Release Date:

November 18, 1939

Main Character(s):

Porky Pig

Summary:

Porky Pig joins a group of villagers who are going to kill the giant. But the villagers run away after the giant puts his 5 foot 7 tall baby son to bed, leaving Porky behind. Wandering into the giant’s castle, Porky must amuse the giant baby.

That’s Not All, Folks:

This is the last Porky cartoon directed by Hardaway and Dalton as well as their second to last cartoon overall. They would direct one more cartoon, “Busy Bakers” (1940) before Friz Freleng returned, causing Hardaway and Dalton to go back to their old jobs as storyman and animator respectively.

The restored print uses the incorrect Porky drum ending.

What I Like About This One:

After the title card and credits are shown, the camera pans down to a castle, whose doors open up to another opening title card: “All giants depicted in this photoplay are fictitious- any similarity to actual giants living or in the National League is purely co-incidental”.

When Porky asks one of the villagers (who’s dressed up like a knight) where everyone’s going, the villager peeks his head out of the knight suit while talking to Porky and telling him, “We’re going to get the giant”. Realizing he has no weapon, Porky takes one of the legs off a discarded table- which is of course a very useless weapon.

The giant singing “Rock a Bye Baby” in a very deep voice (voiced by Billy Bletcher) and his son even joins in, scatting! He also sings that 5 foot 7 is not very tall when you’re a giant in tune to the song (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

The giant’s snoring causing a ship in a picture to sail back and forth (animated by Rod Scribner).

When the giant wakes up upon hearing a noise, he asks, “Who’s there?”, scaring the villagers into making a hasty getaway from the castle, leaving Porky behind. The giant continues calling out as Porky trembles in fear against the door (animated by Gil Turner).

Porky’s reaction when a kettle from the fire hisses on his behind (animated by Scribner).

When Porky realizes he’s in the baby’s bed (animated by Bickenbach), he hides under the bed and seeing the baby trying to grab him, he bites his finger.

Porky’s attempt to play “Peas Porridge Hot, Peas Porridge Cold, Peas Porridge in the Pot, Nine Days Old” with the baby gets him slapped across the room into a drum (animated by Bickenbach).

Annoyed, Porky tells the baby that “if you wasn’t a baby, I’d bust you right in the nose”. The baby then pulls on Porky’s nose, flinging him into the drum again (animated by Turner).

Porky showing the baby a trick he can do with the bottle by pushing the drinking part in before it pops back out. The baby’s attempt at doing it pokes him in the face (animated by Herman Cohen).

After the baby cries from his mishap with the bottle, Porky decides to calm him down by playing the Alphabet Song on his toy piano. He stutters on “G” (animated by Turner), before the giant sees this and asks “Isn’t that the cutest thing?” (animated by Bickenbach).

Realizing the giant has been watching him, Porky runs off before he falls into the moat and the giant catches him by sucking all the water out.

In the end, Porky is made to sing the Alphabet Song to the giant and the baby. He tries to sneak out when they’re asleep and sings to the tune of the song, “Gosh, I’m glad they’ve hit the hay. Now’s my chance to make a getaway. I’ll sneak out while they’re asleep. They won’t miss me till-” before the giant wakes up and says “Hey, you!” Porky asks, “Who, me?” and the giant responds, “Yes, you!” So Porky goes back to the piano and continues the song starting with “U” and then starting the song over again before stuttering on “G” again, before sulking “Shucks”. (animated by Bickenbach).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕 ½