"Sudden Fried Chicken" stars Herman (a mouse) and Henry (a rooster). Herman notices a poster that will award $1,000 to anyone who will stay in the ring for one round against a champion boxing rooster. He goes to Henry, who is feeling really low about himself, as he is getting bossed and pushed around by his wife. One thing leads to another, and the scrawny Henry is going up against the Champ!
I think I've seen this premise in many other cartoons. This short isn't all that unique or all that funny. The only funny moment for me in this cartoon is how Herman would help Henry get up off the mat. Herman also reminded me of Timothy the Mouse from "Dumbo," in that he was a small mouse that served up advice for his larger friend. Coincidentally, the director, Bill Tytla, served as an animation director on both "Dumbo" and "Pinocchio," which featured a very similar character, Jiminy Cricket. I guess it really is a small world after all!
This short also has its characters doing some rather racy stuff for cartoon characters - like smoking, drinking, spousal abuse, and adultery. However, that's probably taking this cartoon too seriously. I was more bothered by the cartoon's pace, such as jumping from Henry thinking about the contest to him actually participating in it. Shouldn't there have been something in between?
Overall, "Sudden Fried Chicken" did have very few moments, but that's about it. I couldn't find any more information about Herman & Henry to see if they were featured in any other cartoons. My guess is that audiences back in 1946 cared about this cartoon by about as much as I care about it now.
My IMDb Rating: 3/10
