Drip-Along Daffy

**Drip-Along Daffy** is a 1951 *Merrie Melodies* cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

This cartoon was produced as a parody of the classic Westerns widely popular at the time of its release, and features Daffy Duck as a "Western-Type Hero", who, with his trusty "Comedy Relief" (Porky Pig) hopes to clean up a violence-filled "one-horse town". In a tongue-in-cheek nod to The Lone Ranger, Daffy's horse is named Tinfoil. The cartoon includes an original song (sung by Porky) "The Flower of Gower Gulch", a parody of sentimental cowboy-style love songs, Gower Gulch being an intersection in Hollywood known as a gathering spot for would-be actors in early Westerns.

## Plot

Daffy, introduced as a "Western-Type Hero" and Porky (billed as "Comedy Relief") ride along the desert until they come across a small town that's so full of violence, the population sign changes immediately when someone gets shot. Daffy notices that the last sheriff is shot, and the town needs a new sheriff. Looking through his various badges (which include "Chicken Inspector" and "Oh, you kid!"), Daffy picks out a sheriff badge and rides into town on his horse 'Tinfoil', with Porky following behind on his small mule.

In the town, Daffy is about to take a drink at the bar when Nasty Canasta walks in past his 'Wanted' poster (which states "$5,000,000 REWARD (DEAD)" and "RUSTLER, BANDIT, SQUARE DANCE CALLER"). Daffy tries to intimidate Canasta with his gun, but Canasta just bites off most of the gun and swallows it ("Hmm. Probably didn't have his iron today!"). Canasta then intimidates Daffy with a drink made of various poisons and toxic materials (so 'hot', when two ice cubes are put in, the ice cubes jump out, yelping). Canasta downs the drink with no side effects (other than his hat flipping), and when Daffy gets Porky to take the drink with seemingly no side-effects, Daffy downs his as well. A few seconds later, Daffy and Porky exhibit wild side effects, including:reciting nursery rhymes in Elmer Fudd-ese, turning green, and acting like they're both motorized. Eventually, Daffy challenges Canasta to a showdown in the street.

Daffy and Canasta start walking towards each other, the street deserted, when Porky winds up a small British soldier doll and lets it go towards Canasta. Canasta picks up the doll, chucking, until the doll points its gun at Canasta and fires, sending Canasta to the ground. The rest of the town rush over to Porky, while Daffy is still pacing his way to the middle of the street. Daffy finally notices the adoration given to Porky, and in vain tries to get their attention ("Gimme the cheers! Give me ... Give me one dozen roses."). Porky is now the town sheriff, and Daffy proclaims to the camera that he SAID he'd clean up this one-house town – except now he's the sanitation person. Porky remarks, "Lucky for him (Daffy) it IS a one-horse town."

## Censorship

* On ABC, the following scenes are cut and/or shortened:
	+ Several scenes of characters exchanging gunfire in the lawless Western town
	+ A cowboy mannequin holding an Indian mannequin at gunpoint
	+ A cowboy getting shot and carted off to "Rigor O'Mortis: The Smiling Undertaker"
	+ The bartender mixing the noxious drink that Nasty Canasta orders for Daffy and Porky.
* Versions of this cartoon shown on Cartoon Network and Boomerang cut off after the reveal that Daffy is the town's new sanitation person, removing Porky's line, "Lucky for him, it is a one-horse town." It's been debated online whether this was cut to get rid of the scatological implications or because of time constraints.

## Notes

* Scenes from this cartoon were used in the TV specials, *How Bugs Bunny Won the West* and *Daffy Duck's Thanks-for-Giving Special*.
* The cartoon was reissued in the 1959-60 season, evident from the red Color Rings with no dot after WARNER BROS. Later cartoons from the 1960-61 season would have the dot after WARNER BROS. The cartoon does not survive with the original opening and ending titles, mainly because the 1959-64 seasons, omitted the ending titles, but these are very easy to recreate because the original credits are present.
* "Drip-Along Daffy" marks the first appearance of the villain character Nasty Canasta, a Mexican rogue who would resurface in several later Jones cartoons, as well as an episode of *The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries*, the movie *Looney Tunes: Back in Action*, and occasionally on the *Duck Dodgers* series.