| I Haven't Got a Hat | |
| Director: | Isadore Freleng |
| Animator: | Rollin Hamilton Jack King |
| Music: | Bernard Brown |
| Producer: | Leon Schlesinger |
| Studio: | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
| Distributor: | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Color Process: | Technicolor (two-color) |
| Language: | English |
I Haven't Got a Hat is a 1935 animated short film, directed by Isadore Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions as part of the Merrie Melodies series.[1] Released on March 2, 1935, the short is notable for featuring the first appearance of several Warner Bros. cartoon characters, most notably future cartoon star Porky Pig. Beans the Cat, a minor Looney Tunes star in 1935-1936, also made his first appearance in this cartoon.[2]
I Haven't Got a Hat was one of the earliest Technicolor Merrie Melodies, and (because of Walt Disney's exclusive deal with Technicolor at the time) was produced using Technicolor's two-color process (red and green) instead of its more expensive and advanced three-strip process.
A teacher, Miss Cud, introduces a school musical and recital. The show begins with a frantically stuttering Porky Pig's dramatic rendition of "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere". Then nervous Little Kitty tries to recite "Mary Had a Little Lamb", but she forgets her lines. Two cute puppies, Ham and Ex, sing a humorous love song, "I Haven't Got a Hat".
Meanwhile, sitting at their desks, Beans the Cat is getting increasingly frustrated by Oliver Owl, who has a bag full of candy but refuses to share any of it. Oliver is called to the stage for a piano piece, and he plays a simple beginner's piece. Out for revenge, Beans sneaks outside, and reaches through the window to place a dog and a cat inside Oliver's piano. The result appears to be that Oliver plays a magnificently difficult piece, and the crowd applauds, but then the dog and cat run out of the piano, earning jeers from the audience. Beans and Oliver lash out at each other, but only manage to get covered in paint and fountain pen ink.
Inspired by the Hal Roach Our Gang live-action shorts, the short introduces several new characters as grade school students in the hope that some would catch on.[3] The stuttering Porky Pig, who debuts in this cartoon, was the breakout star.[1]