An Egg Scramble

'An Egg Scramble (1950)' is a 'Looney Tunes' short about an old hen who finally produces an egg (or so she thinks) and decides that she isn't going to hand it over to farmer Porky Pig. After he forcibly takes it from her, she soon finds herself on a citywide adventure to recover her baby and keep it safe. The short is a little on the light side when it comes to humour. As you'd expect, there are some nice sight gags here and there, but it generally feels rather tame in terms of wacky antics or clever visuals. The designs of its human characters are a little unsettling, too (especially a housewife who tries to boil the protagonist's precious egg). Still, it's ultimately an enjoyable, easy-to-watch experience that provides ample light entertainment in a brisk package. It's not the best in its series, but it's definitely not the worst.

Egg farmer Porky Pig names all his hens. Prissy the hen refuses to lay an egg or can't lay one. The other hens play a trick by planting an egg on her. She is overjoyed. Porky sends the egg away, but she retrieves it after an exhaustive search. Porky tries to find his missing hen, but the police are more interested in tracking down fugitive Pretty Boy Bagle.

I really like Prissy in this. That is the key to this short. One has to feel for her plight and enjoy the character. She may not be a main franchise lead. She is fun at being obsessive and a bit dumb. Porky Pig is the big name and he does well.

Fun short with Porky Pig and Miss Prissy. This is Prissy's first cartoon before she would become a regular staple in the Foghorn Leghorn series. Farmer Porky scolds Prissy for not producing any eggs. Then she lays one (or thinks so) but doesn't want Porky to take it. He does anyway and from there things take a hilarious turn with Prissy rescuing her egg from a woman who bought it in the market, then getting mixed up with a gangster named Pretty Boy Bagel. It's a very funny cartoon, more for Prissy and the side characters than for Porky. My favorite scene is when the police are shooting at Pretty Boy Bagel and he "fires" back at them with his fingers. Priceless. Very nice animation. Love the colors. Great voice work from Mel Blanc and Bea Benaderet. A fun short that should please most Looney Tunes fans, especially those who enjoy Miss Prissy.

Porky Pig is a farmer who relies heavily on his chickens laying eggs to turn a profit. One of his chickens doesn't seem able to produce the goods however and Porky puts pressure on her to do so. The other chickens lay an egg for Prissy and convince her it is hers. However, when Porky comes to take the egg away, Prissy is unwilling to give it away.

Despite the simple set up, the film does some interesting things - even getting Prissy involved in a James Cagney style shoot out in the big city! The material isn't exactly hilarious but it is still funny enough to entertain. The action is a bit forced at times but it is watchable throughout.

The lack of strong characters is a bit of a problem. Porky is not a great character where he is required to really carry the film - he works better in a solid partnership (ie Daffy Duck in full manic mode!). Here he has nothing to really do and isn't very funny - that leaves Prissy to carry the film. Prissy is OK but I didn't like her posh character and her material isn't that great either - only having one line that made me laugh out loud. The support characters are broad but the lack of leadership from Porky or Prissy is a big flaw here.

Overall this is an OK film but not much more than that I'm afraid. There aren't a great many laughs to be had here and it comes over rather average. More proof that Porky Pig, as is the case with most hams, should never be served up alone!

Porky Pig's farm, home of "Hammond Eggs,: looks nice and prosperous to the point where our Pig is prancing around singing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm."

Each of the hens has a name and Porky collects their eggs each morning, talk to them individually. One hen, "Prissy," is "too embarrassed" to lay an egg so Porky threatens her to produce or else! ("Just bluffing," he tells us). Anyway, the other hens make fun of "square britches." They play a joke on her by planting an egg in her nest. We she discovers it, she goes wild celebrating, handing out cigars to everyone. The poor old girl thinks she finally laid an egg.

This is pretty funny stuff! Prissy is a hoot. However, the story turns dramatic when Prissy doesn't want to give up that egg, and follows it when Porky gives it to the trunk-driving delivering man. Prissy races into town to get that egg back

This cartoon really gets wild at that point, with two crime stories going on at once: a minor one with Prissy and a major one with "Pretty Boy Bagle." The two wind up both holed up in the same place with "the coppers" firing at them. A lot of crazy things happen, making this an outstanding Looney Tunes effort. (Porky winds up being a bit player in this story.)

"Prissy," by the way, was voiced by Bea Benaderet, who went on to become quite famous in television on "The George Burns Show," Green Acres," "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Petticoat Junction."

It is highly recommend and can be seen on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three.