Scrap Happy Daffy (1943)

Sorry, this movie sucks

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

CAST: Daffy Duck, Nazi Goat. Director: FRANK TASHLIN. Story: Don Christensen. Animator: Arthur Davis. Music director: Carl W. Stalling. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Producer: Leon Schlesinger. Not copyrighted. A Warner Bros Looney Tunes cartoon. U.S. release: 21 August 1943. 1 reel. 8 minutes. COMMENT: I've alays wanted to view one of Frank Tashlin's cartoons, and this most inventively drawn and stylized entry has all the characteristics of inventiveness and whimsy we expect of Frank Tashlin at his best. Despite the fact that the primary reason for the cartoon's existence is its blatant propaganda message, Tashlin's approach is so appealing it still wins out over the script's simple-minded jingoism. And I just love Daffy's transformation into Super American Duck!

Daffy Duck is one of Looney Tunes' best, most interesting in personality and most iconic characters and one of my favourites in animation. His best cartoons are cartoon masterpieces and there is good reason as to why Daffy is used frequently.'Scrap Happy Daffy' is not one of his very finest cartoons, but it is still great and an interesting piece of history. It is not subtle in its treatment of Hitler, clearly intentional and not objectionable (if slightly too unsubtle for a cartoon), and paints him in the very opposite of a positive light (then again when was he never not?). Few people are going to object to this portrayal, it is widely acknowledged that Hitler was a terrible man and a cartoon portraying him in this way is for the time quite brave.The animation as to be expected is very good. The black and white is crisp and there is meticulous background detail and smooth character drawing.Carl Stalling to me was always the best Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes composer as well as the most consistent. 'Scrap Happy Daffy' is another example of consistent greatness, his music is lushly orchestration, cleverly synchronised, vibrant, characterful and not only fits and adds to the action but actually enhances it.While there is a seriousness in the message it's portraying, which makes its point but never preachy, 'Scrap Happy Daffy' doesn't forget to be funny. Sometimes it is even hilarious and is timed very well. Daffy has his manic, energetic and witty persona and carries the cartoon with aplomb.Voice acting is very good, superb in the case of Mel Blanc. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Scrap Happy Daffy (1943)*** 1/2 (out of 4)Here's another product of its time, which of course was World War II. The short is basically telling people to scrap metal for the war effort so Hitler gets concerned that Daffy's scrap is too much so he sends a metal-eating goat to destroy it.SCRAP HAPPY DAFFY is a pretty interesting film for a number of reasons. For starters, it was filmed in B&W since it wasn't meant for a wide release. The images are actually a lot more striking in B&W and especially the scenes of Hitler ranting and raving. Another thing that separates this is that it's not all that "kid friendly" like so many of the other Daffy shorts. For the most part this here is extremely entertaining and I especially liked the middle finger it was giving to Hitler. There are some very good action scenes and just an overall high level of fun.

Another of the long forgotten Warner propaganda cartoons - like THE DUCKTATORS it is black and white, not in color. However, it is more concentrated in story line (oddly enough) than THE DUCKTATORS. Daffy is in charge of the scrap metal collection, and has a mountain of tin and iron and copper and the rest (from a distance it looks like the Statue of Liberty). A headline shows that Daffy claims it helped unseat Mussolini (in 1943 Il Duce was thrown out of his job as "Prime Minister" of Italy, and imprisoned - subsequently the Nazis freed him for awhile, but in 1945 he'd be killed by partisans). Hitler reads that Daffy claims it will do the same to Hitler. So the Fuhrer orders the destruction of Daffy's junk piles. We see the order sent through several layers of German officials (the second is the fat, broad front of Herman Goering - but we don't see his face). A special U-boat is sent to "torpedo" the pile. The torpedo contains a secret weapon - a goat!The goat does damage, and when Daffy tries to confront it he knocks the duck about. Daffy is about to give in when he is confronted by various historical ancestors (Pilgrim, Revolutionary Soldier, Frontiersman, an "Abe Lincoln" clone, a "John Paul Jones" clone) restore his self respect - he turns into super-duck and destroys the goat and the submarine...or he thinks he did when he wakes up from a nap. Did it happen or not? I leave that for you to find out.