What’s Buzzin’ Buzzard? (1943) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In the sun‑baked expanse of the Painted Desert, two lanky buzzards find themselves locked in a perpetual quest for a bite to eat. One of them, a flamboyant, Jimmy Durante‑inspired turkey vulture with a perpetually rumbling stomach that even voices its own cravings, is constantly riffing on his hunger in a show‑business cadence. Durante Vulture—as he’s known for his swagger and witty self‑talk—relies on his larger‑than‑life voice (brought to life by the legendary Daws Butler) to turn every growl into a punchline.

His companion, a more cautious fellow with a knack for chasing jackrabbits, is Joe Buzzard, a jittery but quick‑witted partner whose nervous energy keeps the duo’s misadventures in constant motion. Their relationship is a comic dance of one‑upmanship, each trying to outwit the other while the desert heat amplifies every sigh and sigh‑of‑relief. The environment itself feels like a vast, open‑air stage, with whimsical signs, theatrical intermission notices, and a jaunty musical backdrop that cues the audience to expect slapstick mayhem at any moment.

The short leans heavily into classic cartoon logic, where the physics of hunger manifest as visual gags: a talking belly, imagined meals that flash across the screen, and a series of playful traps that blur the line between predator and potential platter. The tone stays breezy and neutral, letting physical humor and timing drive the story, while the characters’ personalities provide a steady current of witty banter. The result is a lively, absurdly charming portrait of survival in a desert that feels more like a circus ring than a barren wasteland, promising endless laughs as the two buzzards circle one another in an endless, hungry waltz.