Banty Raids

Banty Raids
Title card
Directed byRobert McKimson
Story byRobert McKimson
Nick Bennion
StarringMel Blanc
Music byBill Lava
Animation byGeorge Grandpré
Keith Darling
Ted Bonnicksen
Warren Batchelder
Layouts byRobert Gribbroek
Backgrounds byRobert Gribbroek
Color processTechnicolor
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • June 29, 1963 (1963-06-29)
Running time
6:00
LanguageEnglish

Banty Raids is a 1963 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on June 29, 1963, and features Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg. The voices were performed by Mel Blanc.

This cartoon marked the last "classic-era" cartoon featuring Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dawg. Foghorn would make a cameo appearance in False Hare in 1964, but his next appearance after that was in 1980's The Yolk's on You.

The film is a humorous depiction of a fake same-sex marriage between two roosters. In the film, a young and short bantam rooster ("banty") styles himself as a womanizing beatnik. When expelled from his barnyard for disturbing the peace with rock music, he schemes to gain access to another barn by posing as a baby and getting adopted by Foghorn Leghorn as his new son. Both Foghorn and Barnyard Dawg soon realize that the younger rooster is fixated with hens, but Barnyard figures out a way to use the fixation to his advantage. Barnyard inflicts forced feminization on Foghorn, with a makeover which has Foggy wearing blue eyeshadow, fake eyelashes, red lipstick, a redhead wig, a feminine blue dress, a corset, and blue high heels. After the "banty" is introduced his new "girlfriend", he pressures Foggy into an impromptu wedding ceremony with Barnyard as the preacher. After the ceremony, Foghorn tries to explain to his new husband that he is also a rooster, but banty is willing to overlook the shortcomings of his new spouse.