The Foghorn Leghorn

Foghorn Leghorn, The (1948)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Henery the Chicken Hawk wants to prove to his father that he's big enough to catch a chicken but the only problem is that he doesn't know what a chicken looks like. Foghorn tries to teach the kid but he's just too stubborn to listen and ends up trying to catch a dog. This is a pretty good short from the Merrie Melodies lot as it contains some minor laughs and some good action. I think what works best is all the action between the dog and Foghorn who keeps getting blamed for everything that happens. Henery is cute enough to work, although I didn't laugh at him too much.

Being a big fan of both Foghorn Leghorn and Henery Hawk, it's no surprise I enjoyed this gem from 1948 immensely. You have chicken hawk Henery once again trying to nab himself a chicken and once again finding himself crossing paths with Foghorn, whom he thinks is not a chicken but "a loud-mouthed schnook." Also appearing in this one are Barnyard Dog and Henery's father, a colorful character in his own right who provides the short's funniest bit about schnooks. It's a very funny cartoon with excellent animation. Love the colors. Great music from Carl Stalling. Terrific voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. This is early Foghorn but still some great lines here wonderfully delivered by Mel ("You're built too low! The fast ones go over your head! You've got a hole in your glove! I keep pitching 'em and you keep missing 'em!"). I can't imagine any fan of the character not loving this one.

I do like Foghorn Leghorn very much, he's not my favourite Looney Tunes character but he is one of their funniest and most distinctive. Most of his cartoons are thoroughly enjoyable, there are a few misses but the best, no matter how routine they are, are truly funny. Of his cartoons, The Foghorn Leghorn is my favourite. This time I am not going to pull the routine or repetitive card like I have with some of Foghorn's cartoons, because here instead of trying to convince that he isn't a chicken he is trying to convince that he is one, while the basic set-up is similar as far as I know The Foghorn Leghorn is the only one to reverse the typical situation so it does stand out among the rest in that regard. The animation is crisp and vibrant, Foghorn was better drawn later on, in his early entries he was a little too overweight but it is not an issue really. The music is as energetic, lush and characterful as you'd expect, the impact of the humour is helped by the effectiveness of how the music matches it. The dialogue is just hilarious, The Foghorn Leghorn contains some of the wittiest and sharpest writing of any of his cartoons, even early on the repetition and similes were there as part of Foghorn and they are every bit as effective. The gags are very clever and well-timed, hard to pick a favourite though, though Barnyard Dog's gestures and expressions do crack me up I have to say. Henery is a good character, cute but not too annoying, and works well with Barnyard and Foghorn. But he is not, and I don't think ever has been, as strong as the other two, Barnyard is very cunning and takes the butt of the jokes when called for well and Foghorn steals the show. Mel Blanc does a bravura job with the vocal characterisations as you'd expect. In conclusion, wonderful and while I find much entertainment in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, this one is my favourite of them all. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Little Henery is a young chicken whose dad won't let him hunt for chickens yet and he's frustrated. "I'm a chicken hawk and I've never even seen a chicken," he complains. His dad has been telling him how huge and ferocious chickens are, to discourage him, but Henery decides enough is enough....he's going looking for his first chicken! (It turns out, as Henery's dad explains to the audience as he lurks outside of Ferndale Farms, "I hated to tell Henery falsehoods about chickens but a kid would only be in my way."

"You're probably going to hate me for what I am about to do but, after all, I am a chicken hawk," he tells us....than goes inside the coop and begins with a loud Dracula-type laugh- sound which terrifies the chickens but is very funny. However, from that point, that's the last we see of Dad as the big rooster, "Foghorn Leghorn," enters the picture and takes over from there, battling the little chicken hawk in a war of words more than anything else.

This was very good animated short with some clever comedy bits and great dialog from "Foghorn." I'd like to hear more from him.

Little chikenhawk Henery longs to proves to his grandfather that he's old enough to catch chickens. Foghorn Leghorn just so happens to be a chicken but Henery thinks he's just a schnook on account of his hear his pop call him that. The cartoon is hilarious and if Robert McKimson just stayed with making Foghorn shorts, and never EVER made a Bugs Bunny cartoon then I would have no beef with the guy at all. This animated short can be found on disc 4 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 and features an optional commentary by Micheal Barrier.

My Grade: A+