Such a frustrating disappointment

Sadly Over-hyped

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The 1946 releases of the WB cartoons displayed a major shift in styles. Frank Tashlin and Bob Clampett had left the studio, but their presence was still felt by their successors.The short ONE MEAT BRAWL (title parody of the song One Meat Ball), directed by Robert McKimson was one of the first shorts he directed with two of Clampett's principle animators Rod Scribner and Manny Gould. Because of this, this feels like a toned down Clampett cartoon.The animation of Porky can also be easily mistaken for an Art Davis cartoon of the same period, especially due to its Blue Ribbon status (no on screen credits). But Porky's hunting dog, Mandrake, is an indicator that McKimson directed this, since that was one of his trademark character designs.Grover Groundhog is reminiscent of the early screwball Daffy Duck and proto Bugs Bunny of the late 30's. The way Grover heckles Mandrake and plays on his sympathies is also strongly reminiscent of shorts like DAFFY DUCK & EGGHEAD (1938) and HARE UM SCARE UM (1939). Considering those kind of shorts had not been done in several years, I wonder if McKimson was attempting to revive that formula by creating a new character with that personality. Although this was his only screen appearance, Grover certainly seemed like a promising character.

" . . . or 16 feet of snow?" croons Grover the Groundhog before facing a circular firing squad (due to America's national meat shortage immediately after WWII). Guns permeate ONE MEAT BRAWL. Grover even tries to commit suicide by squirt gun midway through this Warner Bros. animated short. And no wonder: The prolific mammal has 72 offspring and a wife hung up on wearing nylons, enough to drive any husband batty. Grover yearns to ditch the other 73 members of his family (not shown here) and play polo while smoking machine-made cigarettes. By the end of this story he decides that hanging out with the murderous duo of Porky Pig and Porky's hunting dog Mandrake is the next best thing to his nicotine-fueled polo dreams. After all, when one guy threatens to "put a couple slugs" in you, why NOT invite him into your secret bachelor pad? It's the American thing to do. (Dick Tracy's newspaper comic strip may have given rise to the Apple Watch, but Grover demonstrates a beta version of the Walkman here in ONE MEAT BRAWL).

One Meat Brawl is not one of my favourites from Looney Tunes. It starts off slow, with a nice if going-on-for-slightly-too-long song from the Groundhog. The story is also not much new, reading a lot like the Bugs and Elmer cartoons, which worked even with this formula with stronger characters and somewhat wittier humour, but with Porky, Mandrake and the Groundhog. However, after Mandrake meets the Groundhog for the first time, One Meat Brawl picks up significantly and the rest is a lot of fun. The dialogue is suitably witty, I did get a good laugh out of the Groundhog's aside "dogs are suckers for sob stories", and the gags are great especially Porky and Mandrake wrestling with one another and the Groundhog joins in, the shadows fighting for nothing at the end and especially Porky's hilarious reaction at the Groundhog making a sap out of Mandrake(Porky too gets this later on). Porky is better when he is working with Daffy with equal screen time, but he isn't shoved into the background, and while his material is not as funny as Mandrake or the Groundhog he does have some very good moments. Mandrake is a strong character, whether he is chasing the Groundhog, manipulating Porky into that he ate him or when he is crying his eyes out. But the star of One Meat Brawl was the Groundhog, even with his cute appearance(which can go either way in cartoons) this is one funny character. I love his asides, which are almost worthy of Bugs and Daffy, while what he says as he makes a sap out of both Mandrake and Porky, sad as some of it is, is hysterically funny. Mel Blanc as ever gives bravura characterisations. The animation is colourful with really beautiful backgrounds especially with the very opening with the Vienesse-waltz-style music accompanying it. Porky is not as well drawn as he has been before, but is still acceptable regardless. The music is both lush in orchestration and energetic in pace, which is what one would expect. All in all, definitely worth the look. 7/10 Bethany Cox

While most Warner Bros. cartoons featured animals, I assume that Robert McKimson's "One Meat Brawl" marked the only appearance by a groundhog. In this case, Grover Groundhog has to leave his den to see whether or not he has a shadow, and the hunters are waiting for him, sending him into hiding. Meanwhile, Porky Pig and his dog Mandrake (Barnyard Dawg from the Foghorn Leghorn cartoons) are hunting groundhogs, but Grover knows how to get Mandrake on his side. Are hunts always doomed to go like this?! I guess that we could be cynical and say that this cartoon is no different from the average Bugs Bunny-Elmer Fudd cartoon, but I think that as long as cartoons make us laugh, they're good. I recommend this one. After all, who doesn't like hand shadows?