Interesting observation by Slate who looks at the 18 times Daffy Duck gets shot in the face within the three “Hunting Trilogy” Looney Tunes shorts.
Between 1951 and 1953, legendary animator Chuck Jones directed his “Hunting Trilogy,” three short Looney Tunes that are among the classics of the form. The premise of each short is simple: (1) The dimwitted Elmer Fudd tiptoes his way into the forest, (2) Daffy Duck tries to persuade Elmer that it’s wabbit season, while Bugs Bunny tries to persuade Elmer that it’s really duck season, (3) Daffy is outmaneuvered and takes some lead to the face.
Duck Season.
Would you like to shoot him now, or wait ’til you get home?
“Aha! Pronoun trouble.” Possibly my favorite Daffy line of all time.
The “variations in executions,” i.e., the visuals, are probably the most memorable of what made these cartoons classics. But the other part was the character clash between Daffy and Bugs. As Slate notes, “Daffy is outmaneuvered” by Bugs, leading to the shootings. But the dialogue cleverly brings out the edge that Bugs has over Daffy. Bugs doesn’t get all hot and bothered and flustered like Daffy; he just gets even in his own clever way. Daffy takes everything personally, getting all upset and making it easier to outsmart him. Chuck Jones, who excelled at bringing out character in his works, once said that Daffy Duck was the character he most closely identified with. Whatever, the combination of great visuals, dialogue, and character are what make these cartoons so appealing to both kids and adults. As a kid, you mostly love the shots to the face; as an adult, you can add appreciation of the dialogue and characters. The combo of the visual and verbal is what really made it great.
I have to admit that I laughed when I first saw these, but it’s hard to chuckle now, if you’ve seen Daffy lately. The effect of all those shots to the face over the years on such a great talent is really sad, and it’s hard to reconcile the Daffy of today with the happy, energetic little black duck who pranced on stage singing “Overture! Curtain lights!” all those decades ago.
It’s not hard to reconcile all Daffy’s quirks because he has always been the same duck . Jones’s is not that different from Avery’s , the unleashed id that is the little black Duck is just expressed in different ways . Jones’s is actually extremely relatable .