The Ducksters (1950)

Quiz-show contestant Porky is the one who's supposed to be penalized each time he misses a question, but host Daffy is the one who winds up getting safes and boulders dropped on him and deluged by torrents of water.

Director:

Chuck Jones

Writer:

Michael Maltese (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Daffy Duck / Porky Pig / Audience Member (voice)

Storyline

Daffy Duck as a radio quiz-show host, and Porky Pig as his contestant. Daffy penalizes Porky very roughly if he doesn't answer a question properly or within the (ridiculously short) designated time. He: drops safes, boulders and waterfalls on Porky; forces Porky to name all 48 states in a very brief moment of time; locks Porky in with a ravenous gorilla and threatens him.

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Plot Keywords:

quiz show | looney tunes | reference to daffy duck | reference to porky pig | guillotine | 

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Genres:

Family | Animation | Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1950 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Miss Shush" Porky is asked to identify by the sound of brushing her teeth is actually, as Daffy tells the audience, "Mamie the 600-Pound Gorilla who appears in Obnoxious Pictures' 'Jungle Jitters'". Both the character and film are fictitious; this is not a reference to the M-G-M cartoon Jungle Jitters directed by Ub Iwerks nor Warner Brothers' own 1938 cartoon of the same name, directed by Friz Freleng, the latter of which did not feature a gorilla.

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Goofs

Porky is asked who won the New Zealand heavyweight championship of 1735; however, New Zealand did not have a permanent European presence until after 1800.

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Quotes

Daffy Duck: And for being such a good sport, I'm going to give you the 26 million dollars and three cents.
Porky Pig: [on phone] H-hello, I would like to speak to the president of the Ajax Broadcasting Company.
[pause]
Porky Pig: H-hello? How much will you take for your television network?
[pause]
Porky Pig: Eh, 26 million dollars and three cents? Sold!
Daffy Duck: [uneasy] Hello, boss.
[gulps]
Porky Pig: [snatches Daffy's answer sheet] In w-what latitude and l-longitude did the wreck of the Hesperus occur?
Daffy Duck: Well, I...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Behind the Tunes: Porky Pig Roast - A Tribute to the World's Most Famous Ham (2003)

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Soundtracks

"I'm in Love"
(uncredited)
Music by Jule Styne
Played during the opening credits and at the beginning

User Reviews

A personal favourite. Shockingly sadistic and hysterically funny

Since I first saw it at a very young age, I've always found Chuck Jones's 'The Ducksters' to be one of the funniest cartoons I've ever seen. This is largely due to Michael Maltese's hilarious script but, as always, Jones displays extraordinary timing in bringing it to the screen. A spoof of radio quiz shows, 'The Ducksters' is a deliciously sadistic film in which Daffy Duck's host terrorizes Porky Pig's contestant with impossible questions and horrendously violent penalties. The timing of both the verbal and physical antics is impeccable, leading up to a thoroughly satisfying finale with the iris closing on a fantastic climactic Daffy line. Rarely discussed or praised, 'The Ducksters' is a childhood favourite of mine and a cartoon very dear to my heart. It's both rib-ticklingly witty and delightfully violent, which just about amounts to the perfect combination for this cartoon fanatic!