This early 20th century silent short from France was the first item on disc 2 of the "Saved from the Flames" DVD collection. It has someone in a giant pig costume being humiliated by a beautiful girl dancer he has a crush on as she strips his clothes and makes him dance both naked (so to speak) and with a dress on. Oddly, this is when the pig enjoys himself to the point of sticking his tongue out and moving his eyes! I found this pretty amusing if not hilarious and, at 4 minutes, just about the right length. I do wonder if this was meant for children especially with the stripping and the female dancer moving her skirt up and down like the famous Can-Can. Still, The Dancing Pig (the English title on the disc) is worth a look.
14 Reviews
bizarre and highly amusing
framptonhollis25 March 2017
Many people seem to find this old, French short to be very creepy, but I tend to disagree. I found it to be charmingly unique and humorous; it's clearly a film made to produce laughter and joy rather than fear. Depending on how you look at it, the pig suit in the film can be seen as either wacky and funny or haunting and disturbing. Either way, this short must come across as interesting to almost anyone in one way or another.
Essentially, all this film consists of is a brief vaudevillian performance featuring a man in a weird, silly pig costume engaging in outrageous slapstick with a well dressed and mischievous woman. It's quite surreal and can be interpreted as off putting by some, but I found it to be very amusing and enjoyable to watch. It got a few genuine laughs out of me and, overall, left me with a nice, warm grin across my face.
Essentially, all this film consists of is a brief vaudevillian performance featuring a man in a weird, silly pig costume engaging in outrageous slapstick with a well dressed and mischievous woman. It's quite surreal and can be interpreted as off putting by some, but I found it to be very amusing and enjoyable to watch. It got a few genuine laughs out of me and, overall, left me with a nice, warm grin across my face.
First Meme For The Computer Age
springfieldrental18 December 2020
The internet site "Know Your Meme" named the close-up of the anthropologic pig in the 1907 French short "The Dancing Pig" as one of the first memes of the 20th century. The GIF shows the last 20 seconds of the movie as the pig rolls his eyes, flaps his ears, wags his tongue and shows sharp teeth. The short begins with a man dressed as a pig trying to pick up a woman, who eventually disrobes the pig. They then dance up a storm on the set. This routine has been cited as a reenactment of a vaudeville act. At the end, the movie cuts to a closeup of the pig's face, with creepy actions from the pig. The movie was forgotten for decades until someone created the meme, sparking numerous nightmares for many viewers.
What An Impressive Pig
Michael_Elliott24 May 2015
The Dancing Pig (1907)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
"Wow" is the first word that popped into my mind as soon as I saw the pig. If you're a fan of these old movies you know that most of the costumes of animals were incredibly fake looking but that's certainly not the case here. Apparently this was a very popular act on stage and it was filmed several times but this is the first one I've ever seen. Basically a woman takes a seat at a table and a large pig comes out and soon various sketches are done. There's one giant reason to check out this film and it's the pig costume, which is just incredible looking. I'm will flat out say it's the most realistic costume I've seen from this period and I'd argue that it's better looking than most of the costumes for decades to come. The entire thing just has a bizarre feel to it but wait until you get to the close up at the end of the film. Just check out the tongue and the teeth! This thing certainly could have been used for a terrific horror movie.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
"Wow" is the first word that popped into my mind as soon as I saw the pig. If you're a fan of these old movies you know that most of the costumes of animals were incredibly fake looking but that's certainly not the case here. Apparently this was a very popular act on stage and it was filmed several times but this is the first one I've ever seen. Basically a woman takes a seat at a table and a large pig comes out and soon various sketches are done. There's one giant reason to check out this film and it's the pig costume, which is just incredible looking. I'm will flat out say it's the most realistic costume I've seen from this period and I'd argue that it's better looking than most of the costumes for decades to come. The entire thing just has a bizarre feel to it but wait until you get to the close up at the end of the film. Just check out the tongue and the teeth! This thing certainly could have been used for a terrific horror movie.
Pig on the loose
Horst_In_Translation30 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Le cochon danseur" or "The Dancing Pig" or "The Dancing Swine" is a French short film from 1907, so here we have obviously a black-and-white silent film. It runs for slightly under four minutes and it may be among the very first films that depict a pig, even if it is just a man in a giant pig suit. The pig wants to dance with the female apparently, but she needs some convincing to join in. 4 stars for the pretty great costume and the free-spirited dancing towards the end, but story-wise, it is really not good and far from the best of the silent era in short film. I give this one a thumbs-down. Not recommended unless you really love these old films. No intertitles in here, so you won't need to understand French. In my opinion, skip this one. It's really only so famous for the costume I guess.
Simply bizarre, but utterly mesmerising.
BA_Harrison30 August 2020
The Dancing Pig is four minutes of pure nightmare fuel from the early days of cinema, the film featuring an oversized anthropomorphic porker dancing with a pretty woman. The pig, resplendent in top hat and dinner jacket, starts off by trying to woo the young lady; unsuccessful, he goes for a quick grope instead, so the woman strips him. The pair then dance together for a while, the pig stopping momentarily to pop on a frock. The pig starts to waggle its tongue and roll its eyes but that doesn't scare the woman like it would me - she just carries on a-prancing.
The film ends with a close of the pig's face which will haunt your dreams, the creepy swine flapping its ears while rolling its eyes upwards and lolling its tongue around a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
9/10. I just love strange old films like this (apparently, the dancing pig was a popular music hall routine back in the day. Nowadays, it just seems really freaky).
The film ends with a close of the pig's face which will haunt your dreams, the creepy swine flapping its ears while rolling its eyes upwards and lolling its tongue around a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
9/10. I just love strange old films like this (apparently, the dancing pig was a popular music hall routine back in the day. Nowadays, it just seems really freaky).
Wow--that's an amazing looking pig!
planktonrules9 July 2011
This film was included in the three DVD set "Saved From the Flames"--a collection of mostly ephemeral movies that have managed to avoid turning to powder, catching fire or melting--something that usually happened with the nitrate film stock used up through the 1950s.
According to the notes for this film, the Dancing Pig routine was common on stage and it was filmed for several different companies--in this case Pathé-Frères. I have not seen any of the other versions, but was amazed at this short film--mostly because the pig costume was amazing to see. While it didn't look like a real pig (after all, pigs aren't over six feet high nor do they wear clothes and dance like people), it didn't look like a cheap old costume. Heck, it was better than what I'd expect a lot of companies today! Seriously.
The film consists of the pig performing alone and with a pretty woman. There really isn't much plot, but it's a pretty cool film--one that should STILL grab your attention today.
According to the notes for this film, the Dancing Pig routine was common on stage and it was filmed for several different companies--in this case Pathé-Frères. I have not seen any of the other versions, but was amazed at this short film--mostly because the pig costume was amazing to see. While it didn't look like a real pig (after all, pigs aren't over six feet high nor do they wear clothes and dance like people), it didn't look like a cheap old costume. Heck, it was better than what I'd expect a lot of companies today! Seriously.
The film consists of the pig performing alone and with a pretty woman. There really isn't much plot, but it's a pretty cool film--one that should STILL grab your attention today.
lovely
Kirpianuscus1 April 2019
A lovely short film, reminding the flavor of vaudevil, fragment of a lost time , one the little love stories beginning as desire to conquest the beautiful lady, becoming manipulated by her,representing mixture of humor- not so soft- and nostalgia , a seductive story about a pig as part of a kind of parable and a decided woman using it in not the most delicate proposition. Short - pure gem.
A clever and bizarre early short with an excellent pig costume.
Perception_de_Ambiguity1 November 2010
Making the man a pig suggests that the woman is the victim of the man's vileness but the pig seems to be an OK guy while the woman initially rejects him, then kicks and humiliates him and gets him to obey her order to dance with her a number, naked. "Poor pig", we think, but behind the stage his lecherousness comes to light when he makes suggestive facial expressions to the audience. So is he completely stupid to think he will score with that woman after what just happened? Is the message that men are stupid pigs that women can easily play with if they want to? No. Because if you pay attention the pig wears the tuxedo again that she ripped off his body earlier. So either this shows him before he went out on stage meaning it is a flashback, or it plays some time later before he is actually about to kick it off with her after the rocky start. Either way it shows that he's a pig alright and had it coming.
Coooool Pig!
legadillo27 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
We saw this for the first time at Alamo Drafthouse as the pre-show for The Artist. There has been no cooler pig costume made since this one in 1907, and I include Miss Piggy. The puppeteer inside it was a master. Truly freaky more than 100 years on. You can see a shortened version on YouTube.
Argh. This 10-line minimum is annoying. Don't read past the Argh. I have nothing more to say. Really. I'm not going to say another word about the movie. IMDb should make the minimum five lines. Most people write way too much anyway. They do. They really, really, really, really do.
Argh. This 10-line minimum is annoying. Don't read past the Argh. I have nothing more to say. Really. I'm not going to say another word about the movie. IMDb should make the minimum five lines. Most people write way too much anyway. They do. They really, really, really, really do.
The 12th Annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival, David Jeffers for SIFFblog.com
rdjeffers19 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Saturday, July 15, 12:45 p. m., The Castro, San Francisco
This utterly delightful Pathé short must have produced a chorus of giggles from younger Parisian moviegoers. Released in 1907, the four-minute film presents nothing more than two dancers, passing through a curtain to perform on stage. One happens to be a pretty young girl dressed in the style of the Folies Bergère. The other is wearing an enormous tuxedoed pig costume, complete with large rolling eyes and protruding tongue. The girl proceeds to remove the tuxedo, replacing it with a frilly white dress and hat while the pig bashfully attempts to cover up. The porcine hoofer gleefully bares its teeth while flexing its snout in grinning close-ups as the two dance and spin in circles for the camera in this very simple but hilarious and silly French tidbit.
This utterly delightful Pathé short must have produced a chorus of giggles from younger Parisian moviegoers. Released in 1907, the four-minute film presents nothing more than two dancers, passing through a curtain to perform on stage. One happens to be a pretty young girl dressed in the style of the Folies Bergère. The other is wearing an enormous tuxedoed pig costume, complete with large rolling eyes and protruding tongue. The girl proceeds to remove the tuxedo, replacing it with a frilly white dress and hat while the pig bashfully attempts to cover up. The porcine hoofer gleefully bares its teeth while flexing its snout in grinning close-ups as the two dance and spin in circles for the camera in this very simple but hilarious and silly French tidbit.
Disturbing for some funny for me
Kalashnikovin30 July 2022
This 1907 footage is currently considered "Scary" because of the pig which has a pretty decent costume by the standards of that time but to some people it looks Horrendous and Scary but not me!.
The Footage is about a pig dancing with a woman, simple as that, but what stands out is the gloomy ending with the pig's face at that moment if it looks a bit disturbing.
It is assumed that the pig makes these expressions because he ate the woman for humiliating him in some scenes and it is a not so far-fetched response because we see him with a macabre laugh while touching his belly, although it is at the discretion of each person.
The Pig's costume is quite Good for the Standards of that time since at that time they used to wear somewhat fake and comical costumes but here the Costume is Realistic and their expressions look too good to be a simple costume.
This Footage is quite entertaining since we see the pig dancing while some things happen but let's say that the Ending is not so friendly.
This short itself is memorable because of how Bizarre it is and because of its ending, which I already said is a bit terrifying, but that does not mean that this is a great film!.
For everything I said above "Le Cochon Danseur" receives an 8.
The Footage is about a pig dancing with a woman, simple as that, but what stands out is the gloomy ending with the pig's face at that moment if it looks a bit disturbing.
It is assumed that the pig makes these expressions because he ate the woman for humiliating him in some scenes and it is a not so far-fetched response because we see him with a macabre laugh while touching his belly, although it is at the discretion of each person.
The Pig's costume is quite Good for the Standards of that time since at that time they used to wear somewhat fake and comical costumes but here the Costume is Realistic and their expressions look too good to be a simple costume.
This Footage is quite entertaining since we see the pig dancing while some things happen but let's say that the Ending is not so friendly.
This short itself is memorable because of how Bizarre it is and because of its ending, which I already said is a bit terrifying, but that does not mean that this is a great film!.
For everything I said above "Le Cochon Danseur" receives an 8.
Cute and Creepy, ca. 1907
Screen_O_Genic5 December 2021
One of the most entertaining and impressive but disturbing shorts from the early days of film, "The Dancing Pig" (Le Cochon Danseur) is a five minute frolic of charm and the absurd. An oversized pig dances with a pretty girl. All is cute and charming until the porcine gets lascivious and obnoxious. It goes through a series of wardrobe changes climaxing in an admirable yet unsettling display of make-up calisthenics. The fact that the actors are uncredited gives a haunting vibe to the century-old flick. A miniature glimpse at the fabled Belle Époque this should delight and disturb film fans and historians alike.
A movie that wont leave you indifferent
patrickfile3 June 2015
Le cochon danseur is a movie that you will like it or hate it.
In my opinion, the director choose to abuse the special effects to try to cover the plot holes, a bad practice that we will end seeing in movies like Transformers. In fact, I bet Michael Bay wouldn't exists if it weren't for this movie and his superb pig costume.
Otherwise, the acting is superb. The girl is Oscar Material, but it didn't exist at that time.
The music does create a mysterious environment and that helps to set the tone for this bizarre super-production.
Just give it a chance, it won't leave you indifferent.
In my opinion, the director choose to abuse the special effects to try to cover the plot holes, a bad practice that we will end seeing in movies like Transformers. In fact, I bet Michael Bay wouldn't exists if it weren't for this movie and his superb pig costume.
Otherwise, the acting is superb. The girl is Oscar Material, but it didn't exist at that time.
The music does create a mysterious environment and that helps to set the tone for this bizarre super-production.
Just give it a chance, it won't leave you indifferent.
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