Robin Hood Daffy

Last updated
Robin Hood Daffy
Robin Hood Daffy Lobby Card.PNG
Lobby Card
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Michael Maltese
Produced byEdward Selzer
Starring Mel Blanc
Music by Milt Franklyn
Animation by
Color process Technicolor
Distributed by
Release date
  • March 8, 1958 (1958-03-08)(U.S.)
Running time
6:37
LanguageEnglish

Robin Hood Daffy is a 1958 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. [1] The short was released on March 8, 1958, and stars Daffy Duck as Robin Hood and Porky Pig as Friar Tuck. [2]

Contents

It was the last of Jones' parody cartoons with the duo, and the last appearance of Porky in a theatrical cartoon directed by Jones during the Golden Age of Animation. It was also the second parody of Robin Hood directed by Chuck Jones, after the 1949 Bugs Bunny short Rabbit Hood . An edited version of Robin Hood Daffy was included in the theatrical film The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979).

Plot

The film features Daffy Duck in the role of legendary outlaw Robin Hood, and opens to the strains of his playing a song on a long-necked lute similar to a tambouras. As he prances along singing, he trips and tumbles down a hill (still singing), off a bank and into a river.

Watching is Porky Pig, as a Friar Tuck figure, who laughs uproariously at Daffy's inglorious plunge. The annoyed Daffy tries to prove his skill with a quarterstaff ("Actually, it's a buck-and-a-quarter quarterstaff, but I'm not telling him that!") on a tree-trunk bridge, but manages to hit himself in the face with it, bending his bill in what becomes a recurring visual gag throughout the film. Undeterred, Daffy tries again, but while he is spinning his quarterstaff, Porky stops it with a wooden dowel, resulting in Daffy himself spinning around and falling back into the river. He gets out of the water and confronts Porky, who has once again been reduced to fits of laughter. Daffy is initially annoyed, but then starts to laugh along with him before becoming annoyed again ("Oh, knockit off! How jolly can ya get?")

Having given up showing off, Daffy attempts to leave, but Porky follows and asks the "traveling clown" if he knows the whereabouts of Robin Hood's hideout as he "wouldst fain join me up with his band of jolly outlaws". Daffy proudly announces that he is Robin Hood, but Porky disbelieves him.

In order to prove that he is Robin Hood, Daffy informs Porky that he will attempt to rob a rich traveler on a bouncing mule and give his money "to some poor unworthy slob". Watched by Porky, Daffy pitifully fails in each and every attempt he makes to stop the traveler, usually injuring himself in the process. Daffy first attempts to shoot the traveler with an arrow, but ends up firing himself from his own bow and crashing into a tree and ends up with his head stuck through the trunk. Moments later, Daffy, (still with his head through the trunk of the now uprooted tree), confronts Porky who sarcastically says "Oh I er don't how I could have doubted you. Shall we spend the gold all in one place?" Daffy retorts "Ho ho. Very funny. Ha ha it is to laugh". Daffy then attempts to swing on a rope and kidnap the rich traveler, but slams into a succession of trees (repeatedly crying "Yoicks! And awa-aaay!" with each launch) and after chopping the trees down to clear a path, his final attempt results in him slamming face-first into a boulder. Daffy again tries to swing down from a rope, which is this time attached to a huge iron ball. He ends up slamming face-first into the side of a cliff and on to the ground (like he is doing the splits) causing the iron ball to drop down on top of him, flattening him. Daffy then attempts to fire a spear from a rubber band stretched between two trees, but it ends up forming a bridge so that the rich traveler can cross a ravine.

Eventually, the rich traveler, completely oblivious to Daffy's increasingly desperate attempts to rob him, reaches his castle unharmed, despite Daffy's final attempt to rob him by standing in front of the entrance (And getting crushed by the drawbridge as a result). This convinces Porky that Daffy is "just not Robin Hood". The frustrated Daffy finally gives up, and in the final scene walks on with a tonsured head and wearing a habit, having decided to become a friar himself, he tells Porky; "Never mind joining me, I'll join you. Shake hands with Friar Duck!" As the film closes, Daffy's bill bends back up one more time.

Reception

Linda Simensky writes, "Robin Hood Daffy is a visual delight abounding with physical gags, bold colors — bright green against a yellow sky — and layouts and backgrounds that complement a leotard-wearing duck swinging through the trees on a rope. Daffy gets some classic moments, including a lute song and some arrow gags, but by the end he is fairly unsuccessful as a Robin Hood and gives it all up. As Daffy himself notes, 'Ha ha. It is to laugh.'" [3]

Home media

Robin Hood Daffy, along with Rabbit Hood , is available as an extra on the DVD (and later the Blu-ray) edition of The Adventures of Robin Hood . The short is also available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 and Essential Daffy Duck DVD sets, as well as the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 Blu-ray set.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daffy Duck</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Daffy Duck is a fictional character created by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, in which he is usually depicted as a foil for either Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig or Speedy Gonzales. He was one of the first of the new "screwball" characters that emerged in the late 1930s to replace traditional everyman characters who were more popular earlier in the decade, such as Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig, and Popeye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porky Pig</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

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 star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts featuring the character. Even after he was supplanted by later characters, Porky continued to be popular with moviegoers and, more importantly, the Warners directors, who recast him in numerous everyman and sidekick roles.

<i>Rabbit Fire</i> 1951 American animated short film directed by Chuck Jones

Rabbit Fire is a 1951 Looney Tunes cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, the cartoon is the first in Jones' "hunting trilogy"—the other two cartoons following it being Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! It is also the first cartoon to feature a feud between Bugs and Daffy. Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc., the short was released to theaters on May 19, 1951 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is often considered among Jones' best and most important films.

<i>Daffy Ducks Quackbusters</i> 1988 animated feature film

Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is a 1988 animated compilation film featuring classic Warner Bros. Cartoons shorts and animated bridging sequences, starring Daffy Duck. The film was released to theaters by Warner Bros. on September 24, 1988. It was the final theatrical production in which Mel Blanc provided the voices of the various Looney Tunes characters before his death on July 10, 1989.

<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 Soup to Nuts</i> 1944 film

Duck Soup to Nuts is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 27, 1944, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

Tick Tock Tuckered is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on April 8, 1944, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. This is a color remake of the cartoon Porky's Badtime Story (1937), with Daffy filling the role that was previously played by Gabby Goat. A gag from Friz Freleng's cartoon Notes to You (1941) was also reused as well, while a reference to The Dover Boys (1942) is briefly made.

<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>The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie</i> 1981 animated feature film directed by Friz Freleng

The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie is a 1981 American animated comedy package film with a compilation of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and animated bridging sequences produced and directed by Friz Freleng, hosted by Bugs Bunny. The new footage was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and the first Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies film with a compilation of classic cartoon comedy shorts produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

<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.

<i>My Favorite Duck</i> 1942 film by Chuck Jones

My Favorite Duck is a 1942 color Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, in his second collaboration with writer Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on December 5, 1942, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. It was the second color entry in the Looney Tunes series, and the first pairing of Porky and Daffy produced in Technicolor.

<i>Daffy Duck Slept Here</i> 1948 American film

Daffy Duck Slept Here is a 1948 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on March 6, 1948, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

<i>Boobs in the Woods</i> 1950 film by Robert McKimson

Boobs in the Woods is a 1950 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on January 28, 1950, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

<i>My Little Duckaroo</i> 1954 film

My Little Duckaroo is a 1954 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The cartoon was released on November 27, 1954 and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

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.

Corn on the Cop is a 1965 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Irv Spector, in his only directorial work on a theatrical cartoon. The short was released on July 24, 1965, and stars Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Granny. The voices were performed by Mel Blanc and Joanie Gerber. The short is notable for marking Porky Pig's final cartoon appearance during the golden age of American animation. This is also Granny's final appearance in the Looney Tunes shorts during the Golden Age of American Animation.

<i>Daffy Dilly</i> 1948 film

Daffy Dilly is a 1948 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on October 30, 1948, and stars Daffy Duck.

<i>The Looney Tunes Show</i> 2011 American animated series and sitcom

The Looney Tunes Show is an American animated sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and aired on Cartoon Network for two seasons from May 3, 2011, to November 2, 2013. The series differed from others featuring characters from the Looney Tunes, by focusing on stories conformed around a sitcom format involving the characters of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, who live a surburban life together within a neighbourhood of fellow cartoon neighbours, dealing with various issues in their own way. Both the characters from the Looney Tunes, as well as the Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoon shorts, were given a 21st century update, with episodes also including a musical short; the first series also included computer-animated shorts involving new antics between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Thumb Fun is a 1952 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on March 1, 1952, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Mel Blanc provided the voices for both of the characters.

Tom Turk and Daffy is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The cartoon was released on February 12, 1944, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce are both the writers of the short, and are credited here as "The Staff".

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. 306. 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.
  3. ↑ Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 157. ISBN   978-1-64722-137-9.
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.