Daffy Dilly

Daffy Dilly is a 1948 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones.

Title[]

The title is a play on the flower known as the daffodil.

Plot[]

Daffy Duck is a novelty gag salesman operating on the sidewalk of a large city, selling things like flower squirters, a Joe Miller joke book, a rib-tickler, a cheap chicken inspector badge ("It's ... it's ... only 13 cents ...") and a 200-volt electric hand buzzer, even shocking himself with it in the process ("it's ... shocking ..."). However, he fails to sell anything to anyone. But after hearing a radio report declaring that the mirthless buzzsaw tycoon J.P. Cubish is offering a one million dollar reward to anyone who can make him laugh before he passes on, Daffy promptly sets off for the millionaire's home with dollar signs in his eyes.

Upon arriving at Cubish's mansion, Daffy finds that the butler (whom Daffy calls "Jeeves," "Ruggles," "Meadows," and other commonly-used servant names) is not willing to let him in. Appearing not to take this rejection personally, Daffy offers to shake hands with the butler, only for him to fall victim to Daffy's hand buzzer, followed by a series of pranks with his other novelty items until the butler agrees to let Daffy in. He escorts Daffy to a room which leads outside, causing him to land in the backyard fountain. Daffy does not seem to mind though, as he "was a bit dusty." Daffy tries several ways to get inside (scaling the wall with a grappling hook, swinging in through the window on a rope, etc.), all of which end in failure (in one case, removing the butler's dentures in the process!). Daffy finally sneaks into the house by hiding in a package designed to look like a bottle of champagne (which the butler tries to keep for himself). Daffy ran for his life as the butler tried to kill him using an axe and cannon. Daffy climbs to the top of the building, only to run into the butler again ("Whoops. How are things in Glocca Morra?"). As the butler corners Daffy ("Once and for all, I'm going to..."), the wily duck starts interrogating the butler a la Humphrey Bogart ("Not so fast, my man, Goddfrey! It becomes increasingly apparent that I'm not wanted around here."), suspecting him of not wanting Cubish to return to his good health ("Are we to assume that there is anything significant in this attitude of yours? That A: A butler might not want his master to recover his good health. That B: Said butler should endeavor to remove from the premises the only person capable of restoring said health, to said master."), and even accusing the butler of attempted murder ("Where were you, the night of April the 16th? A likely story! I see it all now. You and the upstairs maid! 'Do the old boy in', you said! 'Elderberry wine and old lace', you said! 'Then, the quick getaway', you said! Rio de Janerio, tropical nights, romance and a heavy bank account! But you weren't smart enough John, alias Johnny, alias Jack, alias Jacky! Phew! What's Humphrey Bogart got that I ain't got?"). Ultimately, Daffy tricks the jittery butler into fleeing the house in disguise, so as not to be arrested. ("But just to show you I'm not all copper, I'm gonna give you a ten-minute head start!", "Don't try to thank me now, get going! Hurry! They're on your trail! Run! Out this way! [screams] And stay on the straight and narrow!")

At last, Daffy makes it to Cubish's bedroom, but before he can even unpack his novelty items, he slips on a rug and falls on a tray of food, covering himself in cake. Cubish finds this sight hilarious and laughs uproariously. In the end, Cubish keeps Daffy on hand as his personal jester, merrily throwing pies at the duck's face while he stands against a target. "It's a living," Daffy asides before he is hit in the face with one last pie.

Availability[]

(1993) LaserDisc
Daffy Duck's Screen Classics: Duck Victory

(2000) VHS
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 3: The Vocal Genius

(2010) DVD
Looney Tunes Super Stars' Daffy Duck: Frustrated Fowl (restored)

(2017) DVD
Looney Tunes Super Stars Family Multi-Feature Vol. 2, Disc 1

Notes[]

• This is only time Chuck Jones uses Daffy's salesman role.
• This cartoon was edited into and served as the genesis of the plot for the 1988 compilation feature Daffy Duck's Quackbusters. In the film, Cubish "dies laughing" and leaves his entire fortune to Daffy, on the grounds that he use it to perform a beneficial public service "and to display honesty in all business affairs". When Cubish returns in spectral form and threatens to take away Daffy's inheritance, Daffy forms a ghost-hunting business to "rid the world of disgusting ectoplasmic slime like J.P. Cubish!...Uh, I mean, :nice: ectoplasmic slime like J.P. Cubish."
• This is the third Daffy Duck cartoon, and twelfth cartoon in general that was released in Cinecolor in the 1940s.
• This was one of only five post-1948 Warner Bros. Cartoons to get a Blue Ribbon reissue prior to 1956 - with the original credits cut. The others were "The Foghorn Leghorn", "Kit for Cat", "Scaredy Cat", and "You Were Never Duckier".
  • This is the only one out of the five that does not have its original titles restored for DVD release. However, a 16mm print of this short with the original titles is known to exist. As Warner Bros. does not restore non-35mm prints, the Blue Ribbon titles were restored instead.
  • This is the only one of the five to have been originally released in Cinecolor; the others were released in Technicolor. Since the short was originally released in Cinecolor and re-released in Technicolor, the original closing titles were omitted and replaced with Blue Ribbon closing titles.
• When this cartoon aired on the channel SBT in Brazil, the Blue Ribbon opening rings were cut off and instead were replaced by the opening rings of "The Stupor Salesman" before cutting to the blue ribbon title card with the music still playing. In addition, the ending card is replaced by the ending card of "Odor of the Day", with the Looney Tunes theme being replaced with a shortened, synthesized version of the Merrie Melodies ending theme.^[2]

Gallery[]

Preliminary sketch lobby card

Original WB shield

Original Merrie Melodies card

Original credits

Original director credit

Original end title

16mm original Cinecolor print

35mm Technicolor restoration

Production background

Production background

Daffy Dilly (1948) - titles

Original title sequences

References[]