You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)

Daffy Duck convinces Porky Pig to quit the cartoon biz and try his luck in the features. Porky's adventures begin when he tries to enter the studio.

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Jack Miller (story)

Stars:

Leon Schlesinger, Henry Binder, Mel Blanc

Cast

Credited cast:
Leon Schlesinger	...	Himself

Storyline

Daffy Duck convinces an unwilling Porky Pig to quit his job with Leon Schlesinger. Why be a cartoon actor, Daffy says, when you can be leading man opposite Bette Davis? Schlesinger lets Porky go, but he is confident Porky will be back. Porky's adventures begin when he tries to get past the guard at the studio gate. He manages it by disguising himself as Oliver Hardy, but he has more trouble ahead. Meanwhile, Daffy tries to convince Schlesinger that he should take over Porky's starring roles. Daffy's scheme backfires when Porky returns to get his old job back.

---

Plot Keywords:

contract | surrealism | part live action | horse | cartoon duck | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Family | Comedy | Short

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 May 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sopisit elokuvatähdeksi

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leon Schlesinger Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

9 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film being shot when Porky crashes the sound stage, taken from short subject made several years earlier, is Wonder Bar, more specifically the "Don't Say Goodnight" number. Busby Berkeley and Lloyd Bacon can be briefly glimpsed near the camera boom.

---

Goofs

Shadow of a camera can be seen on wall, while Porky Pig beats up Daffy Duck for revenge, off-screen, just after returning to Warner Brothers' animation studio and asks Leon Schlesinger of his contract.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Animator: Lunch!

---

Connections

Featured in Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town (1988)

---

Soundtracks

"Aloha Oe"
(uncredited)
Written by Queen Liliuokalani

User Reviews

Hilarious and unique!

This was a brilliant cartoon, mixing animation with live action. The result is one of my all time favourite Looney Tunes cartoons. Leon Schlesinger is great as himself, and Daffy is enormous fun as he tricks Porky into entering the movie business. But really it is Porky's picture, I particularly loved the part when he smuggled himself in disguised as Oliver Hardy. The animation is excellent and doesn't jar with the live action sequences. The music is lovely, and there is a wonderful script that the toons and the actors do a great job with. While it is a tad predictable, the story works wonderfully as a Hollywood satire, and the references to Greta Garbo and Errol Flynn, all to name a few, were well done. As well as voicing Daffy and Porky, Mel Blanc plays a stagehand and a security guard, and these are roles he excels in.

My favourite bit? I don't know. Daffy murdering Largo Al Factotum in an attempt to gain Porky's former position with Schlesinger growing visibly irritated was one, and the part with Porky's confrontation with Schlesinger was quite poignant. All in all, as a cartoon You Ought To Be in Pictures is hilarious and unique. 10/10 Bethany Cox