Boston Quackie

Boston Quackie is a 1957 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.[1] The short was released on June 22, 1957, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.[2] The cartoon and its title are a parody of the character Boston Blackie. The engine on the train is a 4-4-2 engine or a French Paris type steam locomotive No. 12 and 1434. These locomotives of this wheel arrangement were used most on France railroads. The shot where the train goes by shows the engine hauling four passenger cars, and when the train goes by the mail post, the engine only has three passenger cars.

Boston Quackie
Directed byRobert McKimson
Produced byEdward Selzer
Story byTedd Pierce
StarringMel Blanc
June Foray
(uncredited)
Music byMilt Franklyn
Carl Stalling (Archive)
Color processTechnicolor
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
June 22, 1957 (USA)
Running time
7 min (one reel)
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Boston Quackie; "Friend to those who need no friends, enemy to those who have no enemies"; is a secret agent enjoying some time off in Paris with his girlfriend Mary and their little dog when his superior, Inspector Faraway, comes to him with an assignment. Faraway hands Quackie an attaché case that must be delivered to the Slobovian consulate in West Slobovia—however, he warns Quackie that "every spy in the country" will attempt to steal it from him! Immediately upon taking custody of the attaché case, Quackie loses it to a mysterious man wearing a green hat, whereupon Quackie, Mary and the inspector give chase.

Quackie follows the thief to a railroad depot station, where they board the Cloak & Dagger Express. As Quackie sneaks along the passenger cars (one of which is labeled "Electrique-Chair Car" (a nod to the electric chair and to the "chair cars," a.k.a. passenger cars, of the day), a 4-4-2 tender engine No. 12 (and 1434) rings its bell and blows its whistle, which lets out a humongous scream, before the engine starts out, as Quackie manages to grab onto the end of the train. Quackie tries in various ways to prove that the man wears a green hat and thus is the man he's after. The two take tea together, the thief speaking in a Slavic accent, after which the chase resumes. The thief manages to capture Quackie and ties him up in a sack. The thief hangs Quackie at the railroad post office pole and is knocked off the train by a wigwag until Faraway and Mary show up. Faraway notices Quackie's situation and (unintentionally) puns "Why are you just hanging around?". Mary, meanwhile, catches the thief and knocks him out with an anvil-loaded purse. Quackie manages to get out of the bag and eventually prevails, delivering the attaché case to the consulate.

Quackie is dismayed, however, when the consul (a character inspired by Peter Lorre) produces from the case what appears to be a simple, brown instant-coffee jar, whose label reads: "Instructions—Add Water and Pour." Quackie is incredulous, demanding, "You mean, all that hassle just so you could have a coffee break?" The consul pours water into the jar, shakes it, and out pops a beautiful woman in an evening gown and fur wrap—the consul explans that he needed an escort for the embassy ball! Quackie then notices a label on the other side of the jar, which reads: "Acme House Instant Girl." Bemusedly, Quackie remarks: "You know, there just might be a market for this!"

See also

References
  1. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 299. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  2. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 60–62. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
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