Robin Hood Daffy (1958) User Reviews

Entertaining, But Did Daffy Steal Wile E. Coyote's Act?

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 8 June 2007]

Just seeing Daffy dressed up in Robin Hood's green-and-red outfit and playing the mandolin while singing is pretty funny in itself Porky Pig plays Friar Tuck. Well, he has the build.

This Robin Hood is so unimpressive that the Friar is convinced it is "he." Daffy, er Robin, finally says, "Look - I'll prove I'm Robin Hood. See this guy passing by? I'll rob him of his gold and give it to some poor unworthy slob." Ahh, finally a Robin Hood who tells it like it is!

From that point, this cartoon was a ripoff of the Road Runner. Daffy trying to rob the guy was exactly like Wile E. Coyote attempting to get the Road Runner. Every thing that happened to him, I've seen in RR cartoons. Did Daffy steal his act here from Wile? Since this came out in 1958, apparently so. The only thing original was the ending when Daffy says "Shake hands with Friar Duck." That was a great closing line.

The best thing about this animated short was the color. This is another case in which the restoration job is fully appreciated because the forest colors are magnificent. It can be seen on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three.

Solid Daffy Duck cartoon

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 17 January 2010]

Often hilarious and nearly always sumptuous, this is a solid Daffy Duck cartoon. The animation is in general very nice, with crisp colourful backgrounds, and smooth character movements. Though there was once or twice where objects such as the tree were a tad static. The music though was fantastic, very rousing. While not perhaps the most rollicking take on the Robin Hood story, I would say the Errol Flynn film takes that title, it is entertaining, with some good visual gags and a fun script. Whereas in cartoons like The Ducksters, Porky is the butt of the joke, but here, it is Daffy and he seems to be taking it well as he makes a rollicking Robin Hood figure, and Porky is an effective Friar Tuck. I would also like to praise Mel Blanc for his brilliant voice characterisations. All in all, not the absolute best Daffy cartoon, but solid enough. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Polls show that a plurality of the American Public (38%) . . .

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 25 May 2016]

. . . favor Alistair Sim's 1951 version of A CHR!STMAS CAROL as the most memorably poignant film version of novelist Charles Dicken's Christmas Tale (with Bill Murray's SCROOGED edging out Mr. Magoo's rendering of Ebenezer 21% to 19% for runner-up honors). Certainly only a stone-cold Hearted humbug could maintain even one dry eye during the final scene of Sim's characterization, when a comely maid grants him entrance to his nephew Fred's Christmas evening dinner party, as the house guests sing the ballad "Barbara Allen" in the background. Just a few years after Sim's evocative performance, the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated shorts people use ROBIN HOOD DAFFY to build upon World War Two's warm after-glow toward all things English in general (and Sim's aforementioned live-action feature film in particular) by having Porky Pig (assuming the role here of Friar Tuck) warble "Barbara Allen" to Daffy Duck's hapless title character. ROBIN HOOD DAFFY makes it clear that--unlike Bugs Bunny's turn as RABBIT HOOD--Daffy is far less likely than Tiny Tim to be just one of the "Men in Tights," let alone their leader.

One of the great classics of animation

[phantom_tollbooth · 10/10 · 4 November 2008]

One of the great classics of animation, Chuck Jones's 'Robin Hood Daffy' is a sumptuous and hilarious short from the late era of Warner Bros. cartoons. Based on the glorious Warner production 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', 'Robin Hood Daffy' combines subtle character comedy and broad slapstick with an astonishingly perfect balance. The famous "buck and a quarter quarterstaff" scene that opens the film is the finest example of this. Daffy's wild thrashing around is punctuated by his quiet run through of how the routine should go as he takes time out to establish just where he went wrong. It's a classic scene with some terrific animation as the chortling Porky Pig defeats Daffy Duck at a duel with very little effort. Compare this scene and the laughing fits that the characters break into afterwards with the same scene from 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' and it becomes even funnier as you realise how close to the source material it actually is.

There are plenty of other classic moments in 'Robin Hood Daffy' ("Yoiks and away"), each punctuated by the frolicking image of the weary traveller that Daffy is attempting to rob obliviously passing by the latest scene of Daffy's humiliation. Apart from the gorgeous layouts, the brilliant gags and the wonderful performance by Mel Blanc, 'Robin Hood Daffy' is also notable for how Jones uses the characters, particularly Porky Pig. Porky had long been a straight man whose star billing was contradicted by the way his co-stars upstaged him. Relegating Porky to supporting player breathed new life into him and, as is the case with all Jones's Porky and Daffy genre parodies, Porky excels himself. His laidback, overly-jolly friar is the perfect foil to inspire escalating frustration in Daffy as he tries in vain to prove he's Robin Hood, never thinking to just point out one of the many Wanted posters bearing his image. 'Robin Hood Daffy' is an exceptional piece of work that everyone of a certain age remembers fondly. It's another in an extraordinarily long line of Chuck Jones classics.

A Chuck Jones classic.

[Squonk · 10/10 · 5 January 1999]

This Daffy Duck short is similar in style to Chuck Jones' Road Runner shorts with its unique backgrounds and fast moving gags. I especially like the scene in which Daffy uses his buck and a quarter quarter staff. Also very funny is the character design of the rich traveler Daffy attempts to rob. The unique shape of this character and his horse combined with the way they prance across the screen is a hilarious visual. This is among the best Daffy Duck shorts.

One of the best pairings of Daffy and Porky and absolutely hilarious!

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 1 August 2006]

This short is an extremely funny teaming of Daffy with Porky as his "straight man" (with Porky's antics the cause of a lot of the funniest bits). I have to talk about something specific in the short, so let this be my spoiler warning: Any cartoon where Porky Pig sings the first verse of "Barbara Allen" is one my permanent list of favorites. When I first saw this cartoon, hearing an old tradition song issuing forth in the dulcet tones of Porky Pigs had me rolling on the floor and it still makes me laugh like a loon to this day.

The fun in this cartoon is watching Daffy and his progressively desperate (and increasingly unsuccessful) attempts to convince Porky that he really is Robin Hood, honest and for truly, he is! This has been released on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection on DVD and it (and the rest of the Collections) are well worth having and all most highly recommended!

trusty water stick...

[lee_eisenberg · 9/10 · 19 July 2006]

This time, Robin Hood (Daffy Duck) tries to convince Friar Tuck (Porky Pig) that he really is Robin Hood, but the circumstances keep working against him. Maybe "Robin Hood Daffy" isn't the greatest cartoon from the Mel Blanc/Chuck Jones crowd, but it's still great. With some of the things that happen to Daffy here, you just have to remember what we learned in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" about a given cartoon character: you can drop anything you want on his head. And let me tell you, Daffy has a lot more to worry about than that! Anyway, this is another cartoon from the Golden Age. You may just feel like Robin Hood after viewing this.

A 'buck-and-a-quarter' quarterstaff

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 29 September 2015]

Another Looney Tunes foray into Robin Hood territory; this time with Daffy as the famous bowman. Daffy tries to rob a rich traveler (a silly looking man riding on a mule) to prove to Porky (dressed as Friar Tuck) that he is really Robin Hood. He fails hilariously over and over to rob the man. It's a Chuck Jones short so you know there will be some funny sight gags as well as some amusing lines. It's also well-animated with great colors. Wonderful voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. Lively music from Milt Franklyn. It's pretty funny with an especially good tree-swinging gag, but it's never quite as great as you hope it will be.

One of my favourite Daffy Duck episodes!

[Mightyzebra · 8/10 · 1 August 2007]

Genre: Animated short, duck, pig, slapstick, based on Robin Hood.

Main characters: Daffy Duck (acting as Robin Hood) and Porky Pig (acting as Friar Tuck).

Actors: Mel Blanc (Daffy Duck and Porky Pig).

What happens: Starring Daffy Duck as Robin Hood, he meets the hysterical Porky Pig as Friar Tuck. Friar Tuck is looking for Robin Hood, but he refuses to believe that it IS Robin Hood…

My thoughts: This is a very slapsticky Daffy Duck short (and as you may know I am not awfully fond of slapstick) however I like it quite a lot! I like how even though it has SO much slapstick, there is always a teeny bit of wit to top it off! I also love how they sometimes speak in old fashioned English like "I am whom thoust seekest. I am Robin Hood" and stuff like that. I also like the background animation, well-drawn wonky forests and paths. I also like the song at the very beginning.

Recommended to: Daffy Duck fans and admirers (like me) and people who like slapstick and wit in a cartoon! Enjoy! :-)

Robin Duck

[rbverhoef · 7/10 · 27 March 2003]

Daffy Duck claims to be Robin Hood to Friar Tuck (Porky Pig). Tuck wants to join Robin Hood and to prove to Friar Tuck Daffy will steal some gold from a rich man and give it to a poor man. There are a couple of laughs, in the end mostly, but overall it is not that funny.

In my opinion, this is the best "Daffy!.

[JohnHowardReid · 10/10 · 10 March 2018]

STARS: "Daffy Duck" (Robin Hood), "Porky Pig" (Friar Tuck), "Lord of the Castle" (himself).

Director: CHARLES M. JONES. Story: Michael Maltese. Animation: Abe Levitow, Richard Thompson, Ken Harris. Lay-outs: Maurice Noble. Backgrounds: Philip De Guard. Film editor: Treg Brown. Voice characterizations: Mel Blanc. Music director: Milt Franklyn. Color by Technicolor. Producer: Edward Selzer.

A Warner Bros "Merrie Melodies" cartoon. U.S. release: 8 March 1958. 1 reel.

COMMENT: One of my favorite Daffys - and I'm glad to see that other critics like Steve Schneider agree with me. (In fact Steve regards this one as the last of Daffy's best work).

Admittedly the accent is on fast-paced, clever slapstick, but all the continuous and often unexpected tumbles are made doubly enjoyable by Daffy's ridiculous posturing and Porky's understandable glee.

As usual the backgrounds and color add immeasurably to the cartoon's intrinsic appeal.

Daffy Duck has trouble proving his identity...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 13 February 2008]

Any cartoon with Mel Blanc doing the voice characterizations and produced by Chuck Jones has got something going for it, but while ROBIN HOOD DAFFY is not the funniest cartoon about the famous outlaw, it does garner a few laughs when Daffy crashes into more trees than George of the Jungle.

The animation though, leaves something to be desired--it's not as pleasing in background layout nor are the characters given the sort of careful craftsmanship that was evident in, for example, the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Perhaps this is due to the newer drawing style of the late '50s which relied on more crudely drawn characters.

At any rate, a funny take on the Robin Hood legend, with Daffy getting the worst of things for a change while Porky Pig remains relatively unscathed by any of the over-the-top slapstick. Enjoyable enough, but not one of the funnier Porky Pig/Daffy Duck outings.

Of the "Daffy as a fictional hero" shorts, it's one of the weaker ones

[erikd-lin · 5/10 · 6 February 2015]

With the Chuck Jones incarnation of Daffy, you know very well that he'll nearly always lose. Even when he's based on a famous fictional character, he'll generally be supremely incompetent. But how he loses is what makes it entertaining.

Robin Hood Daffy feels quite a bit more formulaic in the sense that the elements of dialogue don't seem to interact(a bit hard to explain). Daffy does something stupid, Porky laughs and/or snarks. In other looney tunes shorts, this formula is not nearly as explicit but here it's pretty hard to ignore. The dialogue doesn't really build up to anything is what I'm saying; you already know that Porky isn't going to be convinced whereas with Bugs he still have to put effort into the way he tricks someone. This may be attributed to the fact that Porky isn't really his main antagonist but he still feels rather static.

And even when Daffy fails, it doesn't even feel as entertaining as usual. Here it's more just "slamming into things". This doesn't really elicit different expressions on the characters so the sense of pain is lost in the transition. Maybe the sound of the impact is meant to compensate but without a variety of consequences it's more just a gag in a vacuum.

Animation wise, the cartoon doesn't feel nearly as lively. Chuck Jones shorts are usually known for being subtler but here they feel particularly restrained. There are some unique aspects such as the bouncing walks of the pony.

Overall, it doesn't mean it's an objectively bad cartoon. But there's definitely a sense energy is lacking with the character and the gags. You do see some great poses(which Chuck Jones Shorts are also well known for).

A hilarious Daffy/Porky classic!

[slymusic · 15 August 2006]

"Robin Hood Daffy" is one of director Chuck Jones' funniest Warner Bros. cartoons starring Daffy Duck as Robin Hood and Porky Pig as Friar Tuck. Featuring a fantastic music score (suitable for the time period) by Milt Franklyn and a gorgeous layout design by Maurice Noble, this cartoon is a hilarious parody of the story of Robin Hood. As with other earlier cartoons such as "Drip-Along Daffy" (1951) and "Deduce, You Say" (1956), Daffy vainly attempts to prove himself a dashing, noble hero, only to end up blundering every time, sometimes resulting in physical pain! All Porky can do is nonchalantly watch Daffy and burst into hysterical laughter. (Some might argue that Porky seems a bit too refined in this cartoon, as he doesn't stutter as much as usual, but it hardly matters.)

Highlights from "Robin Hood Daffy" include the following (DON'T read any further if you haven't yet seen this cartoon classic). First off, how can anyone possibly forget the brilliant running gag of Daffy shouting, "Yoiks...and away!!!" while swinging on a vine, only to crash into a tree every time? (The versatile vocal talents of Mel Blanc really make this scene a lot funnier as Daffy's voice weakens with every tree he smacks into.) At the beginning of this short, Daffy strums a lute and joyfully sings a song about his being on the loose, but he soon hilariously loses his balance and tumbles down a steep hill (aided by the sound effects of a drumset) into a lake. The sight of Porky and Daffy hysterically laughing together is a classic moment in Warner Bros. cartoon history. In order to attack a wealthy traveler (who never seems to be aware that he is even under attack), Daffy pulls a rope attached to a gigantic steel ball; he ends up swinging on the rope and crashing into a stone wall. And what a treat it is to hear Porky singing "Barbara Allen."

"Robin Hood Daffy" is simply a brilliant cartoon by Chuck Jones, no question about it. It can be found on Disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 3, and for some extra fun, listen to the fascinating audio commentary by animator Eric Goldberg.

Robin Hood Daffy

[jboothmillard · 9/10 · 6 July 2009]

Daffy Duck can be both a little annoying and fun to watch, and this is one of the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons where you just love him. Disney created their own animated version of the famous hero years later, but this is much more hilarious fun. Daffy plays a wanted Robin Hood, who is just prancing singing and playing his instrument, when he slips down a hill falling into a pond. We see Friar Tuck, Porky Pig, laughing hysterically as Daffy gets out, and he decides to teach Porky a lesson with his (buck and a quarter) quarter staff, but he hits his beak twice before the Friar comes to stop him, get him in the lake again, and Daffy joins laughing for a bit. When Porky has calmed down he asks Daffy if he knows where Robin Hood is, and Porky does not believe it is him. To prove he is Robin Hood, Daffy suggests robbing a rich man of his gold and giving it to a poor sole. Of course, this does not go smoothly: he can't fire an arrow, swing through trees and avoid a rock, drop a demolition ball, fire a larger arrow and stop the castle gates dropping. In the end, with Porky convinced he's just not Robin Hood, Daffy decides to "join" him instead as a Friar, and it ends with them shaking hands, and Daffy's beak going up again. Daffy Duck was number 30, and Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies number 20 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Very good!

Excellent Animation/Wonderful Color

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 27 June 2019]

This episodeputs our scatterbrained duck in the role of Robin Hood (or an impostor). He needs to show his stuff when Porky (as Friar Tuck) finds him incredibly amusing. Unfortunately, everything he does blows up in his face, leaving his credibility by the roadside. Well done Warner Brothers cartoon

Many reviews of Warner Movie Studio products underline . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 7/10 · 16 August 2021]

. . . a purported significance to the "Warner" name, relating it to such famous seers as Daniel, Cassandra, Ezekiel and Nostradamus. Certainly it seems easy to view ROBIN HOOD DAFFY in such a light, especially this week as Biden surrenders to the Taliban. Surely hapless Daffy Duck can be seen representing the U. S. Military, particularly when he shouts "Yikes, and away!" eleven times, swinging himself via vine into eleven trees. Remembering that the overrated "thanks for your service" guys have LOST 11 of the 12 wars the USA has messed around with since the end of World War Two (namely, Korea, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, Lebanon, Panama, the botched Iran Hostage "Rescue," Somalia, Gulf War One, Gulf War Two, Libya and now Afghanistan) Daffy demonstrates the main precept of "U. S. Military Intelligence:" Repeat your mistakes as many times as you can. When Daffy finally cheats by cutting down the 11 trees in his way, he slams into the boulder denoting the lone American "victory" of the past 76 years: the bogus Grenada Invasion.

The aim of the game

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 7 December 2015]

Robin Hood Daffy is directed by Chuck Jones. By the late 1950s the Warner Bros animation department had suffered budget cuts and it shows here as the animation looks rather cheap and basic when before it was rich and detailed.

Chuck Jones had to make up the deficit in inventiveness as Daffy plays the famous archer who has to prove to Porky Pig's Friar Tuck that he is indeed the famous Robin Hood.

Porky is disbelieving and after each inept attempt by Daffy to prove him wrong by trying to rob a wealthy traveller he is even more convinced that the duck is just daffy.

There are some nice sight gags and plenty of buffoonery by Daffy but it did feel more like a Wile E Coyote/Roadrunner type of cartoon.

Good Short

[Michael_Elliott · 8 January 2012]

Robin Hood Daffy (1958)

*** (out of 4)

Not quite as great as RABBIT HOOD, here's another Chuck Jones directed take on the Robin Hood legend. This time out Daffy Duck is wearing the tights and after running into Friar (Porky Pig) he must convince him that he is the real Robin. Of course, with Daffy this isn't going to be too easy and he keeps making one big mistake after another. ROBIN HOOD DAFFY contains some very good animation and a rather cute story but at the same time I don't think it comes together as good as it could have. Yes, it's a good movie but it's still middle-ground in terms of Looney Tunes and some of the classics they've done over the years. Some of the highlights includes a scene towards the end where Duffy flashes past the man he's trying to "take" and we see a great scene of him going into some water up up a draw bridge. The animation here is very effective and so is the laugh. The rest of the film contains some fast action but none of it is as funny as it should have been.

Why not save Lady Marian?

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 10 July 2015]

This 7-minute cartoon from 1958 actually has a bit of a strange premise. Daffy Duck plays Robin Hood or I should maybe say a man in Robin Hood clothes and he tries to convince Porky all film long that he actually is Robin Hood. Of course, it goes all kinds of wrong and his attempts of going against the rich even help them, for example on one occasion when he builds a bridge for the nobleman. But would Robin Hood care if people did not recognize him? Well.. he was rather vain, at least in the famous Errol Flynn movie, so maybe he would. This cartoon was only made 20 years after this famous film. Oh my. Anyway, in the end Daffy realizes it's pointless and finds another position where he will hopefully be more successful. The established trio Jones, Maltese and Blanc made this short film again and it's one of their later works from 1958. I personally did not find this one really funny, there's many better Looney Toons out there. Not recommended.

A funny Daffy cartoon with him in later gormless mode - but very funny for once!

[bob the moo · 7 March 2004]

Daffy is a Robin Hood type who fights the sheriff and is famous from his wanted posters. His reputation is given a knock when he falls into a river and is laughed at by a fat friar pig (Porky). All Daffy's attempts to prove himself and impress the jolly Friar just seem to backfire and he can't convince him that he is the Robin Hood that Porky seeks.

I'm a really big fan of Daffy Duck and always feel that he is at his best when he is in his early persona of being manic and wacky. Even when he becomes more cynical and greedy he still manages to be one of my favourite Warner Brothers characters. Here he is very much the butt of the film's jokes - a role that I'm never totally happy to see him in as I do like him as a character more than a fall guy. However here the jokes are funny and imaginative so I didn't mind so much in this case. The character he plays is basically a fall guy but the ways in which he falls had me laughing out loud - whether it was the rope swing or the shaft fight, I was loving it!

I don't like to see Daffy just plain mocked but he takes it very well here and is funny himself rather than just being a patsy. Porky is also good but doesn't manage to steal the show from Daffy in the way he often can in these combination films of theirs. With no other characters to speak of, Daffy carries the film very well and gets the majority of the laughs - I still prefer to see him giving rather than getting, but this is funny nonetheless.

Overall this cartoon is very funny with a good sense of cruel wit running through it. Fans of the original little black duck may be upset to see him take such punishment but I personally was relieved that Daffy managed to make this film as funny as he did.

Even the title isn't clever

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 5/10 · 21 March 2011]

This is one of the two short(it's the middle in length, at about 7 minutes running time) Looney Tunes subjects on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD of Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938. It has Daffy thinking he's Robin, and Friar Tuck Porky doesn't believe it. And like I said, there isn't anything to even the name of this. At least "Rabbit Hood" was a fair pun. So yeah, this is the latter character laughing at and mocking the former as he gets badly hurt and humiliated. And we're supposed to do the same. If we have to laugh at pain, can't it be our own, and not others? You know, it's a potential relief either way, but at least that way it wouldn't be cruel. This is directed by Chuck Jones who I know is one of the favorites for doing these, and since I haven't watched many of these and this one definitely wasn't for me, I can't really say if this is one of his best or not. The animation is nice enough. There is cartoon violence in this, and there are those who will find the depiction of the Sheriff(I think) to be overly effeminate and stereotypical. I recommend this to fans of Merrie Melodies. 5/10

Yikes and awaaaaaay....WHAM!!

[terp_92 · 29 December 2000]

One of my all-time favorites. One hysterical gag after another, especially when Daffy tries to swing on a vine and smashes into one tree after another. Daffy is so funny as the failed Robin Hood Daffy, and Porky Pig is hillarious as Friar Tuck laughing at everything Daffy is doing. I can never stop laughing when I watch this one.

Almost as funny as the Vagner opera with Buggs & Elmer

[greggbaker · 11 January 2008]

This one always cracks me up. Especially when Daffy Mocks Friar (Porky) Tuck with, "Guffaw, Chortle, Nyuk, it is to laugh." The "Yikes and away!" is great too. They don't write 'em like this any more.

Another favorite: "In the classic Warner Bros. cartoon 'The Scarlet Pumpernickel,' Daffy Duck is earnestly pitching his new script to the unseen Jack Warner. As Daffy tells the story, we see it unfold, performed by the great stock company of Daffy, Porky Pig, Sylvester and Elmer Fudd. But it soon becomes clear that Daffy does not have an ending for his movie. Warner presses him, Daffy keeps reaching, and Warner keeps asking for more. Poor Daffy. In his zeal, he forgot that adding any old plot development is not enough to make a gripping story. You've got to have something important on the line, something that matters. Daffy should have been asking himself, Who cares?

That's a question all novelists must repeat. If you can create a character worth following and a problem that must be solved — and then along the way raise the stakes even higher—you're going to have the essential elements of a page-turner."