China Jones

Last updated
China Jones
Directed by Robert McKimson
Story by Tedd Pierce
Starring Mel Blanc
Edited by Treg Brown
Music by Milt Franklyn
Animation by Tom Ray
George Grandpré
Ted Bonnicksen
Warren Batchelder
Layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Backgrounds byWilliam Butler
Color process Technicolor
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • February 14, 1959 (1959-02-14)
LanguageEnglish

China Jones is a 1959 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson. [1] The short was released on February 14, 1959, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. [2] This cartoon later became rarely shown in the United States due to ethnic caricatures of Chinese and other East Asian people. The cartoon is a spoof of the 1950s TV series China Smith , starring Dan Duryea.

Contents

Plot

Daffy Duck assumes the persona of China Jones, an Irish private investigator plying his trade in the Far Eastern locale of Hong Kong. Encountering a cryptic distress call concealed within a fortune cookie at the Lo Down restaurant, Jones embarks on an investigative mission spurred by the promise of a substantial reward. Seeking guidance amidst the labyrinthine streets of China, Jones crosses paths with Charlie Chung, whom he mistakenly regards as a fellow detective, oblivious to Chung's actual vocation as a laundryman.

Unbeknownst to Jones, the distress call proves to be a cunning ploy orchestrated by his incarcerated acquaintance, Limey Louie, who seeks retribution for perceived grievances. Louie, having engineered an elaborate ruse to ensnare Jones, subjects him to a series of perilous misadventures, exploiting his vulnerability and exacerbating his predicament. Confronted with false leads and treacherous traps devised by Louie, Jones teeters on the brink of danger, narrowly escaping calamity through sheer luck and guile.

As Jones confronts Louie in a climactic showdown, he is forced to confront the harsh reality of his situation, realizing the extent of Louie's vendetta. Despite Jones' attempts to evade capture and seek assistance from Chung, he finds himself ensnared in a web of deceit and indebtedness. Ultimately, Jones' fate takes an unexpected turn as he becomes embroiled in Chung's laundry enterprise, underscored by his ironic declaration of imprisonment within a Chinese laundry.

Censorship

During the 1990s, cable television network Nickelodeon omitted the final scene wherein Daffy Duck finds himself trapped in a laundromat and delivers a faux Chinese rant. This decision was prompted by concerns regarding the portrayal of offensive ethnic stereotypes. Consequently, the cartoon was not broadcast in the United States or United Kingdom, although it did receive a limited release on Looney Tunes Classic Collection (1995) VHS in the latter country.

China Jones remained unavailable on DVD or Blu-ray Disc until WarnerMedia Ride restored a streaming print in 2021. The restoration was later released on the Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Volume 3 Blu-Ray disc in 2024.

Related Research Articles

<i>Robin Hood Daffy</i> 1958 animated short film by Chuck Jones

Robin Hood Daffy is a 1958 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on March 8, 1958, and stars Daffy Duck as Robin Hood and Porky Pig as Friar Tuck.

<i>Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century</i> 1953 film by Chuck Jones

Duck Dodgers in the 24+1/2th Century is a 1953 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on July 25, 1953, and stars Daffy Duck as space hero Duck Dodgers, Porky Pig as his assistant, and Marvin the Martian as his opponent. This cartoon marked the first of many appearances of the Duck Dodgers character.

<i>You Ought to Be in Pictures</i> 1940 Warner Bros. animated short starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck

You Ought to Be in Pictures is a 1940 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short film directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 18, 1940, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

<i>Duck! Rabbit, Duck!</i> 1953 film by Chuck Jones

Duck! Rabbit, Duck! is a 1953 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Charles M. Jones. The cartoon was released on October 3, 1953 and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<i>The Ducksters</i> 1950 Looney Tunes short by Chuck Jones

The Ducksters is a 1950 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on September 2, 1950, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. The title is a pun on the 1947 film The Hucksters.

<i>The Scarlet Pumpernickel</i> 1950 film by Chuck Jones

The Scarlet Pumpernickel is a 1950 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on March 4, 1950, and features Daffy Duck, along with a number of Looney Tunes stars, including the introduction of Melissa Duck. The title is a play on the 1905 novel The Scarlet Pimpernel.

<i>Draftee Daffy</i> 1945 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

Draftee Daffy is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 27, 1945, and stars Daffy Duck.

<i>Deduce, You Say!</i> 1956 film by Chuck Jones

Deduce, You Say is a 1956 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on September 29, 1956, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. The title is a play on the exclamation, "The deuce, you say!"

<i>Show Biz Bugs</i> 1957 film

Show Biz Bugs is a 1957 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short directed by Friz Freleng and featuring Mel Blanc. The short was released on November 2, 1957, and stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Beanstalk Bunny is a 1955 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on February 12, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. The cartoon's story is derived from the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk".

From Hare to Heir is a 1960 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short directed and written by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 3, 1960, and stars Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.

<i>Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5</i> 2007 American film

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 is a Looney Tunes collection on DVD. Following the pattern of one release each year of the previous volumes, it was released on October 30, 2007.

Daffy Doodles is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob McKimson. It was released on April 6, 1946, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

<i>Plane Daffy</i> 1944 film

Plane Daffy is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The cartoon was released on September 16, 1944, and stars Daffy Duck.

What Makes Daffy Duck is a 1948 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Arthur Davis. The cartoon was released on February 14, 1948, and stars Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<i>Nasty Quacks</i> 1945 film

Nasty Quacks is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin, released on December 1, 1945, and starring Daffy Duck.

<i>Daffy Duck in Hollywood</i> 1938 Merrie Melodies animated short starring Daffy Duck directed by Tex Avery

Daffy Duck in Hollywood is a 1938 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Tex Avery. The cartoon was released on December 12, 1938, and stars Daffy Duck. The short is Avery's last Daffy Duck cartoon.

<i>Looney Tunes Super Stars Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl</i> 2010 American film

Looney Tunes Super Stars' Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl is a DVD of 15 new-to-DVD Daffy Duck cartoons that was released on August 10, 2010.

<i>Punch Trunk</i> 1953 film

Punch Trunk is a 1953 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon written by Mike Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on December 19, 1953.

<i>Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1</i> 2011 American cartoon anthology

Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 is a Blu-ray Disc and DVD box set by Warner Home Video. It was released on November 15, 2011. It contains 50 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons and numerous supplements. A DVD version of the box set was released on July 3, 2012, but contained no extras.

References

  1. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 313. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.