. . . during the first minute of FOGHORN LEGHORN, Warner Bros. animated short warning to America to be on guard against "America's Grandpa." Just before launching into the latest chapter of his serial killing spree, Grandpops Huxtable--oops, Gramps Hawk, that is--addresses the camera, saying, "You're going to hate me for what I'm about to do, but I am, after all, a Rich Guy--Er, Hawk," as if that should somehow make viewers feel better about this whole sordid episode. Since Warner has more than six minutes left to bring this Miscreant to Justice, most viewers will assume that Grandpops Hawk will get fed his just desserts. This is hardly the case. Grandpa, in fact, disappears with his lifeless victims a few seconds after launching his fatal assault, as local law enforcement--represented by title character FOGHORN LEGHORN and Barnyard Dawg--quibble over issues of jurisdiction and semantics. Ironically, while Warner's warning fell upon deaf ears among scores of women victims in its target audience, the U.S. Gay Community took it more to heart, making the smug villain here synonymous with sexual predation.

Once again, Henery Hawk is looking for a chicken to catch and once again, he doesn't know what a chicken looks like. When he sees his father looking at Foghorn Leghorn, the father, because he doesn't like his son tagging along, tells him he's not a chicken but a "snook". Supposedly because his ego is deflated, Foghorn keeps trying to convince Henery he really is a chicken. Of course, there's also the Barnyard Dog he has to deal with...Seeing the Southern rooster make some awful puns always gets a smile from me and occasionally even a laugh and it's always great to see him and the Barnyard Dog play tricks on each other. While Henery also provides some amusement, I was glad when he was eventually jettisoned for some other supporting characters like Prissy and her intellectual son. Anyway, The Foghorn Leghorn is another classic from the Robert McKimson unit.

Little Henery is a young chicken whose dad won't let him hunt for chickens yet and he's frustrated. "I'm a chicken hawk and I've never even seen a chicken," he complains. His dad has been telling him how huge and ferocious chickens are, to discourage him, but Henery decides enough is enough....he's going looking for his first chicken! (It turns out, as Henery's dad explains to the audience as he lurks outside of Ferndale Farms, "I hated to tell Henery falsehoods about chickens but a kid would only be in my way.""You're probably going to hate me for what I am about to do but, after all, I am a chicken hawk," he tells us....than goes inside the coop and begins with a loud Dracula-type laugh- sound which terrifies the chickens but is very funny. However, from that point, that's the last we see of Dad as the big rooster, "Foghorn Leghorn," enters the picture and takes over from there, battling the little chicken hawk in a war of words more than anything else.This was very good animated short with some clever comedy bits and great dialog from "Foghorn." I'd like to hear more from him.

Before "chicken hawk" referred to a warmonger who never served in the army, the Looney Tunes cartoons used the term. "The Foghorn Leghorn" features the eponymous blustery rooster trying to prove to Henery Hawk that he, Foghorn Leghorn, is in fact a chicken (rooster, that is) and not a schnook. Of course, this involves a series of self-degrading gags usually resulting in Foghorn irritating Barnyard Dog.The plot line here is basically the same as in Foghorn's debut "Walky Talky Hawky", except that Foghorn is now the star. So, even if the cartoon isn't the ultimate masterpiece, it's always great to see what sorts of things Foghorn gets himself into. I recommend, I SAY I recommend this cartoon.