The Foghorn Leghorn

Once again, Henery Hawk is looking for a chicken to catch and once again, he doesn't know what a chicken looks like. When he sees his father looking at Foghorn Leghorn, the father, because he doesn't like his son tagging along, tells him he's not a chicken but a "snook". Supposedly because his ego is deflated, Foghorn keeps trying to convince Henery he really is a chicken. Of course, there's also the Barnyard Dog he has to deal with...Seeing the Southern rooster make some awful puns always gets a smile from me and occasionally even a laugh and it's always great to see him and the Barnyard Dog play tricks on each other. While Henery also provides some amusement, I was glad when he was eventually jettisoned for some other supporting characters like Prissy and her intellectual son. Anyway, The Foghorn Leghorn is another classic from the Robert McKimson unit.

Prior to Robert McKimson's 'The Foghorn Leghorn', the title character had made two previous appearances. By this, his third appearance, it was clear McKimson had a star on his hands and he went on to direct every one of the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons. Originally a supporting player in what was intended as a star vehicle for Henerey Hawk, Foghorn stole the show so blatantly that it was the little chicken hawk who was subsequently reduced to the role of supporting player to the rooster's verbose antics. The Foghorn cartoons represent some of McKimson's best work and this short, which christened the rooster, is among the best. While the previous two Foggy shorts had involved him trying to prove to Henerey that he wasn't a chicken, 'The Foghorn Leghorn' flips the situation as Foghorn tries desperately to prove to a skeptical Henerey that he is a chicken. McKimson's direction is excellent adding extra hilarity to a fresh and funny setup. Mel Blanc's voice characterization for Foghorn is priceless ("I almost had a joke, son") even at this early stage. While there would ultimately be a few tedious entries in the eventually repetitive Foghorn Leghorn series, 'The Foghorn Leghorn' is certainly not one of them. A classic.

In his debut short 'Walky Talky Hawky' Henry Hawk was actually the star of the short but Mr. I SAY I SAY Leghorn stole the show and now he is the star and this is his first starring role. The premise here is similar to Walky Talky Hawky but it's still humorous.

3(***)out of 4(****)stars

Being a big fan of both Foghorn Leghorn and Henery Hawk, it's no surprise I enjoyed this gem from 1948 immensely. You have chicken hawk Henery once again trying to nab himself a chicken and once again finding himself crossing paths with Foghorn, whom he thinks is not a chicken but "a loud-mouthed schnook." Also appearing in this one are Barnyard Dog and Henery's father, a colorful character in his own right who provides the short's funniest bit about schnooks. It's a very funny cartoon with excellent animation. Love the colors. Great music from Carl Stalling. Terrific voice work from the incomparable Mel Blanc. This is early Foghorn but still some great lines here wonderfully delivered by Mel ("You're built too low! The fast ones go over your head! You've got a hole in your glove! I keep pitching 'em and you keep missing 'em!"). I can't imagine any fan of the character not loving this one.

I do like Foghorn Leghorn very much, he's not my favourite Looney Tunes character but he is one of their funniest and most distinctive. Most of his cartoons are thoroughly enjoyable, there are a few misses but the best, no matter how routine they are, are truly funny. Of his cartoons, The Foghorn Leghorn is my favourite. This time I am not going to pull the routine or repetitive card like I have with some of Foghorn's cartoons, because here instead of trying to convince that he isn't a chicken he is trying to convince that he is one, while the basic set-up is similar as far as I know The Foghorn Leghorn is the only one to reverse the typical situation so it does stand out among the rest in that regard. The animation is crisp and vibrant, Foghorn was better drawn later on, in his early entries he was a little too overweight but it is not an issue really. The music is as energetic, lush and characterful as you'd expect, the impact of the humour is helped by the effectiveness of how the music matches it. The dialogue is just hilarious, The Foghorn Leghorn contains some of the wittiest and sharpest writing of any of his cartoons, even early on the repetition and similes were there as part of Foghorn and they are every bit as effective. The gags are very clever and well-timed, hard to pick a favourite though, though Barnyard Dog's gestures and expressions do crack me up I have to say. Henery is a good character, cute but not too annoying, and works well with Barnyard and Foghorn. But he is not, and I don't think ever has been, as strong as the other two, Barnyard is very cunning and takes the butt of the jokes when called for well and Foghorn steals the show. Mel Blanc does a bravura job with the vocal characterisations as you'd expect. In conclusion, wonderful and while I find much entertainment in the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons, this one is my favourite of them all. 10/10 Bethany Cox