Release Date:

April 26, 1941

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

The Big Bad Wolf is put on trial for allegedly harrasing Red Riding Hood. He presents his side of the story where he was an innocent schoolboy and Red tricked him into going to the house of her fur coat-obsessed grandma.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. When it was restored for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 DVD set in 2007, the original titles were put back in.

Red speaks like Katharine Hepburn.

Robert McKimson directed a similar cartoon 11 years later called “The Turn Tale Wolf” where the Big Bad Wolf tells his nephew tells about how the Three Little Pigs were actually the bad guys tormenting him. Both cartoons are also similar in that both wolves’ stories turn out to be false.

What I Like About This One:

The jury being eight wolves (who applaud the wolf and boo Red) and one skunk (who sits a far distance away from the wolves).

When the wolf bows, a grenade, a gun, and a dagger fall out of his outfit. He quickly picks them up (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

The defense attorney backing away when he inadvertently walks near the skunk. He then declares that Red has “guilt written all over her face”. Red is then shown with the word “guilt” literally written on her face six times (animated by Cal Dalton).

As the wolf starts his story, he explains that he went home on Sunday from the pool hall before quickly correcting himself to say Sunday school (animated by Manuel Perez).

In the wolf’s flashback, he cheerfully greets a bird who angrily yells at him, “GO ON, YA JERK! ACT YOUR OWN AGE!” (animated by Perez).

Perez’ animation of Red sneaking along with an evil grin on her face.

As Red pretends to cry over having apparently lost her way to her grandma’s house, she deliberately trips the wolf so as to get his attention and carry out with her scheme (animated by Herman Cohen).

The wolf having a compass for “Grandma’s House”, the “Three Bear’s House”, the “Three Little Pigs”, and “The House That Jack Built”.

When the compass points in the direction for Grandma’s house, Red gets out a motorbike with a wagon. The wolf ducks several tree branches, but ends up hitting one anyway (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

The wolf failing to immediately notice that Grandma’s house is labeled as “Grandma’s Furrier” (animated by Chiniquy).

When Grandma (who is dancing to a tune on the phonograph) is informed of the wolf’s arrival, she quickly hides all the furs she has under the bed, gets in bed, and makes phony pain noises (animated by Dalton).

Red shoving the wolf into the door and shutting several doors and locking several locks on the last door (animated by Cohen).

Grandma telling the wolf about what big eyes and a beautiful fur coat he has. The wolf is then shocked at what Grandma has: “My, what a big mallet you got, Grandma!” (animated by Cohen).

During a chase, the wolf finds Grandma behind every door, armed with either a dagger, a machine gun, or an artillery cannon (animated by Dalton).

Trying to get out the door, the wolf sees the coast is clear only for Grandma to ambush him and start choking him (animated by Dalton). We then fade back to reality where the wolf is shown to be acting out the scene by choking himself (animated by Bickenbach).

The wolf ending his story with, “And it was only through a miracle that I escaped with my life!” (animated by Bickenbach). To his shock however, the jury doesn’t believe him! (animated by Chiniquy) Annoyed at their disbelief, the wolf declares that “If that ain’t the truth, I hope I get run over by a streetcar!” A streetcar immediately crashes through the courtroom wall. Coming up out of the rubble, the wolf admits, “Well, maybe I did exaggerate just a little bit” before a brick hits him on the head (animated by Bickenbach).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕