Very funny Looney Tunes cartoon starring Porky Pig and Charlie Dog. Charlie's master takes him out into the country and abandons him. He searches for a new owner and thinks he's found one in farmer Porky. Charlie's the whole show here as Porky tries to rid himself of the annoying dog, who tries one tactic after another to stay. The scene where Charlie plays on Porky's sympathies by telling him of his fragile health and the horrors of the city is a classic. The animation, music, and colors are great. The jokes are terrific and both main characters are likable. It's a wonderful cartoon that's sheer fun from start to finish. Love that ending!
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oscaralbert25 May 2016. . . Porky Pig sounds like he's channeling a future comment Donald Trump will make about Bill Clinton in this prophetic 1949 Warner Bros. animated short OFTEN AN ORPHAN. Though Porky seems to be addressing the equally obnoxious Charlie Dog character here, a short time later Charlie's panicked cries of "It's the Towers! They're falling!!" makes it clear that only the Looney Tunes Prognosticators of the Future (recently certified as 83% more accurate than Nostrodamus by the American Seers Syndicate) could be so uncannily inhabiting our Post-9/11 World during the mid-1900s. In this light, it's important to note that OFTEN AN ORPHAN features Porky PIG as a Farmer! Coupling this sinister Orwellian ANIMAL FARM overtone with Trump stand-in Porky's cheering of Charlie's eye-witness report about the World Trade Center collapse makes its obvious that the clairvoyant Looney Tuners are saying it was NOT the Muslims, but Trump and his cronies celebrating as the Twin Towers fell! Think about it: Trump is totally anti-Trade--HE had far more motive than some Osama guy to hire the Muslim 9/11 patsy fall guys, AS WELL AS the actual drone pilots who REALLY tore down those Towers. (And Mr. Gorbachev was not even involved.)
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. . Ease during his wordplay with Porky Pig about Labrador Retrievers, is he supposed to be George Raft or Humphrey Bogart midway through OFTEN AN ORPHAN? It would seem that as the former tough guy would be more likely to flip a coin than twirl a dental floss substitute, the bogey man would be the place to park your bets. But "smart money" is often a synonym for LOST cash.
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lee_eisenberg16 August 2006Watching "Often an Orphan", it's surprising that Charlie Dog didn't become a regular Looney Tunes character. In this cartoon, he gets abandoned by his master and starts pestering Porky Pig to adopt him. When Porky refuses, Charlie launches into an emotion-manipulating monologue about the horrors of city life. It later turns out that Charlie is smarter than Porky.
So, maybe this wasn't the best Looney Tunes cartoon ever, but it's great just because of how Charlie says "Well then shaddup!" Only Mel Blanc could create a voice like that. Worth seeing. And I guess that you could say that Porky puts on a few "pounds" at the end. -
One of my favourite Looney Tunes cartoons as of now. The animation is mellow in colour and the attention to detail is done with fluidity. Charlie's facial expressions are especially brilliant. The music is orchestrated very appealingly with appropriate use of instruments. What Looney Tunes does so well also is how the music does so well in enhancing the action and humour, every note and phrase matches every gesture, expression and sound effect with no complaints to be had. The story is told briskly and consistently engaging for children and adults alike, the chemistry between Charlie and Porky and the imaginative sight gags really helps elevating to an even higher level. Porky is good here, he is better in support than in lead but he is still a likable character. But the best assets about Often an Orphan are Charlie and the dialogue. Charlie is just hilarious and I just wish he was in more cartoons, as well as being such a funny character he's endearing too. The dialogue is deliciously witty and very non-stop laughter quality, the best lines of course coming from Charlie(the towers monologue and when he tells Porky to shut up are classics), but Porky's Why you poor, unsanitary, old, underprivileged mongrel is deliciously condescending and one of his best ever quotes. Not to mention Mel Blanc, who is as always fantastic and delivers lines in the way only he would. In conclusion, hilarious. 10/10 Bethany Cox
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kevnar22 July 2004"No? Well then shut up!"
LMAO! Ten Stars right there. So exquisitely irreverent. You have to see it. Between this cartoon and Awful Orphan, Charlie the Dog is one of my top three favorite Looney Tunes Characters. I even like him more than Bugs Bunny who simply comes across as cocky and arrogant - someone who I wouldn't like very much if he were a real person.
Charlie the dog has meaningful motivation behind his actions - to find a home, and he doesn't always win in the end. He and Porky Pig have a non-stop banter that goes back and forth through the entire cartoon, combined with hilarious action, and sight-gags that crack me up every time.
If you get a chance to buy, rent, or catch either of these on TV, make sure you do. -
bob the moo27 March 2004When he is tricked and abandoned by his master, Charlie the Dog accepts his lot and moves on. Pulling every trick in the book, Charlie can't get anyone to stop and adopt him. Leaving the roadside, Charlie spots a right pigeon in farmer Porky Pig and sets out to be taken in as a farm dog.
Porky is not a great character where he is required to really carry the film - he works better in a solid partnership (ie Daffy Duck in full manic mode!). Happily for the audience, Charlie the dog is a great partner and is responsible for making this short as funny as it is. The plot sees the slick, smart dog Charlie trying to convince Porky that he should be his farm dog. The material is funny and Charlie easily gets way more than his fair share of good lines. The ending is a little lame but mostly it is funny stuff.
Porky is OK here, as he often is when working alongside a solid partner, but it is Charlie's film. The two share joint billing and many people may be surprised to see this minor character up there with Porky Pig. However I think it is vice versa - Porky should consider himself lucky to be above the title as Charlie does all the work and gets all the laughs. Without Charlie, Porky would only be able to get vague laughs out of this film - as shown by the vague laughs at the end.
Overall, a very funny and enjoyable cartoon - but it is 99% due to the dialogue and actions of Charlie combined with his great, city-smart delivery and attitude!