One of the great classics of animation, Bob Clampett's 'The Great Piggy Bank Robbery' is one of the best cartoons ever made and the perfect starting point for anyone interested in Clampett's work. Daffy Duck eagerly awaits the arrival of his new Dick Tracy comic but while reading it he accidentally knocks himself out and dreams that he is Duck Twacy, investigating the theft of his piggy bank. Working from a terrific script by Warren Foster, Clampett injects his trademark wild energy and bizarre execution of gags to make 'The Great Piggy Bank Robbery' spellbindingly energetic and unforgettably eerie. The moment when Daffy finds himself face to face with a roomful of oddball villains is a tour de force with astonishing moment after astonishing moment. It culminates in the breathtaking scene in which Daffy machine guns them all to death and they topple towards the camera one by one into a big pile. There are plenty of other incredible moments to look out for, including Daffy being rubbed out, tracking footprints across the ceiling and separating up his own body parts to escape from a huddle of bad guys. 'The Great Piggy Bank Robbery' is almost as much of a one-duck show as Chuck Jones's 'Duck Amuck', allowing Daffy to do all the talking as he tracks down and eludes the criminals. Mel Blanc does a wonderful job as Daffy babbles away to the audience. Being a huge Daffy Duck fan, 'The Great Piggy Bank Robbery' was obviously going to be one of my all-time favourites and it vies with 'Duck Amuck' for the position of my very favourite of all time. It is unequivocally Bob Clampett's greatest masterpiece.
