Porky’s Poor Fish (1940)

Sep 13, 2021

Directed by: Robert Clampett

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Porky Pig is the new manager of a punnish fish store but his stock is in jeopardy when a hungry cat happens by.

Cartoon Cat: The short begins with a mouse walking along an alleyway. A black cat is following him.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat walking in alley

The cat intends to eat the mouse.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat looking around fence at mouse

Unfortunately the mouse turns into a mousehole and the cat overshoots the target, crashing into some trash.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat lying in trash

Porky goes out to lunch just before the dejected, hungry cat passes by his shop. The cat spot a fish in a bowl in the window and gets excited.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat sees fish in bowl in window
Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat eyeing fish in bowl through window

Going into the shop, the cat pauses to turn the “Out to Lunch” sign around to read “In to Lunch.”

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat changing Out to Lunch sign to In to Lunch

The cat reaches into a tank and pulls out a little female fish. This starts an alarm throughout the store and the fish rally to fight back.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat hungrily holding small female fish

A group of flying fish get into a formation and fly above, worrying the cat.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat holding female fish and looking worried

A hammerhead shark then pops out of a tank and clobbers the cat on the head.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat holding female fish about to be hit by hammerhead shark

An electric eel bites the cat’s tail, giving him a shock.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat getting electrocuted by electric eel

Then a muscle with Popeye arms punches the cat, sending him flying out of the shop where he lands in a mud puddle.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat in fish tank with muscle with Popeye arms
Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black cat in mud puddle

The mouse happens by and the cat tries to scare him, but the mouse turns the tables and scares the cat so much he turns into a crying kitten.

Porky's Poor Fish - cartoon black kitten scared by stretched mouse

Final Mewsings: Poor fish? What about the poor cat???

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