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I Haven't Got a Hat

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I Haven't Got a Hat
Title card
Directed byIsadore Freleng
Produced byLeon Schlesinger
Music byBernard Brown
Animation byRollin Hamilton
Jack King
Color processTechnicolor (two-color)
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • March 2, 1935 (1935-03-02)
Running time
7:09
LanguageEnglish

I Haven't Got a Hat is a 1935 animated short film, directed by Isadore Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions as part of the Merrie Melodies series.[1] Released on March 2, 1935, the short is notable for featuring the first appearance of several Warner Bros. cartoon characters, most notably future cartoon star Porky Pig. Beans the Cat, a minor Looney Tunes star in 1935-1936, also made his first appearance in this cartoon.[2]

I Haven't Got a Hat was one of the earliest Technicolor Merrie Melodies, and (because of Walt Disney's exclusive deal with Technicolor at the time) was produced using Technicolor's two-color process (red and green) instead of its more expensive and advanced three-strip process.

Plot

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The local schoolteacher Miss Cud introduces a school musical and recital. The show begins with a frantically stuttering Porky Pig's dramatic rendition of "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere", which ends up with Porky being chased away from friendly stray dogs. The show continues on with Little Kitty trying to recite "Mary Had a Little Lamb", but she forgets her lines, despite Miss Cud's attempts to help her out. Two cute puppies Ham and Ex then sing a humorous love song "I Haven't Got a Hat", which earns them a standing ovation from the audience.

Meanwhile, during the show, Beans the Cat is getting increasingly frustrated by Oliver Owl, who refuses to share a bag of candy with him. Oliver is called to the stage for a piano piece, and he plays a simple beginner's piece. Out for revenge, Beans sneaks outside, and reaches through the window to place a dog and a cat inside the piano. The result appears to be that Oliver plays a magnificently difficult piece, and the crowd applauds, but then the dog and cat run out of the piano, earning jeers from the audience. Beans and Oliver then lash out at each other, but only manage to get covered in paint and fountain pen ink in the end, and they both shake hands afterwards.

Production notes

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Inspired by the Hal Roach Our Gang live-action shorts, the short introduces several new characters as grade school students in the hope that some would catch on.[3] The stuttering Porky Pig, who debuts in this cartoon, was the breakout star.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 34. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 54. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Schneider, Steve (1988). That's All, Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Co. p. 43. ISBN 0-8050-0889-6.

Further reading

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  • Beck, Jerry. (2005) Audio commentary on "I Haven't Got a Hat" for the Warner Brothers' DVD set Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume 3 and Porky Pig 101.
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