Double or Mutton
Encyclopedia
Double or Mutton is a 1955 Looney Tunes
cartoon directed by Chuck Jones
and released by Warner Bros. Pictures featuring Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog
. Mel Blanc
provided for the voices of all the characters in this cartoon, however, like all Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf shorts, this short is mostly composed of visual gag
s.
This is the third short featuring Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf. The title is a play on the gambling wager double or nothing
. This is the first episode where it is clearly established that Sam and Ralph are coworkers, as well as the first episode where their names are consistent.
1. As in the previous two shorts, Ralph attempts to steal some sheep by burrowing under the field. After finding Sam waiting for Ralph above one of his holes, Ralph attempts to look innocuous, but Sam hits him over the head with a large wooden mallet
(off-screen, but the effects can still be seen). As in previous shorts, Ralph politely refills his tunnel.
2. Ralph next attempts to fashion himself a tightrope over the field by throwing a spear with a rope attached to a tree on the other side of the field. After walking across the tightrope and snagging a sheep with a lasso
, he makes his way back to the cliff where the other end of the tightrope was fastened. Unfortunately, it turns out Sam is holding that end of the tightrope. Ralph hands the sheep over and begins running the other direction before Sam releases his end of the tightrope. Just before Ralph begins to fall, he manages to grab on to the spear that was attached to the tree. However, as Ralph looks to the left, it turns out Sam is also holding that end of the tightrope. Sam launches the spear — and Ralph — over the horizon.
3. Ralph next attempts to shoot a rocket with a lasso attached at Sam. The contraption very successfully catches Sam and carries him off into the distance. Ralph, enamoured with his success, prances down to the field and casually takes his choice of sheep. As he prances away he is hit over the head with a club from Sam, still hanging from the fired rocket now lodged in a tree.
4. Ralph's next plan is to disguise himself as Little Bo Peep
. He prances up to Sam and shows him a book of nursery rhymes to bolster his disguise. He successfully herds a sheep past Sam and into his cave. However, the viewer soon discovers that the sheep is actually Sam in disguise. Ralph discovers this all too late, and the beating which ensues is left to the viewer's imagination.
5. Ralph's fifth plan is to fly over the field with an unwieldy helicopter
while dangling a claw on a rope and attempting to grab a sheep with the claw, akin to the claw game. Sam casually walks by a yanks on the rope, causing the helicopter to plummet into the ground. After the crash, and much too late, Ralph deliriously attempts to abandon the helicopter and release his parachute
, which simply falls on top of him as a shroud.
6. Ralph then attempts to hurl himself over Sam with a lever
and a large stone. While successful, Ralph ends up hurling himself into a tree. Sam, sitting at the bottom of the tree, rolls Ralph up into a ball and tosses him over his shoulder, to the sound of bowling pins falling.
7. Ralph next attempts to roll a lit cannon
behind Sam's back, but Sam simply flips the cannon around so it faces Ralph. As Ralph runs away, the cannon ball lands exactly where Ralph ended up running.
8. Finally, Ralph is sitting in his cave, depressed, and notices the rain outside, when an idea strikes him. He sneaks up behind Sam with a bottle of "Acme
Patented Hair Grower (guaranteed)" and splashes some on Sam's head, who doesn't notice because of the rain. When the rain clears up, Sam has even more hair in front of his eyes than usual. Ralph tests to make sure Sam can't see him through the unruly mop of hair on his head and then heads down to grab a sheep. However, the moment Ralph lays a finger on the sheep, Sam hurtles down the hill to grab Ralph and pummel him.
During the pummelling, the punch clock whistles the end of their shifts. Sam and Ralph punch out, then cordially bid each other a good night.
On ABC
many scenes were shortened or removed from this short.
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
cartoon directed by Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
and released by Warner Bros. Pictures featuring Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog
Wolf and Sheepdog
Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog are characters in a series of animated cartoons in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies line of cartoons. They were created by Chuck Jones....
. Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
provided for the voices of all the characters in this cartoon, however, like all Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf shorts, this short is mostly composed of visual gag
Visual gag
In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humor visually, often without words being used at all.There are numerous examples in cinema history of directors who based most of the humour in their films on visual gags, even to the point of using no or minimal dialogue...
s.
This is the third short featuring Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf. The title is a play on the gambling wager double or nothing
Double or nothing
Double or nothing in a betting situation is where the loser of a bet gets another chance at the bet. When a "double or nothing" bet is requested by the loser, if the winner accepts, then they play again. If the loser of the initial bet loses again, then the winner gets double the original bet...
. This is the first episode where it is clearly established that Sam and Ralph are coworkers, as well as the first episode where their names are consistent.
Plot
Introduction: Like all Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf shorts, this one revolves around Ralph Wolf trying to steal the sheep which Sam Sheepdog is guarding.1. As in the previous two shorts, Ralph attempts to steal some sheep by burrowing under the field. After finding Sam waiting for Ralph above one of his holes, Ralph attempts to look innocuous, but Sam hits him over the head with a large wooden mallet
Mallet
A mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
(off-screen, but the effects can still be seen). As in previous shorts, Ralph politely refills his tunnel.
2. Ralph next attempts to fashion himself a tightrope over the field by throwing a spear with a rope attached to a tree on the other side of the field. After walking across the tightrope and snagging a sheep with a lasso
Lasso
A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...
, he makes his way back to the cliff where the other end of the tightrope was fastened. Unfortunately, it turns out Sam is holding that end of the tightrope. Ralph hands the sheep over and begins running the other direction before Sam releases his end of the tightrope. Just before Ralph begins to fall, he manages to grab on to the spear that was attached to the tree. However, as Ralph looks to the left, it turns out Sam is also holding that end of the tightrope. Sam launches the spear — and Ralph — over the horizon.
3. Ralph next attempts to shoot a rocket with a lasso attached at Sam. The contraption very successfully catches Sam and carries him off into the distance. Ralph, enamoured with his success, prances down to the field and casually takes his choice of sheep. As he prances away he is hit over the head with a club from Sam, still hanging from the fired rocket now lodged in a tree.
Little Bo Peep
"Little Bo Peep" or "Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6487.-Lyrics:As with most products of oral tradition, there are many variations to the rhyme...
. He prances up to Sam and shows him a book of nursery rhymes to bolster his disguise. He successfully herds a sheep past Sam and into his cave. However, the viewer soon discovers that the sheep is actually Sam in disguise. Ralph discovers this all too late, and the beating which ensues is left to the viewer's imagination.
5. Ralph's fifth plan is to fly over the field with an unwieldy helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
while dangling a claw on a rope and attempting to grab a sheep with the claw, akin to the claw game. Sam casually walks by a yanks on the rope, causing the helicopter to plummet into the ground. After the crash, and much too late, Ralph deliriously attempts to abandon the helicopter and release his parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, which simply falls on top of him as a shroud.
6. Ralph then attempts to hurl himself over Sam with a lever
Lever
In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to either multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object or resistance force , or multiply the distance and speed at which the opposite end of the rigid object travels.This leverage...
and a large stone. While successful, Ralph ends up hurling himself into a tree. Sam, sitting at the bottom of the tree, rolls Ralph up into a ball and tosses him over his shoulder, to the sound of bowling pins falling.
7. Ralph next attempts to roll a lit cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
behind Sam's back, but Sam simply flips the cannon around so it faces Ralph. As Ralph runs away, the cannon ball lands exactly where Ralph ended up running.
8. Finally, Ralph is sitting in his cave, depressed, and notices the rain outside, when an idea strikes him. He sneaks up behind Sam with a bottle of "Acme
Acme Corporation
The Acme Corporation is a fictional corporation that features prominently in the Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons as a running gag featuring outlandish products that fail catastrophically at the worst possible times...
Patented Hair Grower (guaranteed)" and splashes some on Sam's head, who doesn't notice because of the rain. When the rain clears up, Sam has even more hair in front of his eyes than usual. Ralph tests to make sure Sam can't see him through the unruly mop of hair on his head and then heads down to grab a sheep. However, the moment Ralph lays a finger on the sheep, Sam hurtles down the hill to grab Ralph and pummel him.
During the pummelling, the punch clock whistles the end of their shifts. Sam and Ralph punch out, then cordially bid each other a good night.
Censorship
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
many scenes were shortened or removed from this short.
- After Ralph's Little Bo Peep plan fails and Sam places his hands around Ralph's neck, the scene fades to black. In the uncensored version, the viewer would see the scene to the right where the scene shakes as Ralph gets beaten.
- The scene at the end of the short where Sam is punching Ralph in the face is shortened.
- In earlier broadcasts, ABC cut out the entire ending to Ralph's plan to shoot Sam into the distance with a rocket. As soon as Sam was carried off, it cut to Ralph's Little Bo Peep plan.
- In later broadcasts on ABC, part of the scene was replaced, but the viewer didn't see Sam herd his sheep back to the flock, or Ralph lying dazed with a lump on his head.
See also
- Sam Sheepdog and Ralph WolfWolf and SheepdogRalph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog are characters in a series of animated cartoons in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies line of cartoons. They were created by Chuck Jones....
- Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1950–1959)
External links
- Double or Mutton at Internet Movie Database