Thanks for the memories!

Good idea lost in the noise

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

. . . in this Warner Bros. animated short, OF RICE AND HEN. Barnyard Dog also plays a key role. Neither is as flashy as Priscilla the Hen, though. Also, there are a few other hens involved here. Zero, however, is the number of times Henery Chicken Hawk puts in an appearance. Insidious machinations induce Foghorn to marry Priscilla. Sly Barnyard Dog dresses up as a giant rooster to fool Foghorn into thinking that he's no longer the Top Crower on his farm. Ghastly consequences ensue. Alternate realities can be seen as one of the themes displayed by OF RICE AND HEN. Generous helpings of gratuitous violence precede the matrimonial climax. Gone is Foghorn Leghorn's insufferable swagger by the end of this tale, as he laments that maybe he should have AVOIDED tying the knot with Miss Prissy. Early indications aside, it is possible that the union between Miss Prissy and Foghorn is headed for a "quickie" dissolution via a Reno divorce before their next Looney Tunes outing hits the screen. Dare we say that Barnyard Dog's life will be no bed of roses once the Truth outs as to his involvement as the Mastermind behind getting Foghorn to wed Miss Prissy? "Many happy returns" is probably NOT among the things said by the titular Rice Throwers at the close of the Foghorn-Prissy nuptials. Everything will be clear, however, if you just examine the very beginning of each aspect of Foghorn's cruel sentence to live the rest of his life with Miss Prissy.

Once again, Miss Prissy tries to win Foghorn Leghorn's heart, while the immature Foggy keeps trying to avoid her, while Barnyard Dog decides to enter the scheme. By now it should be clear that Foggy is probably the least inclined of all the Looney Tunes to do anything productive: he either wants to play pranks - especially if they involve tormenting the dog - and sit around all day. "Of Rice and Hen" also makes clear that the other hens treat Miss Prissy like dirt. There are some true heels in the Warner Bros. animation universe.Anyway, it's a funny cartoon. Foghorn Leghorn must have been one of the most enjoyable characters for Mel Blanc to voice.

Foghorn Leghorn, a character I appreciate even more than I did 10+ years ago, and his cartoons are always entertaining. Of Rice and Hen is no exception, though I do think that Foghorn has done better. The animation has been cleaner and sharper before and since, though the colours are very nice to look at, Prissy while essential to the plot is a little bland compared to Foghorn and Barnyard and I'll be honest in saying that I am starting to get tired of seeing Foghorn smacking Barnyard with a wooden object on the bottom(it was fun a certain number of times, repeated in what feels like every cartoon of his it does feel tiresome). The music is energetic and beautifully orchestrated, Foghorn's song is one that gets in your head in a good way. The writing is very witty and funny, Foghorn's dialogue is as sharp as ever and the repetition is never annoying. The visual gags also make a good impact, the sight of Barnyard disguising himself as a rooster is priceless. Barnyard is a cunning foil though also showing a somewhat caring side towards Prissy. But it is Foghorn who steals the show, helped by a story and writing that compliments his personality. Mel Blanc's voice work as always is sterling. All in all, a solid Foghorn Leghorn entry that just falls short of being great. 7/10 Bethany Cox

For those who think that all Foghorn Leghorn cartoons follow the same pattern, especially the ones involving Prissy the lovelorn Hen, this one has some surprises in store. One of them is that Foggy never sings "Camptown Races", as he's learned a new Calypso song instead. Even more surprising is that Foghorn does something noble for a change!All the hens have new born chicks except Prissy (she's to much of a D.R.I.P.), and most of those spiteful hens sound exactly like Betty Rubble. When Foghorn saves Prissy from committing suicide, she tries to impress him with a Mexican dance. However, Foggy belongs to Bachelors Anonymous and is more interested in spanking the dog. We finally learn where he gets those planks from: he simply rips them off the fence.When the old hound dog decides to help the little old gall out, for once he uses psychology instead of brute force. After all these years of Foggy trying to make him out for being something other than a dog, it is amazing to see Barnyard dress up as a rooster of his own accord! The sight and sound of the dog playing a love struck rooster has to be seen to be believed and naturally this proves to be Foghorns undoing.7 out of 10