phantom_tollbooth Review of Porky Pig's Feat

Porky Pig's Feat (1943)

Not only very funny but also gorgeous to look at

[9/10 · 4 November 2008]

Frank Tashlin's 'Porky Pig's Feat' is an exceptionally handsome black and white cartoon. Trapped in a hotel with a bill they can't pay, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck attempt to rid themselves of the fearsome manager and escape. It's a simple set up for a fast paced and very funny short. There are several things that make 'Porky Pig's Feat' notable besides its general excellence. The drawing and animation style have an unusually modern feel to them for 1943 and the camera angles and set-ups have a really cinematic feel to them. Witness Daffy's wild rush down the corridor and into the elevator or Porky and Daffy as they swing on a rope made of sheets from the hotel window. Perhaps the most notable element, however, is a last minute cameo from (a rather odd sounding) Bugs Bunny who makes his only appearance in black and white and his first appearance alongside Porky and Daffy. Although it was still early in Bugs' career, he had already outshone all the studio's previous stars in terms of popularity and this is reflected in Porky and Daffy's hero worship of him. It's slightly odd to hear Daffy proclaiming that Bugs is his hero in light of their more famous rivalry developed by Chuck Jones in later years. All these unusual elements help make 'Porky Pig's Feat' a classic but, crucially, it also has a great script and a wonderful energy that drives it forward until its great surprise ending. One of Tashlin's best films.