Porky's Poultry Plant (1936) User Reviews

don't chicken out

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 19 September 2007]

With some of the early Porky Pig cartoons, it seems that the people creating the cartoons often didn't go for outright humor (that may have started when Daffy Duck came along). For example, "Porky's Poultry Plant" has a rather simple plot line: Porky runs a chicken farm and has lost some hens to a pernicious hawk/buzzard; the hawk/buzzard kidnaps a chick, and Porky flies after the villainous bird, resulting in an aerial version of football.

Usually, I would expect Frank Tashlin's cartoons to contain a lot more in the way of sight gags, but this one sticks to its simple plot. Maybe it was sort of a place holder while they were creating some of the more famous cartoons (1936 also saw the release of "I Love to Singa"). Still, it is worth seeing as a look at the early days of the Looney Tunes. Just understand that they don't go for the really wacky stuff that would soon characterize their work.

Even viewers who are NOT Warnologists . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 29 June 2016]

. . . should have no problem seeing that Warner Bros. is foreshadowing all four years of Benghazi with its animated short, PORKY'S POULTRY PLANT. This cartoon begins with Porky stuttering. Such repetition represents Hillary's Private Email Server, which Gratuitously Rebroadcast all of America's Top Hat Secrets here, there, and everywhere. Porky's scattershot approach to chicken feeding denotes Hillary's haphazard expenditure of mere chicken feed on securing our U.S. embassies abroad. The posters mourning the losses of Olga, Dorothy, Gertie, Rebecca, and poor Petunia are meant to prepare Americans for the attacks on our African Embassies (three in total), the U.S.S. Cole, and our NSA Protection Program under the Clinton Team. When a clueless Porky cannot operate his own gun proficiently after the Chicknapping here, Warner is predicting Hillary's indecisive dithering during the Benghazi Zero Hour. But Porky's Transformation into a fighter-plane-flying hero to wrap up PORKY'S POULTRY PLANT is Warner's way of saying "Don't give up--there's still hope, as long as America doesn't expect a chick to do a rooster's job!" Just be thankful that the Looney Tuners are so easy to decipher, that they cover such important topics, and that they allow us ample lead time to react to their warnings. Eat your heart out, Nostradamus!

A fun Porky cartoon but not a great one

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 16 September 2013]

Porky's Poultry Plant is interesting from a historical perspective for Frank Tashlin and Carl Stalling at the start of their Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes careers. But it does deserve to be known for more than just historical value. Tashlin and Porky have done much better since, but Porky's Poultry Plant is entertaining, sometimes cute and a decent enough start for Tashlin. There is the sense that he was finding his feet(which is normal really), the cartoon does lack energy sometimes and the ending is too cutesy and abrupt. It is unexceptional story-wise with a routine structure, and Joe Dougherty's voice work is very uncontrolled and not very dynamic(Mel Blanc is missed here). However the animation is great, detailed, crisp and beautifully shaded, plus there is evidence of directorial mastery with Tashlin in the camera angles, the opening shot is simply gorgeous. Stalling's music is similarly wonderful, it is lushly orchestrated and lively with Stalling's style all over it. The dialogue is witty and amusing, and while never hilarious the gags are also decent. The airborne chase is exciting and Porky's Pultry Plant's highlight, the snake charmer bit while a somewhat predictable gag is funny too. Porky despite the lack of Mel Blanc voicing him is a decent lead character, if not the most charismatic. The chickens are cute and the vultures are appropriately antagonistic. All in all, not great but fun and interesting. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Firsts

[boblipton · 8/10 · 30 March 2003]

A remarkable cartoon for the period. First, it was Carl Stallings' debut as Termite Terrace's musical director, a position he would hold for twenty years, producing a remarkable body of work. Second, it was Frank Tashlin's second directorial credit -- his first was three years before for Van Beuren -- and his mastery of directing is already obvious. Notice the long panning shot that opens the movie, and the POV (Point Of View) shots from the chickenhawk's perspective. Or perhaps it is a vulture; species are not rigid in the cartoon universe.

This is not, I should add, a very funny cartoon. The situations are handled dramatically and the number of gags is not very high. But it is worth your time.

"Oh b-b-b-b-boy-b-boy-b-boy, what a d-d-d-d-day!"

[slymusic · 22 June 2009]

"Porky's Poultry Plant" is an early Porky Pig cartoon that marked the directorial debut of Frank Tashlin, who would eventually make a transition from animated cartoons to live-action feature films. In this film, Porky doesn't look or speak the way we are accustomed to, but he is still such a lovable character as he watches after the livestock on his farm.

There are two scenes from "Porky's Poultry Plant" that I especially like. First, Porky plays a funnel like a snake charmer's flute in order to retrieve a few worms from the ground for his baby chicks to eat. And second, when Porky flies his airplane trying to save a chick that has been swiped by vultures, a rooster serves as a football commentator!

Lots of great action and quick camera cuts characterize the animated cartoons of Frank Tashlin, and "Porky's Poultry Plant" is no exception. Tashlin was certainly a welcome addition to the Warner Bros. cartoon family.

Frank Tashlin and Carl Stalling both do great work with a lacklustre script

[phantom_tollbooth · 4/10 · 9 January 2009]

Frank Tashlin's 'Porky's Poultry Plant' is a case of historical importance exceeding enjoyment factor. 'Porky's Poultry Plant' was not only the directional debut of Tashlin, it was also the first Warner cartoon with music by the irreplaceable Carl Stalling. Tashlin and Stalling would both go on to produce an astonishing array of work for the Warner Bros. cartoon studio and their enormous talents are much in evidence here despite the weak material. The cartoon opens with a gorgeous pan across the farmyard which is typical of the live-action techniques Tashlin brought to his cartoons. However, we then have to sit through a series of cutesy gags about feeding chickens into which even Tashlin cannot inject any energy. Porky's voice is also excruciating here, provided as it was by Joe Dougherty, an actor with a real speech impediment who was unable to control his stutter as Mel Blanc later would. Some of Porky's sentences seem to go on forever! 'Porky's Poultry Plant' picks up towards the end as Porky becomes embroiled in an airborne battle with some vultures, resulting in a terrific battle which showcases Tashlin's instantly assured direction. It's too late to really save the cartoon though and it peters out with a cutesy gag that's more in keeping with the dull opening scenes. 'Porky's Poultry Plant' emerges as weak material brilliantly directed, probably of interest mainly to those who are interested in animation history but of little worth as the entertainment it was intended to be.

If you can't beat 'em, kill 'em!

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 November 2019]

In "Porky's Poultry Plant", farmer Porky has a big problem...the hawks are killing off many of his chickens. So, he does what anyone would do in this situation....they buy an airplane and attack the hawks in their own turf!

This is a cartoon with lots of action and a VERY dark but enjoyable ending. Compared to many other Porky cartoons of the era, this one has more laughs and is more enjoyable. And, like other early Porky Pig cartoons, he looks nothing like the more trim and less homely 1940s and later versions of the character.

By the way, if anyone cares, the airplane Porky flies looks highly reminiscent of a Gee Bee Racer--a stubby but very fast plane built for racing in the 1930s.

Excellent cartoon from Frank Tashlin

[larocque492 · 8/10 · 23 August 2014]

(From LT Golden Collection V4D2) Frank Tashlin's cartoons always have a great setup - think of Porky and Daffy trying to escape the hotel manager. This one is a bit more basic but still fun, with Porky the owner of a poultry farm and a bunch of hens. A run-in with a chicken hawk quickly turns into a pre-World-War-2 dogfight when Porky, still very chubby in 1936, takes to the skies in his equally paunchy airplane. Really solid short with some very cool action shots. The creative black & whites often are the best surprises because they're so often overlooked, and this one is no exception.

A 10 line minimum for a 7-minute short does seem a bit steep, doesn't it?

Porky on the Farm

[Michael_Elliott · 21 September 2017]

Porky's Poultry Plant (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Porky is feeding the various animals on his farm including the ducks and chickens. Then his farm comes under attack by a hawk that has been stealing various chickens. Now it's up to Porky to try and protect what is his.

PORKY'S POULTRY PLANT is another winner for the series, which of course was still rather young here. What's so fun about this short is that there's a lot of imagination going on and especially during the finale where Porky gets into his airplane and goes after the hawk who has stolen a baby chicken. There's a lot of action going on and plenty of nice little laughs as this battle plays out. Another good thing about this is an earlier scene where Porky is trying to feed everyone but the same chicken keeps getting left out.