What's In the Cave?

Fast chases, odd characters (two-headed camel, two-bodied giraffe) and Tex Avery seeing how far a cocoanut can journey are the highlights of Half-Pint Pygmy.

There's a darkness gag. George, Junior and the pygmy run into a cave. It's dark. George strikes a match.



A tiger! And a tiger take.



George, Junior and the pygmy rush out of the cave and hide behind a rock. The effects artist gets out the dry-brush.



Junior comes out of hiding behind the rock. George is under Junior. The pygmy is under George. And it turns out the tiger is under the pygmy.



Take. Exit.



Boxoffice magazine quoted from an MGM news release in its July 19, 1947 the cartoon was in “preparation.” Daily Variety reported on December 17 the cartoon was completed. It was released Aug. 7, 1948.

Said Boxoffice:

Half-Pint Pygmy
MGM (Technicolor Cartoon) 7 Mins.
Good. Two half-human creatures read an advertisement offering a reward for the smallest pygmy in the world and immediately make tracks for darkest Africa. There after super-human efforts that include encounters with lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes and other fauna, they finally capture a tiny pygmy—only to learn there is another still smaller.

Said the Motion Picture Herald:

HALF-PINT PYGMY (MGM)
Technicolor Cartoon (W-941)
Into darkest Africa where pygmies dwell goes cartoon director Tex Avery. He brings the sad story of a pygmy with an inferiority complex.

Said The Exhibitor:

HALF-PINT PYGMY. MGM—Cartoon. 7m. When a reward is posted for the capture of the world’s smallest pygmy, the two bears set sail for Africa to pint the prize. Spying what they think is the tiny treasure, they make many vain attempts to capture the pygmy, with ensuing chases causing the hunters much grief, they finally catch up with the small pygmy, the bears are then introduced to an even smaller pygmy, who scurries away into the distance. Thwarted, the hunters shoot themselves. FAIR. (W-941)

Perhaps Tex really did kill them off. He made no more cartoons with George and Junior.

Keith Scott has determined Avery played Junior while Wally Maher (the voice of Screwy Squirrel) was George.

Heck Allen was Avery’s gagman in this. The credited animators were Bill Shull, Louis Schmitt, Walt Clinton and Grant Simmons.