The incredible numbers associated with the Warner Archive September 19, 2017 DVD release "Porky Pig 101" make doing this literally historic set justice impossible in a digestible online review.
The 101 theatrical cartoons (presented in chronological order) in the 5-disc set total roughly roughly 12.5 of piggy goodness. They also span the period from the 1935 premiere of the Porky in "I Haven't Got a Hat" to his history-making 1943 cartoon "Porky Pig's Feat" in which he and regular co-star Daffy Duck make their first joint appearance with Bugs Bunny.
Watching the first several cartoons on each disc and finishing with "Feat" provides a good overview of the evolution of Porky while leaving plenty for subsequent viewings.
The aforementioned premiere "Hat" further is notable for also marking the first appearance of Beans the cat, who receives top billing. The premise of this one is that everypig Porky, tough-guy problem cat Beans, and their equally stereotypical elementary school classmates stage a recital. Stuttering from the outset Porky starts things off with a hilariously dorky recitation of the poem "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" complete with pantomime. For his part, Beans is expressing his pre-adolescent frustration by tormenting and otherwise wrangling with nerdy Oliver the Owl and other classmates.
The distinctions of "Hat" additionally include the appearance of Pork being far different than the pig whom we know and love today. Even as a grade-schooler, he is much taller and stouter than his more common incarnation. Further, his facial features lean more heavily to the porcine side, and he is not nearly as jolly as the fellow who is prone to wearing blazers and bow ties. The differences conclude with Beans having the honor of uttering "That's All Folks" at the end of the cartoon.
Beans and Porky team up a few more times in "101." The best of this good lot is "Gold Diggers of [18]49," which has Beans striking it rich in a very amusing manner prompting Porky and the other town folks to conduct a mini gold rush. Porky offering Beans a controversial reward in exchange for a coveted treasure ends with one of the best ever twists in a cartoon.
Porky is the aforementioned new pig by the time that he is first paired with regular girlfriend Petunia Pig in 1937; "Porky's Romance" starts out with Petunia literally slamming the door in the face of Porky only to invite him in on seeing that he comes bearing gifts; this leads to a harshly rejected proposal, which leads an incredibly dark moment for animated and live-action films alike. This leads to Porky getting a look at a possible future that prompts a highly satisfying change of heart.
Both the introduction of Petunia and the plot in "Romance" indicate the influence of the "Popeye" theatrical shorts of the same era. The titular sailor man and his main squeeze Olive Oyl could have starred in "Romance" word-for-word and shot-for-shot. A vague memory is that that pair star in a very similar cartoon.
The Porky/Petunia cartoon "Porky's Picnic" enhances the Popeye vibe by including baby Pinky Pig, who either is a nephew of Petunia or is proof that she is a fallen pig. The mischievous Pinky puts Porky in precarious situations that ultimately would prompt his naval counterpart to down a can of spinach.
The Tex Avery cartoon "Porky's Duck Hunt" has an evolved Porky gunning for an early crude version of Daffy Duck; "Hunt" also is notable for being one of the few Warner cartoons in which Barnyard Dog appears outside the Foghorn Leghorn series. The real payoff in this one comes when Daffy and his clan flock around simply to harass Porky.
As mentioned above, Porky and a fully evolved Daffy round out the collection with "Feat." This one follows the fairly standard pattern of the pairings of these characters in every sense of the word. Daffy showing his usual lack of impulse control results in the duo being unable to pay their bill at aptly named Broken Arms Hotel; this leads to comic mayhem as the hotel manager goes after these deadbeats to pay up.
The audio commentary by film director Joe Dante points out the minimalist style of the cartoon and the fact that the very clever cameo of Bugs Bunny marks the first appearance of these three members of the Lonney Tunes royal family in the same short.
The bigger picture this time is that they simply cannot make 'em like this anymore. The classic artists (including Avery and Ub Iwerks) and the voice talent (including Mel Blanc) sadly are gone. Further, killjoys no longer allow hilarity in the forms of knocks on the head and shotgun blasts to the face that represent the all-time best cartoon violence.
One can only hope that Archive gives Bugs, Daffy, et al. the same royal treatment in future releases.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Porky" is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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