Directed by Friz Freleng and starring Porky Pig & Daffy Duck, "You Ought to Be in Pictures" is quite an exceptional Warner Bros. cartoon. Amidst real-life settings and flesh-and-blood people, the selfish Daffy persuades the shy Porky to get out of cartoons and enter into big-budget features. The Porky that we see in this live-action cartoon is the Porky that I really like; he is sweet, shy, honest, kindhearted, friendly, hard-working, and earnest. In other words, he has all the human characteristics that I admire.
Highlights: At the opening of this short, we hear a wonderfully orchestrated version of the popular song "You Oughta Be in Pictures" as all of the cartoon staff at Warner Bros. arrive for "work." Porky has a run-in with a studio guard (played by writer Michael Maltese, with Mel Blanc's voice dubbed in) and later disguises himself as Oliver Hardy in order to try to get past the guard. Daffy tries to prove to producer Leon Schlesinger that he is a much better performer than Porky is; he sings and dances up a storm while Leon pays no attention. And Porky demonstrates his earnestness most effectively when he persuades Leon to let him out of his cartoon contract so that he may try his hand at features.
To summarize, "You Ought to Be in Pictures" is quite superb for a Warner Bros. cartoon. Lovable Porky and obnoxious Daffy get to interact humorously with live-action people, and as a result, this black-and-white cartoon is simply a gem. Don't miss it!
Highlights: At the opening of this short, we hear a wonderfully orchestrated version of the popular song "You Oughta Be in Pictures" as all of the cartoon staff at Warner Bros. arrive for "work." Porky has a run-in with a studio guard (played by writer Michael Maltese, with Mel Blanc's voice dubbed in) and later disguises himself as Oliver Hardy in order to try to get past the guard. Daffy tries to prove to producer Leon Schlesinger that he is a much better performer than Porky is; he sings and dances up a storm while Leon pays no attention. And Porky demonstrates his earnestness most effectively when he persuades Leon to let him out of his cartoon contract so that he may try his hand at features.
To summarize, "You Ought to Be in Pictures" is quite superb for a Warner Bros. cartoon. Lovable Porky and obnoxious Daffy get to interact humorously with live-action people, and as a result, this black-and-white cartoon is simply a gem. Don't miss it!