The Ducksters is a 1950 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese.[1] The cartoon was released on September 2, 1950, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.[2] The title is a pun on the 1947 film The Hucksters.
| The Ducksters | |
|---|---|
 The title card of The Ducksters. | |
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by | Character animation: Lloyd Vaughan Ken Harris Phil Monroe Ben Washam Emery Hawkins (uncredited) |
| Layouts by | Robert Gribbroek |
| Backgrounds by | Peter Alvarado |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:21 |
| Language | English |
Plot
editPorky Pig finds himself on the radio quiz show Truth or AAAAHHH!! ("brought to you by the Eagle Hand Laundry - if your eagle's hands are dirty, we'll wash 'em clean!") hosted by Daffy Duck, where contestants face perilous consequences for incorrect answers. Porky endures various punishments, including being threatened by a buzz saw and blown up with dynamite. Despite Daffy's taunts, Porky refuses to give up until he is subjected to one final challenge: identifying "Miss Shush," who turns out to be a ferocious gorilla.
Porky successfully reverses the situation by assuming control of the quiz show and imposing identical challenges on Daffy. Unexpectedly, Porky ascends to a position of authority over Daffy and seeks retribution by subjecting him to the same trials. Daffy ultimately confronts the same buzz saw Porky previously encountered, amusingly appealing to the audience for medical assistance.
Cast
editMel Blanc portrays all voices in this short, including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and the audience member.
Production details
editThe cartoon's title is a play on The Hucksters, a satirical novel about the advertising business that was made into a 1947 live-action film starring Clark Gable.
"Eagle Hand Laundry", the business supposedly sponsoring Daffy's radio show, was at the time the name of an actual hand laundry in Brooklyn.[3]
The quiz show title Truth or AAAAHHH!! is a play on the 1940s radio quiz program Truth or Consequences.
References
edit- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 214. 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.
- ^ "Help Wanted -- Female". Brooklyn Daily Eagle: 18. 1949-09-02.