Release Date:

August 27, 1938

Main Character(s):

Porky Pig

Summary:

On his way to church, Porky Pig is challenged by a tough little hooligan who can do all sorts of puffing tricks with his cigar. The cigar proves to be too much for Porky, who has a nightmare about the dangers of smoking.

That’s Not All, Folks:

This is Tashlin’s last black and white Looney Tunes cartoon until his return to the studio in “Porky Pig’s Feat” (1943).

This cartoon is in the 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons book.

In one scene, a pipe cleaner dips his head into a dirty pipe to emerge in blackface and imitate Cab Calloway. Obviously, this gag would not be acceptable today.

Other caricatures include the Three Stooges, Bing Crosby, and Rudy Vallee.

This is the last cartoon to use the late 1937-mid 1938 Looney Tunes intro.

The hooligan does his puffing tricks to the tune of “The Merry Go Round Broke Down”.

What I Like About This One:

Overall, showing the message of how smoking is dangerous.

The church bell being rung like a test your strength game at a carnival.

Porky sliding down the staircase fast then making a quick stop at the end of the banister to get off.

When Porky gets curious about the smoke, the hooligan puffs two fingers to poke Porky’s eyes.

The hooligan’s tricks which include puffing a dartboard and an arrow that hits the bullseye, puffing into his bowler hat and pulling out a rabbit, and puffing a duck that flies away.

When the hooligan calls Porky a “puny puss”, Porky bets him the nickel that he can smoke just as well as he can. Porky then attempts to do the same tricks the hooligan did but they all go wrong: the dart hits Porky in the rear and the duck lays an egg that cracks on his head.

The screen becoming distorted and swirling around when Porky staggers into a smoke shop and becomes unconscious.

A giant puff shrinking Porky down to a small size and introducing himself as “Nick O’Teen” (“Why I thought ALL smokers knew ME!”, he says when Porky asks him who he is).

After Nick O’Teen ties Porky to a box of cigarettes, he plays an organ made of cigarettes and pipes.

Four matches striking their heads and starting the “Little Boys Shouldn’t Smoke” song by singing, “Youuuuuuuuuuu Shouldn’t smoke, you shouldn’t smoke, you shouldn’t smoke!”

The song being to the tune of “Mysterious Mose”.

Three cigars being caricatured as the Three Stooges who all poke Porky instead of each other.

A cigar with a sombrero shaking two matchboxes like castanets.

Cigarettes marching together to form the words, “No Smoking”.

Porky waking up when he reverts back to normal size.

Realizing he doesn’t have the nickel, Porky quickly retrieves it from the hooligan (who’s flipping the coin) by catching it in mid-air and shoves the cigar in the hooligan’s face.

Porky arriving back just in time to put the nickel in the collection plate and ending the cartoon by vowing, “I will never smoke again!”

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½