Southbound Duckling

Southbound Duckling is the 90th one-reel animated Tom and Jerry short.

Plot[]

Southbound Duckling1a-1- — Quacker announces his intentions to fly South for the winter.

Quacker is convinced that all ducks fly South for the winter. He packs his suitcase, visits Jerry to tell him about his migration plans, and tries to leave but Jerry stops him. The mouse shows Quacker a book on ducks which compares wild ducks and domestic ducks (i.e. Quacker) to convince Quacker that he isn't supposed to migrate. Quacker unconvinced, sets off on his travels, even though he cannot fly. After some hard running, Quacker is out of breath, and Jerry again shows his friend the book. Quacker won't give up, loads himself into a catapult and flies straight into Tom's mouth.

Quacker flees and Tom peeks at a recipe for duck, then sets out to make this reality. Jerry pulls Quacker into a tree as he passes by. Soon Quacker places himself on one end of a seesaw and drops an anvil on the other to pelt himself into the air, but cannot stay up and falls into a frying pan Tom sticks out of the window. Tom covers Quacker with egg and flour, which blinds the duck temporarily. When he recovers and sees the cooking book, the recipe reads SOUTHERN FRIED DUCK, and Quacker realizes Tom wants to eat him!

Jerry scoops up Quacker from the pan with a spatula and pulls it towards his hole, but drops the duck just in front. Tom grabs the duck, but gets his hand hit by the spatula and loses Quacker. Still persistent, the duck rides a rocket reading FLORIDA OR BUST into the distance, but Tom swallows the rocket to stop the duck from escaping, sending him across the landscape into a pool - all without swallowing Quacker.

Knowing he cannot escape alone, Quacker pleads for help from a reluctant Jerry, who obliges after much pestering. The duck boards an air balloon and Jerry fills it up, sending Quacker floating into the air. This does not last long as Tom shoots the balloon from a hidden bunker and brings out a net to catch the duck. While the cat is focused on watching his prey's trajectory, Jerry cuts the bottom of the net out and takes Quacker.

Finally, the mouse and duck go to the international airport and fly to Miami, Florida. Tom chases them into the airport and tries to run away from the oncoming plane, and he ends up stowing away by clinging to the wheel.

On a Miami beach, Quacker and Jerry are sunbathing, glad to be rid of Tom, but he is actually right behind them and traps them under a bucket. Quacker is yelling from beneath the bucket, wondering what's going on, while Tom snickers evilly and pulls down an umbrella to hide himself and the bucket as the words "The End" pop up on the umbrella.

Characters[]

Notes[]

This is one of the eighteen cartoons where Tom wins. The others are "Dog Trouble", "The Million Dollar Cat", "The Bodyguard", "Jerry's Diary", "Nit-Witty Kitty", "Hic-cup Pup", "Little School Mouse", "Mouse for Sale", "That's My Mommy", "Timid Tabby", "Royal Cat Nap", "The Vanishing Duck", "The Year of the Mouse", "Duel Personality", "Love Me, Love My Mouse", "Ah, Sweet Mouse-Story of Life", "The Flying Sorceress", and "Guided Mouse-ille".
The flock of ducks make their second appearance following "The Duck Doctor".

Alternative versions[]

Like a number of early widescreen animated films (several other MGM cartoons and Disney's Lady and the Tramp, for example), Southbound Duckling was produced in both the Academy and CinemaScope aspect ratios. The same animation cels were used, but the camera shots were reframed and different backgrounds were used. For some television broadcasts, however, a pan and scan copy was prepared from the CinemaScope version (which is reframed from the Academy version, and missing information present at the top and bottom of the frame in many shots from the Academy version). Contrary to the CinemaScope version, the Academy version is missing information present at the left and right side of the frame in many shots from the CinemaScope version.
The WB Kids YouTube channel and Cartoon Network Maroc presents the comprehensive the pan and scan version in this episode.

Gallery[]

Tom and Jerry Cartoons
1940	Puss Gets the Boot
1941	The Midnight Snack • The Night Before Christmas
1942	Fraidy Cat • Dog Trouble • Puss n' Toots • The Bowling Alley-Cat • Fine Feathered Friend
1943	Sufferin' Cats! • The Lonesome Mouse • The Yankee Doodle Mouse • Baby Puss
1944	The Zoot Cat • The Million Dollar Cat • The Bodyguard • Puttin' on the Dog • Mouse Trouble
1945	The Mouse Comes to Dinner • Mouse in Manhattan • Tee for Two • Flirty Birdy • Quiet Please!
1946	Springtime for Thomas • The Milky Waif • Trap Happy • Solid Serenade
1947	Cat Fishin' • Part Time Pal • The Cat Concerto • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse • Salt Water Tabby • A Mouse in the House • The Invisible Mouse
1948	Kitty Foiled • The Truce Hurts • Old Rockin' Chair Tom • Professor Tom • Mouse Cleaning
1949	Polka-Dot Puss • The Little Orphan • Hatch Up Your Troubles • Heavenly Puss • The Cat and the Mermouse • Love That Pup • Jerry's Diary • Tennis Chumps
1950	Little Quacker • Saturday Evening Puss • Texas Tom • Jerry and the Lion • Safety Second • The Hollywood Bowl • The Framed Cat • Cue Ball Cat
1951	Casanova Cat • Jerry and the Goldfish • Jerry's Cousin • Sleepy-Time Tom • His Mouse Friday • Slicked-up Pup • Nit-Witty Kitty • Cat Napping
1952	The Flying Cat • The Duck Doctor • The Two Mouseketeers • Smitten Kitten • Triplet Trouble • Little Runaway • Fit To Be Tied • Push-Button Kitty • Cruise Cat • The Dog House
1953	The Missing Mouse • Jerry and Jumbo • Johann Mouse • That's My Pup! • Just Ducky • Two Little Indians • Life with Tom
1954	Puppy Tale • Posse Cat • Hic-cup Pup • Little School Mouse • Baby Butch • Mice Follies • Neapolitan Mouse • Downhearted Duckling • Pet Peeve • Touché, Pussy Cat!
1955	Southbound Duckling • Pup on a Picnic • Mouse for Sale • Designs on Jerry • Tom and Chérie • Smarty Cat • Pecos Pest • That's My Mommy
1956	The Flying Sorceress • The Egg and Jerry • Busy Buddies • Muscle Beach Tom • Down Beat Bear • Blue Cat Blues • Barbecue Brawl
1957	Tops with Pops • Timid Tabby • Feedin' the Kiddie • Mucho Mouse • Tom's Photo Finish
1958	Happy Go Ducky • Royal Cat Nap • The Vanishing Duck • Robin Hoodwinked • Tot Watchers
1961	Switchin' Kitten • Down and Outing • It's Greek to Me-ow!
1962	High Steaks • Mouse into Space • Landing Stripling • Calypso Cat • Dicky Moe • The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit • Tall in the Trap • Sorry Safari • Buddies Thicker Than Water • Carmen Get It!
1963	Pent-House Mouse
1964	The Cat Above and The Mouse Below • Is There a Doctor in the Mouse? • Much Ado About Mousing • Snowbody Loves Me • The Unshrinkable Jerry Mouse
1965	Ah, Sweet Mouse-Story of Life • Tom-ic Energy • Bad Day at Cat Rock • The Brothers Carry-Mouse-Off • Haunted Mouse • I'm Just Wild About Jerry • Of Feline Bondage • The Year of the Mouse • The Cat's Me-Ouch
1966	Duel Personality • Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary • Jerry-Go-Round • Love Me, Love My Mouse • Puss 'n' Boats • Filet Meow • Matinee Mouse • The A-Tom-Inable Snowman • Catty-Cornered
1967	Cat and Dupli-cat • O-Solar-Meow • Guided Mouse-ille • Rock 'n' Rodent • Cannery Rodent • The Mouse from H.U.N.G.E.R. • Surf-Bored Cat • Shutter Bugged Cat • Advance and Be Mechanized • Purr-Chance to Dream