Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in "Daffy Doodles" (1946)

It seems to me that too often Robert McKimson while being praised as an animator gets overlooked or unfairly bashed as a director. Truth is that Robert McKimson was capable and often did direct some extremely funny cartoons. I have a special fondness for his films with Porky Pig and Daffy Duck together. While other directors abandoned the early crazy wild Daffy in favor of the later egotistical and bitter Daffy, McKimson kept the crazy Daffy alive much longer. He would also use Porky as a long suffering strait man to Daffy, getting more and more frustrated as the films go on. This lead to many of the director's wildest and funniest cartoons. One of the best was the first Looney Tune McKimson directed, Daffy Doodles. This is a near perfect cartoon that is constantly laugh out loud funny. It moves at a very fast pace getting as many great jokes out of the situation as possible. The animation is delightfully over the top. Later in his career as a director, McKimson would tone down how exaggerated the animation would be, but that is not the case here and the film is all the better for it. There is not a moment wasted in this cartoon as each scene brings a new and great laugh.

After director Frank Tashlin left Warner Brothers cartoons, McKimson would take over his unit. This lead to a rumor that this cartoon was started by Tashlin. In later years McKimson would argue saying that he started this cartoon, himself.


A working title for this film was Mustache Maniacs.

A reviewer in the Showman's Trade Review called this cartoon "Very Good" stating "This Technicolor cartoon should add fine entertainment to any bill." A review in The Film Daily stated "Funny sequences and plot should sell this."

This cartoon played with the feature film One More Tomorrow at The Strand theatre in New York the weeks of May 27th and June 3rd, 1946. This cartoon was rereleased in theaters in 1952 (on the week of December 1st through the week of December 15th, 1952 this cartoon played with the feature film, Kanas City Confidential at the Globe theatre in New York).      

AnimationArt Davis (Daffy around corner; Daffy paints mustache in air; Daffy hits stencil; Daffy down mail chute to end of film)

Antolle Kirsanoff (Daffy on Pantograph; Maid and baby; Daffy on sign; Daffy thru telescope; Daffy on sign; Daffy chases Porky)

Richard "Dick" Bickenbach (Porky as boobytrap; Daffy on pan sees Porky; Back shot of Porky and box; Porky opens box; Daffy up and out; Porky burns; Daffy starts up stairs; Daffy as guard; Daffy sees Bldg; Daffy in ecstasy; Porky on trail; Porky sees Daffy; Porky sees Daffy; Porky and telescope; Porky takes; Daffy swinging; Porky socks Daffy)

 Izzy Ellis (Daffy into subway; Daffy waiting for train; Daffy paints people on train; People on train; Daffy starts upstairs)

Cal Dalton (Porky on trail of Daffy; Daffy lands does Leon Errol; Daffy on ledge; Daffy threatens; Daffy jumps; Daffy paints mustache on Porky; Porky burns; Porky chases Daffy; Daffy + Porky in wreckage)

Don Williams (Porky + Daffy crash thru Skylight)

Ray (Patin?) (Daffy + mustache stencil)

Story: Daffy Duck is a mysterious criminal who goes around painting mustaches on every face. This includes both posters and real people. Officer Porky Pig is sent to catch the "mustache fiend." Porky disguises himself as a booby trap but this doesn't work and Daffy is still on the loose. This leads to a huge slapstick chase, with Daffy often getting the best of poor Porky. However Daffy eventually outsmarts himself, handcuffing himself to Porky. Daffy ends up on trial. He then promises never to paint another mustache and a jury of Jerry Colonnas let him go free. He stays true to his word, he doesn't paint another mustache. He's doing beards now.



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-Michael J. Ruhland