Old Glory (1939 film)

Old Glory
Merrie Melodies (Porky Pig) series
The September 12, 1953 Blue Ribbon reissue title card of Old Glory.
Directed by	Charles Jones
Produced by	Leon Schlesinger
Story by	Robert Givens Richard Hogan Dave Monahan
Voices by	Mel Blanc John Deering John Litel Daws Butler
Music by	Carl Stalling
Animation by	Robert McKimson
Studio	Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date(s)	July 1, 1939 (USA premiere)
Color process	Technicolor
Running time	9 min (one reel)
Language	English

Old Glory (1939) is a Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Chuck Jones, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation. It premiered at the famed Carthay Circle Theater at Los Angeles on July 1, 1939 - three days before Independence Day.

Synopsis

The uniquely serious Schlesinger-produced cartoon retells the origins of the United States of America. Porky Pig plays a child forced to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. He becomes quickly bored and falls asleep. In his dream, Uncle Sam (voiced by John Deering [1]) comes to life and teaches Porky about history from Colonial America through the midnight ride of Paul Revere (voiced by Daws Butler) and the American Revolutionary War to the expansion of the American Old West, briefly alluding to Abraham Lincoln. Upon awakening, Porky snaps into a salute and recites the pledge as the Flag of the United States waves overhead and the words "The End" pan over the waving flag. There are no Merrie Melodies rings at the end, as in other shorts, or the words "That's All, Folks!" (The Flag of the United States has only 48 stars, as this short was made before Hawaii and Alaska were admitted to the Union. Also, this Pledge of Allegiance as recited by Porky does not yet include the phrase "under God". That phrase was not added until 1954.)

Analysis

The animation in Old Glory is realistic and heavily rotoscoped, different from the usual Warner Bros. style. Director Chuck Jones was known for his Disney-like style during this period, and Schlesinger assigned him to make this cartoon for that reason. The scene with Patrick Henry (voiced by John Litel) saying his "Give Me Liberty" speech was rotoscoped from the Warner Bros. color 2-reel historical short, Give Me Liberty. That short won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject - Color of 1936.

The original ending was cut when the cartoon was reissued twice as a Blue Ribbon Merrie Melody once on August 25, 1945 during the 1944-45 season (evident from the style opening rings used: orange rings with a black background) and again on September 12, 1953 during the 1953-54 season (evident from the style opening rings used: orange rings with a blue background). A version with a restored ending can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2, Disc 3. This copy retains the Blue Ribbon opening, but also the original opening shot of the flag and its music cue.

Old Glory is Jones's first short to feature Porky Pig. It is also Porky's first appearance in a color Merrie Melody since his debut in 1935's I Haven't Got a Hat, and his first short in three-strip Technicolor.^[1]

During the late 60s, Old Glory was regularly screened between rock acts at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Many of the Fillmore's patrons drew great amusement from a pig (or "cop" in 60s slang) saluting the American flag.^[2]

External links

• Old Glory at the Internet Movie Database

References

1. ^ Beck, Jerry, editor. The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions. p. 122.
2. ^ Beck, p. 124.