Half-Pint Pygmy (1948) Online

Tex Avery is very popular in France and supposedly all his cartoons were recently issued on a 4 DVD set. When the set finally came out, all the Tex Avery specialists here ( and there are quite a few of them ) discovered to their absolute disgust and horror that two cartoons had "deliberately" been omitted from the set without any warning from the editor !! Moreover, the editors themselves refused to acknowledge the existence of these two cartoons ( talk about a sick joke ! ) This cartoon is one of the 2 concerned !. The other is called 'Uncle Tom's Cabana'. Totally against censorship and political correctness, I was determined to see Half Pint Pygmy and found it on video cassette. Having watched it a few times, I can't for the life of me think why such a cartoon should have been banned. It's not one of Avery's funniest cartoons ( that privilege goes to Magical Maestro ). it's simply about an excursion to find the smallest pigmy in the world with the usual pursuits etc common to cartoons. In fact it's the pigmy himself who has the last laugh on his pursuers as no one ever manages to catch him !!

Half-Pint Pygmy has to be seen to be believed but isn't that the case with most Tex Avery cartoons especially the ones he made for MGM. George and Junior search for the world's smallest pygmy. When they do, he manages to elude them for most of the short! There are all kinds of gags involving alligator bags, hiding places for various animals, hitting the wrong fellows, and who's being scared of whom. And, yes, there's a stereotypical watermelon gag for the little guy. Still, with a cartoon this outrageous, anything goes! If you really want to see this, it's for now available on YouTube. I most certainly heartily recommend it as I would for most Tex Avery cartoons.

George, a bear, and his big oaf of a kid, Junior (in their last appearances in a run of shorts), go after the smallest pygmy that they can find. This short revolves around the attempted capture of said pygmy. This Tex Avery directed, Heck Allen written short, sadly won't get much airplay in the least anymore because of racial stereotypes (at one point they lure the black pygmy out with watermelon). Which is a shame as the cartoon as a whole is pretty funny. But such is the way in this sadly politically correct world that we live in. Bash Catholics, Christians, white men, or heterosexuals and it's seemingly OK. But innocent cartoons for the most part are banned and white-washed. It's a shame really.

My Toon Grade: B

This short is quite funny, but it's an odd one, even for Avery. Part of a series of shorts featuring two characters called George and Junior, most of this centers around the activity of a very small pygmy, somewhat reminiscent of Inki from the Warner Brothers shorts. Unlikely to be in general release due to caricatures, it is worth hunting down nonetheless. Recommended.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best ever made by anybody. 'Half-Pint Pygmy' doesn't represent him at his best, this was prime-era Tex Avery (1940s at the MGM) and most other cartoons from this period were far more representative of that which does make the cartoon a slight disappointment. While it is a long way from being one of his funniest or most inventive, 'Half-Pint Pygmy' is not a bad cartoon at all.

Really though, the less than subtle racial stereotypes (the reason why the cartoon is banned from television and not particularly well known) and predictability are the only drawbacks. Although it is not hilarious, 'Half-Pint Pygmy' does have very amusing moments (especially with the pygmy) and is timed well, and while Avery's wild and wacky approach that is so distinctive comes through stronger elsewhere this is hardly devoid of either.

George and Junior are an appealing and amusing double act but it's the pygmy steals the show. Avery is also on voice acting duty and he shows as much talent for that as he had for directing and animating, both of which he also does a characteristically very good job.

It is no surprise that the animation is superb, being rich in colour and detail. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.

Overall, nowhere near classic Avery but worth tracking down as long as one knows what to expect. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"Half-Pint Pygmy" is an MGM cartoon from 1948, 3 years after World War II ended, so this one will have its 70th anniversary soon. The title already gives away that this one here is all about catching the smallest pygmy, an interesting little world turned upside down with animals and humans. The director (not the writer this time) and voice actor for this 7-minute movie is Tex Avery, who is still pretty well-known today. But this film here does not justify his success. I have seen better film from him and I would still not call myself a fan. Some of it is more about being noisy and wild than about it being really funny or witty. This is also a problem here. I give "Half-Pint Pygmy" a thumbs-down and do not recommend the watch.

Did anyone notice that the octopus from Half Pint Pygmy is the same as the one serving drinks in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"? I'd always wondered where this character came from and was surprised to find it in this BANNED cartoon. (Thanks to Japan's lax censorship guidelines, it was shown on the Cartoon Network on a Saturday morning, no less.) After viewing Roger Rabbit recently, some writers had speculated that the Octopus was generic with "Dopey's" face, but it can be clearly identified as the eight-legged creature from Half Pint Pygmy. Can anyone identify this octopus from showing up again in a prior or later cartoon?