Don't Give Up the Sheep

"Don't Give Up the Sheep" is the first of several cartoons involving a faithful sheepdog continually outsmarting Wiley Coyote (though the IMDb summary says he's a wolf). In many ways, it's just a slight variation on the Roadrunner cartoons--but this time the coyote's quarry actually fights back physically. It's all clever but only slightly innovative. In fact, while I did enjoy this cartoon, I don't think it called for repeated follow-up cartoons in the series.

As far as the technical aspects go, the backgrounds for this one are VERY simple--and awfully ugly by Warner Brothers standards. It looks like they were imitating the UPA type of graphics here--which some love and which I hate because they just are too simple and represent (to me) a major step backwards in cartoon quality.

The first in a series of shorts about a sheepdog (usually named Sam) guarding a flock of sheep and a wolf (usually named Ralph) trying to steal them. The joke is that the dog (and in later shorts the wolf) is just doing his job, punching a clock like any blue collar human. Unlike some of the other reviewers here, I don't feel like this is the best of the series. It's a great start, and there are lots of funny gags, but I think some of the others in the series were even funnier. The Pan gag was my favorite in this one. The lively music is supplied by Carl Stalling. Great voice work from Mel Blanc. The animation is colorful and nicely drawn. Ralph's feet are different here than they would be in later cartoons. It's a clever and original start to a great series; yet another example of the genius of Chuck Jones.

There's no flies on Sam Sheepdog, don't even bother trying to fool him because he can see through ALL your little tricks.

Wile E. Coyote, taking a break from trying to catch that pesky Roadrunner, spies his long suspended dinner in a flock of sheep grazing happily in a field. Unfortunately for him, Sam has just started his shift and he isn't going to make it easy for him.

A series of brilliant gags follow, all of them utter genius, as Coyote goes to more and more ridiculous measures to obtain his main course. Ending in a surprise twist that will leave you in stitches.

A very funny, very clever cartoon.

Chuck Jones, in addition to both working with solidly established stars such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck and doing one-shot cartoons like Martian Through Georgia, did some thematic groupings of short using continuing characters in a small number of cartoons. Ralph and Sam, a sheepdog and wolf, were one of these. The series is one of the better ones as far as I'm concerned. The concept of protector versus predator as a 9 to 5 job just amuses me no end. This particular short isn't the best of the lot (there were seven all told and I believe this was the first of them) but all of them are quite fun and are well worth watching. Recommended.

One sheepdog punches in on a time clock while the other punches out.. Once there, they proceed to protect the sheep from our friend Wile E. Coyote. It's a lot of the usual stuff except that it's treated as a business. The Coyote is, of course, thwarted all along (no spoilers...just is). The interesting thing is that these guys have a job and a time schedule. Clever idea.