Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century

{{Distinguish|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (disambiguation){{!}}Buck Rogers in the 25th Century}}

{{About|the 1953 cartoon short|the 2000s TV series|Duck Dodgers (TV series)}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Duck Dodgers in the {{sfrac|24|1|2}}^th Century

| image = DuckDodgers.png

| caption = Title card

| director = Charles M. Jones

| story = Michael Maltese

| animator = Lloyd Vaughan
Ken Harris
Ben Washam
Effects Animator:
Harry Love

| layout_artist = Maurice Noble

| background_artist = Philip DeGuard{{cite book |last=Webb |first=Graham |title=The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features and Sequences (1900-1999) |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-7864-4985-9 |page=98}}

| starring = Mel Blanc
(all voices)

| music = Carl Stalling

| editing = Treg Brown

| producer = Edward Selzer
John W. Burton

| studio = Warner Bros. Cartoons

| distributor = {{ubl|Warner Bros. Pictures|The Vitaphone Corporation}}

| released = {{Film date|1953|07|25|U.S.}}

| color_process = Technicolor

| runtime = 7:03

| language = English

}}

Duck Dodgers in the {{sfrac|24|1|2}}^th Century (spoken as "twenty-fourth-and-a-half") is a 1953 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=1999 |publisher=Checkmark Books |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |access-date=6 June 2020 |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/102/mode/2up |page=103}} The cartoon was released on July 25, 1953, and stars Daffy Duck as space hero Duck Dodgers, Porky Pig as his assistant, and Marvin the Martian as his opponent.{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |last2=Friedwald |first2=Will |title=Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons |date=1989 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co |isbn=0-8050-0894-2 |page=251}} This cartoon marked the first of many appearances of the Duck Dodgers character.

Marvin the Martian had been introduced as an unnamed villain in Warner's cartoon Haredevil Hare (1948), playing opposite Bugs Bunny (Marvin would not receive his proper name until 1979). He was later given the title 'Commander, Flying Saucer X-2' in 1952's The Hasty Hare. The Duck Dodgers cartoon is an extended parody of the pulp magazine, newspaper comic strip, and comic book character Buck Rogers, and his longtime run of space adventures, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.{{Cite web |last=Korkis |first=Jim |date=2019-10-18 |title=The Many Lives of Duck Dodgers |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-many-lives-of-duck-dodgers/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=cartoonresearch.com}}

In 1994, Duck Dodgers was voted #4 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.{{cite book |last1=Beck |first1=Jerry |title=The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals |date=1994 |publisher=Turner Publishing |isbn=978-1878685490}} Because he was such a fan of the short in particular, Star Wars creator George Lucas attempted to arrange that the short be shown before the original Star Wars film during its initial run in theaters{{cite web |last1=Blum |first1=Jeremy |title=George Lucas Originally Wanted A 'Looney Tunes' Short To Run Before 'Star Wars' |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-lucas-looney-tunes-star-wars_n_606dea2ac5b68ddf94b8496f |website=Huff Post |date=April 7, 2021 |access-date=7 April 2021}} and succeeded in making this happen for screenings at the Cinema 21 in San Francisco.[https://www.in70mm.com/presents/1963_blow_up/titel/s/star_wars/engagements/index.htm“Star Wars”: The North American 70mm Presentations] In 2004 at the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention, it was retrospectively nominated for a Retro Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation—Short Form.

Plot

In the latter half of 24th century (around 2350), Duck Dodgers (Daffy Duck) is tasked with locating the uncharted "Planet X", the only known remaining source for the dwindling element Illudium Phosdex, "the shaving cream atom". After a few small mishaps, Dodgers and his assistant, the "Eager Young Space Cadet" (Porky Pig) set off by rocket. Once in flight, Dodgers plots what becomes an enormously complicated and inefficient course to Planet X, whereas the Cadet suggests a much simpler route, following a path of nearby planets bearing the letters of the alphabet (in order from A onward). After scoffing at the idea, Dodgers suddenly comes up with the same idea and takes credit for it. The ship then flies past the lettered planets and arrives on Planet X.

Dodgers immediately claims the planet in the name of the Earth, but is quickly greeted by Marvin the Martian, as he claims it in the name of Mars. In the ensuing battle, Dodgers is shot multiple times in the face and disintegrated and reintegrated once. The battle continues through most of the film, until Dodgers finally declares enough is enough, and deploys his "secret weapon" that surrounds Marvin's ship with explosives. Marvin deploys the same type of weapon against Dodgers' ship. When the two simultaneously detonate their weapons, the entire planet is destroyed, save for a small chunk. Dodgers pushes Marvin off this chunk, and once again claims it in his own name, as the Cadet and Marvin are seen hanging from a root underneath the chunk. The Cadet sarcastically dismisses Dodgers' claim as a "Big deal."

Cast

Mel Blanc as Duck Dodgers, The Eager Young Space Cadet, Marvin the Martian and Dr. I.Q. Hi

Credits

The cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones (credited as Charles M. Jones), with the story by Michael Maltese, voices by Mel Blanc, and original music by Carl Stalling. The animation was credited to Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris and Ben Washam, with Harry Love receiving a credit for effects animation. The distinctive layouts were designed by Maurice Noble and the backgrounds produced by Phil DeGuard.

bcdb.com May 9, 2011

Uncredited are Stalling's quotations of "Powerhouse" and "Egyptian Barn Dance" (in the opening credits), by Raymond Scott.

Production

Jones saw Porky Pig's sidekick role as set apart from Daffy as the hero: "I always felt that Porky Pig was the subtlest of all the characters because he was consciously playing a part. He's obviously putting Daffy on, but it's a very subtle thing. In Duck Dodgers in the {{sfrac|24|1|2}}th Century, he was playing the space cadet, but he was aware that he was playing it. He was like I would be in a class play — in which the hero really thought he was the character."{{cite book |editor1-last=Furniss |editor1-first=Maureen |title=Chuck Jones: Conversations |date=2005 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |isbn=1-57806-728-6 |page=118}}

Reception

Comic book writer Mark Evanier writes, "Director Chuck Jones and writer Mike Maltese inverted the usual cartoon convention of having the hero conquer the villain. Here, Daffy pretty much conquers himself with faulty disintegration rays and faultier personal swagger. As with the other times Jones handled the duck, the Oliver Hardy principle prevails: The joke is never the destruction that befalls the luckless character but their loss of dignity afterward."{{cite book |editor1-last=Beck |editor1-first=Jerry |title=The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons |date=2020 |publisher=Insight Editions |isbn=978-1-64722-137-9 |page=61}}

Home media

This cartoon is available on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 DVD and on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 Blu-ray box set, with the cartoon restored in high definition, as well as Disc 1 of The Essential Daffy Duck. The short was included as a bonus feature on Disc 1 of the Duck Dodgers: The Complete Series Blu-ray set.{{cite web | url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32027 | title=Duck Dodgers: The Complete Series Blu-ray }}

The cartoon's copyright was renewed in 1980.{{Efn|Under [https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/6945584 RE0000048108]}}

In popular culture

The cartoon can be seen in the background of one scene in Steven Spielberg's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).{{cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/07/the-most-notable-marvin-the-martian-apperances-in-pop-culture-history/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-1977|website=Complex|title=The Most Notable Marvin the Martian Appearances in Pop Culture History|first=Brenden|last=Gallagher|date=July 28, 2015|accessdate=February 13, 2021}}

In the Season One episode of the 1990s hit science fiction TV series Babylon 5 entitled Midnight on the Firing Line, the head of security Michael Garibaldi invites the Minbari ambassador Delenn to his quarters with him, where they share popcorn and a night of watching Duck Dodgers, although the comedy is lost on her. Daffy Duck is Michael Garibaldi's favorite cartoon character.

References

External links

{{IMDb title|0045709}}
[http://toonopedia.com/duckdodg.htm Duck Dodgers in the {{frac|24|1|2}}th Century] at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. [https://archive.today/20240527202822/https://www.webcitation.org/6hGmIzVC3?url=http://toonopedia.com/duckdodg.htm Archived] from the original on May 5, 2016.

Category:1953 films

Category:1950s science fiction comedy films

Category:1950s parody films

Category:American animated science fiction films

Category:American parody films

Category:Animated films about extraterrestrial life

Category:Duck Dodgers

Category:Animated films set on fictional planets

Category:Mars in film

Category:Short films directed by Chuck Jones

Category:Daffy Duck films

Category:Marvin the Martian films