The opening shot in this Clampett cartoon is a beautiful panoramic reveal that gives a real dept to the surroundings. It introduces us to the Meek farm where the man of the house has been ordered by his wife Sweety Puss to kill a duck for din-dins (or she'll cook his goose, if you know what I mean). In a scene that seems a bit drawn out (no pun) by today's standards, Meek creeps up on Daffy while his animators take great care animating his shadow. Then they discards it like Peter Pan's once it has served it's purpose (very convenient). How's this for useless trivia: this timid character shares the same voice and wife as the Love Bird from Sylvester's debut 'Life with Feathers' (1945). He does however get to utter that one line that elevates any film to instant greatness: "Wat have I done?" (two conditions: it has to be said earnestly, and variations that are not in the first person don't count).
Daffy shows us how to do a gruesome headless duck routine with the help of a ketchup bottle and a built in turtle neck sweater. Then he takes the fight into the Meek household giving this poor guy the pie, some tongue, the Daffy drawn on the wall bit and finally the big bang boom razzmatazz routine (it was wartime after all). At first we think Meek and his Puss must be quite well off, judging by the size of their furniture. The oven, where a lot of the gags take place, is especially monstrous. But when you realize Mr. Meek is really not much taller than the average duck, it becomes less impressive. Daffy sure had a habit of repeating himself in the early days (he even mentions it himself). In this one he sneaks in the old gag about reading the bumps on your head twice. At that point the meek can't stands no more and goes all Popeye on him. Daffy's last stand involves an uncomfortably long strip-tease. (I am not sure if this was what the G. I.'s were hoping for). Meek sure enough falls for it, but then of course we're glad never to find out what his 'Sweety Puss' looks like.
5 out of 10
