"Daffy Doodles" is a 1946 Looney Tunes cartoon starring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, and directed by Robert McKimson, being his first full-length animated cartoon for a civilian audience (his first cartoon was "The Return of Mr. Hook", which was made for military audiences).
In this cartoon, Daffy Duck is a "mustache fiend", terrorizing a city by painting mustaches on every advertisement and person he can find. Officer Porky Pig sets out to capture the fiend; unfortunately, his wily adversary tricks him at every turn, leaving him with egg (and a mustache) on his face. Can the determined police pig bring the diabolical duck to justice?
"Daffy Doodles" provides examples of:
- Art Initiates Life: At one point, Daffy paints a mustache in midair for the pursuing Porky to run into.
- Attack! Attack... Retreat! Retreat!: After chasing Daffy around three corner ledges, Porky ends up running back the same way when Daffy somehow procures a motorcycle.
- Camera Abuse: Instead of a standard Iris Out, the cartoon ends with Daffy painting the camera lens black.
- Covers Always Lie: The two lobby cards for the cartoon show Daffy wearing white gloves when he doesn't in the actual cartoon itself.
- Exact Words: At the end of the cartoon, Daffy declares he'll never draw another mustache.Daffy: I'm doing beards now! (Draws one on the judge's face)
- Face Doodling: Daffy finds every opportunity to paint a mustache on Porky and other citizens. He even holds his brush aside a passing train to paint mustaches on all the passengers at once.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Drawing mustaches on posters is treated as Serious Businessnote . The opening narration makes Daffy sound like a feared criminal.In a large eastern city, a demon is on the loose. The people are terrified, the police baffled. With diabolical cleverness the monster strikes without warning... and draws mustaches on all the ads.
- Here We Go Again!: The cartoon ends with Daffy going on another vandalism spree, this time with beards.
- Human Mail: Daffy hides from Porky by sliding down the pneumatic mail tubes of a high-rise building. When Porky tries to fish him out, Daffy "arrests" him for trying to rob the mail.
- Mustache Vandalism: Daffy goes on a mustache drawing spree, going from posters to people to even a giant billboard. He calls it his mission in life.Daffy: Science is some folks’ calling, others pilot a ship. My mission in life, stated simply is: a mustache on every lip.
- Pet the Dog: As Porky chases Daffy along the eaves of a skyscraper, Porky almost loses his balance but is pulled back by Daffy. He hangs a lampshade on it by saying to the audience "Very sporting of the little black duck."
- Schmuck Bait: While Porky poses as a picture, Daffy passes by and leaves a present with a "Don't Open Until Xmas" sticker on it. Since Porky won't be around at Christmas, he opens the present now. Inside the box is Daffy (somehow), who then paints a mustache on Porky's face.
- Shout-Out:
- As Porky passes by a movie theater, there are mustaches painted on pictures of Alexis Smith, Ann Sheridan, Peter Lorre, Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, and even Bugs Bunny!
- When Daffy pretends to arrest Porky for robbing the mail, he says "Wait'll J. Edgar Hoozit hears of this!" referring, of course to longtime FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.
- The members of the jury that declare Daffy not guilty are all look-alikes of comedian Jerry Colonna, famous for his handlebar mustache.
- Stand-In Portrait: Porky poses as a poster to trap the "mustache fiend" by standing behind a barrel and holding a picture frame in front of him. Unfortunately, Daffy sees through the sting operation and, as mentioned under Schmuck Bait, sets a trap of his own.
- Stealth Pun: After Daffy chases Porky on a motorized vehicle, he crashes it into a nearby skylight. The result being Daffy being dazed in the wreckage and Porky having the vehicle's handlebars under his nose. In other words, Porky gets a handlebar mustache.
