Old Glory (1939)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Best movie ever!

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

"Old Glory" is an American cartoon from 1930, so two more years and this one has its 80th anniversary. Maybe it already did by the time you read my review. Anyway, this may seem like generic cartoon comedy when you see the names Jones and Blanc here, but taking another look at the year, the names and characters, it becomes obvious that we are quickly approaching the era of political cartoons and even if it is probably not a propaganda work yet unless some other WB / Schlesinger cartoons from the years of WWII, it is really full of politics. Porky struggles with motivation and appreciation for the Pledge of Allegiance. But Uncle Sam appears in his dream and leads him to the "right" path. Overall, not a very smart or funny cartoon sadly. And I also would not say it offers historic insight on a level where it could be a good watch for pupils or even students. The only perspective I can see it being worth the watch is to check out how mass media in Europe, America and Japan changed people's minds in the first half of the 20th century, especially between 1933 and 1945. I give these 9 minutes a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

This was an old-fashioned patriotic cartoon, not intended for laughs but to remind those at the time what "Old Glory" means. They didn't have to remind U.S. citizens for long since they learned a few years later with their entrance into World War II.In this cartoon, Porky Pig is upset because he has to memorize the Pledge Of Allegiance. He tosses away a book where the Pledge is written and takes a nap. Suddenly, Uncle Sam appears and explains to the sleeping-yet alert Porky why he should learn it. One of the first things he tells him is "I'm afraid there are a lot of us who don't appreciate our freedom." Wow, how true, especially today when it seems fashionable by a number of ungrateful people to bash this country.Uncle Sam's history lessons begins in 1775 with Nathan Hale and goes quickly through the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, the exploration and sacrifices made by pioneers going West, and finishing with the eloquent writing of Abraham Lincoln.The artwork in here is super, just a great restoration job done by the people who present this one and many others on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVDs. To be fair, for those disappointed because they expect laughs in a cartoon, that's understandable.

Directed by Chuck Jones, "Old Glory" is a wonderful Warner Bros. cartoon starring our favorite pig Porky. This cartoon is quite unique for one very simple reason: there is absolutely no humor! Porky is a schoolboy who struggles to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and eventually gives up when his speech impairment gets the best of him. But just then, Uncle Sam appears and, through a series of flashbacks, calmly and gently instructs Porky about a little American history so that he may understand why it is important to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. Porky learns a fair amount concerning the Revolutionary War days, and with a fantastic music score by Carl Stalling, the most memorable and exciting flashback sequence is that of Paul Revere warning his fellow colonists of the British army's approach. By the end of this short, Porky wises up and, with a little stuttering, successfully recites the Pledge of Allegiance.If I only had one concern about "Old Glory," it's the fact that this cartoon attempts to capsulate the history of the United States of America within a brief nine minutes; Uncle Sam's talk about the Americans' migration to the West is especially brief and ends quite abruptly. Nevertheless, "Old Glory" is undoubtedly a memorable film that really touches Porky's heart as he learns about American history. Part of the charm and brilliance of this cartoon is the presence of such important Americans as Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Equally astonishing are the authentically reproduced signatures of John Hancock (for the Declaration of American Independence) and George Washington (for the Constitution of the United States).

This is one of those Looney Tunes cartoons used by Warner Brothers not mainly to entertain kids, but to educate them about the USA. In other words: Tell the children how good and brilliant and important the USA is and how many good and brave people died for 'this great country'. This is why Uncle Sam tells a dreaming Porky Pig to learn his Pledge of Allegiance. That's obviously the educational part of this 9-minutes long film, logically would be to start with the entertaining/funny things now, but in 'Old Glory' there is no fun. There isn't even an attempt made to be funny! As if the creators forgot that Looney Tunes cartoons are supposed to be witty or spoofing or something, but this particular one is tasteless in it's lack of entertainment what so ever!In the era this little film was made, it wasn't unusual to promote the greatness and beauty of the USA or to make the USA-enemies look dumb/stupid. For instance in 'Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips' (1944) Bugs blows up several Japanese with exploding ice-cream! This all happened during the Second World War and although it's immoral to influence children the way it's done in this cartoons (and other Looney Tuners), you have to admit it's smart to use the Looney Tunes for this purpose. The cartoons are funny ('Old Glory' being the exception to this rule) and kids (and adults as well) adore Bugs, Daffy, Porky and all the others.And that is why we see Porky Pig in 'Old Glory' studying and dreaming of the greatness of his country. With Uncle Sam explaining him (and the unknowing little viewers) all about how important loving the USA is. In an immoral, joke-less, spoof-less, un-witty cartoon.