''My Favorite Duck'' is a 1942 color

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

'' cartoon directed by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

, in his second collaboration with writer

Michael Maltese Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director Chuck Jones, notably "Wha ...

. The cartoon was released on December 5, 1942, and stars

Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon fictional character, character created for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Leon Schlesinger Productions by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Styled as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic American black duck, black ...

and

Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated 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 celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...

. It was the second color entry in the ''Looney Tunes'' series, and the first pairing of Porky and Daffy produced in

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

. The title was presumably inspired by a film of that era, either ''

My Favorite Wife ''My Favorite Wife'' (released in the U.K. as ''My Favourite Wife'') is a 1940 screwball comedy produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin. The picture stars Irene Dunne as a woman who, after being shipwrecked on a tropical island for ...

'' (1940) or ''

My Favorite Blonde ''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Bri ...

'' (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 is on a camping vacation beside a lake where Daffy happens to live. The duck quickly insinuates himself into Porky's attempts at relaxation, and every time the duck gets Porky riled enough to threaten violence, Daffy shows him a sign that says it is ''not'' duck

hunting season A hunting season is the designated time in which certain game animals can be killed in certain designated areas. In the United States, each state determines and sets its own specific dates to hunt the certain game animal, such as California, in ...

, 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 and Daffy both sing to different effect. Porky, who has trouble with words starting with M and B (among others), 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 into the camera with a "Harumph!" and returns to "Moonlight Bay". Daffy is able to get away with a lot, "Hoo-hooing" after every gag, until near the end, when a ''new'' sign says duck hunting season is now open, and it even specifically invites shooting ''this'' duck. The tables have turned dramatically, and Porky gets his revenge. While Porky chases Daffy around a tree, the picture gets out of order and breaks, then Daffy appears saying "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 asides to the audience that he beat up Porky. A hook 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 Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ...

; lyrics by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

) 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.

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''.

References

External links

* * {{Chuck Jones 1942 animated films 1942 films Looney Tunes shorts Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films Short films directed by Chuck Jones Daffy Duck films Porky Pig films Films scored by Carl Stalling Vitaphone short films Self-reflexive films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Films about vacationing 1940s English-language films

Plot

Production notes

Home media

See also

References

External links