What's Buzzin' Buzzard

What's Buzzin' Buzzard is a 1943 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery and produced by Fred Quimby and musical score by Scott Bradley. The short pokes fun at the common food shortages common at the time. The plot focuses on two turkey vultures struggling to find food in the desert. It was released to theaters on November 27, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Producer Fred Quimby disliked the cartoon but was surprised when it was put under the preservation in the Library of Congress

Plot

The short begins in the Painted Desert as a Jimmy Durante sound alike vulture (voiced by Daws Butler) complains to his friend Joe (voiced by Dick Nelson) about his hunger that his stomach literally starts to talk back to him. Joe opens his mouth where there is a spider web with a sign that reads Closed for the duration . The Durante Vulture expresses his desire for a T-bone steak. A picture of a steak is shown on the screen for a couple seconds followed by a sign the reads 3 minute intermission for drooling. They later spot a jackrabbit (voiced by Daws Butler) and fight over him. They get caught up in their fight and the rabbit gets away. The vultures then start to plot against each other and try eating other. The Durante vulture sits next to a rock and Joe sneakily makes a sandwich with his hand. When the Durante vulture questions Joe's actions he lies and explains he has a toothache. He asks him to examine his tooth while and tries to bite his head. Joe begins to salt the Durante vulture's tail before he hits him on the head with a mallet. The Durante Vulture starts to read a book on cooking and is unknowningly being cooked in a pot by Joe. The Durante Vulture soon realizes this and runs into a log cabin. Joe tricks him into coming outside by pretending to see a beautiful woman. The Durante Vulture comes out and Joe hits him on the head and then covers him and mustard before Joe gets up and runs. The two vultures chase after each other until The Durante Vulture pretends to be a rattlesnake which causes Joe to faint. But right after Joe faints he sees a real one and faints himself. The Durante Vulture later paints a rock to look like a steak and calls Joe over to eat it. Joe eats perfectly and as if it were a real steak. The Durante Vulture tries to do the same only to break his teeth. The vultures get in a scuffle that turns into a whirlwind. Joe escapes and pulls a pot under Durante Vulture only to notice that he has disappeared. The Durante Vulture is revealed to have put a pot under Joe and closes it and puts in an oven. The Durante Vulture sits on top of the stove which is revealed to be a conveyer belt to a meat slicer. The Durante Vulture runs into a hole and Joe uses a pickaxe to get to him. The Durante Vulture pops up from the hole behind him and proceeds to chop the cactus. The Durante Vulture grows tired and surrenders. He goes over to have himself beheaded and Joe almost does but the Durante Vulture runs after Joe with the butcher knife. The vultures chase each other with various weapons around a rock until the Durante Vulture notices that the rabbit has returned. They capture the rabbit and fight over him only for the rabbit to reveal that it's Meatless Tuesday causing the vultures to cry. As a final gag, an announcer says due to popular demand from the audience the steak from earlier was shown again.

External links

• What's Buzzin' Buzzard at the Internet Movie Database
• Credits for the cartoon