Porky the Gob

The title refers to the fact that Porky is in the Navy when the story begins. Now it takes a long time for the plot to begin....which is odd. However, it ends well and is worth seeing.

This black & white cartoon is well animated and begins with the battleship heading off to sea. The idiot captain is to search for a pirate submarine and he and most of the crew head off in airplanes to look for it. But during their absence the pirate attacks...and it's up to Porky to defend his ship.

Overall, this is a pleasant film...far from great but enjoyable. Nothing outstanding here....just decent 1938-style entertainment.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Hanna and Barbera and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. Actually appreciate it even more now through young adult eyes, thanks to broader knowledge and taste and more interest in animation styles and various studios and directors.

Porky Pig, while with a tendency to be overshadowed by funnier and more interesting adversaries or supporting characters, is still a likable and amusing character. 'Porky the Gob' is not one of his best cartoons but is decent enough and passes the time amiably. It would have fared better with either Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng or Chuck Jones directing, even when they were not at their best their visual and humour styles were distinctive whereas the direction here is competent enough if not exceptional.

The second half is better than the first half in 'Porky the Gob'. The second half is where 'Porky the Gob' really does come to life, with the wildness, insane looniness, imagination and razor-sharp wit one expects, being hugely entertaining and thrilling. The first half is less good, the pacing doesn't have the lustre as seen later on and the song at the start is near-irrelevant. Porky is likable enough if also a bit bland.

Animation on the other hand is great. The black and white colours are lovingly done, the drawing is fluid and smooth and the backgrounds have some very nice detail. The music score by Carl Stalling is bursting with lively character, beautiful orchestration, clever instrumentation and an unmatched ability to enhance the action and elevate material to a greater level.

While stronger in the second half, 'Porky the Gob' is fun and witty enough and Mel Blanc as ever does a fantastic job with the voice work in multiple roles, all given completely different identities and voices from one another.

On the whole, not one of my favourites and somewhat uneven but still worth watching. 7/10 Bethany Cox