Release Date:

July 28, 1945

Main Character(s):

Porky Pig

Summary:

The fearsome Injun Joe dominates the western United States with Wild West scout Porky Pig assigned to go after him. The sole survivor of a previous Injun Joe attack, a blue-skinned and green-bearded goon named Sloppy Moe, ends up helping Porky save the day.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 6-14, the 6th Merrie Melodie in the 14th release season.

The cartoon is a remake of “Injun Trouble” (1938) with Injun Joe and Sloppy Moe looking very different from their original designs. Like with “Tick Tock Tuckered”, this is a cartoon that is even better than its original as it shows how much Clampett has developed as a director. Interestingly, while “Injun Trouble” was one of Clampett’s first Warner cartoons, this was one of Clampett’s last Warner cartoons as well as his penultimate Porky cartoon.

This is the first Warner cartoon to have animation by Bill Melendez, who was credited in most of Clampett’s last cartoons as “C. Melendez”. Melendez also animated for Arthur Davis throughout his entire directorial stint in the late 1940’s and then for Robert McKimson until leaving in 1951; under both directors he was credited as “J.C. Melendez”, as his first two initials were “Jose Cuauhtemoc”. Melendez would later gain much greater fame when he formed his own studio in the mid-1960’s and brought the beloved characters of Charles Schulz’s immensely popular comic strip “Peanuts” to television, with such notable masterpieces as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965) and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966).

Speaking of which, the noise of the bear trap yelping after Injun Joe bites it is the same yelping noise that Snoopy makes at one point during his fight with the lounge chair in “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (1973).

Eddie Selzer and cameraman John Burton are caricatured as part of the pioneers in the wagon train. Ray Katz is also caricatured even though he left around the same time as Leon Schlesinger did.

Porky’s boss in this cartoon has the same voice as Yosemite Sam.

The cartoon was originally titled “A Guy Named Injun Joe”.

You can find out who animated what scene here.

Despite being credited, Izzy Ellis did not actually animate on this cartoon as he was still in Tashlin’s unit at the time. Interestingly, though, Ellis DID animate on the original cartoon.

A clip from this cartoon was shown in a Ted Talk that my 11th Grade English Lit. class watched (specifically, the scene where Sloppy Moe reveals his secret that leads to Injun Joe’s downfall).

What I Like About This One:

The wagon train passing by a sign asking, “Is this trip REALLY necessary?”, which is of course a reference to the urging of not doing any non-essential traveling during the war which would end about a month later (animated by Bill Melendez).

Porky and his horse sliding down the mountain after they witness the aftermath of an Injun Joe attack (animated by Manny Gould).

Sloppy Moe’s entrance: he is seen looking like a tree before revealing himself after Porky and the horse pass him and then shakes several arrows out of his beard. He then starts singing, “I Know Something I Won’t Tell” to the tune of “London Bridge”. Porky asks him what it is (animated by Gould), so Sloppy Moe looks like he’s about to whisper it in his ear before suddenly shouting, “It’s a…. (animated by Rod Scribner) SECRET!” before he hops into the distance, singing out, “About Injun Joe!” (animated by Robert McKimson)

Injun Joe is revealed to be so powerful that he splits a mountain in two, his every step shakes the ground, his chest breaks through several trees, and converts a grizzly bear into a cub crying, I’m only three and a half years old!” (animated by Scribner) Injun Joe then gets his leg caught in a bear trap, which he bites back, sending it yelping like a dog! (animated by Gould) He then descends into a river, before immediately coming out the other side (animated by McKimson).

Porky and the horse then come across the river which looks impossible to cross before the horse rolls up his “sleeve” and pulls out a bathroom stopper in the river (animated by McKimson), which drains the water like a bathtub, allowing them to cross (animated by Melendez).

As Injun Joe is watching the wagon train show up, Sloppy Moe suddenly appears (animated by Melendez) and starts singing, “I Know Something I Won’t Tell” again, but Injun Joe cuts the branch he was on with scissors, causing him to fall. Injun Joe remarks, “Him screwball!” (animated by Gould with Scribner animating Sloppy Moe’s expression as he falls)

Injun Joe diving off the mountain like a diving board and landing perfectly on his feet (animated by McKimson).

Injun Joe then diverts the wagon train (animated by Scribner) into making a circle and makes Indian noises while riding a horse on a stick (animated by Gould). The boss then fires his gun at Injun Joe, with the shots sounding like a spittoon and with the spits sounding like it’s saying, “Pop gun” (animated by Scribner).

Injun Joe using a tree as a large bow and arrow (animated by Gould).

One pioneer’s car getting deflated so he has to pump it back up again before continuing to shoot (animated by Gould).

A pioneer and the raccoon from his skin cap taking turns firing (animated by Scribner).

Injun Joe catches all the bullets (animated by Gould) and eats them so he can fire one big bullet from his mouth (animated by Scribner).

As Injun Joe is about to do the boss in (animated by Scribner), Porky grabs Injun Joe’s ax and hits his foot with it. Injun Joe just says, “Ow” simply before chasing Porky with the ax, and carving a rock in his path into the Statue of Liberty (animated by Melendez).

Just as Porky is grabbed by a single hair on his head and is about to be done in by Injun Joe, Sloppy Moe appears again singing before Injun Joe grabs him by the beard (animated by Gould) and demands, “What you know, huh!?” (animated by Melendez) Sloppy Moe reveals his secret, “Well, it’s just that… Injun… Joe…is…. TICKLISH!” He tickles Injun Joe so hard, whose hysterical laughing leads to him unknowingly walking backwards off a cliff. Injun Joe falls into the ground so hard (animated by McKimson), that he pulls his entire territory down into the earth with him (animated by Melendez), fully forming the United States (animated by Scribner).

“And so, America became the great nation she is today, thanks to brave men like these”. Sloppy Moe and Porky are seen proudly saluting against a US flag in the sky with Porky saying, “Shucks, it tw-tw-tweren’t nothin’!” before Sloppy Moe gives him a tickle with his beard (animated by McKimson).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕