Release Date:

August 7, 1937

Main Character(s):

Porky Pig

Summary:

Porky Pig and his feeble train, “Toots”, are to be replaced by the modern “Silver Fish”. When the taunting engineer calls Toots a “percolator on a roller skate”, Porky mutters under his breath about how his train can easily beat the other. The engineer hears him and challenges him to a race.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon is in the public domain and is also the first Tashlin cartoon to be in the public domain.

During the race, Porky runs over the top of a boat called the “SS Leon”. This is a reference to producer Leon Schlesinger.

When Porky is giving the bull a piece of his mind, he speaks gibberish which is actually “Toots, old gal, don’t pop your…” in reverse.

The engineer of the Silver Fish resembles Dirty Diggs from “Porky’s Building” (which was incidentally Tashlin’s previous cartoon).

When the Silver Fish waits at a drawbridge, an actual fish imitates Mae West.

What I Like About This One:

Toots being the sorriest looking train possible- she’s so feeble, a snail passes her going up a hill.

Porky pouring pepper in Toots’ firebox to make her go much faster (the fire is represented by a small candle).

The caboose on Porky’s train narrowly avoiding getting hit by the “515” (a much more powerful steam locomotive).

When Porky encounters a lazy cow on the tracks, he tries to shoo her by saying, “Am-scray, you mess of T-bones!”

Porky muttering, “It’s cows like that that give milk a bad name. I bet she can’t give sweet milk with a sourpuss like that!”

Porky seeing what he thinks is the cow’s tail (“So, you won’t walk, eh?”) but is actually a fierce bull that he angers (“I’ll show you, you four-legged piece of hamburger!”).

The Silver Fish looks quite impressive.

While it’s an insult, the “percolator on a roller skate” line is somewhat inventive.

The Silver Fish going so fast that it ties the cars on Porky’s train in a knot and turns a tunnel inside out.

Porky accidentally getting an inner tube stuck on Toots’ boiler and a sailor and a row boat stuck on one of the cars.

The bull Porky tangled with earlier inadvertently helping him win.

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕