Milk and Money (1936)

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.Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. 'Milk and Money' is considered by me not just one of Avery's best Porky Pig cartoons but also one of his best early cartoons in general. Sometimes during this period there was the sense that he had not yet found his feet, 'Milk and Money' is an example of an early cartoon of his where his distinctive style can be found all over.It is also a cartoon where the relative slightness of the story can be completely overlooked because of the hilarity and brilliant timing of the gags (especially with the horsefly and the horse racing), immaculate pacing and Avery's wild wackiness being apparent throughout and used to full advantage.'Milk and Money's' animation is characteristically great, crisp, detailed and fluid, the black and white holds up well. Carl Stalling once again provides an outstanding score, it is lush, energetic and characterful, with clever orchestration and a mastery of not just adding to the action but enhancing it as well (Stalling was a near-unequalled master at this).Porky is appealing and likable and the rest of the characters are fun.The only issue for me is Joe Dougherty's voice work as Porky, it's not just because Mel Blanc's more famous interpretation is more appealing to me 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.Concluding, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Milk and Money (1936) *** (out of 4)An evil banker tells Porky's father that they are going to lose the farm if it isn't paid for by the next day. Porky decides to get a job working as a milk man to gain some extra cash and soon another money making opportunity comes his way.This here is another winning short for the Porky Pig series, which was really picking up steam at this point. Tex Avery directed this one and while I wouldn't call it a classic film there are still plenty of nice little gags here that make it worth watching. One such example is early on when Porky is plowing a field and a horsefly stings the horse and gets the job done a lot quicker. Another nice gag involves a horse race where a frantic pace in the animation really makes for an impressive scene. MILK AND MONEY is certainly a charming little gem that fans of the series will enjoy.

. . . during this 1900s Looney Tune, MILK AND MONEY. Viper literally slinks around in a crooked, serpentine fashion, slithering up on hard-working U.S. Citizens to filch everything they have. By representing this Outrage as an unquestioned "given," Warner Bros. is suggesting that nothing can be done to combat the One Per Center Fat Cat Skunks because these villainous vipers have "Rigged the System" by Corrupting Congress with a few pennies from their Billionaire Cash Hordes of Wealth to legislate Anti-Social, Inhumane Outrageous "Laws" to protect and shelter the Greed of the Few over the Need of the Many. Though a Deus Ex Machina (that is, God from the Clouds in the guise of a Horsefly, aka, a Miracle) saves Porky's Family Farm for the time being at the end of MILK AND MONEY, everyone knows that the Filthy Rich Trumpsters have booted 94% of American Farmers into city slums (or The Grave) since MILK AND MONEY was released. The "Snowball Effect" documented here by the Looney Tuners forecasts that soon ANY potty-mouthed vile billionaire will be able to waltz into Our White House to Lord it over We-the-99 Per Cent because the love of money is the root of all Evil, and Evil is Self-Perpetuating.

This is an early Tex Avery short that is not done quite in the style that would mark his later efforts. An early Porky Pig adventure, Avery more or less cut his teeth as a director helping to develop Porky, as well as playing a major role in the development of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Egghead/Elmer Fudd, before leaving Warner Brothers after a dispute with producer Leon Schlesinger and moving to MGM in 1942. Well worth looking for, it was originally in black ad white. Recommended.