Wet Blanket Policy (1948)

Wet Blanket Policy Review

Wet Blanket Policy is a 1948 animated short film from the Woody Woodpecker series. It is a solid flick.

Woody Woodpecker is forced to buy life insurance with the beneficiary being Buzz Buzzard who wants to collect early. He sets out to kill the woodpecker through a series of truly excellent gags in what is one outstanding cartoon. Everything here worked. Buzz and Woody chasing each other and trying to harm one another produced numerous funny scenarios and some of the gags that were delightfully artistic and inventive. The portraits scene was especially unique. The physics-bending and cartoony moments were the highlights in this brilliantly constructed film.

Wet Blanket Policy is a highly important movie for two different reasons. One is the the introduction of The Woody Woodpecker Song. This song was nominated for the Oscar, making it the only Oscar-nominated song from a short film to ever be nominated. This number was a huge hit back in the day and it truly is wonderful, catchy and a whole lot of fun. I just wished that it had been incorporated better in the movie itself. I loved the image of Woody singing on the street, but the song felt shoehorned in a bit too much.

The movie also introduced Buzz Buzzard to the series and from the very first moment he appeared on screen I fell in love with him. It is easy to see why he turned out to be more popular than Wally Walrus as he is more unhinged and manipulative, befitting the title of Woody’s archenemy beautifully. Woody felt a bit too naïve and hopeless at first, but eventually he fought back through many superbly executed battle scenes against the devious Buzz.

Wet Blanket Policy is an important Woody Woodpecker movie that introduced the titular song to the proceedings as well as Buzz Buzzard himself. It’s a superbly executed short that features strong humor and some very inventive moments.

My Rating – 4.5