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Fish Tales (1936) movie poster

Timeline

Fish Tales (1936) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1936 · 7 mins · English
Directed by
Jack King
Starring
Joe Dougherty

Porky Pig goes fishing. It’s not quite the outing he anticipated.

Animation Family Comedy Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (11)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Fish Tales
  5. 5 Every angle

11 events in order · contains spoilers

Fish Tales Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Fish Tales (1936) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Worms follow Porky to the boat

    Porky Pig goes fishing and two worms emerge from their hole and follow him to his boat. He makes it clear he wants the worms to go into a can, and the first worm promptly hops inside. The second worm, depicted as a woman wearing gloves and high heels, is initially coy but is hauled into the can as well. The odd cargo accompanies Porky as he prepares to fish.

    Where
    Porky's boat

  2. Engine roars to life and the sea becomes chaotic

    Porky starts the engine and the boat lurches into a wild ride. The vessel speeds across the ocean, bucking and weaving with dizzying energy. It charges toward a battleship ahead, then dives up and down as if riding a roller coaster.

    Where
    Open sea

  3. Collision with the battleship and dinner-table destruction

    The boat crashes into the battleship, shocking Navy sailors and slicing the dinner table in half. Debris and alarms erupt as Porky's craft slips through the ship's corridors in a comic mishap. The collision marks the start of a chaotic chase between Porky and the battleship's crew.

    Where
    Battleship

  4. Escape as the battleship sinks

    Porky manages to wriggle the boat back out of the ship just as it begins to sink beneath the waves. The battleship's compartments flood while Porky watches the hull disappear. He brings the boat to a stop on the surface and breathes a sigh of relief, though the sea remains wild around him.

    Where
    Battleship

  5. Back on deck, fishing continues and fatigue sets in

    Back on the boat, Porky returns to fishing and soon hauls in a fish head trophy that he tosses back into the water. He fills a bucket with a bunch of fish and looks visibly tired afterwards. With a heavy yawn, he decides to rest for a moment and drifts toward sleep.

    Where
    On the boat

  6. Porky drifts into a dream as the sea rocks him

    Porky arranges a rope as a pillow and drifts off to sleep on the rocking deck. In his dream, an anthropomorphic hunter fish with a fishing-rod gun readies the weapon and fires toward Porky. The dream blurs the line between reality and fantasy as the ocean keeps rocking the boat.

    Where
    On the boat / dreaming

  7. Donut ring pulls Porky into an underwater dream world

    Within the dream, a donut-shaped ring wraps around Porky and pulls him deeper into an underwater world. The hunter fish drags him to an underwater house where the fisherman's wife and two fish kids await. The surreal sequence locks Porky into the dream's strange subaquatic family scene.

    Where
    Underwater

  8. Upside-down capture and the kitchen trap

    The hunter fish presents Porky hanging upside down, and the fish kids laugh until they touch him and he suddenly acts like a fish. He is carried toward the kitchen where the hunter uses a knife to cut Porky's shirt, leaving him naked and laid into a pan with pepper, carrots, potatoes, and an apple on his mouth. The pan is slid into an oven as flames dance around him.

    Where
    Underwater house kitchen

  9. Oven danger and a frantic escape

    Inside the oven, Porky feels suffocated and pleads to be let out. He bursts from the oven and flees the underwater kitchen, dodging a series of hazards created by the dream’s anatomy. An eel, a giant fish, and a swordfish loom before an octopus snares him.

    Where
    Underwater house

  10. Wakefulness returns and the escape continues

    Porky wakes up still naked and tangled in rope, realizing the nightmare might be over. He throws everything into the water to free himself and then starts up the boat's engine, steering away from the strange underwater world. The journey resumes as the wide sea opens before him.

    Where
    On the boat

  11. The voyage continues as the horizon beckons

    The surreal episode fades as Porky drives off toward the open sea with the engine humming softly. He keeps his focus on the horizon, wary but determined to press onward. The adventure leaves him with a wary sense of humor about the ocean's surprises.

    Where
    Open sea

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:41

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Timeline questions answered

Fish Tales Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Fish Tales (1936): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does the boat go out of control?

The boat's wild behavior appears to be part of the cartoon's absurdist comedy. After Porky starts the engine, the vessel immediately lurches into an unpredictable ride across the ocean, bouncing violently and heading straight toward a battleship. This chaotic sequence serves as the primary comedic setpiece before Porky settles into fishing.

  • boat
  • chaos
  • battleship
  • out of control
Q2

Why does Porky dream about being caught by a fish?

Porky falls asleep on the boat after a long day of fishing, and the dream directly reflects his activity. An anthropomorphic hunter fish with a fishing rod gun targets him, representing the natural irony of a fisherman becoming the hunted. The dream transforms his fishing expedition into a surreal nightmare where he becomes the catch.

  • dream
  • fishing
  • hunter fish
  • caught
Q3

Why is one of the worms dressed as a woman?

The second worm is depicted as a female character wearing gloves and high heels, adding to the cartoon's comedic and surreal tone. She initially plays coy about entering the can but is eventually hauled in alongside the eager male worm. This gender-coded characterization is a typical 1930s cartoon visual gag.

  • worms
  • female worm
  • comedy
Q4

Why does the battleship sink after the crash?

Porky's boat crashes through the battleship, tearing through its corridors and slicing a dinner table in half. After Porky escapes, the battleship begins to sink as its compartments flood with water. The ship remains submerged as Porky watches from his boat before continuing his day.

  • battleship
  • crash
  • sinking
Q5

Why does Porky throw everything overboard when he wakes up?

Porky wakes up from the nightmare still tangled in rope and apparently naked from the dream sequence. Throwing everything into the water appears to be his panicked reaction to the vivid dream, he clears the boat in a frantic attempt to escape the underwater world he just left. This sets up the final shot of him driving away from the strange experience.

  • wake up
  • nightmare
  • escape
  • thrown overboard
Q6

Why does the fish family try to cook Porky?

In the dream sequence, the hunter fish brings Porky, hanging upside down, to his underwater home. The fish wife and kids watch as Porky's shirt is cut off and he's placed in a pan with vegetables. The family prepares to cook him as if he were a fish, treating the predator-prey dynamic in absurd reverse. Porky escapes from the oven before they can cook him.

  • cooking
  • fish family
  • kitchen
  • oven
  • dream sequence
Q7

How does the dream connect to Porky's fishing earlier?

The dream is a direct continuation of Porky's day. After filling his bucket with fish catches, he yawns and falls asleep with a rope as a pillow. The dream then transforms him from hunter to hunted, an anthropomorphic fish uses a rod-gun to catch him, pulls him underwater to a house, and tries to cook him. The entire nightmare plays on the irony of his fishing activity.

  • dream sequence
  • fishing
  • caught
  • underwater house
Q8

Why does an octopus attack Porky in the dream?

After escaping the oven, Porky runs from the underwater house and encounters several hazards: an eel, a giant fish, and a swordfish. The octopus then entangles him in its tentacles, capturing him. This sequence represents the escalating dangers of the dream chase, amplifying the nightmare's threat level before Porky finally wakes up.

  • octopus
  • dream chase
  • attack
  • escape

Movie threads

More Movies Like Fish Tales, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Fish Tales tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Surreal Cartoon Escapades like Fish Tales

Whimsical animated journeys where reality bends and logic takes a nap. If you enjoyed the absurd dream logic and frantic underwater chase in Fish Tales, you'll love these movies. This list features whimsical animated films where characters embark on journeys that defy reality, blending slapstick humor with surreal, chaotic sequences for a playful and unpredictable experience.

  • surreal
  • playful
  • chaotic
  • absurd
  • dreamlike
  • fantastical
  • Tone: whimsical, playful
  • Pacing: variable, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves an ordinary situation that rapidly escalates into an extraordinary and illogical adventure, often venturing into dreamscapes or altered realities. Characters face surreal obstacles and engage in fast-paced chases, with the conflict resolved through cartoonish ingenuity or by waking from the dream.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared commitment to whimsical tone, absurd humor, and surreal visual storytelling. They prioritize playful chaos and imaginative scenarios over conventional plots, creating a specific vibe of animated anarchy that feels cohesive and distinct.

A Cartoonist’s Nightmare movie poster

A Cartoonist’s Nightmare

1935
The Big Snooze movie poster

The Big Snooze

1946
Somewhere in Dreamland movie poster

Somewhere in Dreamland

1936
Re-Animated movie poster

Re-Animated

2006
Crazy with the Heat movie poster

Crazy with the Heat

1947
Donald’s Diary movie poster

Donald’s Diary

1954
Alice in Wonderland movie poster

Alice in Wonderland

1951
Quasi at the Quackadero movie poster

Quasi at the Quackadero

1976

Animated Slapstick Peril like in Fish Tales

Lighthearted adventures where cartoon characters face and frantically escape exaggerated danger. Looking for more cartoons like Fish Tales where the fun comes from playful peril? These movies and shorts feature anthropomorphic characters in chaotic chases and absurdly dangerous situations, blending slapstick comedy with moments of frantic escape for a lighthearted but exciting watch.

  • slapstick
  • chaotic
  • anxious
  • playful
  • escaping danger
  • frantic
  • Tone: whimsical, anxious
  • Pacing: variable, fast-paced
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a simple structure: a peaceful setup is interrupted by the introduction of a comic threat. This leads to a core sequence of frantic action and escape, utilizing exaggerated physics and cartoon logic. The peril is intense but brief, serving the comedy and ultimately resolving without lasting consequences, often with an ambiguous or abrupt ending.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific emotional mix: they generate excitement through cartoon danger but maintain a light emotional weight. The key similarity is the balance between chaotic action sequences and an overarching tone of playful humor, ensuring the scares are fun and not frightening.

Two Bits & Pepper movie poster

Two Bits & Pepper

1995
Fish Tales movie poster

Fish Tales

1936
The Adventures of Brer Rabbit movie poster

The Adventures of Brer Rabbit

2006
Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog movie poster

Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog

2025
An Alligator Named Daisy movie poster

An Alligator Named Daisy

1955
The Wind in the Willows movie poster

The Wind in the Willows

1995
The Hilarious Posters movie poster

The Hilarious Posters

1906
Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~ movie poster

Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane ~The Lost Hiroshi~

2019

If you liked this

Movies Like Fish Tales

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Browse all movie summaries
Porky’s Poor Fish movie poster

Porky’s Poor Fish

1940
Fish and Slips movie poster

Fish and Slips

1962
Porky’s Naughty Nephew movie poster

Porky’s Naughty Nephew

1938
Porky the Gob movie poster

Porky the Gob

1938
Porky’s Five & Ten movie poster

Porky’s Five & Ten

1938
Porky the Wrestler movie poster

Porky the Wrestler

1937
Porky’s Duck Hunt movie poster

Porky’s Duck Hunt

1937
Fishy Tales movie poster

Fishy Tales

1937
How to Fish movie poster

How to Fish

1942
Porky’s Poultry Plant movie poster

Porky’s Poultry Plant

1936
The Tale of the Fisherman and the Goldfish movie poster

The Tale of the Fisherman and the Goldfish

1950
Porky’s Picnic movie poster

Porky’s Picnic

1939

Every angle

Fish Tales (1936) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Fish Tales in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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