The Wrong Trousers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Wrong Trousers
Directed by	Nick Park
Produced by	Peter Lord David Sproxton
Written by	Nick Park Bob Baker
Starring	Peter Sallis
Music by	Julian Nott
Distributed by	BBC Aardman Animations
Release date(s)	December 26, 1993
Running time	30 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Followed by	A Close Shave
IMDb profile

The Wrong Trousers is a 1993 animated film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations in Bristol, featuring his characters Wallace and Gromit. It was his second half-hour short featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his quiet but intelligent dog Gromit, following 1989's A Grand Day Out and preceding 1995's A Close Shave.

As in A Grand Day Out, the 30 minute film uses sight gags and exaggerated physical comedy, as well as a few subtle film parodies. Voice acting is the sole duty of Peter Sallis as the voice of Wallace, as both Gromit and Feathers remain silent throughout.

The film premiered in the UK on 26 December 1993 and won the 1993 Academy Award for Animated Short Film.

Contents 1 Plot 2 In-jokes, references and puns 3 Quotations 3.1 Alternate versions of music 4 Credits 5 Wrong Trousers Day 6 External links

[edit] Plot

The film begins at 62 West Wallaby street on Gromit's birthday. After falling downstairs from his bed via a trapdoor in the ceiling (which also dresses him at the same time), Wallace is greeted with a large pile of bills. Meanwhile, Gromit subtly attempts to remind Wallace that it is his birthday. After surveying their depleted funds, Wallace lets slip that he has not forgotten Gromit's birthday after all and presents Gromit with a somewhat unwelcome gift of a dog collar, and a second present of a pair of ex-NASA robotic "Techno Trousers", designed to alleviate the burden of taking him for walks.

While Gromit is out on a "walk", Wallace decides that the only solution to their financial problems is to let the spare bedroom out. Thus, a lodger, a malevolent-looking penguin, comes to stay in the house, pushing Gromit out of his comfortable bedroom and winning Wallace's favour. Upset that the penguin has intruded on his relationship with his master, Gromit leaves home. Viewing his departure, the penguin goes to work on altering the Techno Trousers for his own means.

After sleeping rough, Gromit hunts for suitable lodgings, noticing a Police poster offering a reward for the capture of a chicken called Feathers McGraw. Meanwhile, Wallace's normal morning routine is interrupted by the replacement of his expected trousers with the modified Techno Trousers. Trapped inside the robotic garments, Wallace is sent on an extended test, driven by remote control, although he is unaware of the penguin's involvement. Gromit, seeing this spectacle, and having observed the penguin suspiciously measuring-up the exterior of the town museum, decides to sneak back into his old bedroom, uncovering the penguin's plans to steal a giant diamond from the museum using the trousers and Wallace as tools.

However, Gromit is too late to foil the plan and is forced to hide inside Wallace's bed, where he observes the penguin in his "chicken" disguise (a large red rubber glove on his head). Wallace, in a deep sleep after the day's misadventures, is unwittingly brought into the robbery by the penguin, and by nightfall breaks into the museum using the suction feet on the trousers to scale the wall and hang from the ceiling, avoiding the laser alarm system. Having successfully hooked the diamond, a loose tile means the alarm is set off, waking Wallace, who has no idea where he is. After escaping back to West Wallaby Street, the penguin reveals his identity to Wallace and locks him in a wardrobe.

Making for the door with the diamond, the penguin is confronted by Gromit with a rolling pin. The penguin then pulls out a pistol and forces Gromit into the wardrobe with Wallace, locking them inside. Being an expert with electronics, Gromit is able to override the Trousers' circuits and break open the doors. There then follows a large chase aboard a trainset, as Gromit attempts to stop the penguin escaping with the diamond, aided unsuccessfully by Wallace.

After the penguin's train is abruptly stopped by the trousers, he is caught and handed into the police station. For catching Feathers McGraw, the pair are given a substantial reward, which pays off their debts.

Meanwhile, the trousers, unceremoniously consigned to the dustbin, walk off into the sunset.

[edit] In-jokes, references and puns

Here are a few subtle jokes from the film.

• The Morning Post that Gromit is reading at the start of the film has as its main headline, "Moon Cheese prices soar!", an obvious reference to A Grand Day Out.
• Wallace's spare money is kept in a piggy bank, stored in a safe, which is stereotypically hidden behind a painting on the wall. The trouble with this 'hidden' wealth, however, is that the painting is of a piggy bank.
• When trying to get Gromit out of the house, the penguin plays Organ music very loudly on the radio, including "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree", the latter a hint of previous jail time. (However, see alternate versions of music note below).
• As Gromit watches television whilst eating breakfast, the Open University fanfare and a continuity announcement can be heard. However, the fanfare had not been used for two years by the time this film was released. Additionally, the fanfare was changed to a generic trumpet piece for the DVD release.
• When Gromit is spying on Feathers, he hides in a box on the front it reads Meatabix, a pun on the breakfast cereal Weetabix.
• The melancholic puma from Aardman Animation's Creature Comforts can be seen in the museum.

[edit] Quotations

"Any post, was there, perchance?"

"They're all bills. Oh dear, Oh dear me. We shall have to economise Gromit. I'll have to let that room out."

"Just look at that. I'm down to my last few coppers. And those presents weren't cheap either!"

"Well, Gromit, let's see what's on the nine-oh-five, shall we?"

"I think you'll find this present a valuable addition to our modern lifestyle. They're Techno-trousers, ex-NASA, fantastic for walkies."

"Ahh, It's no use prevaricating about the bush."

"I suppose you like kippers, do you? Partial to bit of black pudding myself — with bacon, of course."

"No more lodgers — more trouble than they're worth! I could just fancy some cheese, Gromit. What do you say? Cheddar?... All's well that ends well, that's what I say. Uhmm... I do like a bit of gorgonzola..."

"It's the wrong trousers Gromit! And they've gone wrong!"

(a wanted sign for Feathers the Penguin, with a rubber glove on his head) "Have you seen this chicken?"

(As Feathers pulls the rubber glove off his head) "Good grief! It's you!"

"I'll give you what-for, you tyke."

[edit] Alternate versions of music

In the original BBC version of the film, Gromit's birthday card plays "Happy Birthday to You", which is associated with birthdays in Britain and North America. When the film was released on BBC DVD in 2000, this was replaced with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" for copyright reasons. Also removed for the DVD (again for reasons of copyright) are certain specific tunes from the penguin's radio, replaced with generic Hammond organ music. Amongst those pieces removed are (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? - along with Wallace's singing of it the subsequent morning - and Happy Talk from the film South Pacific; Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree was left intact. In the latest DVD release, however, the original soundtrack can be heard in the background of the commentary track.

[edit] Credits

• Animation: Nick Park, Steve Box
• Additional Animation: Peter Lord, Tom Gasek, Peter Thornton, Arril Johnson
• Art Director: Yvonne Fox
• Assistant Art Directors: Ian Whitlock (props), Phil Lewis (sets)
• Scenic Artist: Tom Farrington
• Sets: Cod Steaks
• Characters & Props: Geoff Bevins, Trisha Budd, John Parsons, Janet Sanger, John Wright
• Graphic Design: Richard Higgs
• Optical Effects Supervisor: Peter Wignall
• Optical Effects: Craig Chandler
• Production Assistant: Jason Marshall
• Sound Effects Recording: Bill Morgan
• Dialogue Dubbing Editor: Harvey Lilley
• Trainee Assistant Editor: Tasmin Perry
• Dubbing Editor: Adrian Rhodes
• Dubbing Mix: Aad Wirtz
• With Special Thanks to: The Staff of Aardman Animations
• Production Manager: Peter Thornton
• Music: Julian Nott
• Editor: Helen Gerrard
• Photography: Tristan Oliver, Dave Alex Riddett
• Written by: Nick Park, Bob Baker, Brian Sibley
• Based upon characters created by: Nick Park
• Executive Producers for BBC: Colin Rose, Peter Salmon
• Executive Producers: Peter Lord, David Sproxton
• Producer: Christopher Moll
• Director: Nick Park

[edit] Wrong Trousers Day

The film has inspired an annual charity fundraising event in which workers and school children wear gaudy, mismatched trousers for the day.

[edit] External links

• The Wrong Trousers at the Internet Movie Database