Wagon Heels
- July 28, 1945 (1945-07-28)
Wagon Heels is a 1945 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Bob Clampett.[1] The short was released on July 28, 1945, and stars Porky Pig.[2]
Plot
Porky Pig leads a wagon train to California, keeping an eye out for the formidable Native American, Injun Joe. Along the way, they encounter the goofy hillbilly Sloppy Moe, who has a secret he will not reveal until the crucial moment. When Sloppy finally reveals that Injun Joe is ticklish, chaos ensues as Moe tickles the chief, causing him to fall off a cliff and stretch the U.S. from coast to coast. The narrator ends the tale by celebrating Porky and Sloppy Moe as heroes, with Moe tickling a giggling Porky.
Production notes
The cartoon is a color remake of the Looney Tunes black-and-white short Injun Trouble (1938). All voices except narration and Sloppy Moe are performed by Mel Blanc, whose screen credit is his first in a non-Bugs Bunny cartoon. In addition to the usual Native American stereotype music, Carl Stalling's underscore frequently plays segments of the American Civil War tune, "Kingdom Coming", even converting it to a minor key in one segment. "Oh! Susanna" is also heard repeatedly in the underscore.
The cartoon has been criticized for its stereotypical and insensitive depictions of Native Americans.[3][4]
The film is set during the California Gold Rush, and depicts Porky Pig leading a wagon train to California. He is opposed by Injun Joe, a Native American chief who has claimed any area to the west of the Eastern Seaboard as his own.
Home media
DVD:
- Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5.
- Looney Tunes Superstars: Porky Pig and Friends: Hilarious Ham
See also
- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1940–1949)
References
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 161. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 124–126. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.
- ^ Behnken, Brian D.; Smithers, Gregory D. (2015). Racism in American Popular Media: From Aunt Jemima to the Frito Bandito. ABC-CLIO. pp. 108–109. ISBN 9781440829772. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Lobo, Susan; Talbot, Steve (1998). Native American Voices: A Reader. Longman. p. 200. ISBN 9780321011312. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
External links
- Wagon Heels at IMDb
- v
- t
- e
- Porky Pig filmography
Theatrical |
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Direct-to-video |
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- The Porky Pig Show (1964–1967)
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