I Haven't Got a Hat

Mr. Freling comes up with the ultimate classroom stutterer in this Merrie Melodies cartoon. It begins with an elementary age Porky reciting "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" in front of an audience. Other characters strut their stuff too, but I only recognise Porky.

Friz Freleng's 'I Haven't Got a Hat' is sort of an audition piece for new characters. With neither Bosko nor Buddy proving particularly inspiring, Warner cartoons needed a new star player and they hedged their bets by introducing a host of new creations based on the 'Our Gang' series. A range of young animals and their school teacher Miss Cud are introduced with captions at the beginning of 'I Haven't Got a Hat'. Not unreasonably, the studio assumed that the real winner was Beans the naughty little cat and they went on to make a handful of cartoons in which he was the lead. However, the character the audience found most interesting was Porky Pig who would go on to be the studio's first real star. In 'I Haven't Got a Hat', Porky performs a recital of 'The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere' but he is so nervous that he sweats profusely and stutters in the extreme. This stutter would ultimately become the character's defining feature, although it would later be portrayed as merely a speech impediment and not the result of extreme nerves. Porky's age was also altered from cartoon to cartoon at this stage. Often he would maintain the characteristics of a child while at other times he would assume the adult role which finally became the constant. As early as his second appearance in Tex Avery's 'Gold Diggers of '49', Porky was already playing a grown-up, the father of one of his classmates in this cartoon, no-less! All of which tells you very little about 'I Haven't Got a Hat', for which I apologise! A very early colour Merrie Melody, 'I Haven't Got a Hat' is cutesy but enjoyable. Set at a school talent show, we get to watch various acts starting with Porky's jumbled poetry. We hear Little Kitty (the most self-consciously cute character who is noticeably absent from the opening introductions) recite 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' with a little help from Miss Cud, then the twin dogs Ham and Ex (the weakest creations of this batch of new characters) perform the jaunty song that gives the cartoon its title. All of this is fairly enjoyable but the best antics come courtesy of Oliver Owl and Beans, who are engaged in an off-stage war over sweets which spills over into Oliver's act. I always enjoy 'I Haven't Got a Hat' despite its absence of big laughs. It's interesting to see Porky's debut but this amounts to barely a cameo really. What makes 'I Haven't Got a Hat' so enjoyable is its gentle warmth and bright, colourful animation. While my ribs remain largely untickled during these seven minutes, my lips remain in a upturned position and, every now and then, my foot taps to the tunes on offer. A small treat for cartoon enthusiasts.

'I Haven't Got a Hat' is significant for being the debut of Porky Pig, but that is not the only reason for watching. It is a decent cartoon in its own right, but Porky did go on to feature and star in better and funnier cartoons as he evolved.

While one is sympathetic towards Porky, this reviewer knows what it's like to be in Porky's position, and he is likable, he is rather underused in an appearance that is more a cameo than anything else and he's had a stronger personality elsewhere.

'I Haven't Got a Hat' is also somewhat light on plot, which is more an excuse to string along renditions of characters performing songs and a few other antics.

And while there are smiles throughout the whole duration of the cartoon, 'I Haven't Got a Hat' is short on humour that's consistent or hilarious, it's not that it's unfunny it's just that there's not enough and it's mildly amusing really.

However, this reviewer really loved the bright and colourful animation with lots of beautiful backgrounds and imaginative visual detail, and even better the music which is essentially the actual star of the show, the character, the energy, the enthusiasm and the lusciousness is seriously phenomenal.

Also appreciated the agreed warmth and gentility of the writing, and the vocals with all the voice actors sounding like they were having the time of their lives. The supporting characters do make more of an impression than Porky and are used more.

Oliver and Beans' antics this reviewer agrees steals the show, it was fun and didn't get repetitive. Kitty was adorable, and one cannot help smiling in the appearance of Ham and Ex.

In conclusion, a good if not great debut for Porky Pig, that's a very pleasant watch but doesn't see the best or funniest of him. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I Haven't Got a Hat (1935)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A small school is having their recital day. Porky Pig, stuttering and all, must stand up and do The Midnight Ride of Paul revere while other students follow.

I HAVEN'T GOT A HAT isn't the greatest animated short ever made but it is somewhat historic as this here was the first appearance of Porky Pig. His look and vocal performance is a lot different than the Porky most people know and love but it's still rather interesting seeing this early version. For the most part this is an innocent enough of a short as it's basically introducing us to a bunch of new characters with of course Porky taking off. There really wasn't any major laughs but it was pleasant enough.

The cartoon series, Merrie Melodies, was posing a problem for its producers because of its lack of popular characters, unlike its competitor, Walt Disney, who had a bevy of lovable personalities. The makers of the Looney Tunes episodes set about correcting that gap in March 1935's "I Haven't Got a Hat" by introducing a new set of animated characters they hoped would rejuvenate the series. One figure introduced in the cartoon especially stood out, and has remained as a mainstay to the Warner Brothers-affiliated series, Porky Pig.

Producer Leon Schlesinger had been selling his Looney Tunes to Warner Brothers in the early 1930s, and complemented those cartoons by originating his new 'Merrie Melodies' in 1931 as an answer to Walt Disney's "Silly Symphonies." The public became enamored with the 'Merrie Melodies,' with its musical-based themes. What it was lacking, however, was a nondescript cast. Director Friz Freleng, motivated by a suggestion from Schlessinger, gathered his artists to produce five new personalities in "I Haven't Got a Hat": Little Kitty, Oliver Owl, Ham and Ex, and Porky Pig. In addition, Beans the Cat shifted over to 'Merrie Melodies' from the Looney Tunes to replace the boy Buddy. All the newbies in the cartoon were each introduced in Miss Cud's schoolroom by the teacher. Porky is the first student to go in front of the class, reciting the poem 'Paul Revere's Ride,' talking with a stutter and seen without his pants.

Schlessinger's long range plan was to create a consistent line of characters similar to the 'Our Gang' series. His idea lasted a mere two years. Except for Porky, all the characters whom were introduced in "I Haven't Got a Hat," including potential super star Beans the Cat, dropped off the screen. Porky was a fan favorite immediately after his debut. The pig was voiced by Joe Dougherty, a stutterer himself. Trouble was Dougherty hadn't been able to control his stutter in the narration booth, taking an inordinate amount of time to finally nail Porky's lines. Dougherty was eventually replaced by Mel Blanc, who stepped in for Porky in 1937.