The Duck Doctor sees the return of that bloody irritating, cloyingly cute duckling Quacker, this time as the unfortunate target of shot-gun toting bird-hunter Tom. Winged by Tom as he is flying South, Quacker crash lands on a farm where his injuries are tended to by Jerry the mouse. Meanwhile, Tom goes searching for his downed prey, gun at the ready
As you might have guessed, I really don't like the character of Quacker (he's almost as sickening as Nibbles the mouse), so I guess that it is testament to the skills of this cartoon's creators that I rate it as highly as I do. The animation is superb with the farm setting looking particularly fabulous, and there are lots of great gags (nearly all of them at Tom's expense), but the best is most definitely saved for last: on realising that he cannot avoid being hit by a falling anvil, Tom digs a grave, smokes a cigarette and waits for the inevitable, falling into the hole when he is hit.
N.B. To my knowledge, this is the first T&J short in which Tom dies at the end—but it wouldn't be the last (the very next short, The Two Mouseketeers, would see him meet a very grisly end!).
6.5 out 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
As you might have guessed, I really don't like the character of Quacker (he's almost as sickening as Nibbles the mouse), so I guess that it is testament to the skills of this cartoon's creators that I rate it as highly as I do. The animation is superb with the farm setting looking particularly fabulous, and there are lots of great gags (nearly all of them at Tom's expense), but the best is most definitely saved for last: on realising that he cannot avoid being hit by a falling anvil, Tom digs a grave, smokes a cigarette and waits for the inevitable, falling into the hole when he is hit.
N.B. To my knowledge, this is the first T&J short in which Tom dies at the end—but it wouldn't be the last (the very next short, The Two Mouseketeers, would see him meet a very grisly end!).
6.5 out 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.