Picador Porky

Picador Porky (1937)

*** (out of 4)

Porky finds himself in a Mexican town where top dollars will be given to the person who can last inside the ring with a deadly bull. Porky puts a couple friends inside a bull costume but as you'd expect the real thing gets in the ring.

PICADOR PORKY is another winning short and one that is quite creative with its images and contains some nice laughs. Director Tex Avery brings his wild and fast style to the picture and we get some wonderful site gags including one dealing with Porky running with fear out of the arena and only returning to do a nice gesture. Another fine moment is when the two are treated as if they are boxers inside the ring. As you'd expect the animation itself is quite good throughout so fans of the series should enjoy this.

This early Porky as done by Tex Avery is early Avery form-sight gags that play with the conventions of the animated short. Porky as bullfighter. Listen for the singing of "La Cucaracha", as Mel Blanc does the vocals on it at one point. It's a wonderful song anyway, particularly if you understand Spanish. Well worth seeking out. Recommended.

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.

Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. While not one of the best Porky Pig cartoons and Avery himself went on to better things, 'Picador Porky' is still very good and certainly makes the most of a setting that needs fire and passion, both present. There is really not much to criticise actually, although as said there is a vast personal preference to Mel Blanc's Porky voice than Joe Dougherty's in the early Porky cartoons, Blanc's sounds more natural and fits Porky's personality more (that his is the more familiar voice is another factor perhaps).

'Picador Porky' looks great. The character designs would become more creative later (and do prefer Porky's later design) but everything is beautifully drawn, sumptuously shaded and meticulous in background detail, some of it is quite inventive too. Carl Stalling's music is lush and characterful, with clever orchestration and a mastery of not just adding to the action but enhancing it as well (Stalling was a near-unequalled master at this, though Scott Bradley gave him a run for his money).

The gags are very funny, hilarious too in places, and timed beautifully, with signs of Avery's wonderfully wild signature style that suits the setting perfectly. Not his most imaginative work but incredibly well-executed nonetheless.

Further advantages are an amusing and likable Porky, fun supporting characters, lively pacing and witty vocals with reservations only for Dougherty. Billy Bletcher in particular is typically larger than life.

In summation, very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox