The High and the Flighty

Practical jokers Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dog get some picker uppers from one of the masters, who conveniently happens to be a go-getting salesman from the Ace Novelty Co. (Practical Jokes for Every Occasion). Warner Brothers could easily have cast an unknown Toon as the salesman, but actually went ahead and hired Daffy Duck.

Though it is quite a surprise that Daffy would accept a supporting role (they would never do this to Bugs), the subject matter ensures us that he makes the part his own. Not to be outdone, that other feathered fiend Foghorn shows his willingness to do anything for stardom, even appearing in the nude.

But when Daffy makes the mistake of conning both parties into buying the 'Pipe Full O'Fun' kit no. 7 ($ 26.50 a piece), his selling days are numbered. If only they would have gone that extra mile and declare a three way war of assorted tricks and boobytraps! But alas, that was not to be, and Daffy never made another guest appearance on Foghorn's Farm

6 out of 10

I quickly interpreted "The High and the Flighty" as an allusion to the incidents in geopolitics when a superpower sells mutually hostile groups the same weapons and plays them off against each other, much like how Daffy Duck sells both Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dog the same kinds of gadgets. A specific example in real life is that the US basically sold India and Pakistan nukes, and they seem to have been threatening each other ever since. "Divide and conquer" some people call it. No surprise that Foghorn and Barnyard eventually wised up to Daffy's shenanigans.

I'm probably reading too far into this cartoon. It was probably just intended as nice, zany entertainment. It sure came out hilarious. So check it out.

Foghorn Leghorn's never-ending feud with Barnyard Dog continues in this Bob McKimson short that also stars Daffy Duck. Daffy's a salesman who stumbles upon the farm where the rooster and dog are going at each other for the millionth time. He quickly sees an opportunity to exploit this and supply items to both parties to use against each other. I'm apparently in the minority as I didn't love this one. There are some funny moments but something is just off about it all. The voice work, courtesy of the legendary Mel Blanc, is wonderful. Nice animation with bright colors. Whimsical music from Carl Stalling. I wish I could rate it higher but it just didn't impress me much. It's OK but nothing special.

All of Foghorn's cartoons are great fun to watch. The High and the Flighty is no exception, it is quite possibly one of his best actually. And it is not just because of the presence of Daffy, though he is one reason why. The animation is lovely to watch. The backgrounds are fluid and detailed, all the characters are well drawn and while there is vibrant colouring the use of darker shades make sure that it isn't ever too saturated. The music again enhances the action wonderfully with lush and lively orchestration and a perfect matching of gestures, facial expressions and sounds. The writing is sharp and witty, Foghorn's word repetition for example is still endearing, and the gags- revolving mainly around Daffy selling Foghorn and Barnyard violent items- imaginative and highly amusing. The story is fast paced and always maintains interest, it was nice with the inclusion of Daffy to have something different from the norm. Even if the ending is like a slightly different variation than what you see in other cartoons from Foghorn, in terms of humour it is hardly a let down. All three characters are on top form. Daffy is in greedy mode, which not many people like- though this is a different type of greedy than seen in his outings with Speedy Gonzales, and a more subtle type- though his effortless charisma really shines through. Foghorn excels also just by what he does best without it ever becoming tiring, and Barnyard likewise both as the butt of the joke and a cunning and vengeful barnyard dog. Mel Blanc is fantastic as you'd expect. To conclude, a lot of fun. 9/10 Bethany Cox