This short, done in black and white in the early 1940s, was later re-visited and another short (Back Alley Oproar, done in color), which took the same basic idea and even some of the same gags, but embellished on the concept substantially, was the result. While Back Alley Oproar is the better of the two, Notes To You is also a very good short in its own right. I will be discussing some details, so consider this a spoiler warning:
Porky Pig has gone to bed for the night when we see a cat climb up on a fence with a music stand and lots of sheet music. He uses a harmonica to get his "voice" in the correct pitch and then begins singing "Figaro". Porky takes issue with the "caterwauling", so to speak, and throws a vase at the cat and returns to bed. The cat then switches to popular tunes (perhaps under the impression that Porky merely objected to an aria) and Porky throws a book (Fu Manchu) at him. When the book comes back and hits Porky, it reads The Return of Fu Manchu.
Porky and the cat go several rounds, with the cat generally getting the better of their exchanges. Porky finally shoots the cat, which sings a farewell, "Aloha Oe/Farewell To Thee" and Porky tries to go back to bed, only to be "serenaded" by nine ghosts, who are singing more opera, thus bookending "popular music" with opera.
A number of the gags in this are repeated, some with minor variations, in the other short, though the other short has some exceptionally nice bits which were new material. Back Alley Oproar has Elmer Fudd in Porky's stead and Sylvester is the cat in place of the cat here. This is a very good short and I hope that it gets released on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection at some point. Most recommended.
Porky Pig has gone to bed for the night when we see a cat climb up on a fence with a music stand and lots of sheet music. He uses a harmonica to get his "voice" in the correct pitch and then begins singing "Figaro". Porky takes issue with the "caterwauling", so to speak, and throws a vase at the cat and returns to bed. The cat then switches to popular tunes (perhaps under the impression that Porky merely objected to an aria) and Porky throws a book (Fu Manchu) at him. When the book comes back and hits Porky, it reads The Return of Fu Manchu.
Porky and the cat go several rounds, with the cat generally getting the better of their exchanges. Porky finally shoots the cat, which sings a farewell, "Aloha Oe/Farewell To Thee" and Porky tries to go back to bed, only to be "serenaded" by nine ghosts, who are singing more opera, thus bookending "popular music" with opera.
A number of the gags in this are repeated, some with minor variations, in the other short, though the other short has some exceptionally nice bits which were new material. Back Alley Oproar has Elmer Fudd in Porky's stead and Sylvester is the cat in place of the cat here. This is a very good short and I hope that it gets released on a Looney Tunes Golden Collection at some point. Most recommended.