You Were Never Duckier

You Were Never Duckier is an animated cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series from 1948. Starring Daffy Duck and Henery Hawk, this cartoon marked the start of a direction change for Daffy Duck, from a "screwball" character, to a greedy, self-centered one (though, according to commentary by Eric Goldberg on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD [fifth volume], this cartoon showed Daffy as being both a greedy, self-centered character and a screwball one). This cartoon was also the next-to-last Henery Hawk cartoon to not be directed by Robert McKimson, and one of only four to be directed by creator Chuck Jones (after The Squawkin' Hawk, Flop Goes the Weasel, and followed by The Scarlet Pumpernickel).

This marks the new era in Warner Bros. as it was the first to be in the post-1948 package. It was reissued with 1943-56 rules although. This and 4 other cartoons followed this exception and all of them except Daffy Dilly, also directed by Jones, have their original titles restored for a DVD release. Also Daffy Dilly is the only one in Cinecolor.

The title is a play on the title song in the 1942 musical film "You Were Never Lovelier" starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, with music and lyrics by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer.

Plot
The National Poultry Show is being held, and Daffy Duck looks at the matinee showing the prizes for the judging. The first prize for best rooster is $5000 (equal to $0 today), and the best Duck is $5 (equal to $0 today). Daffy, having traveled all the way from Dubuque for the contest, is outraged that ducks rate such a low prize and decides to disguise himself as a rooster (using rubber gloves and the tail feathers of another rooster) to get $5000. Meanwhile, Henery is being taught all about roosters by his father, George K. (or G.K.) Chickenhawk (a reference to G.K. Chesterton. Henery decides to head to the poultry show and catch himself a rooster.

Daffy's plan backfires when Henery decides to take him home. Daffy says he's a special breed of rooster, and thinking that Henery's father, described as "the greatest judge of chicken flesh in the world," is the judge to give him the $5000, he tags along. Daffy then finds out he is in a chickenhawk's house, and tries to escape, but fails. Henery's father then starts to prepare Daffy as a meal. Daffy tries to prove he is really a duck, even trying to take his disguise off (to no avail). When he tries to escape, Henery's father grabs his "head" (the rubber glove), and the glove lands on his head, then he proceeds to chase Daffy, who is finally able to escape when Henery accidentally hits his father with a mallet.

Before the contest begins, Daffy puts on another glove. Then, at the contest, Daffy loses to Henery's father, disguised as a Rhode Island red. Daffy then tries for the best duck prize, but loses that as well - to Henery, wearing a disguise consisting of a clothespin and two flippers.