Daffy Duck Slept Here

There's a convention in town and Porky Pig can't find a place to stay. A lone vacancy opens up at a nearby hotel, but the catch is that the room will have to be shared. That wouldn't be a problem if the other person wasn't Daffy Duck, who barges in at God-knows-what time with his invisible kangaroo friend and wakes Porky from his much-needed slumber. 'Daffy Duck Slept Here (1948)' is all about the conflict that arises when Porky realises just how unlikely he is to actually get some sleep when sharing a bed with his hyperactive roommate. It has plenty of goofy, usually absurdist gags and operates on a distinctly cartoon logic that provides plenty of opportunity for laughter. It really makes you understand just how annoying Daffy Duck truly is, as his behavior is directed solely towards a sympathetic character. We identify more with Porky than with Daffy, so it can be a bit grating to see him act so unreasonable. It's lucky, then, that Porky ends up getting the last laugh, which leaves things on somewhat of a high note. Overall, this is an enjoyable, if occasionally frustrating, short that has plenty of amusing moments sprinkled throughout.

A convention is in town and Porky Pig can't find a free hotel room. He is lucky to get a newly released room, but he has to share it with Daffy Duck. Porky hopes for a levelheaded roommate, but Daffy claims that there is an invisible kangaroo called Hymie. On top of that, Daffy is one annoying bedmate.

Porky and Daffy are a funny comedy duo. They can go from enemies to friends. For this one, I am reminded of Planes, Trains and Automobiles especially the motel room section. Like PTA, these are two fantastic comedic performers teaming up. The invisible kangaroo is a little out there. Maybe treat it like Harvey instead.

We have here Daffy being as obnoxious as he can be as he tortures Porky Pig, with whom he is sharing a room. This is an early McKimson, and one of his best. In a couple of years, Chuck Jones would take Daffy and remold his personality, but here we see a fine mechanical rendition of the little black duck.

Daffy is annoying here - VERY annoying. But I guess he cannot help it, he's a crazy little black duck (with undiagnosed ADD). I like Daffy despite his irritating behaviour, however it becomes a wee bit boring after a while. For some reason I feel Porky was good here, coping for a surprisingly long time with Daffy's manner - and being rather cute. Daffy is a good character, entertaining all the way, though annoying to poor Porky (he never seems to be annoying to the audience here, when I am the only one in the audience anyway).

Porky Pig needs a place to spend the night, but unfortunately, at the city he stops at, all the hotels have no vacancy - except for one. Porky manages to book a room - and he finds he has to share it with a very annoying roommate. Daffy seems to go to all ends to frustrate poor Porky, every way funny for us...

I recommend this fun (and fun-ny!) Daffy Duck and Porky short to anyone who does not like to see Porky too bullied in Looney Tunes, a crazy, brilliant Daffy and a good plot theme in a cartoon. Enjoy "Daffy Duck Slept Here"! :-)

8 and a half out of ten.

Robert McKimson's 'Daffy Duck Slept Here' is one of the director's flat out funniest cartoons. Opening with some good sight gags as Porky Pig tries in vain to find a room for the night, the short really gets hilarious the moment the ever brilliant Daffy Duck appears. Forced to share a room with the roommate from hell, Porky tries everything to ignore the crazy duck to no avail. Beginning with a surreal conversation about a six foot, invisible kangaroo that parodies 'Harvey', 'Daffy Duck Slept Here' goes on to squeeze every last laugh out of two characters sharing a bed. The light is constantly switched on and off as Daffy finds more and more ways to prevent Porky from getting his good night's sleep. When the pig finally snaps and throws Daffy out of a 30th floor window, it leads to one of the strangest and funniest climaxes McKimson ever put on film. Daffy's closing line is one of my all time favourites. While 'Daffy Duck Slept Here' is well directed and performed by all involved, the real star is Warren Foster's highly original script which confounds expectations at every turn. Cartoon clichés are nowhere to be found here, replaced by witty, oddball dialogues and unusual plot twists. All in all, 'Daffy Duck Slept Here' is one of the strongest films McKimson ever directed.