1972 Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies is a 1972 one hour special that aired as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie. Warner Bros. "loaned out" their famous Looney Tunes characters to interact with the characters from the Filmation animated series Groovie Goolies that aired on CBS from September 12, 1970 to September 4, 1971. The Goolies were a group of hip monsters who looked and sounded like comedic versions of the classic horror-film monsters created in the 1930s and 1940s, mostly by Universal Pictures.

The concept is pretty wild: The Groovy Goolies are big fans of the Looney Tunes characters and while watching them on TV they hear that a King Arthur movie that Daffy is making, is being sabotaged by a mysterious Phantom character. What happens next? Why Drac, Frankie, Wolfie and the other Goolies rush off to Hollywood to help save Daffy and Porky's film. Other characters featured include Petunia Pig, Sylvester, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, and Charlie Dog. Oddly, Bugs Bunny is absent from this project.

Mel Blanc voiced the Looney Tunes characters but notice how Daffy's voice has been sped up too much instead of only a little bit, like in the classic shorts. Daffy now sounds like his late 1930s self, or even Woody Woodpecker! (I was half-expecting Daffy to start acting like his classic "crazy" self at times.) Also note how Porky's voice was NOT sped up at all, and sounds awkward. Tweety's dialogue is also too fast. And like most Saturday morning cartoons from the 1970s, this special also has an adult laugh track which laughs at everything, even if it's not funny.

The complete Groovie Goolies animated series and the classic Looney Tunes shorts have been released on DVD but this special has never had a VHS or DVD release due to various rights issues. This really isn't a Halloween special but it is rare and I figured the Goolies are based on the Universal classic monsters and I love watching those monster movies when October rolls around. Finally I must admit, this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'd say it's a "so bad it's good" type of special and required viewing for anyone who's a fan of the Looney Tunes characters and/or the Groovie Goolies.

Heres a 2018 Restoration by YouTuber netscapenow. Spliced from a 2013 German TV broadcast (first part only), "Groovie Ghouls" 1980s UK VHS, 1972 original broadcast (B/W print), and "The Haunted Heist":


Part 1 Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies by Wiley208


Part 2 Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies by Wiley208


Part 3 Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies by Wiley208


YouTuber wileyvision13 corrected Daffy, Porky and Tweety's voices in this version of the entire special: