Steal Wool
Encyclopedia
Steal Wool is a 1957 American 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 fourth short featuring Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf. The title is a play on steel wool
.
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. Ralph's first plan is to sneak under a sheep and carry it off, wearing it as a disguise. When Ralph is caught by Sam he attempts to push the sheep away and act innocent, but Sam punches him in the nose, turning his nose into an accordion
.
2. As in all three earlier episodes, Ralph devises a plan that involves tunnelling under the field and digging very small holes through the surface. This time, he creates the hole a safe distance away and surveys the area with a periscope
. After spotting a sheep, he attempts to capture it with a lasso
, but accidentally snags Sam, who punches him in the head. This time, Ralph walks away with his entire body turned into an accordion.
3. Ralph's third plan is to build a simple suspension bridge
out of firecrackers
and lure Sam to the other side. When Sam passes, Ralph grabs a sheep, lights the firecrackers, and runs across the bridge, ensuring that Sam has no way to return. However, Sam uses his uncanny ability to appear at the other end of the bridge, where he prompts Ralph to hand over the sheep. Ralph begins running toward the burning end of the bridge (which is now floating in midair, against the laws of gravity, but not the laws of cartoon physics
) and extinguishes the firecracker. However, Sam lit the other end of the bridge, and Ralph's bridge disappears beneath him.
4. Ralph then attempts to place a makeshift teeter totter under Sam and jump on the other end from a great height. However, because of Sam's weight, the board merely acts as a springboard
, tossing Ralph into Sam's arms. Sam places Ralph on one end of the teeter totter and slams the other end down as hard as he can, sending Ralph flying through the air.
5. Next, Ralph wheels a giant, lit cannon, up a hill behind Sam. As Ralph runs away, giddy, the cannon begins to roll down after him. As Ralph notices this, he runs as fast as he can, until he reaches the edge of a cliff, which has a very small cliff immediately below it. Ralph climbs onto the cliff and turtles. The cannon stops on the edge of the cliff, but has enough momentum to flip the cannon over so it's pointing straight down at Ralph. Ralph, curious if he's safe, stands up, only to discover that he's inside the cannon just before the cannon is about to fire.
6. In Ralph's final attempt, he sneaks up behind Sam and attaches each end of a very large elastic band to rocks on either side of Sam to create an over-sized slingshot
. As Ralph pulls the band back, the rocks loosen and fire past him, anchoring themselves into opposing sides of a chasm, and slinging Ralph through the chasm. On the other side of the chasm, Ralph grabs hold of a tree and holds on for dear life, but the elasticity of the rubber band slings the two rocks into Ralph, sending Ralph, the two rocks, and a piece of the tree flying, while the rubber band is still wrapped around the rest of the tree. Ralph manages to free himself from the two rocks and the piece of tree, only to run into a cliff face and be crushed by the items. As Ralph crawls out from under the wreck, the rest of the tree slings into Ralph.
Finally, the punch clock whistle blows and Ralph and Sam walk home. Ralph has two black eyes, an arm in a sling, and is stumbling. Sam reassuringly suggests that Ralph take the next day off, and that Sam can handle both jobs.
.
.
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 fourth short featuring Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf. The title is a play on steel wool
Steel wool
Steel wool, also known as wire wool, is a bundle of strands of very fine soft steel filaments, used in finishing and repairing work to polish wood or metal objects, and for cleaning household cookware....
.
Plot
1. Ralph's first plan is to sneak under a sheep and carry it off, wearing it as a disguise. When Ralph is caught by Sam he attempts to push the sheep away and act innocent, but Sam punches him in the nose, turning his nose into an accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
.
2. As in all three earlier episodes, Ralph devises a plan that involves tunnelling under the field and digging very small holes through the surface. This time, he creates the hole a safe distance away and surveys the area with a periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
. After spotting a sheep, he attempts to capture it 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...
, but accidentally snags Sam, who punches him in the head. This time, Ralph walks away with his entire body turned into an accordion.
3. Ralph's third plan is to build a simple suspension bridge
Simple suspension bridge
A simple suspension bridge is an early type of bridge that is supported entirely from anchors at either end, and has no towers or piers. However, it may have saddles...
out of firecrackers
Firecracker
A firecracker is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang; any visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound...
and lure Sam to the other side. When Sam passes, Ralph grabs a sheep, lights the firecrackers, and runs across the bridge, ensuring that Sam has no way to return. However, Sam uses his uncanny ability to appear at the other end of the bridge, where he prompts Ralph to hand over the sheep. Ralph begins running toward the burning end of the bridge (which is now floating in midair, against the laws of gravity, but not the laws of cartoon physics
Cartoon physics
Cartoon physics is a jocular system of laws of physics that supersedes the normal laws, used in animation for humorous effect. Normal physical laws are referential , but cartoon physics are preferential ....
) and extinguishes the firecracker. However, Sam lit the other end of the bridge, and Ralph's bridge disappears beneath him.
4. Ralph then attempts to place a makeshift teeter totter under Sam and jump on the other end from a great height. However, because of Sam's weight, the board merely acts as a springboard
Springboard
A springboard or diving board is used for diving and is a board that is itself a spring, i.e. a linear flex-spring, of the cantilever type....
, tossing Ralph into Sam's arms. Sam places Ralph on one end of the teeter totter and slams the other end down as hard as he can, sending Ralph flying through the air.
5. Next, Ralph wheels a giant, lit cannon, up a hill behind Sam. As Ralph runs away, giddy, the cannon begins to roll down after him. As Ralph notices this, he runs as fast as he can, until he reaches the edge of a cliff, which has a very small cliff immediately below it. Ralph climbs onto the cliff and turtles. The cannon stops on the edge of the cliff, but has enough momentum to flip the cannon over so it's pointing straight down at Ralph. Ralph, curious if he's safe, stands up, only to discover that he's inside the cannon just before the cannon is about to fire.
6. In Ralph's final attempt, he sneaks up behind Sam and attaches each end of a very large elastic band to rocks on either side of Sam to create an over-sized slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
. As Ralph pulls the band back, the rocks loosen and fire past him, anchoring themselves into opposing sides of a chasm, and slinging Ralph through the chasm. On the other side of the chasm, Ralph grabs hold of a tree and holds on for dear life, but the elasticity of the rubber band slings the two rocks into Ralph, sending Ralph, the two rocks, and a piece of the tree flying, while the rubber band is still wrapped around the rest of the tree. Ralph manages to free himself from the two rocks and the piece of tree, only to run into a cliff face and be crushed by the items. As Ralph crawls out from under the wreck, the rest of the tree slings into Ralph.
Finally, the punch clock whistle blows and Ralph and Sam walk home. Ralph has two black eyes, an arm in a sling, and is stumbling. Sam reassuringly suggests that Ralph take the next day off, and that Sam can handle both jobs.
Music
The music played during the title card sequence is Baa, Baa, Black SheepBaa, Baa, Black Sheep (nursery rhyme)
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep is an English nursery rhyme, sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman. The original form of the tune is used for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Alphabet song. The words have changed little in two and a half centuries...
.
Home media availability
This cartoon is featured on disc 4 of Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 is a DVD box set from Warner Home Video that was released on October 25, 2005. It contains 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical short subject cartoons, 9 documentaries, 32 commentary tracks from animators and historians, 11 "vintage treasures from...
.
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)