Mieux vautour que jamais

Entertaining, lively, over the top, breakings of the fourth wall –- yes, a typical Tex Avery cartoon, but this is one of his better productions.

Aimed at the male audience of the war years -- there is short wolf-whistle sequence -- the cartoon is made more interesting by its references to food rationing and the war:

• The juicy steak at the start and end -- an expensive commodity during the war

• A sign that says "No Points", referring to a particular food (a rabbit in this case) requiring no points

• Meatless Tuesday -- a reference to President Wilsons call during World War 1 for every Tuesday to be meatless.

• One of the buzzard's mouths is "Closed for the Duration" – a reference to the WW2 poster that people's mouths should be closed because loose talk can cost lives.

A informative short called "Point Rationing of Foods", explains the rationing system, and is worth a look.

This Tex Avery cartoon looks ahead of its time with how edgy it is, with the two buzzards literally trying to hack each other to pieces and eat the other one out of hunger. It also had great significance for audience members forced to eat less during the war, with references to rationing, Meatless Tuesdays, and the narrator breaking in a couple of times to show the audience a picture of a giant steak. I loved the Jimmy Durante impersonation for one of the buzzards, and the overall anarchy of the thing.

A very fast paced 'toon from the master of mayhem, Tex Avery

Nothing is sacred as fun is poked at all the wartime shortages as 2 buzzards search high and low for something to eat, fighting over the rabbit they have caught, the stone painted to look like a rib eye steak resorting to even eating each other, watch out for the "drooling time" allowed for the picture of the steak dinner. The 'toon is probably not politically correct in these modern times so it is doubtful if it will get shown on t.v today, but keep an eye out for it, it is available in the DVD format as part of a Tex Avery box set issued in France where Tex has a big following......Enjoy !

Hungry because of wartime meat rationing and their inability to catch a rabbit -- no points! -- two buzzards attempt to kill ad eat each other in this typically hilarious Tex Avery cartoon.

Modern audiences may be bemused by references to ration points and meatless Tuesdays, but the increasing level of mayhem that the two buzzards attempt to wreak on each other is timeless .

I didn't know they had such big teeth.

It's the Painted Desert. Jimmy Durante Buzzard and Joe Buzzard are starving. Then they spot a rabbit but he gets away. It's a Tex Avery cartoon. I don't know these characters. I would think that they would want Jimmy Durante to do the Jimmy Durante voice or else he would make a stink about that. As for the cartoon designs, I don't think that birds should have teeth especially when they open wide. The rows of teeth are weird. The premise is fine and the gags are good. The teeth is weird. I don't get the Meatless Tuesday gag. Was that a government suggestion during the war? It was probably a funnier punchline back in the day. The real stake visual is probably another one.