Chilly Willy's best cartoons were perfect examples of how a potentially one-joke character and concept could end up actually being a perfect mix of the cute and the funny with a lot of colour and good comic timing to go with it.
Wally Walrus, more famous for being an opponent of Woody Woodpecker, makes his second appearance in a Chilly Willy cartoon, his first being 'Clash and Carry'. Like 'Clash and Carry', Wally is a great opponent for Chilly, and unlike other cartoons not featuring Smedley one does not miss Smedley too much, bringing everything to 'Tricky Trout' that what worked so well with him and Woody Woodpecker. 'Tricky Trout' is one of the better 60s Chilly Willy cartoons to me, even with a very formulaic and thin on the ground story, much better than any of Paul J. Smith's later cartoons with the character.
That it is directed by Jack Hannah, who was responsible for some truly great work with Disney (some of the best they ever did) may have something to do with it, and Hannah does wonders with the limited budgets and time constraints.
Even if minimal and limited budget-wise, the animation is bright, colourful and has more detail and imagination than most of the Chilly Willy cartoons from this period. The music is full of lively bounce and character, with luscious orchestration. It not only adds to the action and visuals but enhances them too.
All the gags are rarely less than amusing and beautifully timed. The chemistry between Chilly and Wally sparkles, and it is always remarkable at what Chilly has up his sleeve and how he does it. Underneath all that irresistible cuteness he is one clever, funny and at times fairly brutal penguin.
Chilly is adorable and is also a lot of fun, with his actions speaking far louder than words, even having gestures, movements and actions reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin. He may be a nuisance to his opponents but he wins the viewer over with his cuteness and timing.
Paul Frees provides some characteristically solid voice work for Wally.
On the whole, very good if not quite among Chilly Willy's overall best, while being a lot better than most of his cartoons after. 8/10 Bethany Cox
