Feather Finger Explained

Feather Finger
Director:Robert McKimson
Story:Michael O'Connor
Editing:Eugene Marks
Animator:Manny Perez
Norm McCabe
George Grandpré
Ted Bonnicksen
Bob Matz
Don Williams
Layout Artist:Dick Ung
Background Artist:Tom O'Loughlin
Starring:Mel Blanc[1]
Music:Walter Greene
Producer:David H. DePatie
Friz Freleng[2]
Studio:DePatie–Freleng Enterprises
Distributor:Warner Bros. Pictures
Color Process:Color
Runtime:6:10
Language:English

Feather Finger is a 1966 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Robert McKimson.[3] It was released on August 20, 1966, and stars Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales.[4]

The film is set in Texas, near the Mexico–United States border. Daffy is impoverished, and consequently agrees to defend a small town from Speedy. He is hired as a gunslinger.

Plot

The story takes place in a town called Hangtree, Texas. Daffy Duck is poor and begging for charity when he sees a notice that Mayor Katt is hiring gunslingers for $15 per week. After speaking to the mayor, Daffy agrees to catch Speedy Gonzales, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico."

While waiting by the Mexico–United States border for Speedy, Daffy practices his gunslinging, and accidentally shoots himself. Speedy comes across him, and he shoots him; Speedy disappears, prompting him to comment, "I must have blown him to smithereens"; he did so, as Speedy held onto the bullet all the way to the city limits of Smithereens. Speedy returns and shoves the bullet back up the gun, causing it to explode.

Daffy tries a less direct approach by disguising himself as a Mexican; Speedy is not fooled, so this fails. Next, he offers Speedy a drink of nitroglycerin, but the mouse lets it slide down the counter and explode (Daffy: "This is getting monotonous"). He then lures Speedy with a giant cheese on a mousetrap; the mouse sees this and takes it to Mexico. Daffy, not wanting to go with him, sneaks out and falls down a gorge. His next attempt involves shooting a cannon at Speedy, which also fails, as he is smashed into a canyon wall. When Speedy offers assistance, Daffy finally captures him.

He returns him to the Mayor, who gives him only fifty-six and a quarter cents, as he only worked an hour and a half. Daffy, enraged at having no tip, promptly releases Speedy. The Mayor beats Daffy up, and he is back on the streets begging again.

References

  1. Web site: Feather Finger (1966): Cast . The Big Cartoon DataBase . 7 September 2021 .
  2. Web site: Feather Finger (1966): Main . . 7 September 2021 .
  3. Book: Beck . Jerry . Friedwald . Will . Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons . 1989 . Henry Holt and Co . 0-8050-0894-2 . 359.
  4. Book: Lenburg . Jeff . The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons . 1999 . Checkmark Books . 0-8160-3831-7 . 6 June 2020 . registration . 60-62.

See also