An essay from my days as a Troy undergrad, September 2006.
Pair of Ducks
Two
of America’s cartoon icons, Donald Duck and Daffy Duck, are cast
from the same mold. Obviously, they are both animated ducks, though
they also share similar dates of appearance to viewing audiences.
Further, they both usurped the spotlight from the initial character
offered by their studio. They also maintain speech impediments and
serious personality flaws. Each of them had gags developed for their
anatomy. Lastly, they both are hilariously funny.
Donald
and Daffy made their debut to movie-goers at the onset of World War
II. Donald was the first to appear on the scene in 1934, in a Silly
Symphonies’s cartoon, “The Wise Little Hen”. Daffy appeared
three years later, in Looney Toons’s “Little Duck Hunt”. Both
were cast opposite a pig, in Donald’s case, it was Peter Pig, and
Daffy played opposite of Porky Pig. The cartoons were in
black-and-white, which explains why both ducks are monochromatic.
The initial vision for Donald included the blue sailor suit, but its
depiction alone would show the well known color, even if it was
portrayed in black-and-white. Daffy’s initial opening was a huge
success and Donald saw top billing in 1937 with his own cartoon,
“Donald’s Ostrich”.
Donald
was conceived in the shadow of Mickey Mouse, Silly Symphonies’s
first popular cartoon character. Similarly, Daffy opened behind
Porky Pig, Looney Toons’s first poplar character. During the
1940’s, both ducks would rise in popularity beyond Mickey and
Porky. Donald and Daffy would appear in 50 cartoon episodes each
during this period. These ducks were clearly on the government
payroll during World War II.
These
characters share speech impediments. Both of them have hard lisps,
because of their bills. It’s hard to pronounce the “th” and
“s” sounds without a set of teeth. Donald’s
semi-incomprehensible dialect seems to come from a Scottish Gaelic
accent. Daffy’s general accent, without the lisp, is more
Midwestern, perhaps Chicago.
Donald’s
character has a very quick temper. This is embraced by his writers
along with his “never-say-die” attitude. Daffy has several
different personalities behind that dark duck’s exterior. The only
constant in Daffy’s personality choice is that it is extreme. No
room for the middle ground with this duck. A congruence of their
personalities is that they are loners. True, Donald has Daisy, but
he’s been going out with her for nearly 70 years, so he’s not
bound to commitment anytime soon.
Donald’s
derriere is a constant source of laughter in his cartoons. It ran
the gambit from being stuck, hit, or having something tied to it.
Daffy’s slap-stick comedy evolved around his bill. It spun, fell
off, or was blown up. This was apparent with both characters when
they became involved as sportsmen. Donald preferred fishing, and the
eventual result was the lure being attached to his rump. Daffy
portrayed the game for both Porky Pig and Elmer Fudd. You never knew
what was going to happen to his bill.
Both
Donald and Daffy transcended a nation during a World War. Both
transcend generations to our modern day. So, if you want to learn a
bit of history and enjoy some classic music, cuddle up with the
children and grandchildren and watch a true classic from this pair of
ducks. Luckily, they didn’t break the mold.
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