Ain't That Ducky
Encyclopedia
Ain't That Ducky is a 1945 Warner Bros.
Looney Tunes
cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng
, and starring Daffy Duck
. Daffy has to outwit a hunter after him - and find out what's in the briefcase another duck is carrying around. While Mel Blanc did the voices for the ducks in this cartoon, the hunter was voiced by Victor Moore
, a departure from either Blanc or Arthur Q. Bryan
.
). Even the presence of a hunter doesn't stop the yellow duck from stopping Daffy with a loud, "AAH, LAY OFF, YOU... DUCK!"
The hunter (not Elmer or Porky) then asks the little yellow duck if he can help, and gets the same obnoxious, "AAH, SHUT UP!". When Daffy confronts the hunter, the hunter decides to go after Daffy instead. The next few minutes follow a typical "Hunter/Prey" cartoon, with some exceptions - when Daffy comes across an empty space, he tells the artist
that there's supposed to be a barrel in the scene - "It says so in my script! Someone's been laying down on the job. J.L.
will hear of this!" (a hand then draws a barrel for Daffy to hide in, but with the yellow duck inside).
About 2/3 of the way through, Daffy and the hunter team up to try to get the briefcase, but are stopped when they run down the road. The hunter then tries running after Daffy, but runs over a cardboard cutout of Daffy, thinking it's the real thing. When the little yellow duck ruins Daffy's fun at the expense of the hunter, Daffy decides enough is enough and tries grabbing the briefcase away - but is knocked down the side of the mountain, 'melting' down the rocks. When the hunter is also knocked down, he reveals that he was able to swipe the briefcase. The two take a look inside, and soon are just as distressed as the yellow duck - the content is a piece of paper with the words "The End" on it, displayed as the cartoon ends.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
, and starring Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
. Daffy has to outwit a hunter after him - and find out what's in the briefcase another duck is carrying around. While Mel Blanc did the voices for the ducks in this cartoon, the hunter was voiced by Victor Moore
Victor Moore
Victor Frederick Moore was an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.-Personal life:...
, a departure from either Blanc or Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Q. Bryan
Arthur Quirk Bryan was a United States comedian and voice actor, remembered best for his longtime recurring role as well-spoken, wisecracking Dr...
.
Plot
Daffy is taking a bubble-bath in a pond when he hears the sobbing of a small yellow duck carrying a briefcase. When Daffy tries to find out what's wrong with the duck, the little yellow duck stops sobbing long enough to emit a loud "AAH, SHUT UP!". When Daffy tries to find out what's in the briefcase that's causing the yellow duck so much grief, the duck tells Daffy, "AAH, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF, MISTER ANTHONY!" (a reference to the host of the radio advice series The Goodwill Hour; see the ending of Baby BottleneckBaby Bottleneck
Baby Bottleneck is a 1945 Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short released in 1946 and directed by Robert Clampett and written by Warren Foster.-Plot:...
). Even the presence of a hunter doesn't stop the yellow duck from stopping Daffy with a loud, "AAH, LAY OFF, YOU... DUCK!"
The hunter (not Elmer or Porky) then asks the little yellow duck if he can help, and gets the same obnoxious, "AAH, SHUT UP!". When Daffy confronts the hunter, the hunter decides to go after Daffy instead. The next few minutes follow a typical "Hunter/Prey" cartoon, with some exceptions - when Daffy comes across an empty space, he tells the artist
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
that there's supposed to be a barrel in the scene - "It says so in my script! Someone's been laying down on the job. J.L.
Jack Warner
Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
will hear of this!" (a hand then draws a barrel for Daffy to hide in, but with the yellow duck inside).
About 2/3 of the way through, Daffy and the hunter team up to try to get the briefcase, but are stopped when they run down the road. The hunter then tries running after Daffy, but runs over a cardboard cutout of Daffy, thinking it's the real thing. When the little yellow duck ruins Daffy's fun at the expense of the hunter, Daffy decides enough is enough and tries grabbing the briefcase away - but is knocked down the side of the mountain, 'melting' down the rocks. When the hunter is also knocked down, he reveals that he was able to swipe the briefcase. The two take a look inside, and soon are just as distressed as the yellow duck - the content is a piece of paper with the words "The End" on it, displayed as the cartoon ends.
Censorship
- On Cartoon Network, the part where the hunter (who looks like Victor MooreVictor MooreVictor Frederick Moore was an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.-Personal life:...
) shoots above Daffy's head, causing his hair to turn into that of a stereotypically black girl was cut (though some primetime showings of this cartoon aired this scene intact).