The Dancing Pig (1907)
"Le cochon danseur" (original title)

A pig dressed in fancy clothes flirts with a pretty girl, but she humiliates him and tears off his suit; she then makes him dance for her affections. 104 years later, a GIF will be created to scare Bobby Burke as plotted by John Davison.

Storyline

A girl in a short Belle Epoch chorus outfit stands in a small circus ring with a flat of a fancy entrance way with portieres. Into frame steps an enormous fat pig of about 6 feet in height. This is a comical, cartoon-like pig, wearing a tie, waistcoat and Victorian style jacket with a small ill fitting hat. It's a most impressive costume, expertly handled by the one wearing it. It shows smooth, articulate expressions and body movements, giving a very believable illusion that it's an actual living being. He expresses affection for the dancing girl, mimicking a proposal, but she refuses, and strips off his outfit, an obvious breakaway that separates in the back. In his embarrassment, he tries to cover himself with his front legs and pouts and appears on the verge of tears. She makes him wear a fluffy tutu-like skirt around his middle. They both dance together, doing kicks and hops in unison, until they finish by turning around, arm in hock, as it were, beyond the curtain behind them. ...

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Plot Keywords:

pig | vaudeville | dancing | variety

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

10 August 1907 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Dancing Swine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Frères

Technical Specs

Runtime:

4 min 4 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

The Dancing Pig was a fascinating find from France on the "Saved from the Flames" DVD collection

This early 20th century silent short from France was the first item on disc 2 of the "Saved from the Flames" DVD collection. It has someone in a giant pig costume being humiliated by a beautiful girl dancer he has a crush on as she strips his clothes and makes him dance both naked (so to speak) and with a dress on. Oddly, this is when the pig enjoys himself to the point of sticking his tongue out and moving his eyes! I found this pretty amusing if not hilarious and, at 4 minutes, just about the right length. I do wonder if this was meant for children especially with the stripping and the female dancer moving her skirt up and down like the famous Can-Can. Still, The Dancing Pig (the English title on the disc) is worth a look.