My Favorite Duck
| My Favorite Duck | |
|---|---|
 Blue Ribbon reissue title card | |
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Story by | Mike Maltese |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Rudy Larriva[1] |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:36 |
| Language | English |
My Favorite Duck is a 1942 color Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, in his second collaboration with writer Michael Maltese.[2] The cartoon was released on December 5, 1942, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.[3] It was the second color entry in the Looney Tunes series, and the first pairing of Porky and Daffy produced in Technicolor.
The title was presumably inspired by a film of that era, either My Favorite Wife (1940) or My Favorite Blonde (1942). In this case the title is used ironically. This is one of several entries in a series where Daffy (during his "screwball" period) torments Porky in a variety of ways.
Plot
Porky Pig is on a camping vacation beside a lake which happens to be the residence of Daffy Duck. The duck intentionally ruins Porky's attempts at relaxation, and each time Porky is riled enough to threaten violence, Daffy produces a sign reminding him that it is not duck hunting season, and that there is a hefty fine for even "molesting" (i.e. "bothering") a duck. When Porky calls Daffy screwy, Daffy makes eyes with Porky and responds "That, my little cherub, is strictly a matter of opinion".
Porky stammers and stutters his way through the standard "On Moonlight Bay" from 1912, while Daffy periodically breaks into a somewhat-sultry version of a then-recent hit called "Blues in the Night." At one point, Porky unconsciously starts to sing Daffy's number, then stops, looks at the audience with a "Harumph!" and returns to singing "Moonlight Bay".
Daffy continues to torment and enrage Porky with various gags until finally, new signs have been posted announcing that duck hunting season is now open, one sign even suggesting that Daffy be shot, specifically. While Porky chases Daffy around a tree, the film suddenly breaks; Daffy then appears and makes the following announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to continue this picture. But don't worry, I'll tell you how it came out." The duck begins to describe how he beat up Porky; a hook then whisks Daffy offscreen and a loud smashing sound is heard. Porky then drags the dazed duck across the screen, his shotgun now bent in the form of Daffy's head.
Production notes
The song, "Blues in the Night" (Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Johnny Mercer) is perhaps better known as "My Mama Done Tol' Me When I Was in Kneepants" and is from the 1941 Warner Bros. film, Blues in the Night. The song had been recently nominated as the Best Song Oscar for Warner Bros. shortly before My Favorite Duck was released.[4]
Home media
The short appears in its entirety in the documentary Bugs Bunny: Superstar, Part 2, which is available as a special feature on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4. It is also available fully restored on Disc 1 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6.
See also
References
- ^ Lost Warner Bros. Original Titles
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 135. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 70–72. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Gabbard, Krin (1996). Jammin' at the margins: jazz and the American cinema. University of Chicago Press. pp. 111–12. ISBN 0-226-27789-5.