Pigs in a Polka (1943)

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

And do it in a way that not only is a great way of introducing younger audiences to classical music, but be very well-made and hugely entertaining in its own right.One thing that stands out about 'Pigs in a Polka' is how beautifully animated it is. It's all vibrantly coloured, all the characters are well drawn and the backgrounds have so much smoothness and detail as well as being rich in colour. The animation also matches the music wonderfully, making for some inspired visuals and beautifully timed and often hilarious visual gags, the best moments coming from the wolf.'Pigs in a Polka' makes prominent use of Brahms' "Hungarian Dances". Not everybody is a fan of Brahms, this reviewer loves a lot of his music and feels that the "Hungarian Dances" is not only great music and arranged beautifully and cleverly but also used to outstanding effect, not just excelling in fitting with the gags but enhancing their impact.The gags, almost all the funny moments are visual, are hilarious and help make the cartoon such rewarding viewing. Every sequence is choreographed and timed with few misfires, and synchronise with the music so well. The story adheres nicely to the original story with its own spin, especially with the wolf, and avoids being rushed, too stretched, too thin or dull.All four characters carry 'Pigs in a Polka' more than solidly with their actions and interactions also playing a huge part in the entertainment value, Disney's "Three Little Pigs" Silly Symphony shorts have slightly more memorable versions and the three pigs are more individualised in them. However the pigs are quite cute and amusing, without being annoying, but the wolf whose personality is more interesting and his material makes more impact is the best of the bunch. The voice acting is dependably top-notch, Mel Blanc is great as the wolf though he has had more to do elsewhere.It is agreed that 'Pigs in a Polka' while never dull properly comes to life when the wolf appears and gets even better with him. The very end is a touch abrupt, though with great animation and use of music.Overall, a winner of a cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Pigs in a Polka (1943) ** 1/2 (out of 4)This Looney Tunes short takes the Three Little Pigs story and sets it to classical music.Yeah, the additional of classical music is really the only thing that separates this from the countless other versions of the story. The Disney version is without a doubt the best that has ever been done and this one here really can't compete with it. With that said, the idea of having the story set to classical music was a rather clever idea but I just don't think it really paid off in regards to entertainment. This is far from a bad movie but at the same time there's really nothing good here or anything that would make you want to watch this over the more traditional versions.

Friz Freleng's 'Pigs in a Polka' is a terrific parody of both Disney's 'Fantasia' and Disney's Oscar winning Silly Symphony 'The Three Little Pigs'. Freleng, always a dab hand at the musical cartoons, sets the Three Little Pigs story to Brahms' Hungarian Rhapsody. On first viewing, I was disappointed in the comparative lack of gags in the cartoon but I was missing the point. The humour here comes from the characters' actions and how impeccably Freleng synchs them up with the music. The cartoon really comes to life the instant the high kicking Wolf makes his appearance. From here on in, there is no dialogue whatsoever, just beautifully choreographed sequences in which the Wolf tries to gain access to the brick house of the third pig. Like the cartoon it parodies, 'Pigs in a Polka' was nominated for an Oscar but unfortunately, unlike Disney's cartoon, it did not win. While it is less well known than it should be, 'Pigs in a Polka' still retains a high level of respect in animation fan circles and its cult reputation is richly deserved. You only have to look at the superb final moments in which the Wolf falls down an elevator shaft, collapses and the iris closes on his face all in perfect time to the music, to know that 'Pigs in a Polka' is a class act.

Set to classical music, this is a retelling of the story of three little pigs who each go off and build their houses out of different types of material, only to each be set upon by a wolf who wants to `eat them all up'.The film opens with a different and amusing little pre-story introduction by the wolf, but the rest of the film fails totally to live up to any early promise. The plot is, of course, the three little pigs but set in time to a piece of well known classical music. The film could be seen as a brave attempt to bring classic music to the masses, but it doesn't really work because the cartoon isn't good enough to reach `the masses'.The immediate lack of good characters is a problem. The pigs are overly cute and speak with a horrid little squeaky voice. The wolf is OK but doesn't really say very much and doesn't impose his character onto the film – a shame, he is the most interesting one of the bunch.A bigger problem is that the film isn't funny. Instead of coming up with jokes, the makers seem to have put all their energy into making the action match the music, than making the action funny in it's own right. The end result is the film constantly altering it's pace in time with the music, occasionally it's amusing but it is never consistent.Overall this is a good attempt to bring classic music into a popular medium but it doesn't really work at all. The characters are no good and the action is more tailored to fit the music rather than generate laughs.