The Wise Little Hen
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWilfred Jackson
Produced byWalt Disney
Animation byArchie Robin
Clyde Geronimi
Art Babbitt
Louie Schmitt
Ugo D'Orsi
Frenchy de Tremaudan
Wolfgang Reitherman
Dick Huemer[1]
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Running time
7 minutes (one reel)

The Wise Little Hen is a Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies cartoon, based on the fairy tale The Little Red Hen. This cartoon marked the debut of Donald Duck, dancing to the Sailor's Hornpipe. Donald and his friend Peter Pig try to avoid work by faking stomach aches until Mrs. Hen teaches them the value of labor. This cartoon was released on June 9, 1934. It was animated by Art Babbitt, Dick Huemer, Clyde Geronimi, Louie Schmitt, and Frenchy de Tremaudan (with assistance from a group of junior animators headed by Ben Sharpsteen)[2][1] and directed by Wilfred Jackson.[3] It was also adapted as a Sunday comic strip by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro.[4]

Plot

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2015)

The Wise Little Hen of the title is looking for someone to help her plant her corn. Peter Pig and Donald Duck both feign belly aches to get out of the chore since they would rather play than work. So, with help from her chicks, she plants it herself. Harvest time comes; again, Peter and Donald claim belly aches, but the hen sees through this when boards of their clubhouse fall off showing their little act when they shake hands with each other for getting out of doing work. She cooks up a variety of corn dishes, and heads over to Peter and Donald to help her eat them, but before she can open her mouth, they already fake their belly aches. Once she asks, they are miraculously "cured" but all she gives them is castor oil, to teach them a lesson. As the hen and her chicks eat the corn themselves, Peter and Donald, with nothing but an appetite, repent with all their might by kicking each other on the rear.

Cast

Other references

This short was one of the many featured in Donald Duck's 50th Birthday.

Home video releases

Adaptations

There was an adaptation story to the cartoon called "Mrs. Cackles's Corn" from Walt Disney's Story Land: 55 Favorite Stories. There are a couple of differences like instead of Donald Duck and Peter Pig, they use Daniel Duck and Podgo Pig in the story, the hen is called Mrs. Cackle, and Clara Cluck is telling the story.

References

  1. ^ a b http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/happy-birthday-donald-duck-walt-disneys-the-wise-little-hen-1934/
  2. ^ Malone, Patrick A. "The Wise Little Hen". The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2007-06-09. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "The Wise Little Hen". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  4. ^ The Wise Little Hen at Inducks
Silly Symphony film series
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
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