My Top Ten Daffy Duck Cartoons (#10 - 6) · 2:21am May 13th, 2021
As with my SpongeBob countdown, the full and original write-up of this list may be read on my DeviantArt account, here.
Welcome one and all to my next countdown of cartoons! This time we’re going back much further, from SpongeBob back into the Golden Age of Animation, for a countdown of my personal top ten picks for the best cartoons of Daffy Duck.
I grew up with the Looney Tunes. Bugs, Daffy, Tweety and Sylvester, and many others, they were all a big part of my childhood, thanks to my father being a big fan of the classic cartoons and having many tapes of the gang from Warner Bros.
Like I said before with my SpongeBob countdown, I’m not really in the business of creating “best of” lists, but I decided to try and throw my hat into the ring and offer my own, personal opinions on the character and his filmography.
Also, like before, this was a hard list to work out! I ended up having to come up with an “honorable mentions” section just to mention some cartoons that I really liked but found unable to put into the official countdown. (And even then, there are cartoons that I still love but had to ax from the honorable mentions as well… so please, don’t be bothered if you read this whole writeup and don’t find a choice cartoon here.)
So with all of that being said… let’s dive into this countdown, and see what that wise-quacking little black duck has to offer us. 
Number Ten: "The Ducksters" (1950)
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig have starred in a variety of cartoons together over the course of the 30s, 40s and onward, but has their rivalry ever been as sadistic as in this cartoon? Porky is a contestant on the radio quiz show Truth or AAAAAHHH!!! (Based on the popular radio show of the day, “Truth or Consequences”.) Daffy is the merciless host, putting the stammering pig through hell in the name of making Porky “pay the penalty” for missing questions, taking too long to answer, or whatever other infraction the black duck can think of. While Porky ultimately is able to turn the tables and give Daffy his comeuppance, this is definitely one of Chuck Jones' crueler cartoons.
It’s anarchic mayhem in the most Looney Tunes manner possible, and yet there are still some distinct touches of Chuck Jones’ style in this cartoon. Daffy is very much a screwball prankster in this cartoon, running rings around Porky for much of the runtime of this feature, and yet he does underestimate his victim at a few crucial moments – in particular whenever Porky actually loses his temper and threatens violence against Daffy. (Though that doesn’t stop Daffy from plugging his sponsor at one point, like any good radio shill of the day would 
)
Expressions play a very funny role in this cartoon, to go along with the liberal application of mallets to heads, dynamite, and other forms of over-the-top abuse inflicted on either contestant or M.C. Just look at Daffy’s face when Porky gets a ridiculously obscure question right. That expression of stunned shock, followed by his eyes darting to the answer sheet, is every bit as sidesplittingly funny as any bit of scene-chewing bouncing around. (“No coaching, please!”) The jokes in this cartoon work on two levels, being both physical and verbal humor aplenty - as well as just fitting quite well to the characters. Porky can't get the easy questions right because of his stutter, and even when he wins, he loses. Daffy can run rings around Porky at first, but ultimately sows the seed for his own downfall. In many ways this cartoon foreshadows many of Jones' later cartoons with these two later down the line. Regardless, "The Ducksters" is still a gleeful bit of dark fun.
Number Nine: "Duck Soup to Nuts" (1944)
In this cartoon from Friz Freleng, Daffy is once again being hunted. Unlike the usual expectation, his pursuer is not Elmer Fudd but Porky Pig – and Daffy is even less intimidated by the pantsless pig than he is of the regular Looney Tunes hunter, and brother does it show in this cartoon. Daffy pretty much runs circles around Porky from the instant the stuttering would-be sportsman arrives on the scene. Not frightened at all by Porky’s gun, Daffy instead badgers him with boasts of how he is no ordinary duck (he even flashes his contract with Warner Bros at one moment!) and in short order winds up chasing the pig around a rock.
Poor Porky seems outwitted at every turn. Perhaps the crowning moment of this is in a hilarious sequence where Daffy tricks Porky into believing that he’s an eagle. When the pig is about to jump off a tall tree to “prove” it, the brief look of triumph that Daffy gives the audience is delightful.
The conclusion of the cartoon is familiar, being based on a joke from a much earlier cartoon by Tex Avery ("Daffy Duck and Egghead") but the use of it is quite richly expanded on here: when Porky is finally about to shoot Daffy, the duck's tearful family suddenly shows up to say their goodbyes. Daffy's farewell to his children - with such names as Cecilia, Sylvester, Lathrop and Stanislaus, all hysterically pronounced by Daffy's lisp - is delightfully over-the-top, and Porky's embarrassed and guilty response just adds to the laughter. Of course, the whole maudlin scene is just another trick, and Porky comes back a-blasting away when he learns he's been had, but as a whole "Duck Soup to Nuts" is a fine demonstration of how far Daffy's cartoons had come since the earliest days of the character.
Number Eight: "Daffy Doodles" (1946)
Robert McKimson is often overlooked (or perhaps, rather, looked down on) among the directors of the Warner Bros. cartoon unit. His cartoons don’t have the mania and energy associated with Bob Clampett, or the wit and style we think of with Chuck Jones. But his first cartoon with Daffy Duck and Porky Pig sizzles and immediately catches one’s attention.
Daffy is a prankster who is defacing billboards and other signs by drawing mustaches on every face. (And on others’ faces too; nobody is safe from that paintbrush!) Porky is the police officer out to catch him. From this simple, zany premise comes a flood of gags, as the wacky black duck leads the poor stuttering pig on a chase through the subway, up a skyscraper and through the offices in the building. Daffy is just having a great time all the way through (even singing “She Was an Acrobat’s Daughter” when he swings to and fro to paint one billboard), but his zaniness is surprisingly amiable; he even helps to save Porky when the latter nearly falls off a ledge.
Ultimately, Porky manages to drag Daffy before a judge (“Be magnanimous – after all, you might be a fiend yourself someday,” Daffy pleads), but the duck winds up acquitted by a jury of mustached men. One last zinger at the very end, wherein Daffy gives up mustaches for beards, closes out this delightful display of madcap humor from Bob McKimson. In some ways, perhaps it’s understandable that critics have been hard on McKimson’s cartoons; after an opening act as impressive as this one it's hard to follow up on that kind of hilarity! But I have a soft spot for the man’s work with Daffy, and definitely think that this cartoon is definitely a highlight for the madcap phase of the character’s history. 
Number Seven: "Yankee Doodle Daffy" (1943)
This cartoon by Friz Freleng is one of the most energetic Daffy / Porky teamups that I can think of. In this one, Porky is a showbiz agent who just wants to take his golfing vacation, but on the way out of his office ends up cornered by Daffy. The madcap waterfowl badgers Porky on behalf of his client, a silent and rather weird duckling named Sleepy LaGoof. (Daffy’s initial pitch ends with, “one might go so far as to say, he’s mediocre!” Daffy is far too generous.)
The central joke of this cartoon is a simple one, but it unleashes a barrage of hilarity throughout. Daffy launches himself into an onslaught of performance antics to talk up his client, ranging from playing the banjo to impersonating Carmen Miranda. (To say nothing of a grand finale wherein he juggles, rides a unicycle and does acrobatics – all at once!) All the while Porky cringes and tries to get away from the manic duck, but at every turn is effortlessly pursued and chased back to his office by Daffy. Finally, fed up, Porky agrees to see what Sleepy can do… and the final joke of the cartoon hits us as we finally see that Daffy’s frantic showmanship is all for nothing. 
“Yankee Doodle Daffy” (the title, by the way, being a reference to a hit musical film of the time) is a delightful cartoon in a number of ways. Daffy’s sheer enthusiasm and boundless energy make a hilarious contrast to Porky’s mounting frustration and desperation to just catch his flight already; the contrast between the two characters offers plenty of fodder for jokes and humor as the poor pig squirms before Daffy’s salvo of antics. (Sleepy stays in his seat through all of this, slurping a lollipop, occasionally holding up signs to comment on Daffy’s goofiness. The sheer nonchalance of the little duckling is itself funny in contrast to Daffy.)
Music also plays a very important role in this cartoon as well. Daffy belts out a variety of tunes in this one, be it from his Carmen Miranda impression, or a frantic performance of I’m Just Wild About Harry, or a rapid-fire recitation of The William Tell Overture as he chases Porky down a fire escape and back into the office. Mel Blanc delivers at every turn in his voice work as Daffy just for conveying the sheer nonstop mania of the waterfowl’s performance. This is a Daffy Duck who well and truly deserves his moniker. All in all, this is a superbly constructed cartoon, bringing together characters, timing and music to create a comic delight.
Number Six: "Nasty Quacks" (1945)
Of the directors who worked at Warner Bros. and made cartoons, sometimes it seems like Frank Tashlin gets overlooked, especially in regard to the long-running argument over whether you prefer Chuck Jones or Bob Clampett. And that’s a damned shame, because Tashlin made some very funny (and compared to the other Warners directors, surprisingly risqué) cartoons, especially when his cartoons starred Daffy Duck. “Nasty Quacks” is a standout of his work with the little black duck during his “wacky” phase.
Daffy has rarely been as chatty as in this cartoon. After a mock-storybook opening (wherein Daffy – the pet of a spoiled little girl – grows up so fast he chides the narrator to slow down), Daffy unleashes a nonstop barrage of prattle at the breakfast table about his antics from the night before. What makes this funny (besides the stonefaced scowl of the girl’s hulking father) is how Daffy adds countless spoonful after spoonful to his coffee; he takes a sip, grimaces, adds one more spoonful, and then drinks blissfully. The obnoxiousness of Daffy’s character in this scene is so over-the-top that it becomes funny instead of just grating.
The father wants to get rid of Daffy, and proves to be quite a formidable foe compared to the duck’s usual antagonists. He is huge, and practically radiates hostility towards Daffy. He’s also clever; when all his other efforts to get rid of Daffy fail, he just goes and buys his daughter a new duckling, which works like a charm. (Daffy’s expression of blank dismay, as he sees how *quickly* his owner has left him out to dry – “You can have the bed where my old duck used to sleep” – is brilliant.)
This cartoon is also a standout to me because, like several of Tashlin’s cartoons, it differs from other Warners features due to a frank awareness of the erotic. The father nearly lures Daffy to his doom at one point with perfume and the call of a female duck. Also, the finale of the picture, in which Daffy makes his rival duckling grow up – and discovers that she’s a bombshell – is a real stunner, especially given the final punchline of the cartoon. You just can’t picture this kind of stuff in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
And that is it for the first installment of this countdown. I hope you all enjoyed what I've shared so far. Part Two will be coming in a few days, and will contain the top five of this write-up, as well as various honorable mentions. 
Out of all of those, I've only seen number 10, but, it's solid screwball comedy.
5517750
I definitely agree with you about "The Ducksters" - it's a great cartoon. Definitely one of the tops from Chuck Jones' unit.
I will admit, I did try to be a little bit atypical with some of the picks in the bottom half of this countdown. I definitely wanted to shine a spotlight on some of the cartoons by Freleng and Tashlin, because I sometimes feel like they really get overlooked in the scuffle over who likes Chuck Jones and who likes Bob Clampett.
5517816
Fair. I have little doubt that Chuck Jones did a LOT and he's the most easily recognizable name, but, he was far from the only one working on the show.
5517818
Yep. There were a lot of different guys working on the cartoons, and frankly, while there are some self-ascribed purists in the animation field who prefer one creator or animator to another, I like the variety. I think it made the characters seem more flexible and "real".
I like the different incarnations of Daffy Duck. Whether it's him as a zany prankster, or a parody hero convinced of his own infallibility, or as perpetually-frustrated second banana to Bugs Bunny... or whatever other variation I'm forgetting in the meantime. It's better than if the character had only ever been a screwball bouncing around going "Woo-hoo!"
5517822
You're forgetting "Greedy Coward". And yes. A Chaotic Neutral/Stupid screwball bouncing around yelling "Woo-hoo", is only so funny, and only for so long. Times changed, and Daffy changed with them. And as a result, he's arguably just as popular as Bugs himself in a sense.
5517825
Haha, true, very true. ("I may be a coward, but I'm a greeeeedy little coward!!")
Yeah, tell me about it. I *like* the screwball Daffy, but for crying out loud people, there's more you can do with him than just have him bounce around and make life hectic for Porky or whoever.
And frankly, even the people who made the screwball Daffy cartoons did more variation with the character there - it's not on my countdown list, but I remember the Clampett wartime cartoon "Draftee Daffy" wherein Daffy moves heaven and earth to try and evade the draft notice (and the little man from the draft board). People may bitch and moan about how Chuck Jones turned Daffy into an unsympathetic jerk and that Clampett's Daffy was cooler, but Clampett himself was already playing with the formula way back in the 40s!