Buccaneer Woodpecker is the 46th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on April 20, 1953, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.
Plot[]
The film begins with a (17th century) Town Crier announcing that Buccaneer Buzz Buzzard's ship, the Black Mariah, has been sighted in the towns harbor, and warns the citizens "lights out, doors locked". Town magistrate Wally Walrus is worried that Buzz has come to loot the town; to prevent this he issues a huge reward for the pirates capture. Lantern Lighter Woody Woodpecker rushes in to tell the magistrate that he'll capture him, and rushes back out heading straight to Buzz's ship. Immediately after boarding, Woody runs into Buzz, and for the rest of the short does everything he can to try to bring him in. Buzz, of course, uses every trick in the book to avoid capture (and to get Woody off his ship); and both try to not get eaten by a hungry shark waiting in the sea below. Instead of capturing Buzz, Woody winds up blowing him up in the end (though Buzz, now a ghost, seems to have forgiven him, telling him that he "didn't feel a thing" from the explosion), and gets both the reward and Buzz's ship. The shark meanwhile, having now blown his opportunity to eat either of them, chases after Buzz's ghost, trying in vain to eat him. Woody is now seen in the top of the skull in the ship, making his classical laugh, but the skull ends his laugh and now Woody looks confused at the skull and the episode ends.
Characters[]
- Woody Woodpecker
- Buzz Buzzard
- Wally Walrus (cameo)
Voice cast[]
Notes[]
- A more uptempo version of "The Woody Woodpecker Song" opening theme makes its debut in this cartoon. Like previous entries, the song is shorter in length, and ends when the title card appears. This faster version would be used for the follow two entries: Operation Sawdust and Wrestling Wrecks.
- This cartoon marks what is (possibly the second and) the final time Woody actually kills Buzz in the series.
- This cartoon also marks the final time Wally Walrus is given any dialogue in a Woody theatrical film (but he does 'yelp' in his next – and final – appearance Operation Sawdust).
- This cartoon appears in the 6th episode of the 3rd season of Netflix's Stranger Things, E Pluribus Unum. The Russian Alexei character watches Woody Woodpecker cartoons in Murray's house.
Gallery[]
References[]
- Cooke, Jon, Komorowski, Thad, Shakarian, Pietro, and Tatay, Jack. "1953". The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia