them. They all hop back into the lake, hoo-hooing (animated by Perez).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕