Old Glory (film)

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Old Glory
Directed byCharles Jones
Produced byLeon Schlesinger
Music byCarl W. Stalling
Animation byRobert McKimson
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • July 1, 1939 (1939-07-01) (original)
  • August 25, 1945 (1945-08-25) (1st “Blue Ribbon reissue”)
September 12, 1953 (2nd “Blue Ribbon reissue”)
Running time
9:03
LanguageEnglish

Old Glory is a 1939 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[1] The short was released on July 1, 1939, and stars Porky Pig.[2] The cartoon was commissioned by Warner Bros. as a counterpart for a series of live-action films about American patriotism.[3]

Plot

American Old West, briefly alluding to Abraham Lincoln. Upon awakening, Porky snaps into a salute and recites the pledge as the Flag of the United States
waves overhead.

Production

The animation in Old Glory is realistic and heavily

Best Short Subject - Color of 1936. Also rotoscoped were scenes from the live-action short Declaration of Independence (1938).[4]

There were many different tones of colored inks used on the film. Uncle Sam has different tones on his hat, beard, face, and clothes. All the other characters were treated in a similar manner. There were many cels depicting the Flag of the United States in its stars and stripes.[4]

The film was produced during a heat wave in Los Angeles. Due to the lack of air conditioning at the studio, the production staff initially relied on two large fans to keep cool. They had to be pointed at the ceiling so that they did not blow cels and drawings across the room. Eventually production moved to night time, since the temperature dropped at night.[4]

Old Glory is Jones's first short to feature Porky Pig. It is also Porky's first appearance in a color Merrie Melodies entry since his debut in 1935's I Haven't Got a Hat, and his first short in three-strip Technicolor.[5]

Most Leon Schlesinger animated shorts were first screened at the Warner Bros. Theater at the Hollywood Boulevard. This film was instead screened at the more prestigious Carthay Circle Theatre. All animation studio employees were invited to attend.[4] The film was screened alongside the live-action Dark Victory.[4]

Legacy

The original ending was cut when the cartoon was reissued as a

Blue Ribbon Merrie Melodies short, in 1945 and 1953. In 2004, the short was restored for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2 DVD release. While this version retains the Blue Ribbon opening titles, it restores the original ending flagshot scene with the Leon Schlesinger titles. This restored version is also featured on Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1
and Porky Pig 101.

During the late 1960s, Old Glory was regularly screened between rock acts at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Many of the Fillmore's patrons drew great amusement from a pig saluting the American flag, as "pig" in 1960s slang was, and remains, a derogatory term for a police officer and his saluting the flag was a symbol of the kind of America some were against at the time.[5]

References

External links