Jerky Turkey (1945) A wild, satirical cartoon take on the first Thanksgiving — with World War II-era gags Director: Tex Avery Writer: Heck Allen (as Henry Wilson Allen) Studio: MGM Cartoons Runtime: 7 minutes Country: United States Language: English Genres: Animation, Comedy, Satire, Historical Parody --- 🧾 Synopsis Set during the first Thanksgiving, Jerky Turkey features the bumbling Pilgrims and a smart-mouthed, wisecracking turkey who outwits them at every turn. Armed with an arsenal of Looney Tunes-style slapstick and wartime humor, the short is a chaotic and zany retelling of America's origin myth. --- 🎨 Animation Highlights Known for its fast pace, exaggerated expressions, and breakneck visual gags. Voice work by Daws Butler (uncredited), channeling Jimmy Durante for the turkey's personality. Backgrounds and character designs reflect Tex Avery’s iconic surreal style. Contains multiple visual puns and wartime references, like ration books, gas shortages, and propaganda. Ends with a twist involving the turkey in drag, a Tex Avery trademark. --- 🧠 Trivia A biting satire of both American history and contemporary (1940s) culture. Released during WWII, many gags reflect homefront life: gas rationing, scrap drives, etc. Tex Avery pushed boundaries of meta-humor and cartoon physics, influencing generations of animators. The turkey is one of many characters Avery gave a “smart-aleck underdog” personality. The short was later released to television and has since become a Thanksgiving cult classic. --- #Hashtags #JerkyTurkey1945 #TexAvery #MGMCartoons #ClassicAnimation #ThanksgivingCartoon #WartimeHumor #GoldenAgeOfAnimation #CartoonSatire #DawsButler #TurkeyCartoon #AnimatedShorts #LooneyTunesStyle #MetaHumor #SlapstickComedy #VintageToon