Classic Shorts Showcase: Chicken Little (1943)

Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase.  The next two shorts that I'll be cover will once again take us back to World War II.   Did you know that Disney adapted Chicken Little?  Of course you did and it stunk but I'm not here to talk about the film.  Oh,  no today I'm talking about a short based on this tale that was more akin to the classic tale while still serving as a propaganda piece.  

The Plot


The  basic plot of this short is that of the classic tale of Chicken Little, where he thinks the sky is falling but here's the thing though,  this belief is thrown into him when Foxy Loxy hits him on the head with a piece of wood and says that he is the voice of Doom speaking.   Foxy Loxy is trying trick all of the birds in the farmhouse seeing as the narrator put it, he has a culinary interest in the  birds.   He's using a psychology book to gain the advantage but the quotes in his book actually come from  Mein Kampf.    Pretty eerie when you think about but these next two shorts that I'm looking at on Showcase don't take things lightly and they're better for that.  Getting back to the plot,  it's intriguing how this short is able to stay true to the tale while at the same time showing what can happen when people are manipulated into thinking something that may not be true but group mentality tells them that it's true.  Eerie!  




Narration


Narrator -  Frank Graham


Just a quick note here,  Frank Graham not only narrated this short but was also the voice of Chicken Little,  Cocky Locky, and Foxy Loxy. Anyways with that out of the way, the narration here was fun as unlike most shorts the narrator actually interacted with the short and broke the fourth wall.    I feel that the narration was used to break the tension in this short because  while the colors of this short may be bright and cheery, the tone isn't.



Characters




I'll be breaking this down into, Main, &  Villain




Main Characters




Chicken Little voiced by Frank Graham

Chicken Little for all intents and purposes is an idiot. Hey, the narrator says that about him too but he's well meaning.  Even if it isn't all there and sadly, him listening to Foxy Loxy causes the death of the birds save for Cocky Locky.  Because Foxy, once again portraying Doom tells him that he was born to be a leader and well that isn't really true. Because Foxy is making the decisions for him and they're decisions that'll benefit Foxy in the end.   He's a little clumsy but again well meaning but as I said his well meaning intentions lead to a mass death.


Cocky Locky also voiced by Frank Graham

Cocky is the rooster of the town, the one with the most sense. He is the one that people listen to for the most part but that changes when Foxy starts spreading rumors saying Cocky has gone crazy and lost his mind through the feathered town. Again,  here we see another form of manipulation at work and because he is wise enough to realize the sky is falling, he is the only one not to die at the hands of Foxy Loxy.



Villain


Foxy Loxy also voiced by Frank Graham

If your wondering why, I chose this picture, it shows Foxy going through the different stages of his plan.   Foxy is probably the most interesting character in the short because watching his plan unfold is fascinating in a twisted way and I almost feel wrong for saying that knowing what he is meant to represent.   One thing that I liked and kinda scared me in  a little way as "Oh, that's eerie"   is that narrator reassures the audience that the story has a happy ending but then we see this...

The narrator says that's not how it ended in his book but Foxy tells him not to believe everything you read as he places these bones down in the ground next to the rest that give the image of being in the positions  of crosses or tombstones at cemeteries.   It's hard to explain without a picture but still, creepy.  This also makes Foxy, one of  only two  Disney villains (that I can think of)  to be shown winning in the end.


My Final Thoughts


This is not a short to show younger kids, wait until they're about nine because of the subject matter.  Still, a very good short and it's fascinating how the color and look give off one vibe which is actually misleading when you watch the short as to see what happens.   Really, the only way to describe this short is as eerie.   Join me next time as we stay with the WWII shorts as I take a look at a much more serious and grim short from Disney...

Education For Death: The Making of a Nazi