The Pest That Came to Dinner

I'm so glad porky was utilized a lot more with Art Davis's direction, and all of his cartoons with porky are pretty well made, (Except for Nothing but the tooth, I didn't review it because of my unsure of my opinion because of the large amount of racism). Entertainment is where this cartoon falls under the good category, because while Porky's character is not very fleshed out, he doesn't need to be, he just needs to be likable and siding with the viewers opinions and struggles. Sureshot is a really funny character, So is Pierre, so no complaints there. The gagwork is predictable, But also funny, which is what it needs to be at minimum.

Closed opinion, Pretty good porky short, 8/10.

Porky Pig finds himself at war with a termite named Pierre that is destroying all his belongings. He turns to a shyster named Sureshot who has lots of methods to get rid of the pest. But, of course, none of them work. In fact, they bring about more grief than relief. Good Porky short, nicely animated with a couple of new characters for Porky to work with. Mel Blanc has a lot of fun here doing the voices. I especially liked Sureshot. The scene where he puts a stick of dynamite in Porky's hand then lights it before running away is hysterical to me. The look on poor Porky's face is a mix of confusion and terror. Pierre the termite was okay but felt like one of the many generic characters they tried to make work but didn't catch on for whatever reason. It's a fun cartoon. Not one of Porky's best but enjoyable.

As a homeowner and victim of the termite infestations that are inevitable here in the Southwest, I found this short animation by the masters at Warner Bros. informative and helpful in offering examples of how to treat and deal with the invasive pest. I frequently view this as a reminder not to call shady pest control companies nor use high explosives in a treatment plan. I often recommend this film to other homeowners who may be experiencing termite damage for the first time as a cautionary tale. Like the frustrated protagonist Mr. Pig in this story, I've been there, that close to igniting the fuse on that dynamite stick...

For me, The Pest That Came to Dinner is not entirely perfect, Porky has been better drawn and he is also rather bland. But that is mainly because his supporting characters are stronger and bag the funny moments. Sureshot, based on Sid Stone, is a lot of fun, but Pierre the termite steals the show and makes one wonder why he was so underutilised. The animation is colourful and handsome-looking, and as always there is a lot of lushness and energy in the music. The story is not exactly new concept-wise but done in a fresh and never dull way, while the gags are hilarious, the one with the dynamite especially is just brilliant. Mel Blanc as all three characters is spot on. Overall, very entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox