Born to Peck

Born to Peck
Woody Woodpecker series
Directed by	Walter Lantz
Produced by	Walter Lantz
Story by	Walter Lantz
Music by	Clarence Wheeler
Animation by	Ray Abrams Fred Brunish Don Patterson Laverne Harding Paul J. Smith
Studio	Walter Lantz Productions
Distributed by	Universal International
Release date(s)	February 25, 1952 (February 25, 1952) (USA)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	6' 35"
Language	English
Preceded by	Destination Meatball
Followed by	Stage Hoax

Born to Peck is the 39th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on February 25, 1952, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.

Plot

In the future, Woody is an elderly woodpecker who tries in vain to peck away at a tree. Unfortunately, his best years are behind him, and his beak was too weak. Depressed, he begins to reminisce about his younger days when he was a little bird in the care of his father. It becomes apparent that from Day 1, Woody was a mischievous, rascally bird who made his hapless father's life a living nightmare.

Papa Woodpecker smiles at his new son in Born to Peck

After spending several minutes recalling his youth, a despondent Woody jumps over the side of a cliff in an effort to commit suicide. At the last minute, an offscreen cartoonist breaks the fourth wall, erases the grave Woody was bound for, and replaces it with a Fountain of Youth. Rejuvenated, Woody returns to the forest, ready to peck away at his first tree in years. Unfortunately, he chooses a petrified tree, which knocks him cold upon impact.

Production notes

• There is no director's credit for this film. Lantz himself has claimed to have directed Born to Peck.
• Beginning with Born to Peck, the 1951 big band rendition of the Woody Woodpecker theme song was modified into a more jazzier version; this version would be used until The Great Who-Dood-It, when the theme (and intro) was shortened.

External links

• Watch Born to Peck here.

References

• Cooke, Jon, Komorowski, Thad, Shakarian, Pietro, and Tatay, Jack. "1952". The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia.