Yakky Doodle in Full Course Meal

Produced and Directed by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.
Credits: Animation – Don Towsley, Layout – Tony Rivera, Backgrounds – Dick Thomas, Written by Tony Benedict, Story Director – John Freeman, Titles – Art Goble, Production Supervision – Howard Hanson.
Voice Cast: Yakky – Jimmy Weldon, Chopper – Vance Colvig, Alfie Gator – Daws Butler.
Music: Hoyt Curtin.
Episode: Production R-77 (fifth of eight Yakkys in 1961-62 season).
Copyright 1962 by Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Plot: Alfie Gator tries to eat Yakky Doodle for dinner but Chopper gets in the way.

“And so ends another happy tale with the villain vanquished. Namely (breathes) me.” So we, the audience, are told at the end of this cartoon by Alfie Gator, modelled by writer Tony Benedict on Alfred Hitchcock.

Back when this cartoon was made, the famed director hosted a TV show called Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Benedict loved it so much, he parodied it in the Yakky Doodle cartoons. Hitchcock alerted his viewers, in elegant language, that he was about to pause for a commercial message, then welcomed them back when the ad break was finished. Alfie does the same thing. Daws Butler doesn’t imitate Hitchcock but borrows some of his vocal mannerisms (including heavy breaths during sentences) and takes the mush out of his mouth, leaving a detectable accent. Hitchcock arrived and departed in a silhouette. Alfie does the same (at least at the end of this cartoon).

Benedict mines humour in this cartoon from the Hitchcock show familiarity because the gags themselves aren’t all that strong. The first half of the cartoon is taken up with the well-worn scenario of a small character being invited for dinner, floating around in a pot of water on a stove and then being told he’s the dinner.

Chopper: How can you eat that poor, little innocent duck?
Alfie: (breathes) I force myself.

One of the things that’s enjoyable about Alfie is his complete disdain for Chopper and the dog’s boorish, rough-housing attitude. It’s completely beneath his dignity, which he doesn’t hesitate to tell the audience. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from being pummelled.

Chopper: Ya know what I’m gonna do?
Alfie: (breathes) I suspect you are going to resort to some crude form (breathes) of physical vi-o-lence.

Yes, that’s exactly what happens.




The next gag involves Alfie leaving a trail of bread crumbs to catch the duck in a pot. But Chopper eats the crumbs instead. Alfie mistakenly clobbers Chopper with the pot. You kind of know what’s going to happen next.

Alfie: I beg your pardon (breathes), but this constant interference is becoming quite annoying. I suppose now you will indulge in a childish temper tantrum. (Chopper clobbers Alfie with the pot). Disgusting trait to find in a fully-grown dog. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Next, Alfie uses a bow with a plunger attached to a rope as an arrow to “snare my duck dinner.” Yakky (if you’ll pardon the pun) ducks. Again, you know what’ll happen.

Alfie: (to Chopper) Good heavens, it’s you. (to audience) He doesn’t seem to understand (breathes) that I find his presence disturbing. (to Chopper) Before you assault me with that plunger (breathes), I should like to grovel at your feet and (breathes) plead for mercy.
Chopper: Aw, I wasn’t gonna hit you with this old plunger.
Alfie: Good. I shall be forever grateful.

And as you might have guessed, Chopper punches him in the nose instead.

Those are the gags. Alfie ends the cartoon by fading away until next time, just like we might expect from Hitchcock himself.



Hoyt Curtin wrote a cue based on Hitchcock’s theme “Dance of the Marionettes.” For whatever reason, the sound cutter doesn’t use it in this cartoon. But the music that is heard is familiar from The Flintstones and Hanna-Barbera short cartoons of this time period.

There’s nothing distinctive or really very interesting in the artwork in this cartoon. And with that, I shall fade away until next time. Good night.