Porky's Moving Day (1936) User Reviews

Moving On Out

[boblipton · 6/10 · 2 December 2009]

Jack King's last effort for Schlesinger's studio is in a style and combination of genres that would not be used again. It is a good mixture of comedy and thrills as Porky and his monkey assistant try to move the furniture before the house falls into the sea. There are some interesting point-of-view shots, some real efforts at scariness as Porky almost falls into the sea, but the jokes are a touch too standard in their execution to make this better than good; it would take the absurdist tastes of Tex Avery and Bob Clampett to give Termite Terrace its own true voice.

Nor would the cartoons ever be seriously scary ever again. Scary cartoons would survive, most notably at Columbia, where efforts such as THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL would be deservedly Oscar-nominated and annual Hallowe'en movies with a real edge would survive well into the 1940s. But at Scheslinger's studio, it would be about jokes from here on in.

Porky Pig's disastrous moving day

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 19 December 2017]

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

'Porky's Moving Day' shows that, as to be expected, that Porky is a likable character and he is and also amusing, cute and interesting, though to me he works better in support against a stronger in personality character, where he plays it straight, than a lead. Luckily, the homeowner has a personality that plays off against Porky's very well.

There is the agreement somewhat that the jokes are more amusing than hilarious and in the first half there aren't enough. None misfire and they do amuse, they just don't completely sparkle, which is not surprising considering 'Porky's Moving Day' is from a period where the style of humour that is timeless today was yet to be found and refined.

As far as the story goes it is pretty slight and, although this is personal preference and something not everyone will share, Joe Dougherty's voice for Porky has never really done it for me. It's not just because Mel Blanc's more famous interpretation is more appealing to me and fits better but Dougherty doesn't sound anywhere near as natural or endearing, have always found that he overdid the stutter and that's true here too.

However, the best thing about 'Porky's Moving Day' is the animation. Simply put it is wonderful, very detailed, crisp and fluid. For the period it's quite imaginative and captures the thrills and frightening nature of moving day perfectly.

Carl Stalling's music is typically outstanding. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.

The jokes are decent, but the scary edge and thrills impress more. It's all well timed and continually absorbing, zipping along nicely after a slow start.

In summation, the moving day may have been a disaster but this cartoon certainly isn't. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Slow beginning, but then it gets really funny.

[loserfilmnerd · 7/10 · 24 August 2011]

This cartoon started off rather slow. Like most cartoons from the era, it had some surreal images, but not a lot of jokes. And then about halfway through the cartoon, the real gags started coming in fast, one right after the other. After a slow build-up, we get to see Porky and some other less famous character help a woman move out all her furniture. We get lots of really creative slapstick gags that you'll only find in a cartoon. The music score was also especially epic, a lot more than in other Looney Tunes cartoons. It made the movers' task seem more dramatic, which of course makes the jokes more funny.

If you enjoy thirties cartoons, then you'll surely get a kick out of this.

Obviously, someone asked Warner Bros.' always prophetic Looney Tuners . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 6 March 2017]

. . . to come up with an animated short that would illustrate what's in store for us if America ever allowed a bankrupt media buffoon to become Our Commander-in-Chief and live in We the Taxpayers' White House, resulting in PORKY'S MOVING DAY. This brief cartoon begins with Porky Pig, representing the American Electorate, asleep at the switch. Meanwhile, Our White House suddenly turns up perched precariously at the edge of a cliff, as a Russian freighter waits directly below to loot America of anything worth having. Next the homeowner, a dead ringer for Kellyanne Conwoman, frantically phones Porky, begging him to save America's priceless treasures before it's too late. However, an ostrich--representing the 224 general staff officers who allegedly endorsed Red Commie KGB Chief Vlad "The Mad Russian" Putin's Puppet Rump BEFORE the election, and a punch-drunk pugilist, standing in for the Traitorous Red State MINORITY who counter-intuitively cast ballots for Chaos & Disaster, comprise Porky's entire work force. Naturally the Looney Tuners go on to picture this "rescue team" destroying anything of value left in America, as Putin's sailors on the Red October laugh uproariously on the raging ocean surf below.

Ain't head injuries funny?!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 10 November 2019]

The story begins with a cow (which looks nearly identical to Disney's Clarabelle the Cow) calling for movers. It's because her house is on the edge of a cliff and is about ready to fall into the water. Unfortunately, she makes the mistake of calling Porky's Moving Service, as Porky's assistant is punch-drunk...a condition where a guy's taken so many blows to the head boxing that he just isn't right in the head. With this assistant, every time he hears a bell he thinks he's back in the ring and begins punching wildly. Aren't head injuries funny?!

To say I disliked the cartoon and the assistant is an understatement. The assistant only says "Okay, Boss" and he says it again and again and again. That combined with the brain injuries make it tough to laugh at this one. Perhaps it's just me....

Why would you build a house right there?

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 9 July 2022]

The main thing that I wondered while watching "Porky's Moving Day" is why a house would get built in a spot where the water splashes so high. Even if we remember that it's a cartoon and so it doesn't have to make sense, this still looks like a plot hole. Rising sea levels have made it only more dangerous to build near the shore.

One can tell that this was an early effort from Leon Schlesinger Productions. Porky Pig was still beefy, and the plots were simple, usually accompanied by a constant soundtrack. Within a decade, the studio had added a certain lisping mallard, dimwitted hunter, and wisecracking rabbit, and the cartoons emphasized vaudeville-style humor.

Porky's Moving Day

[Michael_Elliott · 21 September 2017]

Porky's Moving Day (1936)

*** (out of 4)

A woman lives in a house that is hanging over a cliff and once the waves start to smash into it she knows it's time to go. She calls Porky and his assistant to come get her out of the house by they run into a variety of problems.

PORKY'S MOVING DAY isn't the greatest animated cartoon out there but it's certainly good enough to where you can have a good time with it. There are many good moments scattered throughout the film but I must say that the greatest thing is certainly the animation and I especially loved the look of the house hanging over the cliff and the giant waves that smash up against it. There are some funny moments inside the house as Porky must battle with the water rushing in and the constant threat of the house falling.