Release Date:

November 29, 1947

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck

Summary:

Daffy Duck heads down to Mexico for a vacation and makes the mistake of heckling the bull at a bullfight as it angers the bull into forcing Daffy to fight him.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1034 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon wasn’t restored for HBO Max but Warner Archive did restore it for the Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Volume 3 Blu-ray set in 2024.

This is the first cartoon since “Lights Fantastic” to be written by Dave Monahan, who briefly returned to the studio after World War II. Monahan would write three more cartoons for Davis, “Catch As Cats Can” (which is tomorrow’s cartoon), “Nothing But the Tooth” and “The Rattled Rooster” (the latter two were both released in 1948).

This is the first of five Daffy cartoons directed by Davis, all of which are absolutely fantastic (technically, six, as Davis directed 1962’s “Quackodile Tears” with Freleng’s unit).

In production order, this is the first Davis cartoon to have animation by Basil Davidovich.

This and “Catch As Cats Can” are the only Davis cartoons to have animation by Herman Cohen.

This is the last Warner cartoon to have animation by Cal Dalton as well as the last Warner cartoon to have layouts and any involvement from Thomas McKimson.

This is Daffy’s first venture to Mexico. In the mid-1960’s, he would become the nemesis of Speedy Gonzales in a series of overhated cartoons (actually, the whole late 1964-1969 period of Looney Tunes is overhated, but we will get to those cartoons when we do).

This is also the first cartoon where Daffy says, “What a revolting development this is!”

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “Gaucho Serenade” that plays under the opening credits.

Daffy also begins the cartoon singing that song as he drives down to the Mexico border (animated by Cal Dalton with Herman Cohen animating the shot of him seeing the border).

Delighted to be in “the land of romance, senoritas, and serenades”, Daffy is ecstatic about trying out Mexican food and announces, “Bring on the tamales, enchiladas, tacos, frijoles, tostadas, huaraches, serapes… and a side dish of Borscht!” (animated by Basil Davidovich) He finds out that it is extremely hot as it creates a fireplace in his mouth. As Daffy shouts that “it’s burning holes in me”, another Mexican tells him, “This food is not hot, senor. I eat ‘em for years, and it no bothers me”, but he has water pouring out of him like holes. Daffy frantically asks for water but the waiter gives him tequila instead, which stiffens him. The waiter throws Daffy over to a pile of tequila-stiffened customers (animated by Bill Melendez).

At the bullfight, Daffy starts heckling the bull after he keeps missing the matador and starts making fun of him: “Ah, the bull misses him all the time! He’s as blind as a bat! Throw the phony out!” (animated by Herman Cohen) The bull hears him and strips the matador of his clothes as he heads toward the stands (animated by Davidovich). Everyone in the stands runs off and Daffy doesn’t realize the bull is in front of him with an angry expression and with his arms folded until he finishes talking. Daffy melts and slumps down to the ground in fright with the bull landing in front of him (animated by Cohen with Don Williams animating the shot of Daffy stopping on the ground).

Daffy attempts to get his way out of this: “Now, now, wait a minute, stupid, that is, pal. Don’t do anything hasty or rash! I-I was only kidding! Yeah, you know, I don’t really know the first thing about bullfighting!” The bull doesn’t care and puts the matador outfit on Daffy who gulps, “Yet” before sulking, “What a revolting development this is!” He runs out into the arena (animated by Williams) and boards up the entrance only to find the bull next to him nailing some of the other boards (animated by Melendez).

While trying to get away from the bull, Daffy offers the Good Neighbor policy where he offers the bull something different with each dash such as a cigarette, sparkling champagne, or a little gin rummy. The phone rings and Daffy answers it, before giving it to the bull and telling him it’s for him. When the bull answers, he gets Daffy shouting, “So long, chump!” (animated by Melendez)

A chase ensues (animated by Cohen), ending with Daffy putting dark glasses over the bull’s eyes when the bull runs up to them. The bull is tricked into thinking it’s night and walks away in pajamas and slippers. “Caramba! What a short day this was!”, he remarks but he doesn’t watch where he’s going, and hits a fence, which shatters the glasses and causes him to get wise (animated by Davidovich).

Another chase leads to three spectators’ sombreros landing on the ground and Daffy hiding in one of them. The bull plays the shell game and before he can lift the hat Daffy is supposedly under, Daffy shows up and scolds, “Ah, ah, ah.” (animated by Davidovich). When the bull tells him, “Listen, this one he’s GOT to be under”, Daffy claims “He’s not”. An argument of “is” and “not” ensues with Daffy using reverse psychology to trick the bull into saying “not”. Daffy then gets the bull to bet all his money on this. It turns out Daffy IS under the hat when the bull lifts it (animated by Melendez).

The bull cries over his money loss as Daffy asks, “Lost all your money, huh? Well, that’s the way it goes, pal. It’s the laws of chance. Now you can’t face your friends, you’re homeless, useless, and destitute. There’s only one way out, pal” and gives him a pistol to end it all (animated by Williams).

The bull misses, however, so Daffy gives him a machine gun to ensure he doesn’t miss. As the bull is about to do it (animated by Williams), Daffy is shown to be preparing to use the bull’s cuts of meat to sell like a deli market and makes the mistake of yelling, “Farewell, stupid!” This causes the bull to snap out of it and yell, “CARAMBA!” before chasing Daffy around the arena with the machine gun. Daffy enters a “Safety Zone” but the bull appears behind him in a bus that comes in out of nowhere (animated by Cohen).

Daffy is then chased out of the arena and back to the hotel he was staying at before tricking the bull into using the elevator after he just came back down (animated by Cohen). Driving home, Daffy is relieved and decides to spend the rest of his vacation at home. “Nothing but rest and relaxation”. However, the bull is seen in the backseat and gives the audience a wink as an oblivious Daffy continues the drive home (animated by Davidovich).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕