Patient Porky (1940)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Robert Clampett

Writer:

Warren Foster (story)

Release Date:

14 September 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Porky checks into a hospital with a tummyache; he has the bad luck to encounter a patient posing a "Dr. Chilled-Air" who is a bit too eager to operate. |

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Looney Tunes | X Rayed Skeleton | Porky Pig | Christmas

Cast

Sara Berner	...	Switchboard Operator (voice) (uncredited)
Mel Blanc	...	Porky Pig / Dr. Chilled Air / Elevator Operator / Rabbit / Bugs Bunny / Oliver Owl / Scottish Dog / Program Seller (voice) (uncredited)

Runtime:

6 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Leon Schlesinger Studios

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Meet Dr. Christian (1939)

Soundtrack:

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

Good-Looking And Humorous Black-And-White Looney Tunes Cartoon

Even though I am always impressed with the magnificent color in these Looney Tunes Golden Collection cartoons put out in recent years by Warner Brothers, an old black-and-white animated short is a good change-of-pace. Those same people make this 1940 Porky Pig black-and-white cartoon look super, too. The blacks, whites and grays are excellent and this medium makes you concentrate a little more on the characters.

And what characters we see in this film, set in a hospital! From the elevator operator - a spoof on "Rochester" of Jack Benny fame - to , well, you'll see. I don't want to say too much.

Even though it's a huge building with a lots of floors, all the patients and personnel are animals. They have a maternity ward, of course, where you see it's almost all rabbits. One of the rabbits comes out and sounds and acts a lot like Daffy Duck. I wonder if they were testing some of his jokes on this rabbit first?

The head doctor is a wise old owl by the name of "Dr. Chris Chun." Hmm, that's interesting. All the patients have signs on the ends of their bed, describing their illness and symptoms. Of course, they are all corny but will draw smiles from you as you read them. (i.e. a sick small owl "doesn't give a hoot," )

Porky comes in about halfway through the cartoon and a nut-case patient pretends to be a doctor: "Dr. Chill-Air" (instead of Dr. Kildare - get it? - ouch - cornball humor ruled the day in 1940.) As he prepares to operate, the cartoon turns into a musical with funny lyrics, an audience, a guy selling popcorn and programs - total lunacy!

Anyway, what happens to Porky comprises the rest of this above-average cartoon. I liked Rochester the best as he announced all the ailments on each floor, all beginning with different letters of the alphabet.