Awful Orphan (1949)
Awful Orphan Review
Awful Orphan is a 1949 animated short film from the Merry Melodies series. It is a very strong flick.
Charlie Dog returns to torment Porky Pig in this short, and he has never been as manipulative as he is here. Though the first half is more standard stuff, the second half is where the movie becomes truly great and incredibly memorable. The set-up is solid, but the conclusion is very dark and it works.
The roles are changed, Porky has snapped and he now plays the dog in the relationship. I found that evil, maniacal face of his very memorable, and the entire conclusion is amusing, but also memorably crazy. Porky was too cruel at first, but Charlie mostly deserved it how annoying and terrible he is. I find this character superb, and one of the more underrated characters from the series.
Awful Orphan is so good, particularly in its very dark second half, and both characters are truly terrific here.
