To Duck... or Not to Duck (1943) User Reviews

To duck...or not to duck... that is the question

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 7 July 2010]

To Duck... or Not to Duck was a very good cartoon, if not quite outstanding. The story is on the routine side, and the cartoon starts off a tad slow in comparison to what happens later. But once we are introduced to the boxing match, which is by far and away the highlight of To Duck... or Not to Duck, it picks up considerably. The animation is pretty to look at, not the most pristine looking cartoon of the Looney Tunes cartoons, but it looks handsome enough to me. The music is very good, the dialogue is great(Daffy and Elmer both have their fair share of great lines but Laramar the Dog gets the best line of the entire cartoon in my opinion) and the sight gags are interesting. Daffy and Elmer are very entertaining, Daffy being manic and witty and Elmer being a worthy if clueless foil, while Laramar is great support. Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan both do a stellar job once again with the voices. Overall, entertaining and fun, not outstanding but very good all the same. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"What protection have I got?!"

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 11 June 2015]

. . . Daffy Duck demands of hunter Elmer Fudd at the outset of TO DUCK . . . OR NOT TO DUCK. For years Disney families had wanted Bambi's clan to be able to exercise their Second Amendment Rights. (If the Bambis had turned out to be dyed-in-the-wool pacifists, Thumper-with-a-Thompson-Sub-Machinegun would be the next best thing.) Unfortunately, things have not turned out as Hunky Dory for humans in Real Life as they seem to be at the end of DUCK. America's Critters increasingly are resorting to Biological Warfare in a coordinated campaign that may have Humanity closer to the Brink of Extinction than we think. In clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, Elsie and her cohorts are threatening people with the incurable, inevitably fatal Mad Cow Disease every time we gulp down a burger. Squirrels in Kentucky have jumped on this Prion sneak attack bandwagon for anyone eating their state stew. Bambi's descendants are helping to spread Lyme Disease all over America. Pigs are vying with our feathered "friends" to see which can mutate a flu virus into an airborne Super Bug lethal to humans. With food sources such as these, who needs enemies?

None of this or this!

[TheMan3051 · 8/10 · 2 July 2002]

While the Daffy Duck of the `50s and `60s was funny, there is no beating the Daffy from the `30s and `40s and here is proof of that and who can forget the famous Daffy laugh which inspired the Woody Woodpecker laugh? I don't know if it was because of Woody that the Daffy laugh was absent in the `50s and `60s but I don't think so because both Woody Woodpecker and Daffy Duck were performed by Mel Blanc.

The Best of Daffy

[wgviper13 · 9 July 2004]

A great cartoon. The unpredictable set-up (Daffy backs Elmer through the marsh up into a boxing ring!) begins a hilarious pro-duck boxing match. Elmer is of course, completely over-matched and clueless (but surprisingly gets back and Daffy and Co. at the end), and Daffy has a funny line to the audience-"Ain't he a dope?". The referee is a strong, (literally) well-rounded character, too. But the best line might be from Laramor the dog, "There's something screwy about this fight, or my name isn't Laramor...and it isn't". I know that they can't have them all on the Golden Collection, but this, among other early 40s' shorts should have been included and hopefully will be available soon on DVD.

A nice, clean fight.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 9 August 2019]

'To Duck... Or Not To Duck (1943)' pairs the fast-talking Daffy Duck with the affable Elmer Fudd. The former wants to fight the latter mano-a-mano in a much 'fairer' setting than usual, opting for an odd boxing match that might just be rigged in his favour. The short really centres around this idea, even if it seems incredibly 'left field' when it's first introduced. Arguably, it's more entertaining before the boxing ring even comes into play, with Daffy's daft dialogue and Fudd's likeable apologies combining for a compelling dynamic. Still, the flick is constantly enjoyable and often quite funny, finding humour in both its visuals and its narrative. It ends on a nice note, too. 7/10

Boxing Rules 101

[travisimo · 9/10 · 19 January 2004]

After Elmer declares himself to be a great sportsman, Daffy Duck challenges him to a boxing match to see if he's such a great sportsman without his rifle and hunting dog. This cartoon uses one of the most memorable gags that I can remember from any cartoon. As the boxing referee goes over the rules, he uses Elmer as a dummy on what not to do (None of this, or this, or like so). That will never leave me and I hope to use that tactic to my own advantage someday (Hee, hee, hee!) The boxing match is pretty much the only highlight of the cartoon. Everything leading up to it is so-so, but it is a very memorable sequence of comedy. I especially liked when Elmer's dog, Laramore, was pelted with garbage from the all-duck crowd when he booed what was going on in the ring. This is just a classic cartoon for the Warner Brothers team.

My IMDb Rating: 9/10

Very good, but compares poorly to later pairings of Daffy and Elmer

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 June 2007]

I guess I might have enjoyed this cartoon a lot more if it weren't for the fact that there were so many better Looney Toons cartoons that also paired Daffy and Elmer Fudd. The most famous of these later pairings also included Bugs Bunny and it was all about whether or not it was duck or rabbit hunting season. There also was another where Elmer took Daffy home after a hunt and Daffy pretended to be Santa! Both of these are classics.

As for this cartoon, the animation isn't quite as pretty as some of the cartoons from the late 40s, but it's still awfully good. The story begins with Elmer and his dog hunting. Daffy is hit and caught but he begins to verbally attack Elmer for "unsportsman-like behavior" and challenges him to a very one-sided and obviously fixed boxing match--with another duck as the referee. The laughs are there and there is a lot to like--but I never loved this or laughed like I did for the later times that I saw these two great Looney Tunes characters together.

One-Sided Boxing Match With Hilarious Results

[jeremycrimsonfox · 8/10 · 21 August 2020]

After Elmer shoots down Daffy and gloats about being a great sportsman, Daffy gets offended, and forces him into a boxing match (but not before taking his weapons and hunting coat away while ranting about fair play). However, this is where the cartoon reaches it funny point, as the fight ends up being one-sided,

Made back in a time before Daffy was a rival to Bugs, and acted like a greedy jerk who wanted the spotlight, this short is a neat and funny. Although it takes a while for it to get to the funny part (mainly starts when the referee starts using Elmer as a dummy to demonstrate what he calls rough stuff), it's pretty clear the match is basically rigged to Daffy's favor. But thankfully, while Elmer does lose (no thanks to be knocked out by Daffy hitting him with a mallet), he does get even at the end, as he soon gives Daffy and the referee a taste of their own medicine. This is one worth watching.

Lots of Original Gags

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 25 March 2019]

Something I've often wondered about is the term sportsman for a person who takes a powerful rifle or shotgun and fires at a defenseless creature. I'm not anti-hunting, just annoyed by that term. In this one, Daffy has had enough and decides to settle things with Elmer Fudd in the boxing ring. Daffy has a clear advantage and many cartoons that followed used some of the same bits. Elmer does get the last word.

none of this or this or this (but lots of the cartoon, please)

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 3 June 2007]

Few of the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts dealt with physical activities more hilariously than "To Duck... or Not to Duck", as over-energetic Daffy challenges gullible Elmer to a boxing match weighed heavily in his own favor. If you thought that the White Sox scandal of 1919 was screwed up, then you ain't seen nothing yet! Quite simply, it's the sort of thing that only Daffy could do. I noticed in one scene that Elmer's pants fell down and it looked like you could see his butt! They actually got that on screen in 1943! Of course, these cartoons were always looking for ways to push the limits. I'd better be certain of that or my name isn't Lee Eisenberg...and it isn't! (just kidding: it is)

My personal opinion...

[Mightyzebra · 5/10 · 2 March 2008]

Unlike many other reviewers on this website, I did not enjoy this short that much. Personally I found it too short, a little boring, plot-less and mediocre. I felt the animation was not worked on nearly as much as it could have been (unlike other Daffy episodes at the time) and I also found the slapstick a little overdone, especially as I expected something with hardly any slapstick in it all (like a lot of Daffy episodes at the time).

There were things I did like about it as well. The STYLE of animation for Daffy is one of my favoured ones and there also happen to be quite a few good gags on here. Also I quite like the referee, quite a nice jolly duck.

This short is mainly for those who prefer episodes with much Looney Tunes slapstick and the same sort of theme as episodes of the 50's and 60's and for people who like ALL Daffy Duck stuff.

I may have submitted quite a negative review, but don't forget some of you out there will enjoy this! ;-)

5 and a half out of ten.

Available on YouTube

Entertaining Short

[Michael_Elliott · 28 March 2016]

To Duck or Not To Duck (1943)

*** (out of 4)

Elmer Fudd and his beloved dog Rover are out duck hunting when they com across Daffy Duck. Soon Daffy and Elmer are in a boxing ring where you know the duck isn't going to play by the rules.

If you're a fan of Daffy and Elmer then you're obviously going to want to check this early teaming out. I don't think this here is one of the best shorts together as the series would eventually get much better but there are still plenty of nice laughs here that make it worth viewing. There's no question that the highlight happens early on when there's some "duck shot" being fired at Daffy as he flies through some clouds. As you'd expect the animation is of the highest quality.

Daffy "Good to His Mother" Duck

[slymusic · 21 April 2010]

Directed by Chuck Jones, "To Duck....or Not to Duck" is a Daffy Duck/Elmer Fudd cartoon that is not Warner Bros.' finest hour, but then, even the best in the business (like Chuck) have their failures now and then. The problem with this particular cartoon is that it doesn't really go anywhere. Daffy challenges Fudd to a boxing match, in which the hapless hunter is absolutely no match for the swaggering duck.

Only two scenes in this short that I find funny: First, at the very opening, Daffy frolics and sings while flying, and he points out the "duck shot" that narrowly misses him. And second, after Daffy says to Elmer "A great sportsman, eh?", Daffy is hilarious as he rapidly grunts and wildly gyrates his body.

I can't really recommend "To Duck....or Not to Duck" very highly, but if you wish to see it for yourselves, at least there'll be no harm done. Catch it on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 Disc 1.