Release Date:

February 12, 1944

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Summary:

Daffy Duck agrees to hide his friend Tom Turkey from Pilgrim Porky Pig, eventually finding the perfect hiding spot in his large snowman he was building. Daffy at first refuses to tell Porky as to where Tom is, but eventually gives in when Porky describes the Thanksgiving meal he was preparing to have. The mention of “candied yams” causes Daffy to break down and reveal Tom’s hiding spot. Tom, however, puts his rear tail feathers on Daffy, so Porky mistakes him for the turkey he was hunting.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1-14, the first Looney Tune in the 14th release season.

The cartoon’s plot would be somewhat reworked for Arthur Davis’ “Holiday for Drumsticks” (1949), another Thanksgiving-themed cartoon with Daffy and a turkey not wanting to be put on the menu.

The story credit is for “the Staff”. The cartoon was actually written by both Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce, who would write several cartoons together for both Jones and Freleng in the late 1940’s.

This is the earliest cartoon to be included on any of the Looney Tunes Super Stars DVDs. In this case, it appears on the Porky and Friends Hilarious Ham volume that was released in 2012.

What I Like About This One:

Hearing gunshots in the distance which are muffled by his earmuffs, Daffy removes them and vibrates upon hearing them clearly (animated by Ben Washam).

Tom’s hysterical pleading for Daffy to hide him: “I’ve got my whole life before me! Love! Travel! Good books!” (animated by Phil DeLara) This is especially made funny at the fact that’s it’s Billy Bletcher whose voicing Tom since Bletcher often voiced villainous characters.

Daffy attempting to hide Tom in various places: under a snow-covered rock (“No, no, a little too obvious”), down a small hole (“Nah, even more obviouser”; animated by Ken Harris up to here), through a tree but pulling him out upon seeing Porky approaching, so he hides him in the snowman and quickly covers up Tom’s tail feathers which are sticking out (animated by Robert Cannon).

Daffy asking Porky if he lost something (animated by Cannon), to which Porky explains, “I’m looking for a d-d-d-darned old turkey!” Acting offended, Daffy asks, “Sir, do you mean to insinuate that I’d hide your d-d-darned old t-t-t-turkey!?” Porky says he was certain he came this way (animated by Harris), but Daffy refuses to give Tom’s hiding spot away. “Well, I ain’t talkin’, see! My lips are sealed!” Several locks and do not open until Christmas stickers then dissolve onto his mouth (animated by Washam).

Hearing Daffy claim that he’s no stool pigeon, Tom gratefully says, “What a pal!” over and over again (animated by Harris).

Dejected, Porky walks away saying he had everything prepared for a nice turkey dinner. Daffy asks for clarification, “Turkey dinner?” Porky confirms and also mentions, “And with chestnut dressing, too”. Daffy then starts to realize what he’s doing and tries to resist temptation while an angel halo appears above him. Every time, he asks about another food, devil horns form on his head. Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and green peas, and candied yams are also mentioned (Lloyd Vaughan animated all shots of Porky while Harris animated all shots of Daffy). The candied yams is what causes Daffy to finally break down while sobbing, “The yams did it!” over and over again before becoming a literal “stool pigeon” (animated by James Culhane) and bringing the snowman in front of Porky with several “He’s in here!” signs pointed toward it (animated by Vaughan).

Realizing Daffy betrayed him, Tom calmly says in confusion, “Quisling”, which references Vidkun Quisling who betrayed the Nazis (animated by Cannon).

Neither Porky or Daffy see Tom sneaking out of the snowman and while Daffy is still sobbing over the mention of yams causing his betrayal, Tom puts his tail feathers on Daffy’s rear end and makes the onomatopoeia for a turkey sound effect to get Porky’s attention: “Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!” (animated by Cannon)

Upon hearing Porky say, “So THERE you are, you old turkey!” (animated by Washam), Daffy asks in confusion, “Turkey!? Who’s a turkey!?” before trying to set Porky straight: “Now wait a minute, Miles Standish! I’m a duck! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! I can swim! Observe!” to which he jumps over Porky and “swims” into the snow (animated by Cannon).

Porky getting hit with snow on both sides, on top of the head, and then on both sides again which briefly makes him resemble Abraham Lincoln and then trying to avoid a snowball that keeps moving in the same direction as him. It turns out Daffy is inside the snowball and he mallets Porky (animated by Vaughan). Daffy then grabs water from the frozen lake and throws it at Porky like a bullet (animated by Harris). He initially believes Porky is knocked out “cold as a cucumber” but Porky suddenly regains consciousness and proves that’s not the case (animated by Cannon).

Waiting by a tree, Daffy then forms a shield of ice water over himself, which causes Porky to vibrate once he hits his gun over it (animated by Harris).

Daffy next creates an ice bridge to get across the lake and acts as a toll requesting Porky pay to continue to the other side. Porky does so and runs off into the countryside before realizing he’s been tricked (animated by Harris) and briefly morphing into a “dunce” (where he has a dunce cap on his head), an alcohol bottle labeled “dope”, and “sucker” (a lollipop). Furious, Porky runs back and goes so fast that he briefly morphs into a tank (animated by Cannon).

Adding on to the snowman, Tom now has Daffy pleading to be hidden. He attempts to hide Daffy under the snow-covered rock from earlier, through the tree from earlier, kicking him up into a tree before chopping it down, and dropping him down to the frozen lake. The cartoon ends with Tom trying to hide Daffy in every place possible, with him frequently saying “here” and “there” (animated by Cannon).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕