Down and Dirty Duck (1974)

by Linda Kay

Also Known As: Dirty Duck; Cheap

Directed by: Charles Swenson

This review contains a Cartoonish Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Insurance company worker Willard (voiced by Howard Kaylan) has no luck satisfying his libido until he inadvertently inherits a foul-mouthed duck (voiced by Mark Volman) with more than a passing similarity to Disney’s Donald. The pair set off on an existential road trip filled with varied levels of naughtiness.

Cartoon Cat: Willard’s landlady (voiced by Joëlle Le Quément) owns an orange cat named Daisy who is sitting by the front door waiting to be let out to go to the bathroom.

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon landlady looking at ginger cat Daisy in front of door at end of hall

The landlady greets Willard as he exits his apartment to leave for work. As he explains how he’s going to propose to a woman at work, despite the landlady pointing out that he’s never even managed to talk to her before, poor Daisy is desperately gesticulating, anxious to get outside.

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy meowing at door

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy looking anxious in front of door

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy having to pee in front of door

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy looking desperate in hall with Willard and landlady

Willard finally opens the door and the cat darts past him.

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy ready to run out door past Willard with landlady

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy having to go to the bathroom and running out door past Willard with landlady animated gif

Willard’s day doesn’t start out well when he can’t get his car to start. The landlady is sympathetic as she gathers up Daisy, scolding that she almost hurt him (we’re not sure how) and how he’s such a nice, young man, even though he fires a gun after them in frustration!

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon landlady holding ginger cat Daisy

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon landlady walking away with worried ginger cat Daisy

Near the end of the film Willard and Duck arrive at Willard’s home where Daisy is lounging in the hallway. The cat tries to get away but duck chases after her, calling “Pussy pussy!” He finally catches the cat offscreen then comes back into frame lovingly cuddling the unhappy kitty.

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy moving away from Duck and Willard in hallway

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat being held by Duck in hallway with Willard in room

Cartoonish Kitty Carnage Warning! Here’s where things get especially weird. During the course of the film Willard has explained how he makes a makeshift woman out of a bizarre mix of items, including an eight ounce glass, an avocado, a banana, creamed corn, Alka Seltzer, a vacuum cleaner, a pound of margarine and a pound of melted liver. Duck suddenly suggests this very combination and Willard goes nuts, putting together his woman. Unfortunately for poor Daisy, he decides to use the cat to stand in for the woman’s . . . well, you get the idea. He also uses an alarm clock for the woman’s face.

Down and Dirty Duck - cartoon ginger cat Daisy being grabbed by crazed Willard

This could have gone in a very, very bad direction, but somehow Willard uses a machine to change the blobby mess into a beautiful doll whom Willard feels is too good for him. Duck is happy to step in and swallows the doll, and hereafter the alarm clock rings and the cat meows in his stomach. When the landlady hears her missing cat she is introduced to Duck (who it is revealed is actually a woman) as Daisy.