Michael_Elliott
I Haven't Got a Hat (1935)** 1/2 (out of 4)A small school is having their recital day. Porky Pig, stuttering and all, must stand up and do The Midnight Ride of Paul revere while other students follow.I HAVEN'T GOT A HAT isn't the greatest animated short ever made but it is somewhat historic as this here was the first appearance of Porky Pig. His look and vocal performance is a lot different than the Porky most people know and love but it's still rather interesting seeing this early version. For the most part this is an innocent enough of a short as it's basically introducing us to a bunch of new characters with of course Porky taking off. There really wasn't any major laughs but it was pleasant enough.
ccthemovieman-1
Yes, this is Porky Pig's debut, although it certainly is not an attractive first look at the stuttering porker. Porky and a couple of other "kids" are all part of school musical and recital and Porky's bit leads off the show.He recites a rendition of Longfellow's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," or at least starts to but it quickly becomes Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade." Mostly he just sweats while trying to remember his lines. I liked the sound effects help Porky received from offstage and the fact that even though his classmates unleashed the dogs on him, they did give him good applause!"Ham and Ex," two little singing dogs, get my vote for "best in show," which also featured "Miss Kitty" reciting "Mary Had A Little Lamb," and the piano playing "Oliver Owl," whose tune is greatly enhanced by a fighting dog and cat inserted into the piano by a mischief-making fellow student. This one really isn't much for laughs but overall, it's "cute" and it's in color, which is pretty good considering it's made in 1935. In fact, the graphics and the color restoration are excellent for 1935 and it's a collector's piece of sorts being that it's Porky's debut. It is the lead-off cartoon on Disc 3 of Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 3.
slymusic
Directed by Friz Freleng, "I Haven't Got a Hat" is a great Warner Bros. cartoon of historical significance: it marks the very first appearance of our favorite stuttering pig Porky! In this cartoon, which involves a talent show for schoolchildren, Porky doesn't look anything like the Porky that we all know today, but he's still a real treat to watch. It took a little time, but Porky eventually became the first major star of the Warner Bros. cartoons.The following are my two favorite moments from "I Haven't Got a Hat." First, Porky is so adorable as he struggles with his "Charge of the Light Brigade" recitation; as I watch him stutter, I really feel sympathetic towards him, and I WANT him to succeed. (Porky HAS succeeded; he became a star and is still well-known today.) And second, the two dogs, named Ham & Ex, sing a delightful little song together titled "I Haven't Got a Hat" (hence the title of the cartoon), with an occasional low-pitched "Bum-Bum-Bum-Bum" thrown in for good humor.There is no doubt that "I Haven't Got a Hat" is an enjoyable cartoon. Friz Freleng was always a music lover, so the schoolhouse setting for a children's talent show proved to be a great idea. Aside from Porky and Ham & Ex, watch for a mischievous cat named Beans, a painfully shy cat named Kitty, a studious owl named Oliver, and the schoolteacher herself, a friendly, encouraging cow named Miss Cud.
runar-4
This cartoon is noted as the first appearance of Porky Pig, but he definitely wasn't the star. The setting is a school's student recital, and he gives a painfully stuttered rendition of Longfellow's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere", which abruptly mashes into Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade". It's not an auspicious start for Porky, who gets booed off the stage. It's significant to note that Mel Blanc did not start voicing him until two years later, in 1937's "Porky's Duck Hunt", taking over from Joe Dougherty.The stars turn out to be the twin pups Ham and Ex, who sing a creditable rendition of the title song and, in fact, end up with the only successful act of the recital. This is an example of Warner Brothers desperately in search of a strong character to put up against the likes of Mickey Mouse and Oswald Rabbit, and despite starring roles for members of the entire cast, only Porky showed enough staying power, even more so than Bugs Bunny, who didn't appear in his familiar form until 1940. (Versions of Bugs appeared as early as 1938, but are hardly recognizable as the same character. Porky maintained his basic personality, even though he starts out here as a child and becomes an adult in his next outing, Tex Avery's 1936 cartoon "Gold Diggers of '49", in which the rotund one offers to marry off his daughter to Beans.) Jerry Beck's commentary for "I Haven't Got A Hat" is in volume 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD set.
AD
