The Ducktators

Last updated
The Ducktators
DucktatorsTC.png
Directed by Norman McCabe
Story byMelvin Millar
Produced by Leon Schlesinger
Starring
Narrated byJohn McLeish [1]
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation byJohn Carey
Color processBlack and White
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • August 1, 1942 (1942-08-01)
Running time
7:43
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Ducktators is a 1942 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Norman McCabe. [2] The short was released on August 1, 1942, and satirizes events of World War II. [3] The title is a pun on dictator .

Contents

Plot

A pair of farm ducks eagerly await the hatching of their duckling from a uniquely black-colored egg. To their surprise, a white duckling with a toothbrush mustache emerges, named Adolf Hitler, who immediately begins shouting "Sieg Heil!" and giving the Nazi salute. Throughout his adulthood, Hitler gives aggressive speeches to the other ducks and geese, with his only ally being a large Neapolitan-accented goose named Benito Mussolini.

As Hitler's stormtroopers surround the farm, a Dove of Peace watches from above, weeping at the impending violence. A peace conference is attempted, but Hitler disrupts it by shredding the peace treaty and inciting a brawl. Meanwhile, a peculiar Japanese duck named Hideki Tojo arrives to support Hitler and Mussolini but inadvertently angers a sea turtle by mistaking it for an island and planting a sign on its shell.

The trio of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo set out to conquer the farm, but the Dove of Peace, aided by chickens, a rescued chick, and a rabbit resembling Jerry Colonna, thwarts their plans. The Dove then proudly displays the defeated trio's heads as trophies while encouraging patriotism through buying United States' state bonds.

Political references

The duckling that hatched from the egg had a mustache and a Nazi emblem throughout the cartoon, indicating that this character symbolized Adolf Hitler. The goose who became a comrade to the duck had an open Italian accent and, at the end of one of his speeches, a chick can be heard yelling "Duce!" multiple times, indicating that this goose is Benito Mussolini. The second duck utilized the flag of the Empire of Japan, and openly sang a version of "The Japanese Sandman" with altered lyrics. He is presumably intended to be Hideki Tojo, judging by the military hat he is wearing. [4] However, he is commonly misidentified as Hirohito. The black duck may be a reference to Rommel as he was also from South Germany and spoke with an accent, but can also relate to how African Americans were a huge demographic in the Southern United States at the time.

Changes in Sunset Productions version

The original ending, featuring the Dove proudly displaying his defeated enemies' heads above the fireplace and urging viewers to buy war bonds, was rarely seen after the short was sold to Sunset Productions in the 1950s and syndicated through Guild Films. While the cartoon is in the public domain, this edited version has often appeared on VHS and DVD collections. However, the uncut and uncensored full ending can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6 DVD set and in the World War II cartoons special on the Cartoon Network show ToonHeads . [5]

Reception

The Film Daily called the short "Acceptable", saying, "Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito are taken for a ride – a one-way ride – in this animated cartoon, which produces many laughs at their expense." [6]

Home media

Due to the short's World War II stereotypes, it has rarely been shown on American television, except for Cartoon Network as part of its anthology television show, ToonHeads . The Ducktators is available uncut on Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6 , Disc 2.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Looney Tunes</i> Warner Bros. animated short film series and media franchise

Looney Tunes is an American animated franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. It began as a series of short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, along with its partner series Merrie Melodies, during the golden age of American animation. Following a revival in the late 1970s, new shorts were released as recently as 2014. The two series introduced a large cast of characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. The term Looney Tunes has since been expanded to also refer to the characters themselves.

<i>Porky in Wackyland</i> 1938 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

Porky in Wackyland is a 1938 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short film, directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on September 24, 1938, and stars Porky Pig venturing out to find the last do-do bird, which he finds in Wackyland, a land that makes no sense located in Darkest Africa.

Charlie Dog is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes series of cartoons. The character was featured in nine cartoons between 1941 and 1958. He is generally characterized as a friendly wise guy.

<i>Merrie Melodies</i> Cartoon series owned by Warner Bros. (1931–1969 and 1988–1997)

Merrie Melodies is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the partner series to Looney Tunes and featured many of the same characters. It originally ran from August 2, 1931, to September 20, 1969, during the golden age of American animation, though it was revived in 1979, with new shorts sporadically released until June 13, 1997. Originally, Merrie Melodies placed emphasis on one-shot color films in comparison to the black-and-white Looney Tunes films. After Bugs Bunny became the breakout character of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes transitioned to color production in the early 1940s, the two series gradually lost their distinctions and shorts were assigned to each series randomly.

Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier are animated cartoon characters in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. Spike is a burly, gray bulldog wearing a red sweater, a brown bowler hat, and a perpetual scowl. Chester is a Jack Russell terrier who is just the opposite, small and jumpy with yellow fur and brown, perky ears.

<i>Golden Yeggs</i> 1950 film by Friz Freleng

Golden Yeggs is a 1950 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on August 5, 1950, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. A forerunner of the Rocky and Mugsy characters appear, with Rocky already in his present-day form.

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

Petunia Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. She looks much like her significant other, Porky Pig, except that she wears a dress and has pigtailed black hair.

Granny (<i>Looney Tunes</i>) Warner Bros. fictional character

Granny is a fictional character created by Friz Freleng, best known from the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated short films of the 1950s and 1960s. She is the owner of Tweety Bird and, more often than not, Sylvester and Hector. Her voice was first provided by Bea Benaderet from 1950 through 1955, then by June Foray for almost 60 years then Candi Milo took over in 2017 following Foray's death.

<i>I Love to Singa</i> 1936 film

I Love to Singa is a 1936 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on July 18, 1936.

Tin Pan Alley Cats is a 1943 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies directed by Bob Clampett. A follow-up to Clampett's successful Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, released earlier in 1943, Tin Pan Alley Cats focuses upon contemporary themes of African-American culture, jazz music, and World War II, and features a caricature of jazz musician Fats Waller as an anthropomorphic cat. The short's centerpiece is a fantasy sequence derived from Clampett's black and white Looney Tunes short Porky in Wackyland (1938).

<i>Transylvania 6-5000</i> (1963 film) 1963 animated short film by Chuck Jones

Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on November 30, 1963, and stars Bugs Bunny.

<i>The Stupid Cupid</i> 1944 film

The Stupid Cupid is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The cartoon was released on November 25, 1944, and stars Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.

<i>Scrap Happy Daffy</i> 1943 film by Frank Tashlin

Scrap Happy Daffy is a 1943 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Frank Tashlin. The cartoon was released on August 21, 1943, and stars Daffy Duck.

Ain't That Ducky is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on May 19, 1945, and stars Daffy Duck.

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>Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6</i> 2008 American film

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6 is a four-disc DVD box set collection of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Following the pattern of one release each year of the previous volumes, it was released on October 21, 2008. It is the final release in the Golden Collection series. Succeeding the Golden Collection series would be the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection series on Blu-ray, first released November 2011. On July 3, 2012, a two-disc DVD version of Volume 1 of the Platinum Collection was released.

<i>The Booze Hangs High</i> 1930 film

The Booze Hangs High, released in December 1930, is the fourth title in the Looney Tunes series. The short features Bosko, Warner Bros.' first cartoon character.

This is a listing of all theatrical animated shorts released by Warner Bros. under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies banners between 1970 and the present. It also lists shorts originally planned for theatrical release and other shorts that were not feature films, television series, or television specials.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voices from the Golden Age, 1930–70. BearManor Media. p. 51. ISBN   979-8-88771-010-5.
  2. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 131. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  3. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. XXX. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Schneider, Steve (1988). That's All, Folks! : The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Co. p. 86. ISBN   0-8050-0889-6.
  5. ↑ "The Censored Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide: D". Archived from the original on 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  6. ↑ "Reviews of Short Subjects". The Film Daily . 82 (56): 6. September 17, 1942. Retrieved 7 November 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.