Riff Raffy Daffy

Some of Daffy Duck's best roles were the ones in which he irks Porky Pig. One example is Arthur Davis's* "Riff Raffy Daffy". After cop Porky throws the homeless Daffy out of a city park one frigid night, the discouraged duck hunkers down in a department store display case. What follows has to be some of the most hilarious stuff that the Termite Terrace crowd ever portrayed!

Part of what I determined from this cartoon - actually, I already knew it but the cartoon strengthened my beliefs - is that if we would just provide homeless shelters, then these sorts of things wouldn't happen. I know that the Rush Limbaugh types like to claim that the poor and homeless drain our economy, but is there ANY reason to believe anything that the Rush Limbaugh types say?

OK, too much analysis. The point is that whenever Daffy and Porky co-star, we're in for something good, and that's definitely the case here. I predicted the elevator gag, but everything else was a real surprise, especially the trick at the end. Really funny.

*Arthur Davis took over Bob Clampett's animation unit after the latter left Warner Bros. He directed cartoons for about two years until lack of funds forced Warner Bros. to close the unit. Davis then returned to animating.

The setting and original score are definitely the highlights in this cartoon. The comedy is astoundingly hilarious, and will enormously entertain the likes of all audiences. Porky is a police officer a couple other times in the classic shorts, but this is the funniest one with his role. Daffy isn't forgotten either, while delivering his traditional (but borderline hilarious) comedy. The Animation is also quite good. Setting and Lighting are cozy as always, and the Original score (Like I said) is so awesome, I wish I had the whole thing on Apple Music.

10/10, NO PROBLEMS.

I may be biased as I am a huge Looney Tunes fan and especially of Daffy Duck. But I did love Riff Raffy Daffy. The elevator gag is a little predictable perhaps, everything else is right on target. Porky is at his best when playing it straight and he does here. For me, he is not one of the strongest cartoon characters in presence, especially when partnered with Daffy, but at the rapport is good with Daffy. Daffy however is as ever brilliant, a great mix of manic and cynical with great charisma and wit. Mel Blanc's voicing of these two characters is superb, a standard that I have come to expect from Blanc. The animation has detail and vibrancy, while the music adds so much to the fast paced and fun feel of the short and the sound effects likewise. The story is interesting and not routine, the dialogue is fresh and full of witty humour and the gags are imaginative, beautifully timed and have the funny impact they should. Despite the sense of fun, Riff Raffy Daffy also has a heart-wrenching moment, the image of the gopher in the snow crying will be guaranteed to resonate with you as it did with me. All in all, a great short. 9/10 Bethany Cox