"Hittin' the Trail for Hallelujah Land" Merrie Melodies (Piggy title) Released: November 28, 1931 Length: 6:55 Starring: Piggy and Fluffy

Credits:

Supervision by - Rudolf Ising
Drawn by - Isadore Freleng, Paul Smith
Musical Score by - Frank Marsales

Summary:

Piggy the riverboat captain helps save Uncle Tom.

Description:

A riverboat is steaming its way down a river while its passengers sing the title tune. Fluffy is on her way to the dock, riding on a donkey-drawn carriage driven by Uncle Tom. Piggy, the riverboat captain, docks the ship just as Fluffy arrives. Fluffy boards the ship, as Piggy hauls her huge crate aboard. Fluffy bids Uncle Tom farewell as the boat leaves the dock. Piggy and Fluffy begin dancing to the music being made by the passengers, but Piggy is dancing on the railing of the ship and falls off. He gets his behind beaten by the paddle wheel before falling into the river. He swims to what he thinks is a rock, but turns out to be an angry alligator. Piggy reaches a log and attaches a plant to his tail to use as a propeller, then makes his getaway back to the boat, where he begins dancing again. Meanwhile, Uncle Tom is dozing off on his carriage, but his donkey's tail keeps hitting him in the face. He ties a rock to the tail, but it too hits him in the face and sends him flying into a cemetery. Three skeletons emerge from a grave and begin singing the title tune to the terrified Uncle Tom. He runs off and tries to get out a door, but the doorknob turns out to be another skeleton which pops out and taunts him. Tom finds a rowboat, but it has no bottom and it leaves him floating in the river. Piggy hears Uncle Tom's cries for help, so he dives into the river (his pants stay behind, until Piggy jumps back into them). As Piggy brings Tom to shore, Fluffy is attacked by a mustache-twirling villain. Piggy runs along the shore to a cargo hook, which he uses to pluck Fluffy and the villain off the boat. Piggy then uses the hook to lower the villain onto a buzz saw. Piggy and Fluffy laugh and the villain gets his bottom sawed.

Notes:

• This cartoon marks the second and final appearance of Piggy and Fluffy.

• This cartoon is part of the infamous "Censored 11", a group of Turner-controlled WB cartoons not allowed to be shown on TV or released to home video due to the use of black stereotypes.

• Disney Swipe: Compare a scene in this cartoon to a similar one from Disney's Steamboat Willie (1928):
  

Memorable Scenes:

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Video Availability:

None