1933 Oscar-Winning Shorts: A Year of Sensations (Part 3 of 3)
He huffed, and he puffed, and he blew audiences away! With the help of a talented animator and a catchy tune, this timeless tale became one of the defining movies of the Depression era...
Long Story Short: Walt Disney’s “Three Little Pigs” was not only an Oscar winner, but a social phenomenon that saw unparalleled success in the movie theater. Based on the famous short story, the film imbued its characters with an increased level of personality and detail, which made them resonate deeply with audiences. The general public were not just entertained by the catchy tune and the Technicolor animation. They saw a fragment of themselves in the pigs and related the threat of the Big Big Wolf to the ongoing Great Depression that left so many struggling to stay afloat. With “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” as its theme song, the film shattered records and became utterly inescapable. It is further credited as the film that cemented Disney’s signature style of animation, thanks to the brilliant work of animator Fred Moore. Continue reading to learn more about this children’s tale grew to be something so much greater. This is the last entry in my series on the sensational 1933 Oscar-winning shorts. Click here for Part 1 and Part 2!
Winner of Best Short Subject, Cartoon at the 6th Academy Awards
Three Little Pigs (Gillett, 1933)
Distributor: United Artists
Production Company: Walt Disney Productions
Recipient of the Award: Walt Disney
Other Nominees: Building a Building, The Merry Old Soul
Even with the massive successes of So This Is Harris (Sandrich, 1933) and Krakatoa (Rock & Hammons, 1933), neither of them is as historically significant as Walt Disney’s Three Little Pigs, one of the biggest cinematic phenomenons of 1933. We talk about Disney’s box office dominance nowadays with films like Inside Out 2 (Mann, 2024), but Three Little Pigs was a Disney blockbuster before such a thing even existed. I’m confident in assuming that the story of “The Three Little Pigs” needs no introduction. We’ve all heard about the titular pigs and the hairs of their chinny-chin-chins and how the Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and blew their houses down. It’s a classic! As is the case with many famous fables and fairytales, the Disney version is the most popular screen adaptation and is quite possibly what people think of when the story comes to mind. However, it’s hard to comprehend just how popular and well-regard this film was in 1933. It tapped into something much deeper than the usual cartoon, or even the usual feature-length picture. Three Little Pigs captured the public’s imagination in a way that elevated it far behind its status as a simple kids’ cartoon.
After earning tremendous acclaim and an Oscar for Flowers and Trees, Disney continued utilizing three-strip Technicolor for their Silly Symphonies series. King Neptune (Gillett, 1932), Babes in the Woods (Gillett, 1932), Santa’s Workshop (Jackson, 1932), Birds in the Spring (Hand, 1933), and Father Noah’s Ark (Jackson, 1933) were all released in the months following Flowers and Trees with Technicolor technology. They had become so artistically and commercially successful that critic Gilbert Seldes of The New Republic called them “ perfection of the movies” (Gabler 181). However, Three Little Pigs proved to be something even more special for Walt and company. According to one of Disney’s chief animators at Ben Sharpsteen, “[Walt] spent more of his time on [Three Little Pigs] than he had on any other picture up to that time” (Gabler 182). He was particularly focused on the designs of the three pigs as he wanted them to be extremely expressive and almost human-like. For this request, he placed his trust in animator Freddie Moore, who despite only being in his early twenties, had already established himself as a truly masterful animator. Walt was reportedly so taken with Moore’s ability that he would frequently take time to watch him work. For Three Little Pigs, Moore’s job was to animate the three pigs with distinct personalities, rather than having them all act the same. In many ways, Moore’s contributions are the largest factor in the film’s enduring legacy. Along with Moore, esteemed animators Norm Ferguson, Duck Lundy, and Art Babbitt were also integral to the film’s production working on the wolf’s design, dance steps, and action sequences, respectively (Gabler 182). As he did on Flowers and Trees, Burt Gillett served as the director. It was a team full of Disney's most talented creators, and they spared no expense in making Three Little Pigs a success!
When the film was completed, Walt was thrilled at the results. Upon previewing the film, he messaged his brother, Roy Disney, exclaiming, “At last we have achieved true personality in a whole picture!” (Thomas 118). However, the distributors at United Artists (UA) were not so impressed. There were complaints about the film’s lack of characters, with one salesman saying, “This is kind of a cheater, don’t you think?...The last cartoon Walt sent us was Father Noah’s Ark, with dozens of animals…Now he gives us only four” (Thomas 118). This skepticism would be overridden by UA’s Hal Horne, who called it “the greatest picture Walt’s ever made,” and thus, the film was released to the public in May of 1933 with no additional animals (Thomas 118). Given the film’s colossal success, it is almost comical to look at the concerns about the “lack of animals,” but it demonstrates how even top workers in the industry can be hugely mistaken about how a project will perform. It reminds me of fellow Oscar-winner Krakatoa’s struggle for distribution before eventually landing at Educational Pictures. However, both films would prevail in the end with the Academy and general audiences.
Three Little Pigs received widespread acclaim upon its release from critics. The Film Daily called the film “show-stopping” and “great for kids and grown up kids as well” (3). A comment in Motion Picture Reviews shared similar sentiments: “It is exceptionally clever and wholly charming. Children should not miss this” (9). The film led more critics to agree with Gilbert Seldes’s opinion about Disney’s animated shorts being “perfection of the movies.” In a rave review from Personal Movies, the reviewer called animated cartoons “the real ‘art’ medium of the motion picture” and further complimented Three Little Pigs for taking animation to a “higher plane than it has ever occupied before” (285). Critics felt that they were not merely witnessing a good cartoon, but a remarkable evolution in the cinematic art form. Audiences were even more ecstatic about the film. Wm. A. Crute of the Victoria Theatre in Vancouver gave particularly rapturous praise: “This is the best colored short in many a day. Have had patrons come back to see it the second time and numerous phone calls. You can’t go wrong on this one” (53). This sentiment was widespread as multiple theaters pleaded to extend their runs of Three Little Pigs because it was such a crowd-pleaser. It broke records at multiple theaters for most weeks played. By October, The Film Daily reported that the film had been playing for so long at the Original Roxy Theater for so long that they lost count and had a whopping 800 showings at the Trans-Lux theater on Broadway (7, 1). Three Little Pigs was a box office sensation that Hollywood had rarely seen, and while it was often billed as a children’s cartoon, it played particularly well with adults.
In 1933, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression with many Americans struggling. While it may not seem related, Three Little Pigs struck a chord with many people during this time of deprivation as they related to its themes and characters. Professor M. Thomas Inge summarized it best:
“Three Little Pigs provided a pertinent warning to Americans: Economic survival depends on building a strong house of bricks to ward off the threat of foreign forces intent on undermining national self-sufficiency” (Beck 73).
While audiences were entertained by the colorful animation and cheerful music, they also saw their lives reflected in the plight of the pigs and the threat of the Big Bad Wolf. It is striking to see how such a simple story with seemingly basic themes could become so important due to the historical context, and it demonstrates how these cartoons played extraordinarily well with both adults and children. I am also incredibly impressed with how Disney and company managed to retell a tale as old as time but simultaneously captured the current zeitgeist. The retelling of old folklore may come across as dated, but Three Little Pigs proves that some stories are simply timeless.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe7819dc2-00b8-44c9-84f5-ecfdc638071d_512x402.jpeg)
The film’s resonance and success were further amplified by its theme song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,” which became a smash hit in its own right. In discussing creative contributions to the film, I would be remiss if I did not mention Frank Churchill, the man behind the catchy tune and another large reason for the film’s enduring legacy. With the assistance of Carl W. Stalling, Ted Sears, and Pinto Colvig (voice for the Practical Pig), Churchill wrote the tune that would be sung throughout the film and move the story along at a nice pace. Eventually, Mary Moder and Dorothy Compton were brought in to voice the Fifer Pig and the Fiddler Pig, where they were paid a shockingly low $10 each for their vocal contributions (182-183). After the film came out, the song was everywhere. It had a life outside the theater. In a dramatic rant, film critic Richard Watts, Jr. of the New York Herald Tribune complained about the song’s overplay:
“It bursts off at you in almost every film theater; the radio hurls it in your direction; try to escape from it by adjourning to a speakeasy and some unfortunate alcoholic will begin to sing it at you; you pick up a paper for relief and you will find it shrieking out at you in a cartoon editorial page. At teas, otherwise harmless men and women will suddenly burst, either coyly or determinedly, into its unceasing strains or its coy lyrics. Go to the theater, and you will find it played by the orchestra in the intermission, while the handsomely clad men and women about town in the audience join merrily in humming it, just to show you that they are dashing sophisticates” (183).
Essentially, it was the “Let It Go” of 1933. However, the song became more than just a catchy tune as it became the background music of a tumultuous time in American history. Like with the themes of the film itself, people began to see their realities reflected in this piece of music and began to connect it with economic plights and even the political messaging of the newly elected president. Michael Barrier eloquently makes the connection between “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first inaugural address “with the Big Bad Wolf a bogeyman no more to be feared than ‘fear itself’” (97). The song became so intertwined with the political zeitgeist that Time magazine called it “the tune by which 1933 will be remembered” (73). The ubiquitousness of Three Little Pigs and “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” is a true testament to how art can encapsulate the anxieties of an audience, even if it doesn’t do so directly. A simple children’s story about three pigs can be transformed into something so much greater when put into proper context, and it is truly inspiring to see how deeply this film and song touched so many people.
While Three Little Pigs got much of its power through its historical context, it still holds up as a very good cartoon today. Like with Flowers and Trees, the Technicolor animation is absolutely beautiful, but this film is even more impressive because of its expressive character designs. It’s strange to think that distributors originally wanted more characters since a major part of this film’s appeal is its attention to detail, which would’ve been strained if it added more than the four primary characters. I won’t be overly complimentary since I don’t really know the difference between two of the pigs (besides their houses and choices of instruments), but the Practical Pig definitely has a distinct personality, and Fred Moore’s animation brings that out beautifully. Clearly, Walt’s goal of “achieving true personality” was reached as it’s the main aspect Three Little Pigs is praised for, and even the film’s most popular Letterboxd review is predicated (albeit jokingly) on this achievement. I also loved the Big Bad Wolf as the film’s antagonist. Billy Bletcher’s voice work and Norm Ferguson’s animation really nail the balance of comedy and menace with this character. Outside of the characters, the film is full of little details that really enhance the experience. My particular favorite is the portrait of the pigs’ father in the Practical Pig’s home, which is just a picture of a sausage chain. It’s an incredibly dark joke that rewards the viewer for paying attention and indicates that these animators had a blast making this film.
As for the song, I wouldn’t say it’s a musical masterpiece, but it’s certainly an ear-worm that won’t be leaving my head any time soon (nor yours if you decide to watch this film). As dramatic as his statement was, I sympathize with Richard Watts Jr. because I cannot imagine how irritating it would’ve been to have this tune blasting from every radio station all day long. It does do a good job moving the plot along, so it’s definitely not superfluous. Also, it’s the first smash hit song to come from a cartoon, and we all know how many incredible songs would come from Disney following 1933, so I have to admire it for being such a trendsetter. I will admit that the film doesn’t quite live up to the hype of its colossal success, but I still really respect it as a landmark of animation and think it holds up quite well as a charming little short.
I should also mention that despite the film’s massive success and overwhelming acclaim, it was not without controversy. During the original cut of Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf attempts to trick the Practical Pig into letting him inside by disguising himself as a Jewish peddler. The scene is blatantly anti-semitic with the wolf’s disguise replicating harmful Jewish tropes, complete with a long nose and beard. This scene caused immediate indignation from the director of the American Jewish Congress Rabbi J.X. Cohen, who called it “vile, revolting and unnecessary” in a furious letter to Walt Disney (Gabler 454). Walt’s anti-semitism has been a topic of discussion for a very long time and is not something that I want to weigh in on too heavily, but this bit in Three Little Pigs is an inexcusable indication of that accusation’s merit. In 1948, the scene was re-animated to remove the anti-semitic costume (this clip shows the two versions side-by-side if you’re curious to see the difference). The edited version is the one you will find on Disney+, but the original cut is on YouTube.
With the astronomical triumph of Three Little Pigs, it was no surprise that it became the second winner of the Best Short Subject, Cartoon category at the Academy Awards, making Walt Disney the first person to win consecutive Oscars. Many critics believed that the short subject category was not sufficient for Three Little Pigs. Several critics felt it should be listed alongside feature-length pictures as one of the year’s best films. Despite not being eligible, it received 10 votes in the 1933 Film Daily Poll, further indicating that people saw it as more than a short film (3). As for the other nominees, second place went to another Disney short, Building a Building (Hand, 1933). Though the black-and-white animation isn’t quite as appealing as the Technicolor in Three Little Pigs, Building a Building is still a very cute short film. I liked it much more than Mickey’s Orphans (Gillett, 1931) from the previous year. Third place went to Universal Studios from The Merry Old Soul (Lantz & Nolan, 1933) starring another popular cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. I admired the animation in The Merry Old Soul for just how strange it is, and I enjoyed the silly caricatures of famous comedians (Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, etc.), but the film is also incredibly racist as it presents minstrelsy as a source of entertainment in an even more blatant way than many of the cartoons I’ve seen. I would not recommend it. Interestingly, the National Board of Review opted to honor a different Silly Symphony citing The Pied Piper (Jackson, 1933) as one of the ten best films of the year, listing it alongside the Best Picture winner Cavalcade (Lloyd, 1933). The Pied Piper is a perfectly fine short, but in my opinion, the Academy got it right. There was no better or more significant cartoon than Three Little Pigs in 1933, and it’s more than worthy of its Oscar gold.
The legacy of Three Little Pigs lives on, and it is definitely one of the more famous entries in the Silly Symphonies series. Though most of the series is dedicated to one-offs, there were actually three more Three Little Pigs films in the Silly Symphonies series: The Big Bad Wolf (Gillett, 1934), Three Little Wolves (Hand, 1936), and The Practical Pig (Rickard, 1939). None of these sequels achieved the same level of success as the first one, but I think they are all quite good. Truthfully, I think Three Little Wolves is a little better than the first one with a clever retelling of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” and some truly creative action. Also, the sequels are where Billy Bletcher’s Big Bad Wolf gets to truly shine. While still quite menacing, the wolf is uproariously funny in all three sequels and gets to dress in drag in each one. Perhaps, this is where the queer-coded Disney villains began! There was also a World War II propaganda film starring the pigs titled The Thrifty Pig (Beebe, 1941), which simply retells the same story as the original only with Canadian war bonds and the wolf dressed as a Nazi. Though that might sound intriguing and bizarre, it’s mostly just bland and uninspired.
However, the legacy of Three Little Pigs can be seen in more than just its sequels. The film’s success broke barriers that further proved that audiences were ready to see a feature-length animated picture. Without Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Hand, 1937) would have had a much tougher road to success. Furthermore, this film introduced Disney’s signature personality-driven style of animation due to the exceptional work of Fred Moore. According to fellow animator Marc Davis, “the drawing that people think of when they think of Disney was inspired by Fred Moore,” and Three Little Pigs is the film that cemented that distinctive style (Gabler 182). Moore would tragically pass away in 1952 from a car accident at only 41 years of age, but he left behind a tremendous body of work. The film’s legacy goes beyond Disney as Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones also cited the film as aspirational for his work, even going so far as to say “personality animation really began with [Three Little Pigs]” (Gabler 184). Its place in cinematic history goes far beyond anything I can say. For these reasons and more, the film was added to the National Film Registry in 2007, alongside two of my personal favorite films Back to the Future (Zemeckis, 1985) and Now, Voyager (Rapper, 1942). More than any other film in 1933, it proved that media can go beyond the screen and become something much greater. It is an excellent demonstration of the importance of short subjects in cinematic history, as it created such a stir in only 8 minutes!
Works Cited
Beck, Jerry. The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals. Turner Publishing, 1993. p. 73.
Barrier, Michael. The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney. University of California Press, 2007.
Baxter, Devon. “Walt Disney’s ‘Three Little Pigs’ (1933).” Cartoon Research, 18 May 2016, cartoonresearch.com/index.php/walt-disneys-three-little-pigs-1933/.
The Film Daily, 29 May 1933, p. 3.
The Film Daily, 12 Oct. 1933, p. 7.
The Film Daily, 30 Oct. 1933, p. 1.
The Film Daily, 1 Dec. 1933, p. 1.
The Film Daily, 4 Dec. 1933, p. 3.
Gabler, Neal. Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Dream. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Motion Picture Herald, 15 Jul. 1933, p. 85.
Motion Picture Herald, 21 Oct. 1933, p. 53.
Motion Picture Reviews, Jun. 1933, p. 9.
National Board of Review Magazine, Nov. 1933, p. 12.
National Board of Review Magazine, Jan. 1934, p. 7.
The New York State Exhibitor, 10 Oct. 1933, p. 18.
“National Film Registry 2007 Librarian Adds 25 Titles to Film Preservation List.” National Film Registry 2007 (January-February 2008) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin, www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/08012/registry.html. Accessed 6 July 2024.
Screenland, 1 Apr. 1934, p. 61.
Thomas, Bob. An American Original: Walt Disney. 1st ed., Simon and Schuster, 1976.