Here's a cool one. I'm thinking the guys who created this were smoking something a lot stronger than tobacco. This is the first time I've seen it in black and white. Must have been colorized for TV.
Float on over to Sweet Freedom for more Overlooked Cool Stuff.
I always am surprised by how is smoking portrayed in this cartoons and in general, past decades.Was so normal...
ReplyDeleteIt never would've occurred to me that Porky was at least half-German. As for the color...I suspect this was struck off a black and white tape of the color cartoon, which was recorded in b&w for easier/sharper transmission on a black and white television signal in the 1960s or latest '50s...doubt anyone was making much effort to colorize too many cartoons then.
ReplyDeleteI remember this well from seeing it on tv as a kid. Particularly the big musical production number, with guest appearance by the Stooges. What I'd forgotten is Porky's German mother. Must be Westphalian hams. Something called the Big Cartoon Database (bcdb.com) says the cartoon was made in 1938 in b&w. A colorized version was made in 1999.
ReplyDeleteArt Scott
Really? Not to be stubborn, but I somehow doubt Warner was doing b&w cartoons as late as 1938...
ReplyDeleteBut so it appears to have been, though WIKIPEDIA can be just as wrong as anyone:
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning both Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies drew their storylines from Warner's vast music library (notice the names Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies). From 1934 to 1943, Merrie Melodies were produced in color and Looney Tunes in black and white. After 1943, however, both series were produced in color and became virtually indistinguishable, with the only stylistic difference being in the variation between the opening theme music and titles. Both series also made use of the various Warner Bros. cartoon characters.
Thanks for clearing that up (I think), guys.
ReplyDelete