Porky Chops

A hip squirrel from New York goes to the woods to relax but his vacation is interrupted by lumberjack Porky, who's trying to cut down his tree. Judging by some of the reviews on here, this one seems to set off some Porky Pig fans. I can kind of see why since Porky is little more than an Elmer Fudd-like villain for the squirrel to defeat. But this didn't really bother me as Porky is not high on my list of favorite Looney Tunes characters. The squirrel is clearly the star of this short with all the best lines and gags. I disagree strongly with another reviewer who said this cartoon was ugly. The animation is quite lovely, with beautiful colors and nicely-drawn characters and backgrounds. Lively, whimsical music from Carl Stalling. Great voice work from Mel Blanc. An enjoyable cartoon if all one is expecting is entertainment. If you're a Porky fan looking for an impressive showcase for his character, you might be disappointed.

Porky Chops (1949) *** (out of 4)

A squirrel from Brooklyn goes to the great Northwoods to get some rest but then comes across lumberjack Porky Pig trying to cut down his tree. The two start battling one another but soon a third party is going to enter the picture. This is a pleasant short that manages to have quite a few smiles and it's certainly cute enough. The one problem I have with the short is the actual squirrel who just doesn't sit too well with me. I've seen this film several times over the years and each time I can't help but think it would have been different with a better character. As far as Porky goes he's at the top of his game and the poor guy takes a nice beating like he always does. The third party that shows up only appears for a matter of seconds but he clearly steals the film. I won't ruin the gag as it's one of the best in the film.

I don't understand this cartoon at all. Essentially, Porky is the villain, trying to chop down a tree in which a vaguely Bugs Bunny-esque squirrel makes his home. Our villain is a much-beloved regular character, and our hero is a generic wiseacre squirrel that we've never seen before. It's almost as if they were originally going to use Bugs, but decided he was too big to live in a tree, so they used Porky in the other role just to have a "star" in the picture. Also, most of the gags just plain aren't funny. The cartoon just kind of sits there until it's over, and then you forget about it. How this was chosen for the first Looney Toons DVD set over classics like Book Revue and the Great Piggy Bank Robbery, I'll never know.

Arthur Davis, who directed "Porky Chops", was most famous as an animator; maybe he just didn't have exactly what it takes to be a director. This cartoon is pretty funny - hell, it looks like "Citizen Kane" compared to some of the cartoons coming out today - but it mostly seems to be a one-joke premise, as Porky Pig tries to chop down a tree but the wise-guy squirrel using it as his vacation home keeps interfering.

So, it's not a great cartoon, but still good for a few laughs...particularly with what happens after the dynamite gag (the Termite Terrace crowd sure had a way with dynamite, didn't they?).

PS: The name "The squirrels of Central Park" originally came from Gary Larson's cartoon "The Far Side". The squirrel here reminded me of that.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

'Porky Chops' is a long way from being among the best Porky Pig cartoons, he's done better before and since particularly in supporting roles when pitted off against a stronger character, or among the best work of underrated Arthur Davis (being in the shadow of the likes of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery and Bob Clampett and having nowhere near as long a career, which is sad). It seems to have divided reviewers and it is not hard to see why, it could have been better and needed more to it but it is a long way from a mess.

The story is a pretty slight and obvious one, and doesn't always have the madcap energy of the best cartoons. Porky is likable and amusing enough but somewhat bland in a role that could easily have been filled by Elmer.

In terms of the humour, 'Porky Chops' is more amusing than it is hilarious.

However, the animation is excellent. Beautifully drawn, very detailed and the colours are vibrant, complete with some great expressions and Davis' distinctive style of the characters moving from foreground to background.

Carl Stalling's music score is typically lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms, it's also beautifully synchronised with the action and gestures/expressions and even enhances the impact.

Although not hilarious, 'Porky Chops' amuses and entertains with some nice wit and good timing. The squirrel is a lot of fun with a personality that's lively, cute and anarchic. The ever versatile Mel Blanc's voice acting is stellar.

Overall, quite good fun though won't blow anybody away. 7/10 Bethany Cox