So much average

Simply Perfect

One of my all time favorites.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

"The Turn-Tale Wolf" is a Warner Bros cartoon from almost 65 years ago that was made by McKimson and Pierce like so many others and the voice actor is Mel Blanc again. It runs for seven minutes as they usually do and it is a reference to the famous movie with the wolf blowing away the houses of (2 of) the three pigs. But here, the wolf explains the story to his embarrassed nephew that actually he was the victim and the pigs are the bay guys constantly bullying him and wanting to cut off his tail. I thought this was an okay watch if you know about the original story. No real greatness and also only funny on 2 or 3 occasions, but for such a short work, it is perfectly fine. I kinda enjoyed the watch and give this one a thumbs-up. Also interesting to see how the animation style differed from earlier Warner Bros. works. Go check it out if you love cartoons.

Directed by Robert McKimson, "The Turn-Tale Wolf" is a nicely-executed parody of the all-too-famous Three Little Pigs story. In this version, the Big Bad Wolf's nephew angrily demands an explanation of his Uncle's foul behavior, and the "innocent" Wolf, full of "sweetness and light", concocts a story about how the PIGS were the real mugs.My favorite moments in this wonderful cartoon include the swat-the-fly game; the slingshot gag and the hilarious aftermath of it; and the leery manner in which the Pigs stare at the Wolf's tail.I would say that the best things about "The Turn-Tale Wolf" are the versatile vocal capabilities of Mel Blanc and the brilliant music score of Carl Stalling. To name just a few examples of how the music fits quite nicely with the action: a violin mockingly plays a familiar sad song as the Big Bad Wolf relates his story to his indignant nephew; a majestic regal theme plays when the Three Little Pigs declare the Wolf king for a day; Mendelssohn's all-too-familiar "Spring Song" is heard when the Wolf, donning a child's sailor outfit, offers his greetings to nature; and "Ain't We Got Fun" accompanies the Pigs describing various games to the Wolf.

"Now wait a minute, kid. I never done nuttin' of the kind. It was a bum rap!"That's "Uncle Big Bad" reacting to his little nephew, who comes home from school all upset because they read the "The Three Little Pigs" in the school and his uncle is the villain. "For shame," he cries, walking home.Like the 1941 cartoon, "The Trial Of Mr. Wolf," we get upside down look at a famous fairy tale, told from the wolf's viewpoint as "Big Bad" gives HIS version of what "really happened" in the story of "The Three Little Pigs." According to Uncle Big Bad "it was them three little pigs that was the mugs."With dialog like that, and the funny inflections in the wolf's voice as he tells the story (kudos to Mel Blanc) and the excellent graphics, it all adds up to a really fun cartoon to watch and hear. The wolf really spun a tale would make anyone laugh. Highly recommended, and part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5, which is turning out to an excellent DVD package.

OK, so there's a seemingly infinite number of ways to rework children's stories in cartoons. The Termite Terrace crowd did this with "Little Red Riding Rabbit", "Three Little Bops" and "Robin Hood Daffy", to name a few. "The Turn-Tale Wolf" puts a spin on the "Three Little Pigs" routine. In this case, the Big Bad Wolf tells his nephew - who has just learned in school of what his uncle apparently did to the pigs - of how the Three Little Pigs were in fact a group of bullies tormenting him. Maybe this is why protesters in the '60s started calling the police "pigs"! So, maybe this is one of the least-known Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, but I say that it's worth seeing. Robert McKimson certainly directed his fair share of interesting cartoons.PS: there was a book called something like "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs", in which the wolf explains how he had a cold and was asking the pigs for some sugar but accidentally sneezed and blew their houses down. So, the sensationalism-obsessed media framed him for murder.