Africa Squeaks (1940) User Reviews

ostriches don't really stick their heads in the ground, and Africa doesn't have kangaroos, but it's got some neat gags

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 4 August 2008]

Obviously, Bob Clampett's "Africa Squeaks" has some of the most racist images of African people. But, as was usually the case in Warner Bros. cartoons containing racist depictions of Africans and African-Americans, the portrayals were not based on hostility; rather, the people making the cartoons had seen only these images of African people, and repeated them. For example, Clampett's "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" contains some of the most offensive depictions of African-Americans, while simultaneously exalting their contributions to popular culture.

Anyway, this cartoon has Porky Pig on vacation in Africa - which they obnoxiously call "the dark continent" - and coming across a series of spot gags. His stereotypically-drawn porters are basically Stepin Fetchit types. Like I said, the cartoon's good for a few laughs, just as long as we understand the racist portrayals.

BTW, Cake Icer was a parody of band leader Kay Kyser. Also, one scene was lifted out of "The Isle of Pingo Pongo", and another scene later got used in "Crazy Cruise".

A little more than four minutes into this seminal Looney Tune . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 26 May 2017]

. . . Warner Bros.' always prophetic Animated Shorts Seers division writes a prescription for Today's America of the (Then) Far Future: Red Commie KGB Chief Vlad "The Mad Russian" Putin's American Terrorist Organization, once known as the Rich People's Party, MUST be decapitated once and for all. Warner's always psychic prognosticators have done a fantastic job for decades in warning America about Her upcoming Calamities, Catastrophes, Cataclysms, and Apocalypti. AFR!CA SQUEAKS is no exception. The "Doctor Stanley" character represents RRP Party founder Abraham Lincoln, who was rubbed out by his own Party Hacks as he was on the verge of solving America's Racial Divide with a Repatriation program while banning the job-killing Corporate Extremists who had killed thousands of Union Artillery Men with their defective exploding cannons. After whacking Abe, these evil miscreants perverted his Progressive Party into an insidious tool of the One Per Cent, conducting a decades-long campaign of Corruption, Lynching, Union-Busting, Witch-Hunting, and Pocket-Lining. Last night the Party Putin has made his own elected another brawling scoff-law bully terrorist from Montana into our U.S. Congress. AFR!CA SQUEAKS pictures an elephant--long-time symbol of Putin's Party--Shorn of its trunk, which is Warner's way of telling us that the 60 million-plus Red Commie Traitors MUST be deported ASAP, after being separated from their ill-gotten wealth, property, weapons, and other assets.

Safari Porky

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 21 January 2018]

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.

Have a good deal of respect and appreciation for Bob Clampett, more often that than not, and while not quite one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters (prefer those with consistently stronger, funnier and interesting personalities) Porky has always been very easy to like. 'Africa Squeaks' is a decent cartoon with a number of good elements, but there are a lot of Clampett directed Porky cartoons that are far better.

Porky fares better here in 'Africa Squeaks'. He's not what one would call funny, but he is a very amiable character with a nice playing it straight personality. He could have been used more though, the animal characters make more of an impression.

Clampett is on reasonably tame form here. There are signs of his distinctive style, parts are suitably wild, but there is not much imaginative or zany.

In comparison to my recent viewing of 'Pilgrim Porky', 'Africa Squeaks', while not having the most inspired of material still, is the funnier cartoon. Timing is livelier, there is more of them and the animal gags are fun to watch and not as corny or too of the date. Robert C. Bruce's narration serves more of a purpose too and entertains and educates.

Like that cartoon however, 'Africa Squeaks' has a story that's basic and not much of one, mainly a series of spot gags. As pointed out already, there are racial stereotypes here and they are not to be taken kindly, they are poorly drawn and difficult to endear to because it is hard to not find how they are made to behave and portrayed distasteful. Am aware that stereotypes were common in cartoons today and that are far more offensive examples, that doesn't stop them not flying well today.

However, Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor.

'Africa Squeaks' animation is very good. it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. There are a lot off neat amusing moments, improved narration, some nice energy, fun supporting characters and there are signs of Clampett's style. 'Africa Squeaks' at least does nothing to diminish Porky's likeability as a character.

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

Overall, decent cartoon though not a classic. 6/10 Bethany Cox