''The Bashful Buzzard'' is a 7-minute animated cartoon completed in 1944 and released on September 15, 1945. It is directed by

Robert Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, film director, director, film producer, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well ...

and is the second to feature the character

Beaky Buzzard Beaky Buzzard is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He is a young turkey vulture (sometimes called a "buzzard" in the United States) with black body feathers and a white ...

. This is the last cartoon in which Kent Rogers performed voices, as he died in a training flight accident on July 9, 1944.

Plot

Beaky Buzzard's mother sends him and his brothers out with the mission of bringing home something to eat. While his brothers wreak havoc dive-bombing various creatures and eventually bring back a milk cow (along with the farmer), a string of circus elephants (including a baby one brandishing a banner reading "I am NOT Dumbo", a reference to the Disney film of the same name), and a dog (clinging to a fire hydrant), Beaky manages only to capture a baby bumble bee. While flying back carrying his "prey" he sings "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee" to the tune of " The Arkansas Traveler". A larger bee, presumably the parent, arrives and stings Beaky, who crash lands and is able to sooth his sting in some water. While there, a small head pops out from behind rocks. Beaky picks a fight with the animal he calls "Shorty". He yanks on the head and tries to lift it from the ground before realizing that what he is confronting is actually a large

dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

. Beaky runs from the dragon, and the scene changes to the mother buzzard worrying late into the night about him not returning home. When he arrives she is both glad that he showed up and angry that he seemingly brought nothing for dinner. However, when the camera moves down, it is revealed that Beaky caught the dragon, who dismisses the mother's claim by saying "Well now, I wouldn't say that!" (a la Mr. Peavey of ''

The Great Gildersleeve ''The Great Gildersleeve'' is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was built a ...

'').

References

External links

The Bashful Buzzard at the IMDB
1945 animated films 1945 films Looney Tunes shorts Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films Films directed by Bob Clampett Beaky Buzzard films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films {{LooneyTunes-stub