. . . a billboard in the American Wastelands near the beginning of WAGON HEELS. When you stop and think about it, maybe it wasn't. A map shown just before the billboard pops up suggests that the United States consisted of the 13 Original Colonies in 1849, plus newcomers Florida and Maine. Hostile Native Americans controlled the remainder of the land, stretching from the Appalachian Range to the Pacific Ocean, WAGON WHEELS teaches us. Talk about a sweet set-up! Just think, the entire country was on EASTERN Standard Time. Sports results ALWAYS made the morning editions (since Thomas Edison had yet to install lights at Yankee Stadium, and football, basketball, and ice hockey had yet to be invented). Eastern ball clubs had no grueling West Coast trips to dread; even Chicago was in the Forbidden Zone, and the only Cubs there nursed on mama bear. If WAGON HEELS has it right, Tinsel Town could have been a Miami suburb, rather that a foothills slum. This is the sort of picture that could entice even Porky's friends into ordering BLT's!

One of the many simultaneously racist and clever Warner Bros. cartoons, Bob Clampett's "Wagon Heels" lets everything all out. I seem to recall that there was an earlier cartoon with almost the exact same plot (it may have been "Injun Trouble"). Anyway, the plot has Porky Pig leading a wagon train through the Old West, called Injun Joe Territory. Injun Joe is probably the nastiest dude out there, but a silly pioneer knows a secret about Joe. Yep, it's all part of our cultural myth of manifest destiny...as an excuse for some crazy gags! So, more than anything, these cartoons serve to represent stereotypes about different people. On the Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVDs (this one appears on Volume 5), there's a disclaimer explaining that some of the cartoons contain racist images. And the depictions of American Indians were very likely the most negative. But even so, you can't deny that Bob Clampett had some truly ideas when it came to cartoons. I recommend it as a look at previously acceptable stereotypes. And of course for the clever tricks.

This was a pretty weird cartoon, but very interesting. The sight gags made this a winner. There were some very bizarre sights, believe me.The "cast of characters" were Porky Pig, his horse, Sloppy Moe and Injun Joe (rhyme not intended). I enjoyed everyone except "Sloppy Moe," some blue, ghost-like cowboy figure with a dumb voice who was too stupid for laughs. However, the rest were very entertaining. Who doesn't like Porky Pig? His horse in this Western tale was just as funny, if not more so. Injun Joe, The Super Chief, also was good, a combination Paul Bunyan and Superman, until his weakness was revealed!Even better than the characters was the art in here. This is nice-looking cartoon and Warner Brothers did a nice job restoring it for their Golden Collection Volume Five. Those great colors and art made the sight gags work even more.In addition, one gets a history lesson. I never knew Injun Joe owned almost all of America according to the map we see at the beginning! Porky is a lookout-scout for the wagon train which is heading west from New York City. Along the way, we see corny signs in the road and on the different wagons, but they are fun to read. That's subtle to the wild things that happen after they reach Injun Joe's territory.

According to this history lesson, Mighty redskin Injun Joe, the Super Chief (woo woo) owned most of the USA by sheer force in the year of our Lord 1849. Luckily a Wagon Train leaves New York for California lead by fearless scout Porky Pig on his black horsey. When they stumble on a massacre sight (good gravy and heavens to Betsy!) Porky has to be a hero and take on that mighty Super Chief Injun Joe (woo woo). Suddenly this blue tippy toed idiot character called Sloppy Moe pops up out of nowhere to agitate the Porker and us, the viewers. I really don't see how anyone could find this character even remotely funny. Luckily the Super Chief himself turns out to be pretty impressive (woo woo!), splitting mountains and everything else in his way without even lifting a finger. Bear traps, wild animals and impassible streams are nothing to him (but neither can they stop Porkys horsey from getting his master where he needs to go). Now that screwball Sloppy Moe starts bothering the Mighty Injun (boo woo). This prompts him to attack the wagon train on his little wooden horse. The frontier men retaliate by firing talking guns straight out of Roger Rabbit's Toontown, but Joe the Mighty uses entire tree trunks for arrows and spits their bullets back at them. Yes, once again the references to war are clearly apparent. Finally Porky and Sloppy take on the incredible red skinned hulk in a surprising finale that almost, but not quite, makes you forgive Sloppy Moe for being so annoying.8 out of 10