Plane Dippy

"Plane Dippy" is the first Looney Tunes cartoon to begin with the 'Featuring Porky' intertitle card. In fact, this cartoon marks the second time this character starred in a film from the studio and about the sixth time he appeared in one of the shorts.

When the story begins, Porky joins the Army Air Corps because he wants to learn to fly. Instead, he's made a janitory and his career as a pilot seems over before it began. However, the crazed looking ape working in the hanger seems interested in teaching Porky about his newest invention--a voice-controlled plane....which is NOT a great thing for a stuttering pig! What also is not great is that the plane seems to have a mind of its own and soon takes off with Porky the unwilling passenger.

In some ways, this cartoon is reminscent of the very early Mickey Mouse cartoon, "Plane Crazy". I have no idea if this was intended or not. Regardless, it's cute and worth seeing provided you understand that the 1930s was NOT a great era with cartoons and they became so much better in the 1940s.

An early Porky short, and for years the oldest produced shown in one of the post-theatrical release television packages, this has Porky the faithful military hero, going to an inventor, who's a chimpanzee who tries out Porky on the plane that the inventor has been tinkering on, only to leave the plane with Porky and in the control of the innocent little children, Little Kitty (by the way, voiced by Bereneice Hansell(her real spelling-11/15/17),NOT Rochelle Hudson) and her "human" doggy friend,(an example of the era's "Dorgan's Syndrome" - Merci Beaucops, F.Gwynplaine MacIntyre and his "Jungle Jitters" (1938) review) based on the earlier Oliver Owl character, and HIS "REAL" (go figure :)) dog (the first two being had debuted with Porky in 1935's "I Haven't Got a Hat"). (The inventor's placed his command mike on the window stand.) what happens is the plane, reacting to the children's orders to the one kid's dog, scoops up Porky. Anything else will be top secret like the plane was.

I'm glad that Billy Bletcher WAS identified as the Sarge (My copy of historian Graham Webb's 2000 book on these old shorts actually DOES give unnamed voices, but HE only mentions Ms.Hansen, a major mystery, who was NOT Dorothy Varden who was a similar performer) and Joe Dougherty, then the voice of Porky Pig, but I doubt that, that simian inventor (yeah, "Grease Monkey", I get it, folks!) is Bletcher.. Very Unique voice.."Here.. TRY it!" This was the first "Starring" role for Porky Pig, even though he'd done cartoons before as mentioned above and even had in the Beans the Cat entry "Golddiggers of '49", then just recently out, also a PROMINENT role.

Plane Dippy (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Porky Pig finally manages to make his way through the tests and gets enrolled in the Army. His first mission is being a test pilot for a robot plane that can be operated by controls.

PLANE DIPPY certainly isn't an animated masterpiece but if you're a fan of the early Porky Pig shorts then you should enjoy it. This here was the first time that Porky got him name on the title card so it's obvious that crowds were loving the little guy. This here is a pretty good short as there are some funny moments and plenty of nice action. Most of the action takes place during the final minutes as Porky finds himself inside the plane and it's out of control. One of the highlights is a scene where the plane chases a cloud. The animation was extremely good and there's no question that Porky was coming into his own.

Even Tex Avery's lesser work is enjoyable and this short is a case in point. Avery was still feeling his way here and his style was still in its formative stages. Porky was still being developed as a character as well. Some good sight gags here. Not the best short I've seen, by any means, but I've seen worse. Worth looking for and recommended if you like Tex Avery.

Wow.

To understand my reaction, you have to know that there is a huge shift underway at present in the US military. The promise of artificial intelligence has repeatedly disappointed, so it will be some time before we have autonomous robots with weapons. But there's this move to remotely controlled weapons, starting with planes. Its happening now. And not everything is working out as intended.

So seventy years ago we see this cartoon. Its one of Tex Avery's first, and of interest just on that score. Its also interesting because its in the first wave of movies that assume the inevitability of Americans entering the war.

The joke is that Porky is in a remotely controlled plane. The control is by voice, and that controller accidentally overhears kids telling a puppy to perform tricks. The plane complies and we laugh. One clever joke has the plane fly through a wagon of hay and end up with a wagonload of straw hats.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.