Nasty Quacks (1945) Poster

(1945)

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7/10
angular Daffy
lee_eisenberg2 July 2008
This relic of Daffy Duck's brief angular period (his forehead looks like a right angle) doesn't carry a directorial credit, but I read that Frank Tashlin directed it. Anyway, it goes like this: a father gave his daughter a baby duck...who grew up to be the out-of-control Daffy, to the point where the father starts wanting to get rid of him. But not only is Daffy always a step or two ahead of the creep, the daughter loves Daffy no matter what he does!

This features Daffy in full manic form: he sits at the table laughing hysterically while telling jokes, and runs around at breakneck speed. No wonder the daughter likes him so much! Also, there's a brief reference to the recently ended World War II, as Daffy explains that the government doesn't want people taking unnecessary trips.

Anyway, "Nasty Quacks" is truly a look back at the days when Daffy's name actually referred to his personality, a few years before Chuck Jones turned him into a greedy narcissist*. Mostly just a way to pass time, but a really fun one at that.

*Don't get me wrong, Jones really did some great work with the vicious Daffy; part of the idea in the Hunting Trilogy is that Daffy tries to undermine Bugs Bunny's integrity, and so Bugs gets Elmer Fudd to shoot Daffy.
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9/10
Rather basic plot, but very funny and Daffy is just brilliant
TheLittleSongbird18 August 2012
I'd see any cartoon with Daffy Duck as he is one of my favourite cartoon characters. I do love Nasty Quacks. The plot is very basic and at times a little too routine. However, the cartoon does have great energy. You can see this especially in the animation and Daffy. The animation is as ever colourful and fluid. What stood out though was when Daffy was manic you could actually see it in the animation, especially the sword-fighting and the banging on the door. Daffy is just brilliant, this is him being manic and at his best, the charisma and energy of this zany character continues to astound me as well as his quotable catchphrases. The other characters especially the duckling make an impression but never overshadow Daffy. The music is characterful and enhances the action wonderfully, while the gags are very funny especially with the duck call and the perfume. The end gag is totally unexpected as well. Mel Blanc as ever is stellar. All in all, very funny with a brilliant Daffy, but part of you yearns for a stronger story. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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7/10
Daffy when he WAS Daffy (rather than just being annoying)
michaelbauers3 November 2010
Best part of this cartoon is some of the "manic" animation. There's a scene of Daffy sword fighting with the father that's great. Another one where he's banging at a door which is great.

The gag with the duck call, and duck perfume is great. Hadn't seen this exact gag before. There's another gag at the end with the duckling that's unexpected.

This might be a wartime cartoon, because Daffy threatens to leave, then comes back and says he can't because the government has asked that people don't do unnecessary travel.

The hatred of the father towards Daffy is also awesome. He REALLY wants to get rid of him.

As someone above said, Daffy is very angular. But the overall quality of the animation seems excellent.

p.s. What's with the girl's underpants always showing? Seems I recall seeing that sort of thing in older cartoons. Today they would probably get some parent's council on their butts for doing that.
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Fans of that crazy duck won't be upset - `I like him; he's silly'
bob the moo15 February 2004
Once upon a time a kind father gave his daughter a cute little duckling. The `cute little duckling' however, grew up to become the manic Daffy Duck who, after a while begins to grate on the nerves of the father.

In terms of plotting, jokes and routines, this cartoon isn't that good. However it is driven by the sheer manic energy of Daffy Duck - if you dislike his crazy period then you will simply hate this cartoon. I'm a big fan of Daffy when he is in his crazy period so I enjoyed this but even I couldn't overlook just how basic the plot is here. As a chase cartoon it works though and it is manically funny at times, but you need to be in the mood.

Daffy is as good as he ever is, at the dinner table telling crazy stories he is the truest I have seen him and he is just the way I love him! The father and daughter are a very far second in the cast list, although they do OK. This is a cartoon that is based totally on the fact that Daffy is intensely crazy and that that in itself is funny.

Overall I enjoyed this simply because I love Daffy in this role. However those who don't like that or are just untaken by him will probably struggle to enjoy this as much as I did.
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9/10
I loved this one...
planktonrules6 August 2013
It's really hard to dislike this Daffy Duck cartoon, as it's rather original, a bit cruel and very funny.

Daffy is a little girl's beloved pet and Daffy knows it. In fact, because the child loves him so much, Daffy takes advantage of it and is a super-obnoxious member of the family. It's gotten so bad that the child's father is ready to kill Daffy--but Daffy manages to outsmart him again and again. When the father comes up with a great way to get rid of Daffy, naturally our obnoxious hero manages to triumph. I could say a lot more about the plot and the wonderful ending, but it would spoil all the fun. Overall, well animated, funny and memorable--while not the very best Daffy cartoon, it's awfully close.
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8/10
May, July, August, October, November, and December all have . . .
oscaralbert12 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
. . . just 30 days, according to the Warner Bros. calendar seen between 46 and 53 seconds of NASTY QUACKS. During these seven seconds, Daffy Duck ages quicker than Barbie's baby in this week's final TV episode of UNDER THE DOME. In fact, much of DOME's implausible scenarios seem inspired by the misinformation running rampant in NASTY QUACKS. At the conclusion of the calendar montage, for instance, Daffy addresses the camera in English. Everyone knows that bird's lack the self-consciousness necessary to deliver soliloquies, with ducks much more likely to be fluent in Chinese than Sarah Palin's "American." Finally, when Daffy feeds fickle pet owner Agnes' replacement yellow duckling grow-fast pills, Mrs. Daffy sprouts up in an unmistakably buxom fashion. Mammals are named after Mammaries for a reason. Since their eggs are unshelled, they need milk spigots. NASTY QUACKS comes up with a DOME-like finale, in which the Daffy Family produces about a dozen ducklings OVERNIGHT, leaving Agnes perfectly positioned to become a sex education teaching assistant when she starts kindergarten.
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7/10
This allegorical animated short illustrates the danger posed to citizens . . .
cricket3014 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
. . . lacking easy access to Peacemakers. First a pet duck is forced to fence with wholly inadequate butter knives by an abusive master. Then this unarmed water fowl is chased by the malicious miscreant, who has upgraded his weapon to an ax. Finally, the poor bird is dropped kicked through a roof and telephone pole by the lumbering bully. If Daffy simply possessed a state-of-the-art shooting iron to even his odds, it's highly unlikely that his terrible tormentor would have the temerity to assault him even once. So after you savor the lessons of NASTY QUACKS, please remember to support your local Real Life chapter of BANGS (Broke American Need Gun Stamps).
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8/10
"I forgot that the Government doesn't want us to do any nonessential travel . . . "
pixrox111 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
. . . Daffy duck says to his beleaguered owner in explanation of his changing his decision to walk out on the family within which he's spent his entire life. We care for a young man who has seen a Major League Baseball game every year of HIS life--that is, 26 consecutive years. However, it looks like his effort to maintain this streak to the unprecedented count of 100 will be broken this season, through no fault of his own. Just as the Government is ruining Daffy's one life to live in NASTY QUACKS, tyrannical baseball commissioners and state governors are conspiring to deny the bedrock Right of ALL Americans, as immortalized in our National Pastime's Anthem: "Take me out to the ball game!" How sad!
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