Easter Greetings

Hope this Easter Sunday brings you happy and healthy--and enjoy this little easter egg scene in the ending of The Wabbit Who Came to Supper.

I was kind of having a 'Easter' holiday this weekend; as I was at a little Easter party yesterday; and now I'm just taking the Sunday off being Easter. More to come tomorrow!

258. Sioux Me (1939)

Warner cartoon no. 257.
Release date: September 9, 1939.
Series: Merrie Melodies.
Supervision: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Mel Blanc (Indian Chief/Rainmaker/ Baby/Turtle/Worm/Indian Boy), Reid Kilpatrick (Inventor) and Bob Purcell (Narrator). Paul Taylor's singing voice; feat. Thurl Ravenscroft (singing bass for Sioux singing).
Story: Melvin Millar.
Animation: Herman Cohen.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown (uncredited).
Synopsis: There has been no rain in the Indian village for ages; until an Indian boy has luck with 'weather pills'.

Original title card

Remake of the cartoon Porky the Rainmaker - a cartoon with practically the same concept: weather pills, gags, etc. released from 1936. It's close to being identical, except no Porky and its in colour.

However, considering this is a Blue Ribboned cartoon: this may be the last cartoon of the 1938-1939 season released with the opening titles with the green rings; or even maybe the first cartoon released with the red-blue rings (and clouds)..of the 1939-40 season. Although an original title DOES exist; its likely to be just artwork, so we'll never know for the time being. But, for the 'That's all Folks' card - I'm going to put the one from the 1939-40 season as we KNOW from the next Merrie Melody: Land of the Midnight Fun: it features the new opening.

The cartoon begins as we hear an off-screen narrator (narrated by Bob Purcell) who narrates about 'the worst drought in nearly a decade' which is located in Oklahoma in an Indian village. During the pan; we find the backgrounds dissolving into trees and grass burnt due to droughts.

After the pan of the indian village - we see a vulture standing by a rock; which illustrates the seriousness and the village are in dyre need of rain! The thermometer that is seen in the village already rises above 110 degrees Celsius.

Of course; that is just obviously an exaggeration as you would be dead by that point. Heh, I like how the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit is not that far apart from each other. Even the totem poles fan themselves. Cornstalks start to pop corn because of the heat; which I will take credit for being a funny and original gag. Even the plums start to rot with a little worm inside yelling for help which is a little amusing. The same concept that was seen in Avery's Porky the Rainmaker but pretty much different gags.

Meanwhile inside the Indian Chief's headquarters; a moose's head starts panting and the Chief paces around the room concerned of the heat. Looking outside, he finds a line of chickens protesting with signs which read; 'No Feed No Eggs', 'No Eggs No Chicken', 'Vice Versa', etc.

A pig strands into the scene with a sign reading 'No Corn No Ham' and even a buffalo walks in. The sign gags were also a reuse from Porky the Rainmaker - but different sign readings. The Indian Chief walks over to make an appointment with a local rainmaker.

Interesting puns as a 'rainmaker' relates to money business and of course its what Native Americans used. The Indian Chief demands: 'Ug my people they starve. I animals they die. You make um rain quick or -- (pantomimes cut throat)'. Some powerful Indian chief he is. The rainmaker responds and accepts to try and make rain.

The rain dance begins with a group of Indians playing with their tom-toms and the rainmaker begins his rain dance as the injuns chant 'We want rain!'. He even brings his face straight to the camera wriggling his cheeks. Even a group of cheerleaders join into chant. The Sioux singers were by Paul Taylor's vocals group, which featured Thurl Ravenscroft who is singing the bass singer chanting 'We want rain!'. Thanks to Keith Scott for his wonderful research.

There is also a little median-shot gag of Indians where the camera pans but the last Indian turns out to be short, which is an amusing gag. After the song concludes; we find the result is: not a drop.

As the Chief is busy blading his knife for an execution; the rainmaker quickly has an idea and climbs up a tree tower to find an Indian boy attempting to pump water. He looks at the boy trying to pump water, and gives him beads which is used as a currency. 'Take um beads. Get barrel water. Quick!'. The Indian boy swings down with a vine and rides on a horse with a cart to go to town to try and locate water.

Meanwhile in town; we find an inventor in town who is presenting his latest invention: rain pills. And yet, this is a sequence which is practically a complete reuse from the Avery cartoon. Practically all of the dialogue from the inventor heard in this cartoon was heard in the original Avery cartoon--so this makes the sequence unoriginal. But its a different voice actor in this cartoon.

The Indian boy arrives with his cart and walks over to listen to the inventor's presentation. The inventor then shows the categories that the weather pills have: and they're all the same from the previous cartoon (rain, sun, thunder, lightning, etc).

The Indian boy then leans on the rail to listen but the inventor uses this stick to push him off 'Scram papoose'. The inventor announces his demonstration of the rain pill as he uses a straw to shoot the rain pill up. After shooting it up, the rain pill explodes, and lo and behold: rain!

The inventor brags about how rain can be produced through that pill as it does rain. He asks for any customers to purchase his weather pills for a buck. A group of hands are raised holding dollar bills, and the Indian boy climbs through the crowd and offers beads for the inventor. 'Beads?! I think you're springing me, but I'll take a chance. Here ya are, bud'. He kindly offers the weather pills to the Indian Boy.

With the Indian rainmaker pacing up and down; and still in threat of the Indian Chief (playing with his knife). The Indian chief finds that the Indian boy has arrives with the horse cart and barrel. The rainmaker believes he has loaded the barrel with water, but finds its empty.

After tossing it away he bellows: 'Why you no bring water?!'. The Indian boy shows and brings out the weather pills from his pocket: 'Look, me got rain pills. They make plenty water I beeetcha'.

The 'betcha' was a line that Tini would usually say at the end of her sentences. The rainmaker tosses the box of rain pills away and a whole bunch of pills lay scattered around the ground. A chicken, resting under a tree, notices a pill and curiously swallows an 'ice' pill.

After swallowing the ice pill; the chicken reacts by feeling a little breezy inside. That's not all, as soon as she feels she has laid eggs: the hen then looks up and discovers her eggs have turned into ice cubes because of that effect. Meanwhile there is a passing-by turtle who spots a lightning pill (without knowing what it really is). After swallowing the pill; he turns into lightning and whizzes down until he crashes into a bark of a tree. He then blutters, 'Must've been something I did' with Mel Blanc's funny voice. All these weather gags are just recycled, but having seen both cartoons, its no surprise to me to see what's coming.

Then, an squaw is carrying her child on an Indian papoose, and notices an earthquake pill. Gee, even a squaw is animal-minded to not even read the label. She comments, 'Mmm. Food'. After swallowing the pill; she then gets an eruption inside as she runs to a tree to try and control the rumbling. The Indian Boy chuckles with a cretinous voice: 'That's fun, ma, let's do it some more!'.

The Indian boy points out to the rainmaker the use of the pills, and continues to quote 'I betcha!'. The rainmaker finds the rain pill, but a passing-by vulture flies at the spot to pick it up before the rainmaker does.

The vulture flies back on a limb holding onto the rain pill. By taking the pill, the vulture would not leave the area until a dead body is seen lying in the ground due to the heatwave. The Indian uses his bow and arrow to shoot straight towards the rain pill. Afterwards; the arrow aims directly at the pill, which explodes and so, the miracle arrives with rain pouring. The rainmaker looks out at the rain with amazement and performs a little gay dance with the Indian boy.

The crops then begin to grow back, as same with the watermelon and the plum. A really charming scene shows the plum drawing back with the worm relieved and no longer suffocated. A hen then receives joy of the rain and can now produce eggs. In fact, she can produce so many they fill up an entire, narrow tree. She comments: "Ain't that somethin'".

The Indians perform a rain dance whilst it rains. The cartoon concludes with the Indian Chief congratulating the rainmaker for being able to produce rain through rain pills. It starts with the rainmaker walking over to the Chief with confidence and asks, 'How am I doin', chiefy?'.

The chief shakes his hand, 'You fine fellow. You great rainmaker'. Whilst it rains, it suddenly then turns to sun and light. The Indian Chief looks towards the rainmaker with anger and he grabs out his dagger and chases him out of the scene. As soon as it rains again, they dash back to their spot and chuckle once again whilst the chief congratulates him.

Overall comments: For an audience member of the time -- probably watching the cartoon which would've been added as extra reels (shorts, newsreels, etc.) for features: there's not a doubt that they wouldn't know that this cartoon ripped-off Avery's Porky the Rainmaker. For us cartoon fans and historians: we already know this is a direct rip-off, as cartoons are very easy to access in the Internet age. The story climax, the gags, and even the entire concept is identical to Avery's own early cartoon. In some ways, it has been a rather challenging cartoon to review. You'd probably already realise that with the weather pill gags, I really didn't have to write about in terms of commentary. Why? Because I've already mentioned it when I reviewed Rain-maker, and it wouldn't be necessary to say so twice: in my opinion...and the fact Hardaway took the concept and only slightly altered the gags.

It feels as though Hardaway-Dalton were attempting to update or even improve the cartoon with better gags, dated radio catchphrases and adding an indian concept because: a Joe Dougherty stuttering pig was seen as obnoxious. But still, I think the Avery version is far more superior - why? Well, its Tex Avery, and also: more original. Considering that Hardaway and Dalton really don't have much merits in their tenure as directors: it's probably not worth saying (considering how their cartoons lacked creativity) but I'd say this is the least-creative entry they have made, largely because its more or less a remake. Nevertheless, the conclusion of the cartoon had its own moments: the Sioux gang chanting "We want rain!" is certainly rather effective, with the bass singing through Thurl Ravenscroft's notorious bass voice. The concluding gag, I'd say, is probably the only funny part of the whole cartoon.

257. Little Brother Rat (1939)

featuring SNIFFLES.
Warner cartoon no. 256.
Release date: September 9, 1939.
Series: Merrie Melodies.
Supervision: Chuck Jones.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Margaret Hill-Talbot (Sniffles), Mel Blanc (Owl) and Berneice Hansell (Mice).
Story: Rich Hogan.
Animation: Bob McKimson.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown (uncredited).
Synopsis: At a house party - Sniffles' aim is to collect an owl's house. But has trouble as he encounters a defensive owl, and a hungry cat.

Knowing this cartoon had its original opening and closing restored for the Mouse Chronicles set -- the original titles itself capture my interest. We already know that Sniffles is now an established star by this point, as there is a separate card which reads 'featuring Sniffles' - which was likely used in other cartoons which sacrificed by Blue Ribbons.

What's also most revealing is, we can see the illustration of Sniffles is almost identical to the 1939 booklet which was posted in Cartoon Brew a few years back. The pose is exactly the same, though the proportions and colours are drawn differently. I do wonder whether Sniffles cartoons that bear his name in the titles: Sniffles Bells the Cat, Sniffles Takes a Trip, etc. would feature the 'featuring Sniffles' card.

The full moon is out tonight, and we find some rather decent background colours of the farmhouse at night. Its always typical for a animated cartoon to have a full moon in background shots. But then again, I suppose it helps make the backgrounds look more appealing. As we truck in inside; the black cat is snoozing by the fire.

Sniffles' cue enters as he is seen making a dangerous attempt to pull off the cat's whisker. He runs off with the music cue in the background...I honestly don't know. A Stalling piece perhaps?

The cat chases Sniffles but pauses as soon as Sniffles rushes inside the mousehole. Chuck Jones constructs the shots of Sniffles rushing which requires a lot of geography and staging in each separate shot, and so many backgrounds pop up for these quick shots that it makes the pacing of the journey feel realistic.  There is some very decent arcing of Sniffles making a turning point from the wall; animation-wise. The fear that overcomes Sniffles makes the turn look very realistic.

After a whole montage of Sniffles escaping through different areas of the farmhouse; Sniffles arrives at the mice's headquarters underground and he arrives back with joy about holding a cat's whiskers. It turns out there is a party going on, and Sniffles is anticipating in a party game.

All the other mice turn amazed at hearing Sniffles caught the cat's whiskers: 'Gee, Sniffles really got it', 'Sniffles got it!' says the mice in the crowd. All of the mice guests are voiced by Hansell here.

The judge of the party game reassures Sniffles with surprise, 'Did you really get it Sniffles' and Sniffles shows the evidence. The judge of the game (Scavenger Hunt) crosses a mark on the list of the items Sniffles has so far collected. From looking at the list; Sniffles is in the lead; and after the cross he has one more item to win: an owl's egg. The judge replies enthusiastically, 'Gee, Sniffles, all you've got to get is an owl's egg and you win!'. Sniffles responds reassuringly, 'An owl's egg?' The judge nods. 'Gee Willikers!' and so Sniffles dashes out of the party room in search for an owl's egg.

After the party sequence - the cat steps out from the farmhouse and is on the lookout for Sniffles for pulling out one of his whiskers. He turns and finds Sniffles is seen walking and about to make a turn outside the house in a point of view shot. The cat looks at Sniffles with a taste of revenge and follows.

In a silhouetted shot; Sniffles runs into a mousehole through the fence but the cat just sits and watch. The silhouette produces a rich atmosphere of the cartoon itself. Up inside a barn house - an owl is seen fast asleep.

I'm sure interested to knowing the music cue in this sequence - which can be heard in Sniffles Takes a Trip. During a camera pan - the camera moves to the owl's blue egg - and to Sniffles tiptoeing. The owl opens up his eyelids tiredly, before yawning. Some very solid personality animation of the eyelids slightly opening; which shows some real weight on the eyelids opening which was handled tenderly. At that moment, Sniffles tiptoes over and quietly observes the owl's egg. I love the fact the owl's egg is blue; and hell--its a much more effective colour than an ordinary owl's egg. Sniffles carries the owl's egg to carry away with him. At that moment, he is standing face to face with the owl.


There is a beautiful point-of-view show of Sniffles who is staring at the owl's glaring eyes, which sparkles. Chuck's approach to establishing the shots is really effective. Sniffles quickly attempts to hide the egg behind his back. The owl asks smugly: 'Well, having fun?' and he looks around Sniffles: 'Having fun?'. Solid timing of the owl slapping Sniffles' hand so the egg is revealed.

At that moment; Sniffles is in peril. The owl already knows Sniffles is attempting to steal the owl's egg. Instead of attacking or hurting Sniffles, he continues very smugly and acts surprised: 'An egg, a very pretty egg, too. I once had an egg. It was pretty too'.

Then the owl starts to turn cold and frightening towards Sniffles: 'It looked a lot like your egg'. He walks slowly towards Sniffles so he would walk backwards; 'And shall we put the egg back in the nest? Before a certain little mouse gets himself--HURT?!'

Sniffles makes a take and dashes back to place the egg back. Funny to have the mother with a Blanc voicing it as a male character...but then again, I'm sure no-one would've noticed as Blanc performs it rather subtly. Sniffles returns as the owl walks out with Sniffles to assure he isn't harmful. 'Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against mice. Why some of my best friends are mice'. After acting rather calm towards him - he yells at Sniffles: 'BUT I DON'T LIKE YOU!'. He tosses Sniffles out of the barn - 'GET OUT!'. The whole sequence with the owl and Sniffles I suspect was likely Ken Harris' animation.

Afterwards - there is a really solid vertical pan as well as the staging in animation of Sniffles falling down (after being tossed out) and is about to lag on the cat. Chuck sure is using a lot of technical qualities which adds weight and appeal to the overall look of the cartoon. Sniffles then lands on top of the cat - who's body hits the ground but Sniffles springs up to the top.


Now, the comic timing is definitely clumsy but Chuck wouldn't have been ready for that kind of timing. Sniffles climbs on top of the entrance of the bird house but finds himself dangling to keep his balance before he enters inside properly.

Inside the owl's house; as he continues to snooze; Sniffles makes it back inside and the camera pans to the nest is empty; missing an owl's egg. The camera pans to find Sniffles is seen walking away with the bird's nest.

He accidentally trips on a nail attached to the wooden plank on the floor. The egg cracks off-screen and then a baby owl makes an appearance, and hoots. Sniffles reacts to the owl hooting and here, Sniffles appears to change height in the animation. He ties up the egg (after placing the owl inside). Afterwards; there is a little cute moment where Sniffles hears the sounds of a 'hoot' and believes he has seen another owl. He unwraps the blue cracked egg to see, but finds the owl (somehow) has got out of the egg which is a cartoony concept.

After discovering that the owl has escaped from the egg. Sniffles is then prepared to right the baby owl to go inside the egg. After dust covers up the screen for a mere few seconds - it turns out the baby owl has outwitted Sniffles as he ended up inside the egg. Sniffles steps out and points with his finger to order the baby owl to enter.

Afterwards; Sniffles wraps up the baby owl inside the egg but the owl's legs crack open from the egg shell and walks out of the scene. Sniffles dives over for the legs and picks him up to his nest before he leaves.

After sliding down the drainpipe - the baby owl has followed Sniffles once again with his 'hoot' sounds. Sniffles turns, and in another point-of-view, the black cat makes an appearance. The glaring eyes read that the baby owl and Sniffles are in danger. This leads to Sniffles about to run for his life, but makes a turning when he realises the baby owl is really in more danger than Sniffles as the cat is approaching him silently. He runs back to collect the owl until the cat starts to chase both Sniffles and the owl.

The owl from at the top of the birdhouse looks down to see whats the commotion. After looking down, the owl begins to fly down to stop the chase. The chase scenes here are done in silhouette, which makes it look very intriguing as well as Chuck Jones' sense of pacing with the shots--which you won't often find in many chase sequences of the 1930s.

The owl then picks up the cat and flies him off to dump him elsewhere. Sniffles is still running frantically, but as he turns, he trips and lets go of the owl by accident. Afterwards, the adult owl congratulates Sniffles for saving the baby owl, 'And as a token for our gratitude, we would like to give you this egg'.

He hands over the baby egg to Sniffles to keep--which would mean Sniffles (likely won the competition, depending on how much other mice have had luck with searching for the egg). The adult owl says bye before flying away. After waving goodbye to the owl; the egg itself opens with the baby owl still inside hooting. Sniffles makes a trip and looks at the egg mysteriously. The concluding gag is a little charming and shows how the baby owl keeps on following his steps. The final scene was animated by McKimson.

Overall comments: Being that most of Chuck's pre-1942 cartoons are considered way too cutesy, slow-paced, and for lack of a better word: 'off'. This is a cutesy, slow-paced cartoon and an exception that I would consider a pass. Knowing the whole story itself, you already know its a cutesy cartoon which isn't anywhere as ambitious as Tex was with humour, but I consider this to be the perfect, cutesy cartoon. In some aspects, I find that a lot of this cartoon really do give a shine for some illuminating film shots as well as film techniques which really shows that Chuck Jones definitely had known with filmmaking -- at least the technical side of it. The way that Chuck has displayed the shot settings really creates a nice illusion to the cartoon which you wouldn't find too much in the early WB cartoons; and Chuck's staging really stands out: with his silhouette shots as well as staged point of view shots.

Its got a really straightforward storyline without any complexity, which I suppose, can be a good thing. The owl character, I find, to evidently be the highlight of the whole cartoon. For a cutesy director of the time, it shows even Chuck had guts to use Mel Blanc's angry persona for the character. Of course, the owl is the only resemblance of the cartoon where it wouldn't be cutesy; but its one of those 'threatening' characters which you probably would see in many of those cartoons. I also admire the colours of the backgrounds as well as the cartoon itself, particularly the blue egg which looks more appealing than a normal egg. Overall, I will say this is probably one of the best 'Sniffles' entries as it makes the perfect, cutesy cartoon...along with Lost and Foundling as my favourite. Though, when you see the Sniffles cartoons when Chuck was funny--Sniffles was still annoying, though with a (Gabby Duck/Little Blabbermouse persona).

256. Porky's Hotel (1939)

Warner cartoon no. 255.
Release date: September 2, 1939.
Series: Looney Tunes.
Supervision: Bob Clampett.
Producer: Leon Schlesinger.
Starring: Mel Blanc (Porky Pig / Goat / Gabby Duck) and Phil Kramer (Cuckoo Clock).
Animation: Norman McCabe and John Carey.
Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling.
Sound: Treg Brown (uncredited).
Synopsis: Porky is an owner of his own hotel, and has a visitor who wants only peace and quiet during his stay. But misadventures begin to take place which disturbs the goat's piece.

Last cartoon to use to irritating chatterbox Gabby Duck who was used in two previous cartoons, and this time: Clampett uses the duck character whereas he was used previously by Tex Avery and Hardaway-Dalton. Appealing little title card with a bellboy mouse carrying a whole lot of luggage.

The cartoon begins with an overlay shot trucking in of a village. The shot fades to a background shot with a banner which reads: ' 'Welcome to Donut Center' - and there is a little silly pun at the bottom written in childish (or my type of handwriting) 'What a Hole!'. The camera tracks down with a neon board which forms 'Porky Pig's Hotel'.

Then it starts off with an off-screen chorus singing substitute lyrics to the song Honeymoon Hotel -- which, I suppose is rather relevant as the popular song relates to hotels. Porky Pig is seen sweeping the porch of the hotel.

As soon as I watch a sequence where Porky is gayly sweeping the front porch of the hotel, and with the off-screen chorus -- I think of one word: crap. Just by hearing it and Porky acting like a Disney-esque character, it already indicates to be this is going to be a very weak Porky cartoon. Porky finishes sweeping off from the porch and does so on the pavement. After sweeping the pavement during the song, he swipes the dust off to the road, and sweeps them under the pavement like a doormat. Okay, I suppose that may be rather more like Clampett there, but then again any director would use that gag.

Some crisp timing after the song sequence where Porky moves his broom towards his hands briskly, and then picks up the broom like a flute. He plays it like a flute and walks down the sidewalk and plays The Girl I Left Behind Me. Gee, that is just a typical, cutesy gag that even Disney could laugh at.

Porky hears the sounds of a car horn, and Porky gasps excitedly; 'Gosh an (trying to pronounce 'automobile') a car. I wonder if its a customer!'

The car then drives and makes turns with a rather cartoony effect of having the automobile stretching and even turning to make the car appear at a very weird angle. Porky rushes back in, happy to know its a customer. He changes into his bellboy outfit in a flash and walks over to greet his customer in the car. The guest then responds, 'I'm here for a rest. I must have (bleats the word 'peaaaaace') and quiet'. It appears Clampett is attempting really hard in showing Porky's stuttering personality as he continuously attempts to pronounce a word but changes to stutter an easier word. He stutters, 'Yes sir, I'll take your (stutters) ba-suit-trun--luggage'. The goat exits the car as he is seen in a wheelchair.

Inside the hotel the disabled goat enters the hotel as well as Porky. The music cue is still Honeymoon Hotel which is played entirely throughout the score. The old goat is seen with a grumpy look and has an odd wheelchair where boots at the back move the wheelchair for him...which is just wacky, but I suppose it works.  Porky walks over to the elevator where the elevator door opens and he walks up the steps...I guess the gag is there is no lift, but it felt slow-paced anyway.

After the fade-out; the chatterbox duck arrives at the scene where he looks at the old goat sleeps and looks at his features (as well as the bandage on his foot) with curiosity. He then starts to talk abruptly and annoyingly and reveals his name is Gabby.

Okay, but didn't he already have a name before (Dizzy or something?) and yet Gabby was already another short-lived goat character with Porky from two years earlier.

Anyway, as a continuously talking duck is supposed to be funny; the goat is irritated by the duck's voice as he just drums his fingers. Of course, if the old goat feeling annoying is meant to be amusing, it isn't. We'd just share his pain. The old goat calls for Gabby the duck over, to entice him, and then pulls out a supposedly scary face to scare the pants out of the duck. Geez, out of the many creative ideas you could pull off - the old goat just uses an old roar? Anyway, after Gabby sheds a tear; he asks as to why he scares them and continues to talk briskly.

Meanwhile a fly arrives at the spot and then Gabby starts to look at the fly with his own pupils rotating. Some pretty amusing animation of the pupils rotating, and then shows there are two pupils in one eye! The fly buzzes in theme of Shave and a Haircut and quotes along the lines of Jimmy Fiedler 'And I do mean (buzzes)'.

Gabby slaps his bill in an attempt to splat the fly but accidentally slaps his beak. This follows into, what I consider, a pretty pointless chase sequence where Gabby is chasing after the fly, with the plot already waffling.

The fly already lands in portraits, with Gabby constantly missing him as he attempts to smash him with a hammer. The fly lands on a Venus de Milo sculpture, but the Venus ceramic figure comes to life by booting the fly off her shoulder. I'll give Clampett for a very funny gag. The chase sequence pauses as the fly is sitting on a door. Gabby approaches slowly to the fly until Porky whacks the door open; suppressing Gabby to the wall that has already got dent marks.

After the chase sequence - we fade into a cuckoo clock scene where the cuckoo steps out (voiced by Phil Kramer) who reads out 'As my father once said; quote)...' the cuckoo then bursts out 'CUCKOO!' which was delivered by Mel Blanc, and then back to Kramer: '..unquote'. I can only interpret the voice was probably from the Grouch Club which starred Kramer. Though I may be wrong.

A rather random scene which arrived out of the blue, but again--I guess its an excuse of padding; though the 'cuckoo' scream by Blanc is always rustic. It's lunch-time and Porky walks over to lists the meals to the old goat.

He continues to stutter and list the meals the hotel serves, until he snaps his finger feeling irritated, 'or try our blue plate (?)'. The goat accepts and wishes to order it. Porky rushes back and has the meal all ready for the old goat. The old goat sniffs the food with delight, but all of a sudden he tosses his food away. He ends up eating the plate--its just weird, its just abnormal, but its just Clampett.

Meanwhile, Gabby returns who is still bothered about the fly in the hotel. I've never seen any character or person so bothered of a fly; that would take up a lot of bother...geez. The old man is bothered of Gabby, and shouts 'Get away! Geeeet away!' Gabby rushes out of the scene, but finds the fly is sitting on top of the old goat's bandage.

Afterwards; the old Goat attempts to whack Gabby with his walking stick, but Gabby whacks him with the walking stick. Then it turns into a chase sequence between Gabby and the old goat.

So much for Gabby. There is a rather recent dash effect where Gabby just exits the scene, leaving nothing but dust. Gabby slams the door but the goat rides through the door, breaking it open. There is some great pacing by Clampett where we find Porky carrying the luggage for a pelican customer.

The slow-pacing is just a perfect sense of pacing where the fast music cuts to a gentle scene of Porky. I love how Clampett arranged it. Then the goat and the duck - dash through Gabby and the pelican that the pelican ends up spinning continuously. After the pelican steps out of his own bill, as well as Porky. The door crashes to a wall where the old goat and Gabby's head are trapped on a painting. The painting relates to the execution of Captain John Smith. The Goat's head is the executioner; Gabby's is John Smith. The final gag at the end shows Gabby pleading not to be executed; believing its all happening.

Overall comments: Although the cartoon clocks in around the 6 minute mark--a typical time limit for an animated cartoon, but even again, the cartoon feels its been padded. I suppose it would've turned out as a very short cartoon. The chase sequence with Gabby and the fly did waffle the cartoon in its ways; and Gabby appeared to have been too bothered about it. Porky Pig is still more or less the straight man as Clampett as interpreted him in his 1939 cartoons; whereas he does really lack a lot of charm, and even his cheerfulness and gayly sweeping definitely considers Porky a bland character. The goat character really wasn't that much special to me at all -- and overall, this cartoon was just nothing special. The story was just flat, and it felt like there could be a great advantage for the old goat to have his peace disturbed. Chuck Jones would have his chance when animated cartoons were much more advanced and superior in the 1940s -- he did so with The Pest in the House. The only parts which I didn't particularly mind was the Venus de Milo gag as well as Gabby's eyes circulating...which felt like the only resemblances of Clampett's rustic gags. Probably one of Clampett's worst and least-memorable Porky cartoons by far.