Chicken Jitters

While "Chicken Jitters" is certainly not among the better shorts from Looney Tunes in 1939, it is well drawn and features a very dark ending which I really appreciated, as in the mid-1930s the studio tended to make super-cutesy shorts...and this certainly is NOT a cutesy ending!

In this black & white cartoon, Porky has a farm and is taking care of his ducks and chickens. Up until about midway through the film, there isn't much in the way of plot...just a lot of sight gags. But when the evil fox shows up and is about to eat a duckling, Porky and the ducks mobilize for war!

The story is enjoyable but not especially memorable nor inspired. But a decent cartoon from Looney Tunes at that time was still awfully good.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Have a lot of respect for Bob Clampett and, while not one of my all time favourite characters, Porky Pig is always a very easy to like character. Unfortunately, 'Chicken Jitters' is not a particularly good representation of Clampett, by his standards it is rather tame and bland rather than wild and outrageous. 'Chicken Jitters' also is not a good representation of Porky, he does not have much personality and as said for a lead character he is barely in it.

The story is not much of one at all and only really gets going once the fox (by far the liveliest and most memorable character in the whole thing) appears on the scene. It is agreed though that when it gets going, it does feel too little too late because the last part of 'Chicken Jitters' is very rushed in pacing and in material.

Not much is funny in 'Chicken Jitters' or even that amusing. There are some funny moments, but in a more sporadic way rather than throughout. Too many, with some recycling going on but having had much more impact previously, of the gags are very variable in execution and the whole cartoon humour-wise is pretty tame and doesn't feel like Clampett directed it.

For all those faults, there are good qualities about 'Chicken Jitters'. As said, there are some funny moments, the fox is a fun character (which makes it sad that none of the other characters make much of an impression, including the waste of Porky) and despite the rushed feel of the last part, it is the most interesting the cartoon gets story-wise.

Mel Blanc is outstanding as always and Danny Webb is just as good as the fox. The animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail.

Saving the particularly good element until last, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.

Overall, watchable but there are far better Clampett/Porky cartoons. 5/10 Bethany Cox