Daffy Duck has a certain claim to fame, even though he often plays second fiddle to a certain wisecracking rabbit. He often played the foil to the clever and laid-back Bugs, screaming and sneaking and finally losing his cool and making us laugh. Back in the day, Daffy Duck was known as a “screwball” character, one who set the action in motion with wacky hijinks and hare-brained schemes.
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Daffy’s general nuttiness ensured that he had his own repertoire of endearing shorts from the Golden Age of Warner Brothers animation. He was often the butt of the jokes, but most of Daffy’s worst wounds were self-inflicted. There’s always a lesson to be learned in arrogance, failure, and hubris, and Daffy help viewers keep that in perspective.
10The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)
Daffy Duck accidentally knocks himself out while reading a Dick Tracy comic, and falls into a dream in which he is the intrepid detective, Duck Twacy. It’s a funny premise to start with, especially since Dick Tracyis still a pop culture icon in the present day, but the parallels to modern media don’t stop there.
The short also lampoons comic book and superhero culture, featuring a slate of ridiculous villains inspired by the medium. One of them, Bat Man, is a baseball bat with arms and legs, just to give an idea of the kind of humor typical of Daffy Duck and this particular short.
9My Favorite Duck (1952)
This short is from the height of Daffy’s screwball period. Throughout the plot ofMy Favorite Duck,Daffy tortures Porky Pig in a variety of cruel and comical ways. Every time Porky tries to retaliate, Daffy politely reminds him that it’s not duck hunting season, and a hefty fine awaits him should he attack a duck.
Daffy forgets, however, that duck season has to open sooner or later. The tables turn when a sign pops up declaring duck season to be officially open. Porky is mostly innocent, unlike other Looney Tunes villains like Yosemite Sam or Sylvester, so it’s satisfying to watch himpick up his gunand get Daffy back.
8The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950)
Actors have always played with new genres to pad their resume or just do something different. Daffy’s attempt to make the same change is the premise ofThe Scarlet Pumpernickel. He decides to take a break from comedy and take on something more dramatic. In this case, he has a script that he wrote himself under the name Daffy Dumas Duck and brings personally to the CEO of Warner Brothers.
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The story itself unfolds as Daffy reads the script to Jack L. Warner, and includes Porky Pig as Lord High Chamberlain and Sylvester the cat as the Grand Duke, Daffy’s main romantic rival. Despite all the crazy adventures, it’s not enough for an enthusiastic Warner, who declares “Is that it?” when Daffy finishes his 2000 page script.
7Stupor Duck (1956)
Lampooning superheroes isn’t new, and Superman has been around for as long as Daffy Duck has. This short begins as a parody of the television seriesThe Adventures of Superman.Daffy Duck is mild-mannered reporter Cluck Trent, and when he overhears a villain describing his plans on a television show,he thinks it’s the real thing and springs into action.
He first changes into a witch’s costume by accident before flying off in his usual cape and bodysuit to save the day. Instead of being appreciated for his efforts, however, Stupor Duck gets punched by an angry foreman, shot by a submarine gun, and blown up by the pyrotechnics on a movie set. Finally, he gets shot to the moon on a research probe that he thought was an errant rocket. Superhero stuff isn’t easy.
6Rabbit Fire (1951)
This short is the third installment in a three-parter known as the “Hunting Trilogy.” The other two shorts areRabbit SeasoningandDuck! Rabbit, Duck!which are also highly rated among fans and critics.
During this time period, Daffy had a personality change, as the wacky screwball character was falling out of fashion. Instead, Daffy took on a more realistic character who was flawed as opposed to insane. The story starts with Daffy luring Elmer to Bugs' rabbit hole. Yet, the clever bunny tricks him into saying it’s duck season, not rabbit season. The scene in this short that sets it a cut above is when Daffy and Bugs dress up as each other, and even mimic their own voices.
5Design for Leaving (1954)
The concept of a smart home isn’t new, and in the Atomic Age self-sufficient houses were a distinct possibility. This episode makes fun of a similar display that appeared at the 1933 World’s Fair exhibition “Homes of Tomorrow”. However, the concept had its flaws, which is why most people don’t have them. That’s what this short is all about.
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Like most impulse buys, the upgraded house is pleasant enough at first. Unfortunately, glitches like overly-sensitive fire extinguishers and mechanical guard dogs cause Elmer some serious grief. There are some clever jokes about the shortcomings of modern homes too, like the food processor that’s simply a pig living under the sink.
4The Abominable Snow Rabbit (1961)
Considering that Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny don’t get along very well, it’s interesting how often they have wacky adventures on vacation together. Bugs and Daffy head to Palm Springs in this short, but Bugs has taken a wrong turn. The two find themselves slightly off course in the Himalayan Mountains.
The abominable snowman they encounter isn’t unfriendly or scary, just overbearing and rather slow. The name “George”, which he gives to Daffy upon deciding to keep him as a pet, is a reference to a character fromOf Mice And Men.The end is equally funny and tragic, but at least they make it to Palm Springs.
3Duck Amuck (1953)
2Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953)
Bugs first met Marvin the Martian after he had been shot into space as an unwilling test subject. Daffy Duck, however, puts on his space helmet, grabs his flag, and charges forth into the unknown. Whether it’s greed or courage, it’s always fun to see what he’ll get himself into.
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The rumors about this short and George Lucas are true. This is the animated feature that Lucas requested be played beforeStar Warswhen it was first played in theaters in the 1970s. Not only was it was daring, but it also parodied the early space adventures shows that inspired Lucas to create one of the world’s most popular franchises.
1Robin Hood Daffy (1958)
Robin Hood Daffyis a surprisingly subdued episode for the former screwball duck. It has more in common with aMonty Pythonepisode than a cartoon short. This short most obviously lampoons Errol Flynn and his portrayal of the classic hero, but it’s really throwing shade at period romance in general.
Daffy tries to convince the doubtful Friar Tuck, played by Porky Pig, that he’s really an elegant and cunning outlaw. Tuck, however, opts to believe his own eyes instead, and the harder Daffy tries the worse of a beating he takes. Finally, he learns his lesson and opts to join Porky as Friar Duck.
