Aqua Duck is a 1963 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert McKimson and written by John Dunn.[1] The short was released on September 28, 1963, and stars Daffy Duck.[2]

Plot

Daffy is wandering across a Dalí-style desert. Under the broiling sun, he is suffering from hyperthermia and dehydration. He seeks water, but finds a gold nugget instead. A pack rat wants to give him water in exchange for the gold, but Daffy refuses to trade.

The desert heat and his thirst take a toll on Daffy's sanity, as he begins imagining that he is in a bar, in a hotel, playing baseball, waiting for the bus, and dancing with a cactus. Finally, Daffy becomes so severely dehydrated that he turns to dust and agrees to surrender the gold after the rat restores him with a drop of water.

As he takes a glass of water, a storm swamps him in a flood. For the closing line, he says, "One thing's for sure, when I buy water, I sure get my money's worth!"

Voice cast

Reception

Leonard Maltin, writing in Of Mice and Magic, considered this film a low point among Daffy Duck cartoons.[3] Charles Gardner found John Dunn's story creditable but was disappointed with the animation, direction and voice characterization.[4] The Daffy on Video page gives Aqua Duck one star out of four, finding its execution "cheap and lazy."[5]

References

  1. ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 344. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ^ Leonard Maltin, Of Mice and Magic (1987), p. 275.
  4. ^ "Unpredictable as Weather (Part 31) |". Archived from the original on 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  5. ^ http://www.dohtem.com/bugs/daffy/1960s.htm#aquaduck Archived 2024-12-14 at the Wayback Machine Daffy on Video - The 1960s and Beyond
Preceded by Daffy Duck Cartoons
1963
Succeeded by


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