Porky à l'hôtel

One of the funniest of the Frank Tashlin cartoons -- Porky Pig and Daffy Duck try to skip out on an overpriced hotel stay! The Seinfeldian immorality of "Porky Pig's Feat" is quite surprising for 1943, a time when cartoons were frequently used to illustrate didactic military and patriotic themes.

It is hilarious! It's one of my favorite black-and-white Porky Pig cartoons, directed by Frank Tashlin. My favorite scenes from the cartoon are when Daffy Duck confronts the manager in a hilarious fashion and when Porky and Daffy throw the manager down a long spiral of stairs. Also, I loved it when they tried sliding a bed sheet out the window. Porky and Daffy do make a hilarious comedy duo like Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, and even Donald Duck and Goofy from Disney.

I would like to point out that Bugs Bunny made a cameo appearance in his first black-and-white cartoon, this one. Furthermore, the individual with whom Daffy was playing dice bore a striking resemblance to Rochester, Jack Benny's loyal manservant.

The hotel bill is due. Porky Pig promises the manager to pay before leaving. His partner Daffy Duck is out cashing a check. Sadly, Daffy loses it all in a craps game on the elevator ride up. Instead of admitting his mistake, he decides to confront the manager and go full Daffy. The duo tries to escape without paying.

This is a black and white cartoon although I remember it as a colored version. It is so much better in color. It is getting a little late to be in black and white. There are so many memorable gags. The title is a minor issue. It doesn't really make sense. This is a classic as long as it's colored.

Porky's bill for two nights stay at the Broken Arms Hotel is outrageous. He's even charged separately for the "air, sunshine and goodwill!" When the big fat French guy from the hotel comes to collect, Porky says his pal Daffy is in charge of the money. Unfortunately, Daffy has just thrown away money in a craps game.

One thing leads to another and the Frenchman winds up challenging Daffy on the "field of honor."

Well, you know Daffy doesn't have a lot of honor, and they never get to that duel - just a war to see if they can get out of the hotel without paying while the big hotel manager makes sure the opposite happens. All parties take a beating in this war. In the end, Daffy calls up Bugs Bunny hoping he'll help!

It was odd to see Daffy Duck in black-and-white. In all the Looney Tunes Collection DVDs, I've always seen him in color. This was part of the Volume Three.

One of the things that I've always liked the most about the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons is their unpredictability. "Porky Pig's Feat" goes all the way, as Porky and Daffy come up with all sorts of elaborate schemes to try and escape from a hotel. You see, the effete manager has charged them for things like air (for breathing), while Daffy gambled away all the money. The whole thing escalates into full-scale war.

Aside from what Porky and Daffy do to the owner - and what he does back to them - the last segment was a surprise. Then again, movie studios and executives always like to advertise themselves (Porky mentions Leon Schlesinger). Overall, a really funny cartoon.

So, in conclusion, let's all help them get their "Feat" back on the ground (apologies to the Beatles).