animated short
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
released on April 13, 1934, by
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
, produced by
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
and directed by
Burt Gillett
Burton F. Gillett (October 15, 1891 – December 28, 1971) was a Film director, director of animation, animated films. He is noted for his Silly Symphonies work for Walt Disney Pictures, Disney, particularly the 1932 short film ''Flowers and Tree ...
as part of the ''
Silly Symphony
''Silly Symphony'' is an American animated series of 75 musical short films produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939. As the series name implies, the ''Silly Symphonies'' were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces ...
'' series. Acting partly as a sequel to the wildly successful adaptation of ''The Three Little Pigs'' of the previous year (maintaining the previous film's title characters as well as its villain), this film also acts as an adaptation of the
fairy-tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
''
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
Ignoring the advice of Practical Pig, Little Red Riding Hood, escorted by Fiddler and Fifer, takes the short cut through the woods to Grandma's house. They end up encountering Goldilocks the Fairy Queen, who is soon revealed, thanks to a branch breaking, to be the Big Bad Wolf in disguise. Realizing they'd been tricked, Fiddler and Fifer run home, whilst Little Red Riding Hood escapes from the Wolf. The Big Bad Wolf, however, isn't giving up on getting dinner, and goes to Grandma's house, where he chases Grandma into the closet and gets in bed disguised as her. Little Red Riding Hood arrives and after the expected "what big eyes/nose/mouth you've got" spiel is terrified to see the Big Bad Wolf is posing as her grandmother. Fiddler and Fifer manage to get Practical Pig, who manages to beat the Wolf by putting popcorn seeds and hot coals down his pants. With the wolf defeated once again, Little Red Riding Hood and the pigs sing and play "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf".
Voice cast
*Shirley Reed as Little Red Riding Hood
*
Pinto Colvig
Vance DeBar Colvig Sr. (September 11, 1892 – October 3, 1967), professionally Pinto Colvig, was an American voice actor, newspaper cartoonist, and circus and vaudeville performer whose schtick was playing the clarinet off-key while mugging. Co ...
as Practical Pig
*
Billy Bletcher
William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Disney' ...
as Zeke Midas Wolf
*
Mary Moder
Mary Moder (1905 – 1993) was an American voice actress for The Walt Disney Company known for the voice of the Fiddler Pig in the ''Three Little Pigs'' short subjects. She was a member of the vocal trio the Rhythmettes, which also included Bonni ...
as Fiddler Pig
*
Dorothy Compton
Dorothy Compton was an American voice actress born in the early 1900s. An early friend of Walt Disney, she made her first acting debut in ''The Three Little Pigs'' (1933) as the voice of Fifer Pig. From 1933 onward she made more appearances in th ...
as Fifer Pig
Reaction
Made as a somewhat reluctant response to the success of the earlier short, ''The Big Bad Wolf'' did not quite achieve the levels of popularity of ''Three Little Pigs'' (which was huge), though two more shorts predominantly featuring the Big Bad Wolf and the pigs came about (''
The Three Little Wolves
''Three Little Wolves'' is a ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon. Released on April 18, 1936, and directed by David Hand (animator), Dave Hand. It was the third ''Silly Symphony'' cartoon starring the Three Little Pigs (film), Three Little Pigs. It is lo ...