And do it in a way that not only is a great way of introducing younger audiences to classical music, but be very well-made and hugely entertaining in its own right.One thing that stands out about 'Pigs in a Polka' is how beautifully animated it is. It's all vibrantly coloured, all the characters are well drawn and the backgrounds have so much smoothness and detail as well as being rich in colour. The animation also matches the music wonderfully, making for some inspired visuals and beautifully timed and often hilarious visual gags, the best moments coming from the wolf.'Pigs in a Polka' makes prominent use of Brahms' "Hungarian Dances". Not everybody is a fan of Brahms, this reviewer loves a lot of his music and feels that the "Hungarian Dances" is not only great music and arranged beautifully and cleverly but also used to outstanding effect, not just excelling in fitting with the gags but enhancing their impact.The gags, almost all the funny moments are visual, are hilarious and help make the cartoon such rewarding viewing. Every sequence is choreographed and timed with few misfires, and synchronise with the music so well. The story adheres nicely to the original story with its own spin, especially with the wolf, and avoids being rushed, too stretched, too thin or dull.All four characters carry 'Pigs in a Polka' more than solidly with their actions and interactions also playing a huge part in the entertainment value, Disney's "Three Little Pigs" Silly Symphony shorts have slightly more memorable versions and the three pigs are more individualised in them. However the pigs are quite cute and amusing, without being annoying, but the wolf whose personality is more interesting and his material makes more impact is the best of the bunch. The voice acting is dependably top-notch, Mel Blanc is great as the wolf though he has had more to do elsewhere.It is agreed that 'Pigs in a Polka' while never dull properly comes to life when the wolf appears and gets even better with him. The very end is a touch abrupt, though with great animation and use of music.Overall, a winner of a cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I remember that I first heard Johannes Brahms's "Hungarian Dances" in "The Great Dictator", when Charlie Chaplin is shaving the guy to the tune of that song. For "Pigs in a Polka", the Termite Terrace crowd continues its tradition of mixing classical music with wacky images, and they do a great job with it. OK, so "Three Little Pigs" is one of the easiest stories to spoof (they later applied music to it again with "Three Little Bops"), but how can you not like how the cartoon came out here? Probably the most eye-opening aspect is how, far from being a triad of warm, cuddly brothers, the pigs have some conflicts. The smartest one - who built his house out of bricks - doesn't like how his siblings take an irresponsible attitude towards everything.Among other things, we have to remember that these cartoons were not created for children. What they portray requires some knowledge of world history and culture. As it is, I've long considered it honorable that these cartoons could teach children about classical music (much like "What's Opera, Doc?" could).All in all, a very enjoyable cartoon short.

"This is our interpretation of the familiar tale of 'The Big Bad Wolf And The Three Little Pigs.'" An announcer is telling this to an audience, of which we are privy. He adds this story "is set to the delightful music of Joann Brahm's 'Hungarian Dances.'"So that's what we get: this fairy tale set to music. The announcer, butchering Brahms' name, is funny, but not a lot of other things are in here. In fact, that might be it. What you mainly have here is a cartoon in which the actions of the people, from walking to dancing and prancing to the wolf chasing the pigs all is set to the music. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer humor in my cartoons. This was not something I'd watch again.

"Pigs in a Polka" is a very good Warner Bros. cartoon, and it comes to no surprise that Friz Freleng directed it. Set to the various Hungarian dances of the great composer Johannes Brahms, this cartoon is essentially a humorous ballet of the Three Little Pigs story. As an avid music lover, Friz Freleng was aware that he needed to KNOW the music of Brahms in order for this cartoon to be effective, and he definitely succeeded. All of the action & dancing are perfectly in sync with the music, thus providing a nice variation to the usual Three Little Pigs story.My favorite highlights from "Pigs in a Polka" include the following (but watch the cartoon first before you read any further). With a New York accent, the Big Bad Wolf reads his Fantasiaesque introduction with elegant musical accompaniment. While Pig #3 is working hard at building his house, Pig #1 and Pig #2 frolic together and play their instruments, with Pig #2 having a dopey smile on his face as Pig #1 spins him around. The Wolf is quite funny during his opening Russian kick-dance down the road (with his outstretched arm signalling a turn). After the Wolf's gypsy dance, Pig #1 and Pig #2 hilariously dress up in similar getups with mischievous smiles on their faces! And later on, the Wolf pretends to be a poor old gypsy woman, but Pig #3 sees through his facade and, literally, changes his tune! In closing, let me just state two oddities about "Pigs in a Polka." First, the ending of this cartoon is quite abrupt, leaving the audience hanging. And second, the Three Little Pigs all look like Porky, but they aren't!