Thumb Fun
Encyclopedia
Thumb Fun is a 1952 Merrie Melodies
short starring Daffy Duck
and Porky Pig
directed by Robert McKimson
. This short was one of the last in which Daffy was cast as a good natured screwball instead of a vindictive egomaniac.
Porky and Daffy are driving along the road when a tiny yellow car starts sounding its horn and tailgating their car. Porky pulls over to let the car pass, but Daffy doesn't want to be pushed around by such a small vehicle and grabs the steering wheel to continue blocking it. After Daffy and Porky struggle with the steering wheel a bit, Daffy slams on the brakes and the tiny car collides with their rear bumper. Daffy steps up to the tiny car, opens the door, and challenges "Junior" to a fight. A gigantic, scary man exits the car, prompting Daffy to behave like a friendly dog. The man ignores Daffy and pummels Porky with a pile driver punch that sends Porky's head through the radiator cap of his car.
Porky and Daffy continue driving. Daffy wants to drive faster, but Porky says that he always obeys the speed limit. Daffy tells Porky that there are no traffic cops around and forces Porky's foot down on the gas pedal. Immediately, a cop on a motorcycle starts pursuing them along a "hairpin turn." Daffy declares that the "long arm of the law" will never reach them just as the cop grabs both Daffy and Porky by their collars with an arm about 10 feet long. Daffy tricks the cop into peeking into the trunk by saying that Porky is carrying something suspicious, despite Porky pleading the cop not to look in the trunk. As soon as the luggage flies out of the trunk and launches the cop away, Daffy and Porky try to make a quick getaway, but fail.
Daffy is waiting outside the police station in the next town when Porky comes out, happy that he was fined only $2. Daffy thinks this is an outrageous amount and enters the police station to protest, only to elevate the fine another $50. Porky is furious, especially when Daffy has the gall to tell him how much he's helped him, and plots revenge. Porky then goes to a gift shop and buys Daffy a gift. Daffy is excited and wants to open it right away, but Porky hides the gift in the trunk of his car, telling Daffy not to peek. Daffy is angry he can't open the gift and decides to peek in the trunk. Sure enough, the luggage flies out and launches Daffy away. Seeing that his scheme has worked perfectly, Porky snickers evilly and speeds off. Daffy opens his gift and finds that it is an Acme Hitchhiker's Thumb. The short ends with Daffy wearing his huge false thumb and shivering in the snow as he vainly tries to summon a ride.
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
short 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...
and Porky Pig
Porky Pig
Porky Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts using the fat little pig...
directed by Robert McKimson
Robert McKimson
Robert "Bob" Porter McKimson, Sr. was an American animator, illustrator, and director best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros., and later DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
. This short was one of the last in which Daffy was cast as a good natured screwball instead of a vindictive egomaniac.
Plot
Daffy scoffs at a flock of ducks flying south for the winter and announces that he'll be hitchhiking his way south this season. After one car zooms by blowing off Daffy's feathers, another motorist in a Tin Lizzie and old fashioned driving regalia stops long enough to tell Daffy that he never picks up hitchhikers. Frustrated, Daffy finds a can of paint and paints what appears to be an excavation in the road. Porky arrives in his red sports car and stops in front of the "hole." Daffy is delighted that Porky is driving to Miami. He gathers his luggage and tosses it into the trunk of the car. Porky is astonished that Daffy was able to fit all of his luggage into his small trunk. Daffy invites Porky to look into the trunk to see how he did it. As soon as Porky grabs for the trunk handle, the luggage flies out and sends Porky flying with it.Porky and Daffy are driving along the road when a tiny yellow car starts sounding its horn and tailgating their car. Porky pulls over to let the car pass, but Daffy doesn't want to be pushed around by such a small vehicle and grabs the steering wheel to continue blocking it. After Daffy and Porky struggle with the steering wheel a bit, Daffy slams on the brakes and the tiny car collides with their rear bumper. Daffy steps up to the tiny car, opens the door, and challenges "Junior" to a fight. A gigantic, scary man exits the car, prompting Daffy to behave like a friendly dog. The man ignores Daffy and pummels Porky with a pile driver punch that sends Porky's head through the radiator cap of his car.
Porky and Daffy continue driving. Daffy wants to drive faster, but Porky says that he always obeys the speed limit. Daffy tells Porky that there are no traffic cops around and forces Porky's foot down on the gas pedal. Immediately, a cop on a motorcycle starts pursuing them along a "hairpin turn." Daffy declares that the "long arm of the law" will never reach them just as the cop grabs both Daffy and Porky by their collars with an arm about 10 feet long. Daffy tricks the cop into peeking into the trunk by saying that Porky is carrying something suspicious, despite Porky pleading the cop not to look in the trunk. As soon as the luggage flies out of the trunk and launches the cop away, Daffy and Porky try to make a quick getaway, but fail.
Daffy is waiting outside the police station in the next town when Porky comes out, happy that he was fined only $2. Daffy thinks this is an outrageous amount and enters the police station to protest, only to elevate the fine another $50. Porky is furious, especially when Daffy has the gall to tell him how much he's helped him, and plots revenge. Porky then goes to a gift shop and buys Daffy a gift. Daffy is excited and wants to open it right away, but Porky hides the gift in the trunk of his car, telling Daffy not to peek. Daffy is angry he can't open the gift and decides to peek in the trunk. Sure enough, the luggage flies out and launches Daffy away. Seeing that his scheme has worked perfectly, Porky snickers evilly and speeds off. Daffy opens his gift and finds that it is an Acme Hitchhiker's Thumb. The short ends with Daffy wearing his huge false thumb and shivering in the snow as he vainly tries to summon a ride.