Sock a Doodle Do

Sock a Doodle Do
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Airdate:	10 May 1952 Blue Ribbon reissue: 17 February 1962
Series:	Looney Tunes
MPAA Number:	14608
Production Number:	1204
Copyright Renewed:	19 January 1979
Starring:	Foghorn Leghorn Barnyard Dawg Kid Banty
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Mel Blanc Sheldon Leonard
Director:	Robert McKimson
Written By:	Tedd Pierce
Producer:	Eddie Selzer
Animated By:	Charles McKimson Rod Scribner Phil DeLara Herman Cohen (uncredited)
Layout Artist:	Peter Alvarado
Background Artist:	Richard H. Thomas
Film Editor:	Treg Brown
Musician:	Carl Stalling

Sock a Doodle Do is a 1952 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.

Plot

On an open highway, a car is pulling a small trailer which is carrying "Kid Banty", the World's Champion Fighting Rooster and Pinfeatherweight Champ. The vehicle hits a bump on the highway and Kid Banty is ejected in a crate from the trailer and lands on the highway. Banty, who is wearing boxing gloves, thinks he is down for the count in a boxing ring and tries to regain his composure. He then walks toward a field and passes a cow with a cowbell around its neck. When the cow lifts its head, the bell rings and Banty becomes transfixed into thinking he is in a boxing match and proceeds to punch the cow as if it was an opposing fighter.

Foghorn is lounging about the barnyard while his nemesis the dog is securing a large pipe to a makeshift elevated platform constructed out of wood. Foghorn is curious as to what the dog is up to, while the dog affixes a sign below the pipe that reads "SEE A GENUINE FLYING SAUCER." Foghorn thinks it is a fake but looks anyway and complains that he cannot see anything except for "a lot of air with a hole around it". Meanwhile, the dog has climbed up a tree with a large elastic rubber band and instructs Foghorn to keep looking and releases the rubber band, firing a saucer through the pipe, which breaks on Foghorn's head. Next a small tea cup flies through the pipe and also hits Foghorn, with the cup handle getting stuck around his beak. The dog appears and asks Foghorn if he wants "one or two lumps," and a dazed Foghorn says "two", and the dog produces a large mallet and whacks Foghorn on the head.

Later, in the barnyard, Foghorn is repairing and alarm clock when Banty walks by. The clock bell rings and Banty punches Leghorn, who is knocked silly. When Foghorn regains his senses, he asks Banty why he threw the punch, and Banty says that every time he hears a bell, he starts punching. Foghorn ponders this (muttering to himself that Banty is "punchy as a drill press") and then concocts a plot to exact revenge on the dog. Foghorn decides to send Banty to the dog's house to ask for a punching bag. Banty seems temporarily confused (Foghorn mutters another great line, saying to himself that Banty "is about as sharp as a bowling ball") but obeys Foghorn and asks the dog for a punching bag. Foghorn then rings a triangular chime which causes Banty to punch the dog. When the dog confronts him, Banty says that Foghorn sent him over. The dog then figures to get even with Foghorn by giving Banty a gift-wrapped box and telling him that the punching bag is inside. Foghorn warns Banty that the box may be a trap but opens the box anyway, revealing a coo-coo clock. The clock chimes and Banty punches Leghorn again.

Foghorn changes tactics and tries to bribe the dog to be Banty's sparring partner, but it is really a ruse to torment the dog again. The dog then tells Banty that he cannot spar with him but promises to find him another partner. The dog sets up one last scheme by luring Leghorn to a tree trunk (with a sign that reads "Hula Hula Hut") that supposedly has a show with dancing girls inside. Foghorn falls for the scheme and sticks his head in the trunk but nothing is there except a small hole above him. Foghorn muses that the hole is some kind of "peep show" and sticks his head inside, but the dog has set up a miniature boxing ring on top of the tree trunk where Banty is ready to spar, and thanks to the dog's scheme Banty has the perfect-sized partner, Foghorn's head.

Availability

Streaming

Boomerang App (2018 - )

HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored)

Max (2024 - ) (restored)

iTunes ( - ) (restored)

Censorship

The ABC airing of this short edited two scenes:

• Barnyard Dawg tricking Foghorn Leghorn into looking through a pipe to see a "genuine flying saucer" and launching a plate at him, then hitting him twice with a mallet after asking him how many lumps he wants, was deleted entirely.
• The aftermath of Barnyard Dawg getting blown up by an exploding cigar was deleted, fading out after Foghorn Leghorn walks away.

Notes

• Banty (or at least, his character design) would later appear in the Foghorn Leghorn short "Fox-Terror".

Gallery

Title card (unrestored)

Title card (restored)

Screenshot of 2020 restoration

Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration

Kid Banty

"His muscles are as soggy as a used teabag..."

Lobby card