To Duck or Not To Duck
Encyclopedia
To Duck or Not to Duck is a Warner Bros.
cartoon released in theatres in 1943, directed by Chuck Jones
and featuring Daffy Duck
and Elmer Fudd
. The film initially is set by a lake but concludes at a boxing
match. Mel Blanc
provides the voice of Daffy, while Arthur Q. Bryan
, who is not credited in the title card, provides the voice of Elmer.
The cartoon has fallen into the public domain
, as United Artists
(successor-in-interest to Associated Artists Productions
) failed to renew the copyright in time. It is found on many VHS tapes of public domain cartoons, with very badly faded colors (in fact, the a.a.p. logo was left intact). It has been fully restored on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6
.
It is the earliest-released color Looney Tune to have these each of these two distinctions: to fall into the public domain, and to have its original opening and closing titles survive (the two color Looney Tunes that preceded it, The Hep Cat
and My Favorite Duck
, remain under copyright, and were given Blue Ribbon reissues; both have been restored on DVD, but each still feature the Blue Ribbon titles). It is also the first formal appearance of Elmer Fudd in the Looney Tunes series, after his voice was heard (but only his voice) in 1942's Nutty News, and having been exclusive to the Merrie Melodies
series since his first appearance as Egghead in 1937.
Elmer is unaware that he is led to a boxing ring surrounded by many duck spectators. The referee of the fight is also a duck. The odds are clearly against Elmer since the referee laughs while announcing his name followed by boos from the crowd, with only Laramore cheering from a separate stand, for which he is knocked down by brickbats thrown at him by the duck spectators. The referee also refers to Daffy as Daffy "Good to His Mother" Duck.
Before the match starts, the referee exhorts the two opponents to "fight clean", winking to the audience, who collectively shout, "Oh, brother!", and calls for "no rough stuff -- none of THIS! Or THIS! Or like SO!", each time demonstrating an illegal move on Elmer and knocking him silly. Daffy, in turn, picks up where the referee left off, asking, "You mean none of THIS? Or THIS?", manhandling (or duckhandling) Elmer similarly every time. Daffy clobbers Elmer with a hammer as the bell is rung. Elmer falls to the mat and the referee provides a quick ten-count. He declares Daffy the winner and new champion. Perplexed, Elmer protests, "I'm not the one to compwain, Mr. Wefewee, but I thought you said no wough stuff! none of THIS! Or THIS! Or wike SO!", giving it back to both the referee and Daffy in extreme exasperation.
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,...
cartoon released in theatres in 1943, directed by Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
and featuring 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 Elmer Fudd
Elmer Fudd
Elmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
. The film initially is set by a lake but concludes at a boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match. Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
provides the voice of Daffy, while 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...
, who is not credited in the title card, provides the voice of Elmer.
The cartoon has fallen into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, as United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
(successor-in-interest to Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions
Associated Artists Productions was a distributor of theatrical feature films and short subjects for television. It existed from 1953 to 1958. It was later folded into United Artists. The former a.a.p. library was later owned by MGM/UA Entertainment and then Turner Entertainment. Turner continues...
) failed to renew the copyright in time. It is found on many VHS tapes of public domain cartoons, with very badly faded colors (in fact, the a.a.p. logo was left intact). It has been fully restored on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 is a four-disc DVD box set collection of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Following the pattern of one release each year of the previous volumes, it was released on October 21, 2008....
.
It is the earliest-released color Looney Tune to have these each of these two distinctions: to fall into the public domain, and to have its original opening and closing titles survive (the two color Looney Tunes that preceded it, The Hep Cat
The Hep Cat
The Hep Cat is a 1942 Warner Bros. cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, animated primarily by Robert McKimson, and set to a musical score composed by Carl Stalling. This cartoon is notable as the first color Looney Tunes short, but was re-released in the "Blue Ribbon...
and My Favorite Duck
My Favorite Duck
My Favorite Duck is a 1942 color Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck . It was the second color entry in the Looney Tunes series, and the first pairing of Porky and Daffy produced in Technicolor...
, remain under copyright, and were given Blue Ribbon reissues; both have been restored on DVD, but each still feature the Blue Ribbon titles). It is also the first formal appearance of Elmer Fudd in the Looney Tunes series, after his voice was heard (but only his voice) in 1942's Nutty News, and having been exclusive to the Merrie Melodies
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,...
series since his first appearance as Egghead in 1937.
Plot summary
Elmer Fudd is hunting ducks with his dog Laramore. He shoots Daffy Duck from the sky and apologizes saying that he is "a great sportsman." Daffy says he wouldn't be so tough without his hunting equipment and challenges Elmer to a "fair" fight.Elmer is unaware that he is led to a boxing ring surrounded by many duck spectators. The referee of the fight is also a duck. The odds are clearly against Elmer since the referee laughs while announcing his name followed by boos from the crowd, with only Laramore cheering from a separate stand, for which he is knocked down by brickbats thrown at him by the duck spectators. The referee also refers to Daffy as Daffy "Good to His Mother" Duck.
Before the match starts, the referee exhorts the two opponents to "fight clean", winking to the audience, who collectively shout, "Oh, brother!", and calls for "no rough stuff -- none of THIS! Or THIS! Or like SO!", each time demonstrating an illegal move on Elmer and knocking him silly. Daffy, in turn, picks up where the referee left off, asking, "You mean none of THIS? Or THIS?", manhandling (or duckhandling) Elmer similarly every time. Daffy clobbers Elmer with a hammer as the bell is rung. Elmer falls to the mat and the referee provides a quick ten-count. He declares Daffy the winner and new champion. Perplexed, Elmer protests, "I'm not the one to compwain, Mr. Wefewee, but I thought you said no wough stuff! none of THIS! Or THIS! Or wike SO!", giving it back to both the referee and Daffy in extreme exasperation.
Cultural references
- The film title is a reference to the line in William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, to be or not to be.
- At the beginning of the film Morning MoodMorning MoodMorning Mood is a composition belonging to Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46. This composition is often used in films, television commercials, and shows . The piece depicts the rising of the sun. Along with In the Hall of the Mountain King, Morning Mood is one of Grieg's best known works....
from Edvard GriegEdvard GriegEdvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
's Peer GyntPeer GyntPeer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
incidental music is heard in the background score. This indicates that the time is early morning.
- Daffy challenges Elmer to a fight under Marquess of Queensberry rulesMarquess of Queensberry rulesThe Marquess of Queensberry rules is a code of generally accepted rules in the sport of boxing. They were named so because John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry publicly endorsed the code, although they were written by a sportsman named John Graham Chambers. The code of rules on which modern...
.
See also
- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940–1949)
- List of cartoons featuring Daffy Duck
- List of cartoons featuring Elmer Fudd
- List of films in the public domain
External links
- To Duck or Not To Duck at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....