A Pig Packs A Punch...Porky the Wrestler (006)

 SERIES: Looney Tunes
SYNOPSIS: Many people are hitch-hiking to go to the big fight, and so is Porky Pig. Porky does arrive at the fight, but he is mistaken for the challenger. Can he take on the champ?
ORIGINAL RELEASE: January 9th, 1937
SUPERVISION: Fred Avery
STORY: N/A, Warner cartoons would not credit writers until The Lyin' Mouse.
ANIMATION: Charles Jones, Elmer Wait
MUSICAL DIRECTION: Carl W. Stalling
STUDIO: Leon Schlesinger Productions (producer), Warner Bros. Pictures (distributor)

Pre-Show Remarks

One of the more known aspects of this short is the abruptly cut scene during the "train" sequence. Allegedly, whatever this scene was, it was cut in prints as early as 1942, and only a very small snippet of audio survives on a 1950s television print. Even then, the short audio that survives does not clue us as to what the scene's contents once were.

Visually, this is one of the first shorts to try to make Porky look "cuter"--his head is now approximately the same size as his body, and his eyes are larger, making him look a little more boy-like. He's still pudgy, but nowhere near as fat as he was in his earliest appearances. The "perfect" Porky design would not be seen until Porky's Duck Hunt, and would continue to be improved upon by Bob Clampett once he started directing his own cartoons.

Model sheet.

Mel Blanc also makes a brief, early cameo here--he does Porky woo-wooing like a maniac when he wants to leave the ring. However, Picador Porky was produced first, so I will not elaborate on Mel's appearance here for too long. In this short, Porky is still voiced by Joe Doughtery. Mel would not take him on until Porky's Duck Hunt.

A short subject listing for the Strand Theatre, from the Jan. 16th, 1937 issue of Motion Picture Herald.

Screenshots

In My Opinion...

Fine

A fun little cartoon to kill some time with. I feel the train gag goes on for a little too long, but it's still a funny scene. Very nice animation in this one, especially in Chuck Jones' scenes.

Next week...Some monkey business in The Golfers.

Ducks, Donkey, and a Debut...Don Donald (005)

SERIES: Mickey Mouse (though he doesn't appear)

SYNOPSIS: After an attempt to court Donna Duck goes awry, Donald replaces his old-fashioned burro with a hot rod.

ORIGINAL RELEASE: January 9th, 1937
SUPERVISION: Ben Sharpsteen
STORY: Webb Smith, Otto Englander, Merrill De Maris
ANIMATION: Johnny Cannon, Ugo D'Orsi, Al Eugster, and many other people I don't feel like listing
MUSICAL DIRECTION: Paul Smith
STUDIO: Walt Disney Productions (producer), United Artists (distributor)

Pre-Show Remarks

Storyboard panel.

I'd be amiss if I didn't mention the short's interesting backstory. According to J.B. Kaufman's Walt Disney Silly Symphonies--a book I highly recommend to anyone reading this blog--the short was proposed in 1935 as "The Little Burro", featuring a human boy and a human girl as opposed to any familiar Disney stars. By early 1936, the boy and girl were replaced by Donald and Daisy (here called Donna.) To quote the book "the finished film retained most of the key story elements, including the burro, but he was reduced to a supporting character." The short was copyrighted on December 18th, 1936--4 weeks and 1 day before the short would get released.

Model sheet, probably drawn in 1936.

A more well-known fact is that this is Daisy Duck's very first screen appearance. As I mentioned previously, she is referred to as Donna Duck here. She would not be given the name "Daisy" until three years later, in Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940).

Now, let's begin, shall we?

Screenshots

In My Opinion...

Snappy and Entertaining

The film is delightfully wacky, with lots of great timing and gags. The odd structures that appear in the background make me think of the strange scenery George Herriman drew for the Krazy Kat comic. The animation is a little too bouncy, but it still looks wonderfully done. Overall, a very appealing cartoon.

What Did They Think?

A brand new element to these reviews, these brief sections will be devoted to contemporary reviews of the shorts (in the event that I find some), mainly from trade magazines.

First, here's a review from the February 26, 1937 issue of Film Daily that calls it "swell";

and a "Showman's Review" from the January 16th, 1937 edition of Motion Picture Herald;

Next week...A pig becomes the fightin' champeen in Porky the Wrestler