Il lupo cattivo

The Big Bad Wolf (1934)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Sequel to THREE LITTLE PIGS isn't quite as good but this is certainly still a charmer. The hard working pig is building a bigger brick house while the two lazier ones just play around. Little Red Riding Hood stops by to ask for directions and she decides to take the short cut through the woods even though she was warned. We all know what happens next. This is certainly a charming little gem from Disney who certainly knew how to handle these subjects without any problem. I thought the way the two stories were combined were quite clever and this was especially true during the introduction scene where we see that the two lazy pigs didn't learn their lesson. The animation is certainly some of the best that you're going to see from this period and I will also add that popcorn has never had a better impact in any film than it does right here.

The next short film on Disney Plus is "The Big Bad Wolf" one of the Silly Symphonies from 1934, whilst it's not exactly a laugh riot, it's charming enough to win me over.

Little Red Riding Hood (Sara Berner) is heading to see her grandmother. She's joined on an ill-advised short cut through the woods, by two of the three little pigs. They encounter The Big Bad Wolf (Billy Bletcher) but manage to escape. The Wold beats them to Grandma's house and, having trapped her in a closet, gets in bed disguised as her. The two pigs get back to their third brother, who decides that it falls to him to save Hood.

I understand, from the other reviews, that this is supposed to be a follow up to "The Three Little Pigs" which, given that I'm going through these in alphabetical order, I haven't come to yet. I don't think the context was lost on me though, as it's essentially just an animated version of the classic fairy tale.

Given that It's coming up on being a century old it's obviously understandable that it's pretty basic, both in terms of animation loops and backgrounds. That in and of itself is a pretty charming and it hard not to watch the short with a warm smile on your face. Admittedly, it's not funny, barely converting that smile to a giggle until the final moments of slapstick violence.

Hard not to appreciate, if maybe not quite adore.

This film is a follow-up to Disney's enormously successful short "The Three Little Pigs". Since the film won the Oscar and was adored by audiences, it's not at all surprising that the company would bring back these characters.

The plot of "The Big Bad Wolf" is an odd mash-up--mixing the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" with "The Three Little Pigs". When the film begins, Red is on her way to Grandma's house and she stops by to see her friends the Pigs. Unfortunately, the two dumb pigs from the previous film are STILL very stupid and they advise Red to take the shortcut through the dangerous forest. They vow to protect Red in case the Wolf shows--and when he does, they are no help whatsoever. So, it's up to the industrious brother to come to their rescue--with predictable results.

While the film clearly lacks the originality and charm of the first film, it is a worthy follow-up and worth seeing.

You might want to have a bag of popcorn ready when you watch this animated classic. Red Riding Hood is off to see her sick grandmother then run across the Three Little Pigs. Straw and Wood Pigs walks in the woods with Riding Hood as Bricklayer Pig continues building his brick house. Riding Hood and the two pigs encounters the Big Bad Wolf in the forest which scares the two pigs back home where the 3rd pig is still working. Brick Pig knows something is wrong and goes to find Riding Hood. Riding Hood ends up at grandma's house where the Wolf has already entered. As the story goes the Wolf goes after Red Riding Hood only to have Brick Pig enter, adds popcorn and hot coals to his pants and ultimately saves Riding Hood. The Wolf is not very happy as the popcorn pops in his pants.

Cute short - good for giggles.

7/10.

A Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY Cartoon Short.

THE BIG BAD WOLF has returned, and this time he's after Little Red Riding Hood. Only the Practical Pig can save her and old Granny now.

With the huge commercial success of THREE LITTLE PIGS (1933), it was inevitable that Disney would produce a follow-up. This film is a good, well-plotted sequel, with the diminutive porcine heroes interpolated into the story of Red Riding Hood quite nicely. The wolf gets to use more of his thespian disguises, this time appearing as both a fairy queen & Granny. Viewers will notice that Practical Pig's hard at work building an addition to his brick house, doubtless due to the fact that his two silly brothers now reside with him.

The story of the never-ending struggle between the Pigs & their hairy nemesis continues in THREE LITTLE WOLVES (1936).

The SILLY SYMPHONIES, which Walt Disney produced for a ten year period beginning in 1929, are among the most fascinating of all animated series. Unlike the Mickey Mouse cartoons in which action was paramount, with the Symphonies the action was made to fit the music. There was little plot in the early Symphonies, which featured lively inanimate objects and anthropomorphic plants & animals, all moving frantically to the soundtrack. Gradually, however, the Symphonies became the school where Walt's animators learned to work with color and began to experiment with plot, characterization & photographic special effects. The pages of Fable & Fairy Tale, Myth & Mother Goose were all mined to provide story lines and even Hollywood's musicals & celebrities were effectively spoofed. It was from this rich soil that Disney's feature-length animation was to spring. In 1939, with SNOW WHITE successfully behind him and PINOCCHIO & FANTASIA on the near horizon, Walt phased out the SILLY SYMPHONIES; they had run their course & served their purpose.