Sheep Ahoy

This is the second short of what would come to be known as the Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf series (although the characters are named differently here). Created by the great Chuck Jones, the premise of them all is that the sheepdog watches over the sheep while the wolf tries to steal them, usually resulting in the wolf getting beaten up. The primary joke is that the wolf and dog are just doing their jobs (even punching a clock) and, when the work day is done, they're friends. It's one of the best Looney Tunes (or Merrie Melodies) series that didn't involve one of their main characters. Ralph Wolf is certainly similar to Wile E. Coyote, in appearance and actions, but he's a little less crafty and more obvious than Wile E. Coyote. This is a very funny short with a lot of sight gags that work well. The animation is bright and colorful. The music is lively and fun. It's not the best of the Ralph & Sam shorts but it's a good one.

The Ralph Wolf and Sam the Sheepdog series was short-lived and overlooked, and unjustly so. It was a very good, and at its best brilliant, series of cartoons, and some of the best of Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies later output.

'Sheep Ahoy' is another jewel in this great series, where the weakest cartoon was still good. It is more of the same plot-wise, with a somewhat typical and familiar set-up, and not quite as creative with the concept as the previous cartoon 'Don't Give Up the Sheep'. The different names are somewhat confusing as well at first. However there is so much good about 'Sheep Ahoy', a cartoon once again filled with gags and laughs that come thick and fast but still paced adeptly.

Animation-wise, 'Sheep Ahoy' is animated beautifully, for a series of cartoons made late in Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies' prolific output the Ralph and Sam cartoons were generally some of the better-looking cartoons from this period, being colourful and inventively detailed with smooth and fluid character designs. The music is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.

Chuck Jones' trademark visual style and humour is all over the cartoon, and has lost none of its imagination or the clever and razor-sharp wit present throughout his career. The sight gags are unmistakably Jones and there is not a misfire among them, all of them are hilarious, unpredictable, inventive and remarkably for so many in a short space of time never feel incomplete. The ending especially is one of the series' cleverest and most riotous.

Both characters are strong and interact brilliantly together, Ralph being the slightly funnier and more interesting of the two. Mel Blanc continues to delight with exuberant vocal characterisations.

In summary, yet another jewel and makes one wonder why this great series of cartoons didn't get more attention than they deserved. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Chuck Jones, after Tex Avery, was the second-greatest director of animated shorts, perhaps of all time and certainly of their theatrical heyday. Jones was absolutely the best at character development and Sam and Ralph are two of his lesser-known gems. They appeared in all of seven shorts as a team and the shorts work exceptionally well. I think the reason they work so well is the basic premise: that what these two do is a job! The shorts are absolutely beautiful and the ending to this one is a scream! Well worth seeing. Recommended.