The Up-Standing Sitter

The Up-Standing Sitter is a 1948 Despite having been released in the 1947-1948 season, the cartoon uses 1948-1949 opening and closing sequences. This was the one of the latest cartoons released in the pre-1948 package.] Warner Bros. cartoon in the "Looney Tunes" series, directed by Robert McKimson, starring Daffy Duck. All voices are by Mel Blanc. The title is a play on the expression "up-standing citizen" and on standing being opposite of sitting (a fact which figures into the film's closing gag.)

Plot synopsis

Daffy Duck, working for a baby-sitting agency, is sent to a farm to sit for a hen who is literally "sitting" on an egg and wants to take a trip. Soon after the hen leaves, the egg hatches, producing a yellow chick whose shape, voice and attitude are similar to that of Henery Hawk.

The chick first calls Daffy "Daddy", then "cousin", "uncle", etc. When Daffy points out he is not a relative, the chick says he is not supposed to talk to strangers, and runs away with Daffy in hot pursuit of his charge. The chick first simply eludes Daffy, and then begins to torment the duck with one violent gag after another (anticipating "Home Alone" by decades).

At one point, Daffy (whose voice is identical to Sylvester's but electronically sped up)"That's Not All, Folks!", 1988 by Mel Blanc, Philip Bashe. Warner Books, ISBN 0-446-39089-5 (Softcover), ISBN 0-446-51244-3 (Hardcover)] invokes a phrase more closely associated with the cat: "Sufferin' succotash!"

In the process, Daffy also incurs the wrath of the barnyard's bulldog, especially as many of the chick's gags lead to Daffy crashing into the dog's house, (re-)splintering it. The film's final joke has Daffy over the dog's knee as he applies a loud and painful spanking to the duck. Daffy calls his agency and tells them he will have to do his next "sitting" job "standing up."

Censorship

On several prints of the cartoon that had been shown in syndication over the years, the 1948-49 "Looney Tunes" ending was replaced by Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) with the ending logo from "Hare Tonic" and "Baseball Bugs", with the 1937 "Merrie Melodies" ending music playing over it. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjps-rBPVdY]

Production

With production number 1087, this was the last cartoon in the pre-1948 package to be produced. [http://www.davemackey.com/animation/wb/prodnumbers.html Warner Bros. Animation Production Numbers, 1946 to Present (A Partial List)] ]

References

ee also

*Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940-1949)
*List of cartoons featuring Daffy Duck