The Old Pioneer is the second MGM Happy Harmonies cartoon, released on September 29, 1934.
Plot[]
An old geezer- with perhaps a bit of Baron Munchausen in him- tells of his heroic exploits to a newsboy hawking papers at a cigar store, with a huge statue of a wooden Indian outside. The pioneer tells of how he defended his people while crossing the desert through Indian territory. One lone Indian scout and his horse spot the wagons at a campsite and run back to get help. All the warriors put on their warpaint (rouge, lipstick, etc.) before they attack. The pioneer helps save a juvenile Indian explorer from certain death from a fall off a cliff. He then saves his wagon train from an Indian attack because of his friendship with the Indian boy. The grateful Chief says, "Paleface my friend," and offers the pioneer a peace pipe; the latter says, "Thankee, Chief, have a smoke yourself!!" This leads to the pioneer concluding to the newsboy, "And that, my boy, is how that Injun got them purty cigars!"
Notes[]
- This is the first Happy Harmonies short to actually be called such.
- The Turner dubbed print is on the Myrna Loy and William Powell Collection - Disc 1 (Manhattan Melodrama) DVD. It has been restored with DNVR, hence the constant flickering.