Porky the Wrestler

Porky the Wrestler
Porky the Wrestler
	Title card
Directed by	Fred Avery
Produced by	Leon Schlesinger
Starring	Joe Dougherty
Music by	Carl W. Stalling
Animation by	Charles Jones; Elmer Wait
Color process	Black and white
Production; company	Leon Schlesinger Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Productions; The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date	January 9, 1937;
Running time	7 min
Country	United States
Language	English

Porky the Wrestler is a 1937 American animated comedy short film directed by Fred Avery.^[1] The short was released on January 9, 1937. It is the 80th film in the Looney Tunes series and the eighteenth cartoon to feature Porky Pig.^[2]^[3]

Plot

A highly anticipated wrestling match occurs in town, so a multitude of animals, including Porky Pig, struggle while hitchhiking. A car which Porky Pig attempts to hitchhike breaks down, with the driver also hitchhiking. A driver refuses Porky service after Porky requests to be driven to the match. Fortunately, one of the wrestlers generously takes him in. Unfortunately, the wrestler falls into the sewers, causing Porky to be confused as the wrestler.

Porky is hurried to the fight against a hulking wrestler. He is immediately thrown like a ball and pinned, but uses his size to his advantage as he sneaks away, leading to the wrestler to pin his own leg. To the confusion of Porky and the referee, the wrestler immediately starts to expel smoke like a train and runs at a steady pace, with them being chased and somehow holding on him like passengers. Amenities are served, the bell is rung and an audience member opens the wall to find that the arena is somehow moving. Porky lets go and the wrestler immediately does the "Airplane Spin", leaping while holding Porky, flying like an airplane then pinning him. Horrified, Porky hides in the carpet but is slammed into one of the corners; this proves to be the wrestler's undoing, as he launches Porky into the back of his own head and knocks himself out. Porky is declared the winner by proxy, as the wrestler fails to alert the referee on time of his consciousness and flattens his hand instead.

Home media

Porky the Wrestler is available on disc 1 of the Porky Pig 101 DVD set.^[4]

References

↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 52. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 124–126. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
↑ Parten, James (February 18, 2020). "Looney Tunes 1936–37: We've Got Ourselves a Star… Let's Get Another". Cartoon Research. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
↑ Beck, Jerry (August 16, 2017). "Warner Archive Announces "Porky Pig 101" DVD Collection". Animation Scoop. Retrieved July 16, 2026.

[Beck-1] Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 52. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.

[2] Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 124–126. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.

[3] Parten, James (February 18, 2020). "Looney Tunes 1936–37: We've Got Ourselves a Star… Let's Get Another". Cartoon Research. Retrieved June 23, 2026.

[4] Beck, Jerry (August 16, 2017). "Warner Archive Announces "Porky Pig 101" DVD Collection". Animation Scoop. Retrieved July 16, 2026.

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