Release Date:

January 27, 1940

Main Character(s):

Porky Pig

Summary:

While Porky Pig and his crew of natives are travelling in Africa, we are shown various spot gags around the continent.

That’s Not All, Folks:

Due to a prominent use of African stereotypes, the cartoon has been banned from airing on television. However, it isn’t one of the Censored Eleven (due to black and white cartoons produced by Schlesinger not being part of the Associated Artists Productions package) and was eventually made available on the Porky Pig 101 DVD set in 2017 (while not restored, it is in MUCH better quality than what was seen prior to 2017).

This is Clampett’s first attempt at a spot gag cartoon (since Tex Avery had and would be doing a lot of spot gag cartoons).

This is one of the few times where a caricature (in this case, “Cake Icer”) is voiced by the same person they’re caricaturing (Kay Kyser). Another instance is in “Ain’t That Ducky” (1945) where Daffy is pursued by a hunter who is a caricature of Victor Moore and also voiced by Moore.

“Stanley and Livingstone” is parodied as a running gag.

What I Like About This One:

The “heart of (literally) Darkest Africa” being represented by a valentine-shaped heart beating.

The natives stopping their chant to say, “We don’t know where we’re going, but we’re going!”

An ostrich’s head is buried in the ground with the ostrich sleeping on a pillow.

Lions chewing on bones coming across a wishbone, make a wish (which is not acknowledged), and continue their bone chewing.

“A jungle mother taking her baby out for a breath of air”- a monkey pushing her offspring in a stroller while swinging through the trees via her tail.

A fearsome gorilla turning around to reveal himself drinking beer and saying in a Brooklyn accent, “I’ll moider da bum!”

When Porky tries to sleep in his tent at night, he yells “QUIET!” to silence the jungle noise.

When “Stanley” is attempting to search for “Dr. Livingston”, he looks in the pouch of a kangaroo, where the joey honks his nose and tuts in disapproval to the audience.

An elephant kicked out of a tree literally having his trunk taken away until he pays the rent.

A group of baby deer shooting a condor out of the sky as in an air raid.

“Stanley”’s “Livingston” turning out to be bandleader “Cake Icer” (who takes off his disguise and says, “That’s right, you’re wrong!”) who has the animals perform a lively number for Porky and the natives.

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕 ½