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Often an Orphan is a 1949 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.
Plot
A car drives up near a farm for a picnic and a man comes out, with Charlie the dog coming out shortly after him. The man throws a stick, and when Charlie is off getting it, the man packs up and leaves in his car, deliberately leaving the dog behind. After Charlie is dumped, he tries various tricks to attract new owners from the people driving along the road. After three failures in various ways, he hears Porky Pig singing and decides to go talk to him. He annoys Porky though as he says he is 50% various dogs but is mostly a Labrador Retriever. He eventually drives Porky crazy and is kicked off his property. A series of gags then ensues with Charlie trying to become Porky's dog, with them all failing until Porky is about to kick Charlie out but is stopped by a nearby humane society worker, who is spying on Porky, who does not want to get in trouble with the law. Porky then sings Rock-a-bye Baby as he carries Charlie back and after the Humane Society worker leaves puts Charlie down. Porky demands that Charlie leaves, but Charlie sadly and dramatically pleads Porky not to kick him out, as he always wanted to live in the country, and not the city, while Porky finally feels ashamed of himself and his actions:
- Charlie Dog: All my life I've dreamed of the day I could go and live in the country. I'm not strong. I need lots of fresh air, and milk, and cream... [Coughs] a-a-and fresh leafy veggie-tables! [Sobs]
- Porky: B-b-b-but I -
- Charlie Dog: Good, clean, wholesome farm living! [Sobs]
- Porky: B-b-b-but I -
- Charlie Dog: And now... [Sniffs] Now... Now that I got a chance to regain my health, you wanna send me back to the city. The city! I can see it all now. It's high towers! Cold, cruel, ominous! Closing down on ya! From every side till ya can't breathe! Closer! Closer! [Begins to choke] Ya can't breathe...! The traffic! Ya can't think! BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! LOOK OUT FOR THAT TRUCK! HONK HONK! LOOK OUT FOR THAT TAXI! BOINNNG! BREEP-BREEP! AROOOOGAH! HONK HONK! BEEP BEEP! Ah...! Hark. What's that? Look! It's the towers! THEY'RE FALLING! [Screams, then collapses onto ground]
Porky finally feels sorry for Charlie's traumatic experience in the city and tricks Charlie into accepting him as a pet and puts him in a "sleeping bag" (which is actually a golf bag) which he promptly shuts and sends Charlie off to Scotland in it. However, when Porky returns Charlie is there in Scottish attire complete with a bagpipe and he eventually drives Porky into accepting him as a pet with the bagpipe's annoying music. Porky promptly suggests a picnic afterwards and he decides to head to the middle of a desert to do it. As Porky unpacks the food and calls Charlie out to catch the stick he has, Charlie comes running out. Porky proceeds to throw the stick and Charlie runs to the car instead of going after the stick and drives off, deliberately leaving Porky behind. Porky then becomes angry and starts going crazy, acting like a dog and is picked up by the county dog catcher, who picks him up and puts him in the back with the other dogs where he barks with them.
Availability
- LaserDisc - Ham on Wry: The Porky Pig Laser Collection
- VHS - Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 2: Running Amuck
- DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6, Disc 1
- DVD - Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 1, Disc 1 (as a part of The Porky Pig Show, without the opening and closing titles)
- Streaming - HBO Max
Notes
- The cartoon was reissued in the 1959-60 season, evident from WARNER BROS without a dot on the BR opening. The opening AND ending are replaced, because most of the cartoons reissued in the 1959-64 season had both replaced.
- The opening was originally special, but the cartoon's original title was plastered over when it was reissued in the 1959-64 season.
- While Charlie is ranting about the city he says, "The towers! They're falling!" which people on the internet assume is a prediction of the September 11, 2001, attacks. An entire video about the quote was uploaded to YouTube in September 2011.
