Helter Shelter (cartoon)

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Helter Shelter
series = Woody Woodpecker


caption =
director = Paul J. Smith
story_artist = Michael Maltese
animator = Robert Bentley
Herman Cohen
Laverne Harding
Gil Turner
Art Landy
voice_actor = Grace Stafford
musician = Clarence Wheeler
producer = Walter Lantz
studio = Walter Lantz Productions
distributor = Universal International
release_date = flagicon|US January 17, 1955
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 6' 12"
movie_language = English
preceded_by = "Convict Concerto"
followed_by = "Witch Crafty"
imdb_id = 0150885

"Helter Shelter" is the 59th animated cartoon short subject in the "Woody Woodpecker" series. Released theatrically on January 17, 1955, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.

Plot

Woody is happily singing "Home! Sweet Home!" after building a brand new birdhouse until neighborhood dog Happy sets fire to the woodpecker's domicile. Frustrated, Woody builds a second birdhouse, only to have it thrown over the side of a mountain by a malicious Happy. Soon, it begins raining, and Happy takes refuge to his owner's home. The kindly mother Phoebe takes the dog in, but her towering husband Claude complains that she is letting the wet dog into the house. A soaked Woody then knocks on the door as well, and Phoebe takes pity on the drenched woodpecker. Claude, who openly declares "I hate animals!" angrily inquires, "What is this: a zoo?!" He then storms off to bed.

Only moments after Happy and Woody try to get some sleep, Claude begins sleepwalking and works his way right into the refrigerator. This leads to a series of mishaps resulting in both Woody and Happy getting booted out of the house repeatedly. Finally, Claude's bed ends up landing in the basement, and he quickly accuses Happy. The frantic dog rolls up the saw he used, and hides it in his mouth. Woody then comes up behind him, asks "Hiya, pal! What's new?" and slaps his back, causing the saw to unroll in his mouth. Happy then bounces off into the night, with the saw twanging away inside his body.

Woody tries to win Claude's friendship, but gets booted out in the rain once again. Phoebe comes running down the stairs to rescue the woodpecker, leading Claude to threaten "Phoebe, either that woodpecker goes, or "I" go!" Phoebe then promptly throws Claude out the door, and tucks Woody into bed.

References

*Cooke, Jon, Komorowski, Thad, Shakarian, Pietro, and Tatay, Jack. " [http://lantz.goldenagecartoons.com/1955.html 1955] ". "The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia".