Snow Excuse (Merrie Melodies)

Snow Excuse (episode 968)
There's snow excuse for Daffy's behavior towards Speedy!
Directed by: Robert McKimson Written by: David Detiege Release date: May 21, 1966 Franchise: Looney Tunes Prequel: "A-Haunting We Will Go" (previous short) Sequel: "A Squeak in the Deep" (next short)

Snow Excuse is a 1966 Warner Bros. cartoon starring Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck from Warner Bros/DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.

Plot and Setting

Speedy Gonzales is freezing, hoping for some refuge to borrow some of Daffy Duck's wood for a fire in his house on the upper slopes of snow-crowned Mt. Popocatepetl. However, the duck refuses, prompting the mouse to fight back and steal some by surprise.

Why There Was Snow Excuse To Create This Cartoon

1. This short seems to be a lackluster imitation of the Tom and Jerry episode "Snowbody Loves Me," devoid of its original charm and appeal.
2. As is typical with other shorts from the DePatie-Freleng and Seven Arts era, Daffy has been regrettably transformed into a nefarious antagonist through extreme flanderization. In this episode, he callously ignores Speedy's life-threatening situation, showing no concern for his potential death from hypothermia, all while pursuing his own selfish desires, even to the point of attempting murder. Speedy, on the other hand, seeks a compromise, needing only some wood to make a fire and stave off the cold. Daffy's hypocrisy becomes apparent at the end when he expects Speedy to provide him with warm shelter, despite being the very cause of Speedy's perilous state throughout the episode.
3. Moreover, it could send a negative message to viewers by suggesting that greed solves everything, which is misleading because greed cannot solve anything at all.
4. Stock-like music by William Lava, as typical with most of his scores.
5. The pacing is very slow and tedious.
6. Poor animation, as usual for this era.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Speedy Gonzales remains a beloved character as always.
2. Mel Blanc, as always, does a flawless job with the voice work.
3. Daffy Duck ultimately faces a bit of retribution by the end, and uniquely in the DePatie-Freleng era of Looney Tunes, he attempts to make amends by joining Speedy Gonzales in his home, concluding the short on a positive note.
   • It's such a shame that this didn't last long though, as he was reset back to his evil, diabolical, and grouchy characterization in his next appearance.
4. Distinctive among cartoons with a Mexican setting, this particular cartoon features a frozen environment.
5. The postman's reaction to Daffy accidentally shooting off his pants is amusing, even though Daffy had no intention of startling or threatening the postman.

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