You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)

You Ought to Be in Pictures Review

You Ought to Be in Pictures is a 1940 animated short film from the Looney Tunes series. It is a spectacular cartoon.

This is the first ever Warner Bros. live-action/animated film and one of the first of that kind overall and thus it should be appreciated even more. So Porky Pig asks from Leon Schlesinger himself to go to live-action feature films instead of cartoons on Daffy Duck’s recommendation, but of course the duck’s plan is to replace Porky and take his job. The plot is excellent and although it needed more gags, it is a hugely entertaining film despite being ten minutes long.

Porky is wonderful here and finally he’s a star in his own film and he is exceedingly endearing and likable. Daffy is not just mischievous, but here he’s actually conniving and sly and thus the film is important for finally establishing him as a manipulative, smart figure. Both are excellent and Leon himself is such a likable, wonderful presence. The animation is fantastic as was seeing the studios from Warner Bros. I loved the action on screen and the fact that animation is so well incorporated into the real world and in 1940 no less is downright impressive.

You Ought to Be in Pictures is not only incredibly charming, but also highly authentic in approach and important in Daffy’s characterization leading to the very best Warner Bros. cartoon so far.

My Rating – 4.6