Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng and produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. It’s a fast-paced, music-filled short that perfectly captures the studio’s growing confidence during the late 1930s, just before the rise of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck as major stars.
The cartoon follows two pigs: one polite and restrained, the other greedy and gluttonous. When they sit down for a meal, the greedy pig devours everything in sight, ignoring his friend’s attempts at moderation. Inevitably, karma kicks in, and his uncontrollable appetite leads to a spectacular downfall.
🎭 A Comedy of Excess
Pigs Is Pigs is a moral comedy disguised as slapstick, poking fun at greed, indulgence, and lack of self-control. Like many Merrie Melodies of the era, it features lush musical synchronization... every movement, burp, and bite is timed to a rhythmic score, creating a playful energy that keeps the story bouncing from gag to gag.
This cartoon also showcases Freleng’s developing style: sharp timing, elegant visual rhythm, and moral punchlines. He would go on to refine this balance of chaos and charm in later classics like Rhapsody Rabbit and Birds Anonymous.
💡 Why It’s Worth Watching:
- Early example of Friz Freleng’s comedic timing and musical precision
- A morality tale about greed and moderation told through slapstick
- Beautiful Technicolor visuals typical of 1930s Merrie Melodies
- Strong use of synchronized music and rhythmic gags
- A glimpse of Warner Bros.’ transition into its Golden Age style
🧠 Legacy and Context
While not as widely known as later Warner Bros. classics, Pigs Is Pigs is an important step in the studio’s evolution. It helped define the Merrie Melodies identity, musical, colorful, moral, and always funny.
The short also reflects the 1930s fascination with moral humor, delivering its lesson (“don’t be greedy”) through exaggerated animation rather than dialogue. Over time, it’s become a favorite among animation historians for its craftsmanship and as a window into Freleng’s early storytelling instincts.