Western Animation / Deduce, You Say!

Name: Shropshire Slasher Occupation: Shropshire Slasher

"Deduce, You Say!" is a 1956 Looney Tunes short directed by Chuck Jones. Daffy Duck is Dorlock Holmes, with Porky Pig as sidekick Watkins, as they attempt to track down the notorious Shropshire Slasher.

---

"Deduce, You Say!" provides examples of:

• Almost Dead Guy: Subverted. The case is touched off when a man collapses on their front stoop. However, when Dorlock begins to analyze the "corpse," he gets up. Turns out, he just tripped over the step.
  Man: You'd best have that step fixed, guv'ner!
  Holmes: Just for that, you get no gratuity.
• Aside Glance: As Dorlock boasts of his superior physical skill while completely failing to restrain him, Slasher briefly looks at us in confusion.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Aside from narrating, Watkins addresses the audience directly a few times.
• Butt-Monkey: Daffy, of course.
• David Versus Goliath: Dorlock lampshades this as he starts to take on the Slasher.
  "You may be big, but I'm small!"
• Deadpan Snarker: Watkins.
• Disproportionate Retribution: When an old woman arrives to the bar selling flowers, Holmes instantly jumps all over her and threatens to have her arrested for peddling without a license. Unfortunately for Holmes, she's the Slasher's mother.
• Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: When Dorlock begins to harass a flower woman, the Slasher recognizes her and beats him up. They then leave together.
  Slasher: I promised the nice gentleman I'd give meself up now, Mother.
  Slasher's Mother: You always was a good boy, Slasher.
• Great Detective: Dorlock thinks he's an awesome detective.
  • Clueless Detective: What he actually is.
• His Name Really is Shropshire Slasher: His mother actually calls him "Slasher" at the end.
  • And he confirmed it to Watkins earlier.
    Watkins: N-n-name? S-speak up, now, speak up!
    Slasher: Shropshire Slasher.
    Watkins: O-o-occupation?
    Slasher: Shropshire Slasher.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Arguably, Watkins, who is the most competent person in the short and Dorlock's sidekick. Not that he has a lot of competition.
• Large Ham: Daffy gets ridiculously giddy and theatrical whenever he finds a "clue."
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Dorlock fails miserably against Slasher every time, but it's threatening to arrest the man's mother that really gets him pummeled.
• Non Sequitur, *Thud*: At the end, after Holmes has been put through so much abuse by the Slasher:
  Watkins: Tell me, Holmes, at what school did you learn to become a detective?
  Holmes: (dazed) Elementary, my dear Watkins. Elementary.
• Oh, Crap!: When Dorlock attempts to arrest a little old lady for "hawking dandelions without a licence":
  Shropshire Slasher: Muvver!
  Dorlock: Mother? Mother...(in a terrified squeak) really?
  (No-Holds-Barred Beatdown ensues)
• Parody: Of Sherlock Holmes.
• Politeness Judo: The Shropshire Slasher gives himself up just because Watkins politely asked him to.
• Pun-Based Title: On "The deuce^note devil you say!"
• Punny Name: "Dorlock Holmes"
• Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick: Exaggerated. Daffy as Dorlock Holmes rudely interrogates innocent civilians; Porky's Dr. Watkins gets the villain to give himself up just by asking him politely.
• Sherlock Homage: Daffy as "Dorlock Holmes". Unfortunately for Daffy, he's every bit as incompetent as Holmes is supercompetent.
  • Corrupted Character Copy: He's not only incompetent but flighty and quick-tempered where Holmes is stoic.
• Stiff Upper Lip: Watkins is a spoof of this.
• Subverted Catchphrase: What kind of detective school did Holmes go to? Elementary!
• Talking the Monster to Death: After all of Holmes' fighting skills fail to subdue the Slasher, Watkins gets him to give up willingly just by asking him nicely.
• Weak, but Skilled: Conversed; Holmes boasts that he can't see how the Slasher can hope to withstand Holmes' superior skill, but the Slasher demonstrates exactly how immediately: by flexing his arm to reveal a bicep almost as big as Holmes himself.

---