Release Date:

September 5, 1942

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A fox steals a farmer’s radio and chops it to pieces. Two crows are confused at this and ask him why he’s chopping up the radio. The fox tells them in flashback that he overheard on the radio that foxes are popular among women with the best coming from the “Sterling Silver Fox Farm”. What the fox didn’t know was that he basically signed up to be killed as women actually want fur coats made from fox fur.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “Tica-Ti Tica-Ta” played under the opening credits:

Supervision: Charles M. Jones

Story: Tedd Pierce

Animation: Phil DeLara

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

This is the last cartoon to use the 1941-1942 blue-purple rings.

The restored print uses the incorrect ending theme.

The cartoon is in the public domain.

In the 2003 movie “Fear of the Dark”, the character of Ryan is seen watching this cartoon on TV.

In the 2005 movie “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”, the character of Lou Ann is also watching this cartoon on TV.

The Sterling Silver Fox Farm is a reference to “sterling silver”, which is silver of 92.5% purity.

When the fox imagines himself on Hollywood Boulevard passing a cafe where Bette Davis, Edward G. Robinson, Greta Garbo, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Ann Sheridan are, these caricatures resemble the ones in “Hollywood Steps Out”.

What I Like About This One:

The entire opening as the cartoon literally starts off with the fox’s silhouette appearing out of a bush (with only his eyes shown) and we expect to see a sinister predator attacking a farmer just minding his own business and relaxing in front of his radio. But the fox instead steals the radio and runs over the hill with it, before chopping it up with an ax.

One of the crows asks the other, “Is that fox crazy?” to which the other crow shrugs. The first crow gets the fox’s attention and asks “What’s biting you, anyhow?” (animated by Ken Harris)

The fox begins to tell the whole story leading up to his destruction of the radio where most of the cartoon is told in flashback- the fox is seen scrounging for food in the trash cans outside the farmer’s cabin when he hears that foxes are apparently popular with smartly dressed people in several places such as Fifth Avenue (where he imagines foxes walking down that street to the tune of “While Strolling Through the Park”), Hollywood Boulevard (where he imagines himself walking past a cafe where several Hollywood stars are hanging out), and Miami (where the fox imagines himself relaxing on the beach with several women in swimsuits). The radio then announces, “the discriminating woman everywhere will insist on having a genuine fox around her neck”, to which the fox imagines himself around a woman’s neck and kissing her. It then fades into reality where the fox is seen kissing a tree.

Hearing that the best foxes come from the Sterling Silver Fox Farm, the fox heads there, unaware that he’s basically signing up for his death.

The fox attempting to get into a stubborn trap laid out by the farm (animated by Robert Cannon). He eventually lifts it up, puts his tail in, and pretends to be caught. But the farm’s French-accented owner is not pleased at what the trap apparently caught and tells the fox to get out of the trap. The fox points to the word “fox” labeled on the trap but the owner reveals that they only want foxes who literally have silver fur, “not moth-eaten half and half breeds like you!”

Getting kicked out into a pile of junk, the fox finds one of his paws in a can of silver paint. This of course gives him the idea to paint himself silver. This time, he is brought into the farm where various silver-furred foxes are behind bars.

As soon as he is put into his cell, the fox is informed by his tough neighboring cellmate (voiced by Tedd Pierce) that all of the imprisoned foxes are planning a breakout. Still unaware of the farm’s true intentions, the fox explains that he just got in and doesn’t want to leave as he’s being sold to Mrs. Van Dough. Thinking the fox is nuts, the tough fox threatens him, “You’re with us or (imitates throat being cut)” The fox thinks that the tough fox is threatening to kill him if he doesn’t join the escape but we know that he’s actually trying to help him stay alive (animated by Cannon).

The fox telling the tough fox that he’d like to go with them but he can’t get out due to the locked door and there is no key. “No key?”, the tough fox asks before he bites into the file he was using for his nails, turning it into a key. “9:00 call”, he reminds the fox (animated by Cannon).

The cuckoo clock (which has a cuckoo in a prison uniform) having its cuckoo come out at 5:00 with a sign saying “On your marks”, then speeds up to 7:00 with a sign saying “Get Set”, then speeding up to 9:00 with a starting pistol.

As the other silver foxes break out, the tough fox unlocks the fox’s door and tells him to get going. But the fox just blends into the pack and goes back to his cell once they leave. It’s at this point where a tag falls in front of his face: “This skin reserved for Silver Fox. Cape for Mrs. Van Dough”. The fox is initially confused at the words “skin” and “cape” and wonders “how will they get it off of me?” He then hears the owner sharpening his ax and realizes to his horror that this is what the tough fox meant by throat cutting.

Now realizing the horrible mistake he made, the fox gets out of his bars, grabs the key, unlocks the door, and makes a run for it just as the owner enters to skin him. The owner sends his four dogs after the fox. At one point, the chase the fox through a buckled tube to which the dogs come out looking like accordions.

Chasing the fox into a lake, the water washes the fox’s paint off. Relieved, the fox shows the dogs that he never was actually silver and they shouldn’t have a reason to chase him. But the dogs don’t care what color he is and beat him up anyway. “Silver, schmilver! As long as you’re a fox!” (animated by Harris)

The flashback then ends and we fade back to the present where the fox concludes, “And that’s what’s bitin’ me! Yeah, that’s what?” Sympathetic to the fox’s ordeal, the crows finish off the destruction of the radio (animated by Harris).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕