8mm Forum: Blitz Wolf. Tex Avery

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Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on January 06, 2016, 03:14 PM:

Here is a cartoon i bought but only projected once, i viewed it tonight with the intention of screenshots to sell it, WHY? i have no idea, i forgot how funny this one is and i love how PC it isn't!
First of all, the plot with the un-ashamed help of Wikipedia as i think this is quite a historically important cartoon simply because of the subject. It is also brilliantly funny in a very naughty way, exactly as comedy should be. It is mounted on a 400 foot spool from new and runs for approx 10 minutes. The quality is as always with Derann releases 1st class, great colours, good sound and pin sharp images.
Here is the plot and some interesting facts,

The plot is a parody of the Three Little Pigs, told from a Second World War anti-German propaganda perspective. In this cartoon, the pigs go to war against Adolf Wolf, who is set on invading their country, Pigmania. The two pigs who built their houses of straw and sticks claim they don't have to take precautions against the wolf, because they signed non-aggression pacts with him. The pig that built his house of stone, "Sergeant Pork," (a homage to Sergeant York), does take his precautions and outfits his house with defence machinery.
Adolf Wolf invades Pigmania, despite the two pigs protesting that he signed a treaty with them. He destroys their houses, whereupon the pigs flee to the third pig's house. Then the Wolf and pigs start fighting. Towards the end of the cartoon, Adolf Wolf is blown out of his bomber plane by the pigs' artillery shells filled with Defence bonds and falls down to Earth, together with a bomb which blows him to Hell. There he realizes he is dead and says: "Where am I? Have I been blown to... ?", whereupon a group of devils adds: "Ehhhh, it's a possibility!", in reference to a then well known catchphrase by Jerry Colonna.
This is Tex Avery's first cartoon at MGM, and also the first film at MGM for animators Preston Blair and Ed Love (Love had arrived at MGM with Kenneth Muse just after the 1941 Disney animators' strike).
The MGM lion, Tanner roars to the tune of "Hold That Tiger".
This short was widely available, uncut, on the MGM/UA video label's VHS release, Tex Avery's Screw-ball Classics, Vol. 4 and on the MGM/UA laser-disc collection The Complete Tex Avery. A fully restored and uncut version is available on Academy Awards Animation Collection DVD set by Warner Home Video, and as a bonus feature (presented in HD) on Disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2.
There is a reference to the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo (when the bomb lands and destroys Tokyo, there is a sign "Doolittle Dood It!" coming out from the water).
Pinto Colvig provides the voice of "Practical Pig", as he did in Disney's Three Little Pigs.
Adolf Wolf's voice was provided by Bill Thompson, who would later voice Droopy, who starred in his own adaptation of the story called The Three Little Pups.
In the beginning, the two little pigs mockingly sing to Sergeant Pork: You're in the Army Now,/ You're Not Behind the Plow,/ You're Diggin' a Ditch,/ [pause and motion freeze],/You're in the Army Now! The pause was inserted to replace the line "You Son of a Bitch", which would be inappropriate for a film at the time. This is much similar to a gag in the Warner Bros. cartoon The Draft Horse.
Most of the scenery doesn't resemble World War II at all. The trenches resemble World War I.
As the tanks arrive, one small tank has the line "Good Humour" written on its side and makes the sound of an ice cream truck. This is similar to a joke later used in Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips.
A lone flame tank not spewing fire holds up a sign with the line I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire.
When the straw house is blown away, a sign says Gone with the Wind, referring to the 1939 film (with another smaller sign agreeing that this is a corny gag).
At one point, Sgt. Pork distracts incoming shellfire by holding up a copy of Esquire magazine's (unseen-by-the-audience) Petty Girl pin-up artwork by George Petty.

I have to say if a copy comes up for sale get it, it makes a great double bill along with Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarfs. Look at the images and read the signs etc

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on January 07, 2016, 09:17 AM:

Thanks for reminding me about this great political cartoon Tom!

I have my Derann print from the late 90's. I haven't watched this one in over 5 years, so its due for a showing [Wink]

I have a few other "war" cartoons, including CHC's "Boom Boom", so maybe I'll get those out as well.

Great review and pics Tom!

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on January 07, 2016, 11:13 AM:

I have this cartoon also but mine is reverse image so it needs back projection, I just watched mine a couple days ago so seeing this review was ironic.

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 09, 2016, 05:45 PM:

My copy is reversed too (I wonder how many were developed before the lab noticed) , but I often use the mirror from a small back projection system I used to transfer to VHS many years ago to put it right.

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