I remember seeing this cartoon as a child and I have always enjoyed it. Porky is having trouble learning the Pledge of Allegiance, when he's about to give up, Uncle Sam himself shows up and gives him a history lesson. I like the semi-realistic portrayal of Uncle Sam and the historical figures, though it's nothing like later Looney Tunes and/or Chuck Jones' trademark style. Also, I'm surprised most people don't know that the "Under God" line is a later addition! It was always in heavy rotation around the 4th of July on various syndicated Looney Tunes packages, so I and lots of others my age are very familiar with it.

I wish there were additional animated characters, like Bugs Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd having to learn the Pledge of Allegiance, and with different historic events for each one. Then, additional history facts would be taught, along with each character. Such as Nathan Hale being caught and hanged by the British, in August of 1776, as one fact. It was in January of 1959 that Alaska became the 49th United State and in August of 1959, Hawaii became the 50th United State. Then the current United States of America Flag of 50 stars would be shown. There also should be previous Flag designs, before Betsy Ross' ideal flag creation.

I first saw this Porky Pig educational cartoon short on Buskin Bill's Storyland in the Bicentenial year of 1976. I later saw it after James Cagney's Yankee Doodle Dandy on a Saturday night on that same channel of WAFB-9, Baton Rouge, La. (possibly on the 4th of July). Having recently seen it on YouTube, I must marvel at how bright the colors are compared to the washed-out tones I remember from way back when. Great use of having Uncle Sam telling our stuttering hero about the American Revolution and subsequent events with wonderful realistic animation throughout to make their point. Highly recommended to any child who wonders why history is so important to learn.

Directed by Chuck Jones, "Old Glory" is a wonderful Warner Bros. cartoon starring our favorite pig Porky. This cartoon is quite unique for one very simple reason: there is absolutely no humor! Porky is a schoolboy who struggles to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and eventually gives up when his speech impairment gets the best of him. But just then, Uncle Sam appears and, through a series of flashbacks, calmly and gently instructs Porky about a little American history so that he may understand why it is important to learn the Pledge of Allegiance. Porky learns a fair amount concerning the Revolutionary War days, and with a fantastic music score by Carl Stalling, the most memorable and exciting flashback sequence is that of Paul Revere warning his fellow colonists of the British army's approach. By the end of this short, Porky wises up and, with a little stuttering, successfully recites the Pledge of Allegiance.If I only had one concern about "Old Glory," it's the fact that this cartoon attempts to capsulate the history of the United States of America within a brief nine minutes; Uncle Sam's talk about the Americans' migration to the West is especially brief and ends quite abruptly. Nevertheless, "Old Glory" is undoubtedly a memorable film that really touches Porky's heart as he learns about American history. Part of the charm and brilliance of this cartoon is the presence of such important Americans as Paul Revere, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Equally astonishing are the authentically reproduced signatures of John Hancock (for the Declaration of American Independence) and George Washington (for the Constitution of the United States).