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The Night of the Living Duck
The Night of the Living Duck
Directed by	Greg Ford ; Terry Lennon
Story by	Greg Ford ; Terry Lennon
Produced by	Steven S. Greene
Starring	Mel Blanc; Mel Tormé (singing voice)
Music by	Music from previous cartoons by Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn
Animation by	Brenda Banks; Norm McCabe; Frans Vischer; Rebecca Rees; Mark Kausler
Layouts by	Robert Givens; Lin Larsen
Backgrounds by	Richard H. Thomas; Alan Bodner
Production; company	Warner Bros. Animation
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release dates	September 23, 1988 (released at New York Festival); September 24, 1988 (released with Daffy Duck's Quackbusters);
Running time	6 min.
Language	English

The Night of the Living Duck is a six-minute 1988 Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Daffy Duck, directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon.^[1] It was released to theatres as a part of Daffy Duck's Quackbusters on September 24, 1988 and precedes the film in all subsequent releases, including in TV broadcasts and home media.

The title is a pun on Night of the Living Dead, although the cartoon has nothing to do with said film's theme of a zombie apocalypse.

This short was also one of Mel Blanc's final performances, as it was released less than a year before his death.

The short was released on a program of special world premiere matinee screenings of the New York Film Festival’s opening day celebration event.

Plot

Daffy Duck, engaging in his penchant for comic book perusal akin to his previous cinematic exploits in The Great Piggy Bank Robbery, immerses himself in the gripping pages of "Hideous Tales". Enthralled by the narrative involving the enigmatic "Noseman" and the looming presence of "Schmodzilla," Daffy eagerly anticipates the continuation of the story in the subsequent issue, deeming it a coveted collector's item. However, his quest for the next installment is abruptly interrupted when a falling monster clock renders him unconscious.

Amidst the depths of slumber, Daffy finds himself thrust into a surreal realm, assuming the role of the featured entertainer in a nightclub populated by an eclectic array of classic movie monsters. Among the eerie patrons are renowned figures such as Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the Wolf Man, and various other iconic creatures of lore. Despite his initial trepidation, Daffy discovers a miraculous vocal talent facilitated by the application of "Eau de Tormé" throat spray, enabling him to captivate the audience with a spirited rendition of "Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives."

However, Daffy's jovial banter takes a perilous turn when he unwittingly incurs the wrath of Schmodzilla with his jesting remarks. Provoked by Daffy's irreverence, the towering reptilian creature swiftly devours the hapless duck, plunging him into a harrowing ordeal. Awakening from his nocturnal reverie, Daffy finds himself confined within a wastebasket alongside the elusive comic he sought, now bearing the ominous visage of Schmodzilla on its cover. Dismissing the surreal encounter with a characteristic scoff, Daffy is confronted once more by the menacing persona of Schmodzilla, humorously quipping, "You were expecting maybe Calvin Coolidge?"

References

^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 386. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.