Daffy Duck Hunt

Daffy Duck Hunt (1949)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Porky Pig goes hunting and ends up bringing Daffy Duck back with him. However, Porky's dog decides he has his own plans for the duck, which includes accidentally letting him out of the freezer. This is a decent short from the Merrie Melodies gang but it's certainly no classic. This is certainly fairly entertaining but when you've got Daffy and Porky together I expect a lot more. The best sequence in the film happens towards the start when the dog and Daffy come up with an agreement to make the dog look good. When the action heads back to Porky's house things get a little weak but this is still worth watching at least once.

I really enjoyed Daffy Duck Hunt, even if it is a little uneven at times. The first four minutes are absolutely hilarious, with razor-sharp dialogue and hysterical visual gags. The last half or so is still entertaining, but one or jokes aren't as well timed and come off as predictable. The animation is absolutely excellent, as is the music. Plus Mel Blanc's characterisations as Daffy, Porky and Barnyard Dog are simply brilliant! Daffy himself is still his outrageous and manic self, and man isn't he hysterical here? The end line and the part with the can can especially had me in stitches. Porky once again isn't given as much to do, but he is solid, and Barnyard Dog is a worthy foil here. Overall, hugely enjoyable, uneven at times, but it is still very funny and Daffy is stellar. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Porky is in the blinds duck hunting. Daffy sneaks up from behind and empties his shotgun shells, saying, "Duck hunters is the cwaziest people."

The cocky Daffy then flies overhead and announces, "Here I am, fat boy. Here's your target!" Then, even more of an outrageous scene, Daffy reappears in back of Porky, dons a frilly skirt and sings a can-can. He then "moons" the pig with a bullseye drawn on his butt (knowing the shells are blanks). Porky shoots, Daffy dramatically pretends he is hit, but flies away laughing. Porky is ticked off, to say the least!!! He sends his dog out after him.

The dog is smarter than Porky and fools Daffy and a couple more minutes of fantastic material is presented. The first four minutes of this seven-minute short are about as good as it gets. The last three minutes are so-so. Overall, still very entertaining.

Daffy Duck lets a dog take him home, under the pretense that the dog caught him for Porky Pigs supper, only to be trapped there when the dog won't let him leave. This is vintage wacky Daffy all the way. Almost makes me forget that McKimson directed it. Actually in this short Daffy may be even a little too nuts for my liking in some respects. But the film does move at a pretty good clip and is frequently quite funny indeed, so i'll recommend it, just steer clear of McKimson's Bugs Bunny shorts. This animated short can be found on disc 4 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1.

My Grade: B

Porky Pig and his loyal dog are out hunting duck. However, of all the possible ducks they could go after, it's just bad luck that they go after the craziest duck in the swamp - Daffy Duck! And Daffy is too much of a wise-quacker to get caught easily by anyone.

I'm a big fan of Daffy Duck but I vastly prefer him when he is in fully `crazy' mood, doing all sorts of manic things; I find that much funnier than his later greedy & selfish personae. Here he is spot on in his crazy personae and he totally makes this cartoon work. The plot is split between the hunt and Porky's house (where Daffy gets taken in an agreement with the dog). While the hunt section is funny, the stuff in the house is much better and is a perfect forum for Daffy to do his stuff. It is funny and imaginative throughout.

Daffy is great here and his manic actions and delivery are hilarious. Porky is not a great character but he is good in a solid partnership; here then, he works and reacts well to the action. The downtrodden dog is good but I must admit that I didn't like some of his voice work here in comparison to some other Daffy shorts I have seen him in.

Overall, for true Daffy Duck fans (i.e. those who appreciate him when he is daffy) this cartoon will be hilarious. For those who have yet to be won over by the little black duck, this will surely help you come round to my way of thinking. Personally, `I like him; he's silly.'