Release Date:

July 3, 1943

Main Character(s):

Daffy Duck, Porky Pig

Summary:

Talent agent Porky Pig wants to go on vacation but Daffy Duck won’t let him leave since he’s trying to audition for his apparently talented client, a small duck named Sleepy Lagoon who constantly licks a large lollipop.

That’s Not All, Folks:

This is the fifth Looney Tune in color.

Interestingly, while the cartoon isn’t really patriotic (apart from Daffy singing a patriotic-like song when he substitutes for the pilot on Porky’s plane), the title card’s image has the letters starting with each word in the title colored like the US flag. The cartoon was also released a day before Independence Day in 1943.

When I first got into the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in 2013 when watching them on Boomerang and Cartoon Network, this was the earliest cartoon of the several hundred that they frequently aired.

This cartoon is a rare instance where Daffy dresses in drag. He would do so again in “Daffy Duck Hunt” (1949), “Daffy’s Inn Trouble” (1961), and “Daffy Rents” (1966).

The cartoon is in the public domain.

Daffy describes Sleepy as being “colossal, stupendous. One might even go so far as to say he’s mediocre”. When I first watched this cartoon, I never heard of “mediocre”, and judging by the first two adjectives, I assumed that “mediocre” was a positive term.

Porky’s walls have portraits of Bugs, Elmer, and Freleng.

“The Penguin” plays after Daffy shoves Porky back into his office at the start of the cartoon and starts putting his vacation supplies near the door up to the point where Daffy tries on Porky’s hat and is disgusted by how he looks with it on.

What I Like About This One:

The sequence of Daffy putting away Porky’s bags to the tune of “The Penguin” before trying his hat on and showing a dislike to it (animated by Phil Monroe).

Daffy announcing, “Opportunity is knocking!” and then rapping on Porky’s head (animated by Monroe).

When Daffy introduces Porky to Sleepy, Sleepy changes his head shape by moving his lollipop around (animated by Monroe).

Daffy then spends most of the cartoon demonstrating Sleepy’s acts: the first of these is singing a solo of “I’m Just Wild About Harry”, a song normally sung by females. When he gets to the line that’s supposed to go, “Oh, the heavenly blisses of his kisses fills me with ecstasy”, he realizes the line would sound homosexual if sung by a male, so instead of singing the word “ecstasy”, he tells Porky “That’s just a rough idea, do ya understand?” before continuing with the song (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Meanwhile, Sleepy silently comments on Daffy’s performance with a picture of a baked ham, which means “What a ham!” Porky is trying to sneak out at the same time Daffy finishes only for Daffy to put him back in the chair (while Daffy imitates an audience going wild over Sleepy’s supposed performance, Sleepy holds up a picture with a screw and a baseball, signifying “screwball”) and do a banjo solo of “Frat” (animated by Chiniquy).

The next time Porky tries to sneak out, Daffy is at the door and tells him, “Just a minute, chubby. You ain’t seen HALF the kid’s repertoire!” (animated by Richard Bickenbach). Daffy’s next performance involves him doing an imitation of Carmen Miranda while singing a nonsensical song in a high-pitched voice: “Boom, chicki-boom, chicki-boom, woo woo! Boom, chicki-boom, chicki-boom! When a sweetie down in Rio de Janeiro, she makes up the caballero with something he can’t resist. When she kisses him, it’ just like enchiladas with a cup of Capistrano and a bunch of rice and fish. When she loves him ‘neath the moon above. She is one hot tamale who can love him good by golly, in September and November, not to mention cold December, in the springtime in the summer or when autumn leaves are falling, she’ll love him. Ah- boom- chicki-boom, chicki-boom, chicki-boom, la-la-la-la-la! Woo!” Sleepy also holds up a picture of an ear of corn, signifying “corny” (animated by Chiniquy).

Porky attempting to sneak out once more only to be met by Daffy in a clown outfit singing “Laugh Clown Laugh”. Opening another door, he finds Daffy with a cowboy hat where he jumps on Porky and rides him like a horse while singing to the tune of “Cheyenne”: “I’m a cowboy, yessir I am! Yessir I am a cowboy, yessir I am! I’m a cowboy, yessir I am! Yessir, I am a cowboy! Yee-hee!” (animated by Chiniquy).

Porky then bucks Daffy off of him, resulting in Daffy flying into a safe. Porky locks it and leaves for the airport (animated by Ken Champin). Porky’s relief in making his flight is short-lived though as Daffy turns out to be his pilot! He sings, “We Watch the skyways, o’er the land and the sea. Ready to fly anywhere the duty calls, ready to fight to be free!” (animated by Manuel Perez).

Porky jumping out of the plane only to realize that Daffy (singing “Angel in Disguise”) is now his parachute! (animated by Perez).

Chasing Porky down the fire escape back into the office, Daffy sings to the tune of the William Tell Overture: “Over hill and over dale, we’re always on the dusty trail. Hunting fox and hunting quail, tally-ho! I am a hunting fool! Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up! My horse and I are of the finest breed! Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up! Just like the wind, I ride by thorough speed! Sure of foot and sure of eye! Peeling onions makes me cry! This makes no sense and so do I-” (animated by Perez) and then switches to a completely different tune: “So don’t you go and beat me Daddy to the nearest bar, yeah!” (animated by Gil Turner).

After Daffy does a finale that involves him doing stuff like juggling and unicycle-rid with a montage having him do all these things at once (animated by Champin), Porky agrees to see what Sleepy can really do. Daffy gives Sleepy his cue, who stops licking his lollipop, and puts it away in a lollipop-shaped suitcase. Sleepy gives out with a deep-voiced operatic performance of “Garden of My Heart” but then goes into a coughing fit (animated by Chiniquy).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕