Majorthebys
Charming and brutal
ShangLuda
Admirable film.
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Ogosmith
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
Well, these 7 minutes are not necessarily anti-smoking in general, just when it comes to young people smoking. Porky, who was still Warner Bros' biggest star around that time, smokes a cigarette and has the strangest hallucinations as a result from it. This is originally a black-and-white cartoon, even if there are colored versions out there. I thought this was neither too funny nor too smart in terms of the story, so if this cartoon is worth the watch for any reason, then it is because of its general weirdness from start to finish and several famous people from that era being included as cartoon characters, such as the 3 Stooges. Mel Blanc did most of the voice work and Frank Tashlin directed while George Manuell wrote this piece. These two may not be as known as Jones, Maltese or Freleng, but also worked on many Warner Bros. cartoons. All in all, not among the company's best. Good message, but not so great execution.
slymusic
Directed by Frank Tashlin, "Wholly Smoke" is a very good black-and-white Porky Pig cartoon dealing with the avoidance of smoking. On his way to Sunday school, Porky is diverted by a cigar-chomping gangster. This leads him directly into a smoke shop, where many horrors await Porky.My favorite moments from "Wholly Smoke": The gangster does various flashy tricks with his cigar, but when Porky tries the same tricks, he fails. (Helping this scene along is, of course, Carl Stalling's music score.) At the smoke shop, I recognize caricatures of the Three Stooges (Larry, Curly, and Moe), Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby, and Rudy Vallee."Wholly Smoke" features a very early version of Porky Pig that I especially admire - an adorable little child, determined to do what is right. Indeed, by the end of this cartoon, Porky learns his lesson - NO SMOKING.
Lee Eisenberg
Frank Tashlin's "Wholly Smoke" appears to be a cartoon version of "Reefer Madness". The plot has Porky Pig on his way to Sunday school when a thug gets him to take a puff from a cigar. From there, Porky experiences a sort of acid trip in which a character named Nick O. Teen shows him cigarette and cigar caricatures of celebrities of the era (The Three Stooges, Bing Crosby, etc.) warning Porky not to smoke.Like I said, it's a "Reefer Madness" kind of idea: a wholesome youth takes one puff and gets hooked. Of course, this cartoon basically got everything right while "RM" got everything wrong (it claimed that marijuana is a narcotic; in reality, marijuana is a weed). And besides, marijuana doesn't kill people, while countless people have died from cigarettes. And you don't even want to know what they put in the cigarettes. The people behind this cartoon may have not known how accurate a cartoon they made.So, it is a pretty neat cartoon. Not all that preachy, just a little bit hokey what with the Sunday school part. Mind you, there is a black-face scene.
emasterslake
just a reminder that this was made back when smoking was still a common thing for the public. And didn't know that smoking was not healthy to do.Porky was given 5 cents to give at church and was told not to spend it.On his way to the chapel, he find a kid smoking a cigar. He tells him little kids shouldn't smoke. The kid doesn't think Porky is man enough to smoke. So Porky bet on his nickel that he can smoke.After getting dizzy and coughing a lot he winds up at a smoke shop. And is greeted by Nick O'Teen the smoke cloud dude. He was pleased to see that Porky is interested in smoking so Nick tests if Porky really does like to smoke. But getting his pipe, cigar, cigarette and tobacco friends to sing and remind that little kids shouldn't smoke.For a cartoon this old it does have a good message in letting kids know that you shouldn't smoke at a young age.But if this was made decades later it be "Smoking is bad for you". But can't blame the way people thought of smoking back in the olden days.Sad thing is this is one of the many Looney Tunes that's been censored a few times. I never seen an uncut version or uncensored version of this fine cartoon.I hope one day it'll be part of a collection of uncut Looney Tunes DVD.