Poultry Pirates (1938)

In a world where greed is as common as feathers on a bird, a garden of plentiful produce stands defiantly amidst a sea of covetous chickens and ducks. The unyielding Captain, armed with nothing more than a plank, guards his garden from the hungry poultry peering through a rickety, ill-mended fence. Despite the looming threat, he does not repair the fence and instead succumbs to a nap, setting the stage for the feathery foes to launch their raid. The poultry, as methodical as they are persistent, strip the garden clean while the Captain slumbers. When he awakens to the devastation, he's locked into a shed by the clever creatures. But the Captain isn't easily defeated. He breaks free and brandishes his shotgun, scaring off the birds and regaining his stolen veggies. That is, until he naively sets his weapon down, allowing the birds to swoop in, snatch their hard-earned loot, and secure the garden behind a firmly slammed gate. But victory isn't entirely theirs. A single, timid chick, caught in the act with a colossal tomato, is apprehended by the Captain. Despite returning the prized fruit, the little chick receives a harmless spanking. Running to its father with a skewed tale of innocence, the story escalates through the ranks of increasingly larger roosters until it reaches one who's larger and more intimidating than the Captain himself. The stage is set for a confrontation, a battle underscored by the dramatic crescendo of the storm sequence from the William Tell Overture. But after a fierce exchange, the Captain is knocked unconscious, awakening later to the shocking realization that it was all a dream. Yet, the dream quickly dissolves into reality when he faces the original squabble with the poultry, leading to his ultimate defeat and the collapse of the fence. Thus ends the Captain's struggle, a testament to the relentless spirit of the poultry and the futility of his resistance.

Poultry Pirates is an animation movie featuring Billy Bletcher.

Poultry Pirates is currently streaming on TCM.