Release date: June 25th, 1938
Series: Looney Tunes
Director: Bob Clampett
Story: Bob Clampett
Animation: Chuck Jones, Norm McCabe
Musical Direction: Carl Stalling
Starring: Mel Blanc (Porky, Black Fury, Penguin, Goosey, Postman)
My buddy Devon Baxter has graciously uploaded the storyboards for this cartoon, ripped from one of the Golden Collection DVDs. Though I'll be comparing and contrasting all throughout this review, I certainly encourage you to check out the storyboards in motion--there are a lot of great drawings and gags, as well as a heap of deleted scenes. A big thank you to Devon for providing these, as well as invaluable animation insight for some of these reviews!
This cartoon marks a number of turning points for Bob Clampett and Looney Tunes history as a whole. Around this time, Chuck Jones would depart the Clampett unit, preparing his own directorial gig as Frank Tashlin's predecessor. As such, this is Jones' final animation credit in a Clampett cartoon.
Jones wasn't as involved with these cartoons as he once was, and it certainly shows in the erratic, off the wall nature of this cartoon. His drawing style still informed the look of the cartoons (and is especially noticeable in Porky's dog), but Clampett's outlandish sensibilities take precedence. Without Jones' drawing skills, the draftsmanship in the coming Clampett cartoons suffer, but the shorts themselves grow more and more untamed, as will be explored in shorts such as Porky & Daffy, Porky in Wackyland, and Porky in Egypt.
A vast departure from the cartoons Clampett and co. were directing not even a year prior, this short also debuts a rather intriguing structural element: an A and B story, both of which eventually converge.
So far, the Porky shorts didn't typically have two stories at once. Get Rich Quick Porky essentially served as a trial run--there was Porky and Gabby mining for oil and the gopher playing magic tricks on the dog--but both didn't have equal weight in the story.
Here, Porky's birthday party is story A, Porky's dog getting drunk on hair tonic is story B, both stories converge as the pooch tears through the party and is mistaken for a rabid dog, prompting mass hysteria.
As I mentioned above, I'll be providing what storyboards are available all throughout this review, comparing and contrasting screenshots. This'll likely be a lengthier review as a result; lots of images. Without further ado, let us descend into the glorious madness.
The typography of the title card melts away as Porky gingerly lights the candles on the cake. Context is swiftly established as Porky stammers "Happy Birthday to Me" to the tune of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen", all a voice-over of the shot of the cake. As a side note, Porky's voice is sped up to be particularly high in this cartoon, an amusing note considering his voice can be incredibly inconsistent at times.
Cut back to the setting at hand, Porky and his dog Black Fury (named after the 1935 film of the same name, already an indicator of the absurdity this short has to offer) preparing the festivities. Ice cream, cake, place cards, and streamers all suggest Porky's excitement, which is furthered in the manner he jumps out of his seat and dashes to the door upon the sound of a doorbell. Black Fury merely places a glob of ice cream on his nose with a hilariously vacant stare.
Our unseen guest follows the unspoken cartoon rule of knocking to "Shave and a Haircut". As it turns out, Porky's head is the perfect surface to knock the final two notes onto, which he quickly discovers for himself as soon as he opens the door.
Porky's visitor isn't a guest, but a postman with a lisp and who puts a particularly heavy emphasis on his consonants (comparable to a Mr. Daffy Duck in later years). Porky jerks his head back with each syllable as the unseen postman spits out "Package postpaid for Porky Pig!" With Porky's reactions, the speech has a more physical feel to it, and is also just plain fun and absurd.
With the package shoved into his possession, Porky is practically knocked off of his feet, finding his balance and gingerly placing his bundle on the ground. Note the address of Hollywood, CA; allusions have been made to these characters (or at least Porky) residing somewhere in the California area a number of times, whether it be palm trees in the backgrounds, Porky's plane taking off of a map from the CA area, or Porky himself barreling through traffic along Sunset Boulevard, but it's still always a fun surprise to catch.
Black Fury joins Porky's side just in time for Porky to read his letter. The storyboard calls for Porky to be reading the letter aloud, something that is absent from the final cartoon--I imagine the stuttering would have taken up too much time.
The premise is simple enough: Porky's silkworm sews any clothing he'd like upon the command "sew!"
Even an action as simple as opening a package is ripe with vitality, speed, and energy, once more contributing to the off-the-wall nature by this cartoon. It's incredible how much flourishment and liveliness can be filtered into such a mundane activity. Porky tears the wrapping on his package to pieces, making no effort to hide his excitement as he reaches into the depths of the giant box and pulls out an incredibly small silkworm.
Though the silkworm isn't too visually prominent in the short (and thankfully so), the short's biggest detriment to me is the worm's appearance, a gross Asian caricature with slanted eyes and big teeth. Close-ups are limited with the silkworm, as he's either hidden or reduced to a faceless blob, but the stereotyping does hinder my enjoyment of an otherwise splendid cartoon.
Nevertheless, Porky follows the instructions left by his uncle and commands the little silkworm to sew. The silkworm pulls out a pair of knitting needles, dutifully sewing to his motif of "Gavotte".
Sure enough, to Porky and Black Fury's visible surprise, a silk stocking magically appears in Porky's hand. Black Fury sniffs suspiciously, whereas Porky is taken by his new prize.
In fact, he's so impressed that he doesn't even notice the bra unfurling in his hand. The delayed reaction is perfect, and for Porky especially. Upon taking notice, Porky gives a quick "Uh-oh" and a nervous chuckle. He first hides the bra behind his back, then inside his coat, and finally stuffs it in the box and kicking the box away with his foot, a nervous grin plastered on his face the entire time. No hesitation is showed as he haphazardly stuffs the little worm inside his jacket.
Porky is a ripe candidate for such a situation--he's an incredibly earnest and awkward figure, and even looking at something as "scandalous" as women's undergarments is enough to make him feel like he's just committed a crime. He makes for a great straight-man, and his visible discomfort/awkward scramble to stow away the bra is perfectly in character for him. Porky carries a level of sincerity and genuineness that no other character possesses, and here his embarrassment feels incredibly unfeigned.
Quick to change the subject, Porky tells his loyal companion "Eh-we-eh-weh-we-we gotta hurry and get ready, eh-buh-be-eh-buh-be-eh-Black Fury! Eh-the others'll be here any eh-muh-mee-mee--any eh-muh-me-muh-mee--any time now for my eh-buh-be-buh-be--heh--birthday supper."
Bobe Cannon's animation is rife with energy and motion, a lot of finger wagging, pointing, fist pumping, and head shaking in such a short amount of time. Not once does this cartoon falter in its vigor.
No further dilly-dallying as Porky and his loyal companion rush to the bathroom. A gag that would be somewhat revisited in Clampett's Porky's Picnic, Porky's hair growth insecurities are comically displayed as he douses his bald head with hair growth formula, a few sweeps with a brush for good measure.
Even the everyday activities of Porky are absurd--who knew hair restoration was in his daily routine? Pure cartoony fun for the sake of cartoony fun. Carl Stalling's musical accompaniment (an ongoing score of "Sissy") as Porky sprinkles the hair growth on is a nice topper.
While Porky attends to further preparation, we linger on the antics of his pup, Black Fury. Chuck Jones handles the scenes of Black Fury in the bathroom, and are they a beauty to behold. B.F. follows on his owner's footsteps, gingerly sprinkling the tonic onto his furry body.
Just then, the gears slowly turn as the concoction seeps down the pooch's face. He hazards a lick, flashing a contemplative stare at the audience.
A further close-up reveals the concoction's ingredients: 99% alcohol.
The formula is much more appealing now. Tentatively, Black Fury sprinkles some drops onto his tongue, Carl Stalling's underscore an appropriate, bloated, drunken anthem of "How Dry I Am".
Dog ponders the alcohol, the animation lovely in Chuck Jones' hands. Nobody else but him could have captured such belabored thinking. Perfect subtle movements; head tilts, stares, everything. You can physically see the dog debating whether or not he likes the stuff. Compare Bob Clampett's storyboard drawings to Jones' animation--Jones captures a pinpoint specificity in his animation that is thoroughly striking.
With a hiccup, the dog decides he's a fan. The pooch guzzles the hooch, a wide smile plastered on his plastered face as he heaves another hiccup of approval.
I've mentioned a few times before that Chuck Jones' specialties in animations seemed to be drunks, dogs, and close-ups. All three converge as the dog swigs his bottle around before leaning uncomfortably close to the camera, wishing us a "HAP...............................................PY BIRTHDAY!"
With that, he douses himself in a flurry as we iris wipe to the next scene. Clampett's storyboards are amusing as is, but Jones really takes the scene home. Certainly worth watching for some hilarious animation.
Porky makes for a more temperate scene, contentedly adjusting his bowtie and donning a buttoned jacket. He wastes no time darting over to the door as soon as he hears the doorbell ring (with some knocks timed succinctly to the music for good measure).
Recalling his previous incident of getting konked on the noggin, Porky opens the door slowly, ducking low to the ground in case his visitor is feeling particularly punchy.
His genius idea is foiled rather quickly.
This is where things get interesting. In the original storyboards, Gabby Goat and Petunia were slated to star alongside Porky in this short. Petunia's appearance is of particular interest, seeing as this would have been her first appearance in a cartoon by someone other than Frank Tashlin. While she doesn't appear, Bob Clampett would bring her back a year later for a very short return before being phased out of the shorts completely.
Instead, the two are replaced by a penguin character and "Goosey", the Cousin Gus to Daffy's Donald. The unnamed penguin shoves a box into Porky's possession, squeaking a high-sped "Happy birthday, Porky!" before diving right into the food that's on the table. There's hardly an introduction, just a burst of energy. Michael Barrier observes that it seems like the characters hardly even think in this short--they merely do--and this is a prime example of that spontaneity.
While shoveling gobs of ice cream down his gullet, the penguin notices something of great interest off-screen. Pan over to the birthday cake. With a grin, the penguin helps himself by cutting himself a generous slice...
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| Porky's revenge in Patient Porky, another Clampett cartoon. |
...and taking almost the entire cake to himself. (Thankfully, Porky seems to get his revenge in Patient Porky--an x-ray shows that his stomach is fostering an entire cake--candles and all--with only one slice taken out of it.)
Next guest is Goosey, a dopey gander with a delightfully rubbery neck. Porky shakes his extended hand, only to find that it's attached to a sign:
A great gag with even greater animation by John Carey. Carl Stalling's musical accompaniment mimics the action and tone very well, and Porky's frustration feels genuine. It's even more amusing to remember that Goosey is Petunia's replacement--I have a feeling this gag was added in after the decision to cut Petunia and Gabby, unless Petunia really is that cold.
Goosey's cartoon physics are a joy to look at and harken back to the days of Bosko and company, especially when he uses his tail to pull himself onto a chair, head (and neck) springing out after the impact and wobbling around like a spring.
Evidently, Porky isn't one to hold grudges, as he's back to his chipper self talking about his rubber hose friend. "He's eh-eh-seh-so silly! Heh, eh-seh-so, seh-seh-so, eh-seh-so, seh-so, so-so-so..."
A close-up of Porky's jacket reminds us of the silkworm's presence. Porky's incessant "so"-ing prompts the silkworm to get his needles going, the worm's music motif and concealed animation providing adequate context. Homonyms can be a beast.
Though Porky's reiteration of "He's so awfully seh-silly," comes off as redundant and perhaps a little mechanical, it reinforces the idea of the silkworm brewing up trouble upon the command of "sew" (or in this case, "so".) Tex Avery would utilize a similar tactic in a number of his cartoons at M-G-M, where a character will repeat a main idea about 3 times to make sure the audience is exceedingly aware of the circumstances--circumstances which are bound to be broken.
Norm McCabe is the perfect animator to portray an awkward, bumbling, embarrassed Porky. The cuteness of Porky standing politely with his hands behind his back lure the audience in for a false sense of security; a stocking and bloomers emerge from beneath Porky's jacket and spill out onto the floor.
Porky takes notice and enters a frenzy trying to discard the underthings gushing out of his jacket. He flashes awkward smiles and grins in between scowls of pure horror and petrification, wrestling with bras, panties, even a garter.
While such an affair would be humiliating regardless of who experiences it, Porky is no doubt the perfect candidate. His sheer mortification permeates the screen. Where a character like Bugs or Daffy would coyly bat their eyelashes and resign themselves with a nervous chuckle, Porky makes an attempt to fight, only exasperating the situation and embarrassing himself further. His personality continues to eke its way out onto the screen in golden moments such as this one.
At last, Porky manages to fish the perpetrator from his inside pocket, discarding him with an eager toss over the shoulder.
Of course, the silkworm isn't going anywhere. He lands squarely in a pile of ice cream that Porky's penguin pal is shoving heartily down his gullet. The worm wastes no time getting back to work, sewing in the midst of his lactase surroundings.
The penguin is totally oblivious to his added company. He only takes notice when he fishes out a spoonful of stocking; he wrinkles his beak at it in disgust, discards the garment... and continues right on eating as if nothing happened, once more reiterating the idea that these characters hardly think, but act.
Here is where Gabby's exclusion benefits both the penguin and the cartoon. Once more does the penguin halt his gorge-fest as suspicion strikes--he reaches into his mouth and pulls out a flattened top hat. He discards it, flashes a dubious shrug to the audience, and indulges himself for a third time, not learning from his mistakes.
It comes back to bite him; he unknowingly ingests another top hat, which springs up and causes the penguin's head to be shaped like the top hat. While the same gag is equally amusing with Gabby, seeing as penguins are often associated with top hats and tuxedos, his design makes for a satisfying sense of uniformity and consistency with his plight.
With a nicely animated scramble action in the hands, the penguin shoves the hat down, his head reverting back to its '30s perfectly symmetrical sphere shape.
Our hero smiles contentedly... until the hat pops up once more. This time, he enlists in the aid of a nearby handkerchief, wrapping it around his head to prevent the hat from popping up. Like the majority of this cartoon, this is a fun scene to pause and freezeframe--I'm especially fond of the face he makes when he ties the kerchief together. Lots of dynamic expressions.
The penguin is very pleased with his trick, almost appearing downright conniving as he grins towards the audience...
Luck is not on his side.
Instead of opting for any more clever tricks, the penguin shrieks inarticulately instead, flopping out of his seat in hysterics. The animation and energy border on a little too frenetic--the penguin flattens the top hat once more, but the action happens very quickly and rather indiscriminately.
He jumps out of his seat and shrieks "WHY DON'T SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!!!!!", his delivery so shrill and hyper that it's impossible not to be amused at it. Perhaps even more amusing is Goosey, who pops his rubbery neck in and smiles vacantly at the sounds of his friend's misfortune.
As it turns out, he has an idea, wordlessly pointing a feathery finger in the air as the penguin taps his foot, flaunting his hat-shaped head.
Carl Stalling's musical score of "Let That Be a Lesson" is perfectly utilized. The chipper, energetic orchestral music illustrates the story where words and sound effects are absent. Goosey grabs his penguin pal and holds him like a battering ram...
...and charges straight at the wall. The animation of the charge is full of appealing details, to the point that some parts render the action borderline inarticulate.
Goosey’s hat flies behind him as he runs, which isn’t a problem, but he manages to rotate the penguin as he charges—a wonderful detail that unfolds a little too matter of factly, almost appearing as an error. Regardless, it’s a wonderful scene, and the impact of the crash syncing with the background music tops it off all the more.
Jolly, mischievous orchestral chords segue into a quieter, flighty chorus of the underscore, the comparative stillness of the music drawing out the slow, blissful realization of Goosey and the penguin. Slowly, with half of his brain smashed into the wall, the penguin dares to open his eyes, his face eventually brightening up as he realizes a hat has yet to spring back into shape. Goosey shares his delight.
…if only for a moment.
As the penguin grouses some more in his incomprehensible, high-pitched dialect, Goosey gets back on his feet and slams his confidant into the wall once more.
The acting in this entire sequence is spot-on, largely carried through pantomime and musical cues. Our penguin pal feels the negative space above his head tentatively, shoving his eyes together and rubbing his temples to make sure his cranium is sphere shaped. It is.
After a hearty handful of jubilated pointing, the penguin and Goosey shake hands in mutual camaraderie. The music matches their swagger as they strut back to the party, a brazen muted trumpet reflecting their shared pride.
Alas, too soon again. Goosey resorts to bashing the penguin's cranium in with a hammer, which, despite the absurdity, works...
...temporarily. The penguin's butt is now subject to humiliation instead, prompting Goosey to slam the mallet on top of his friend like his life depends on it.
The entire sequence is a masterclass of pure cartoon fun. Vague descriptors, but simple and accurate. There is hardly any thinking involved, but merely doing. Remember, this was all because of Porky's silkworm. Nearly a minute of the cartoon's runtime is dedicated to the increasingly absurd antics of the penguin and his hat. It's all energy, and contagious at that. Suspension of disbelief is a requirement for a cartoon like this, but the sequence here is proof that silliness for the sake of silliness has its benefits.
As the penguin hops helplessly around, constantly bashing his head into the ground, Goosey circles him uncertainly, his hammer lagging behind as if to display his incompetence and naiveté. For a character that hasn't said a word, he has a lot of personality. The penguin too, with his own dialogue limited to shrieks and curses.
Finally, Goosey whacks the penguin with his hammer one last time and shoves a washtub over his friend so he can't escape. There's a pregnant pause as the tub grows bloated...
The "POP!" sound effect is music to Goosey's ears, who grins towards the audience at his accomplishment. He removes his trap...
Oops.
We pay Porky's pooch a visit once more, who his thoroughly snookered (and hairy). Once more, Chuck Jones’ animation of the hound swinging his bottle of hooch around and howling a drunken anthem of “How Dry I Am” is an indescribable delight that only he could nail the subtleties of.
Timing is pivotal to Jones’ scenes with the dog, an aspect he pulls of well. While characters such as Goosey and the penguin are flying off the walls, Black Fury is a stark contrast, slow as molasses as he holds bloated stares and empty smiles. His slowness indicates that something is afoot—alcohol, in this case.
Black Fury maintains a pregnant stare at the mirror, heaving a belated take as he recognizes the furry monster staring at him.
More strong natural animation from Jones as the pooch nonchalantly strokes his “beard”. One can practically see the rusty gears turning in his head.
With a drunken flourish, B.F. reaches for a nearby mug of shaving cream, another minor detail that’s wonderfully absurd when scrutinized; what use Porky has for shaving cream, I have no idea, but that makes it all the funnier.
The hound lathers himself up, paying little attention as the mug slides off the counter and onto the floor. Instead, he reaches for an electric shaver (again, the irony of Porky as its rightful owner is hardly missed), switching it on with his hairy paw.
Instead of getting to work, Black Fury does a take, obviously not expecting the shaver to make noise and vibrate. He hazards a closer look at this strange electric snake.
Though the delivery of the animation is a little too unclear, the main idea gets across just fine and the freneticism loops back into the overwhelming feel of this cartoon; the shaver zings Black Fury right in the face, prompting him to freak out and make a break for it.
This isn’t the last time Jones would work with such a premise. His cartoon Naughty But Mice debuts his character Sniffles drunk on cough syrup, having a run-in with an electric shaver himself (which he befriends). Jones’ scenario is much more wholesome and saccharine than here. Despite Jones and Clampett’s staggering differences, they did balance each other well. Jones’ down to earth scenes such as these elevate Clampett’s hysteria in the remainder of the cartoon in comparison.
Here is where the two stories converge. Black Fury darts through the house, hairy and covered in shaving cream. He seeks the warm embrace of his owner, who is fixated on his birthday dinner, amusingly inattentive to his surroundings.
Porky dishes out a haphazard glance to the giant, furry monster clinging to him, whose foaming at the mouth. Norm McCabe’s animation is appealing and incredibly funny, the timing carrying the scene’s comedy. This scene in particular is also highly reflective of Clampett’s own drawing style.
At last, Porky’s brain catches up to him.
He is much more animated as he scrambles out of his chair in mid-air, sputtering “MEH-EH-MAD DOG! EH-MUH-ME-MAD DOG!”
Goosey and Porky’s penguin pal are oblivious to their host’s hysteria as he rushes past them. Porky returns, only to grab Goosey by the neck and leaving the penguin to continue swallowing his meal. The return for Goosey alone seems to be a loose reflection of Petunia’s planned presence—sweethearts are top priority for saving, sorry Gabby.
Regardless, the penguin isn’t too slighted at his abandonment, or at least doesn’t have time to process it. Black Fury stares at him in confusion, prompting the penguin to scramble out of his seat in a hurry.
Leave no cake behind.
Daffy’s design influence is strong in this next scene with Porky lugging a smiling, vacant, unbothered Goosey behind him, leisurely floating in the air. The penguin is a different story; he outruns both of his confidants, making a priority to flaunt his cake and carry it to safety. The animation maintains the right amount of speed and spirit, bordering on a hypnotic end product.
Where a top hat works more for the penguin and not Gabby, the next gag was obviously outfitted for Gabby’s physical appearance, losing some its punch with the penguin. Our polar pal darts into the next room, discarding a coat rack and standing in its place instead. While the visual is amusing, the hats hanging off of the penguin’s head were noticeably suited for Gabby’s horns instead, making the most of his design. Some novelty lost, but the gag remains amusing.
Porky and Goosey whip past the penguin, Porky still shrieking about the mad dog. The penguin wastes little time putting the coat rack into place, it’s ornaments floating in the air the entire time.
Next, Porky, Goosey, and the penguin barricade the next room they’re all in, the boxes and other blockades strikingly dimensional in design and animation. Black Fury, also thoroughly startled, dashes right into the open closet, rendering Porky’s plans of barricading useless.
Clueless to what just unfolded, Porky grabs Goosey and drags him into the closet, slamming the door closed on the penguin, literally falling flat on his face. Though such a sight gag is deemed a cliché today, this is one of the first gags we’ve seen of this kind in a Warner Bros. cartoon. It’s possible that it’s popped up in a cartoon once or twice before, perhaps during the Bosko days, but in a general sense, this is a “newer” gag for the time period. Interesting indeed.
Of course, the penguin doesn’t share our appreciation for cartoon history, slamming on the closed door and begging to be let in.
John Carey animates Porky, Goosey, and Black Fury in the closet, B.F. panting comically fast as his “victims” listen outside for any signs of the rabid dog.
Porky and Goosey catch on to their added company, Porky striking a match to get a better look. Like most attempts at double exposure camera effects during this this time, the animation is rendered a bit blurry, but enough to get the point across: the pig and goose have company.
The penguin is still begging to be let in on the outside, only to get barreled down by Porky and Goosey as they break through the door and tear apart the barricade. Penguin pal is not pleased, cursing incomprehensibly and throwing a fit.
This entire scene is incredibly hectic for its time, but also incredibly fun to watch. I encourage you to watch through it without any sound, just to study the animation and timing—the speed at which it unfolds is pretty significant. Maybe not as fast as what’s in Tex Avery or Frank Tashlin’s cartoons, but enough to add plenty of freneticism.
Next, Black Fury seeks refuge in a murphy bed from this elusive rabid dog. The penguin has the same idea.
Whoops.
Though Black Fury may be happy to see him, the penguin obviously is not, struggling to make a break for it. Alas, the murphy bed collapses into the wall, revealing a cowering pig and goose below them. Bob Clampett would reuse a similar gag in another hysterical Porky cartoon, Kitty Kornered.
Goosey utters his think piece with a succinct “Uh oh”, serving as his and Porky’s cue to scramble away and leave the penguin to scramble for himself.
Instead of battling with Black Fury, the penguin is stuck in a battle instead with the bead, a spring tied around his leg and rendering it impossible for him to escape. Though not as blatant as the coatrack gag, this is another gag outfitted for Gabby—he put up a similar battle with a spring in Ub Iwerks’ Porky & Gabby.
Alas, drunken dogs don’t discriminate. The penguin springs right back into the bed, an offscreen scrap concealed by the bed. Grawlixes and punching sounds indicate the tremendous struggle unfolding. At one point, the penguin makes an attempt to escape again, only for Black Fury to drag him back into the bed. Brutal!
At last, the battle subsides. The murphy bed flops open to reveal a sober, clean shaven, lather-less Black Fury panting happily at an exhausted penguin. Porky and Goosey, the great friends they are, resume to the scene at the certainty of safety, with Porky helpfully commenting "Why, eh-leh-loo-look! It's only ol' eh-beh-buh-be-be-Black Fury after all."
The penguin doesn't share Porky's relief. Instead, he grows punchy, rolling up his "sleeve" with a signature Clampett wink-'n-scowl: "So...!"
Thus cues the familiar, tinkering strains of "Gavote" as both B.F. and the penguin pause. The penguin got so slap happy with his ice-cream that he ended up ingesting the silkworm, paying the price as a top hat slowly expands in his mouth... and expands... and expands...
To top off the mass hysteria of the cartoon as a whole, the penguin is reduced to a shrieking mess as he regurgitates bras, stockings, panties, and the works, barfing up an entire wardrobe as the silkworm wraps him in a silk cocoon from inside.
Insult to injury is added as the penguin's top hat pops up once more from within his silk shield. Goosey wastes no time bonking him on the head with his trusty mallet; the final gag is a tad obscured from the iris out, but the hat pops back up at the very last second. Today is not the penguin's day.
Hysterical is probably the best word to describe this cartoon, and in more ways than one. Hysterically funny, and hysterical in energy. Easily one of my favorite cartoons from the '30s. This is a precursor to the types of cartoons Bob Clampett will be dishing out later on, with energy so exhilarating that one has to catch their breath while watching it.
While this cartoon may seem like your typical wacky cartoon in 2021, for 1938, this was pretty groundbreaking. Think of the cartoons around the same time, from both WB and other studios. Tex Avery's cartoons were undoubtedly hilarious by this time, but it would be a few years before he hit his stride, birthing dozens of cartoonists trying their best (and failing) to make Tex Avery cartoon clones. That fervent energy has yet to come into the mainstream. Here, this short serves as the appetizer for such a trend.
Clampett's cartoons will continue to grow in energy and hysterics for the next few months before suffering from a bit of Porky burnout and falling into a safer, cuter route. Chuck Jones' departure would help to free up Clampett's energy and allow him to be as crazy as he wanted, but the loss in draftsmanship would show. Buffers such as the drunken dog scenes here make for a great balance in energy. Clampett wouldn't have someone to bring him back down to earth until around 1941, when he inherited Bob McKimson from Tex Avery's unit.
I digress. This is a great cartoon and I urge anyone who loves cartoons to give it a watch. It's a cartoon for the sake of being a cartoon. It's energetic, it's crazy, it's funny, it's obnoxious, and it's happy. The only detriment in my eyes is the unseemly caricature of the silkworm, but as I mentioned before, close-ups are thankfully spare. A lot of rich history in this short that is very much worth exploring.
On the topic of history, I mentioned that the storyboards have deleted scenes. I won't post them all, but I will dump a few appetizers below, encouraging you to watch the storyboards in motion yourselves. Definitely watch this short and watch the storyboards.
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