| Chip 'n' Dale | |
|---|---|
Title screen for Chip 'n' Dale cartoons |
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| First appearance | Private Pluto, 1943 |
| Created by | Bill Jusice and The Walt Disney Company |
| Voiced by | Chip: James MacDonald (1943–1960) Tress MacNeille (1989–present) Dale: Dessie Flynn (1943–1960) Corey Burton (1989–present) Tress MacNeille (1999–2006) |
| Aliases | Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers |
| Species | Chipmunks |
Chip and Dale (often stylized as Chip 'n' Dale or Chip an' Dale) are two chipmunk cartoon characters created in 1943 at Walt Disney Productions. Their names are a pun based on the name "Chippendale" (see Thomas Chippendale). This was suggested by Bill "Tex" Henson, a story artist at the studio.
According to Disney, Chip is the logical schemer, and Dale is the goofy, dim-witted one. Originally the two were of a very similar appearance, but as a way to tell them apart, some differences were introduced. An easy way to visually tell them apart is that Chip has a small black nose (it looks a bit like a chocolate "Chip" as a way to help people remember who is who) and two centered protruding teeth, whereas Dale has a big red nose and his two prominent buck teeth exposed. Chip is also depicted as having smooth, short fur atop his head while Dale's tends to be ruffled.
In the '50s, they were finally given their own series, but only three cartoons were made; Chicken in the Rough (1951), Two Chips and a Miss (1952) and The Lone Chipmunks (1954).
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Chip 'n' Dale first appeared in the cartoon Private Pluto (1943), though they did not have their names or distinguishing characteristics. Pluto has been assigned to guard a pillbox where the two chipmunks are storing their nut supply, with the large gun being used as a nutcracker. However, various portions of Pluto's anatomy (such as his head) are realized as useful nutcracking implements. Eventually, they retreat into the pillbox, leaving Pluto weeping outside.
In their second short Squatter's Rights, they are once again against Pluto, though this time with Mickey Mouse along (though the latter never realizes the chipmunks' presence). The chipmunks have been hibernating in Mickey's hunting cabin, when he and Pluto arrive, they are less than thrilled. Various gags ensue, culminating with Pluto almost having his head blown off by a shotgun. With the aid of a bottle of ketchup, the chipmunks manage to make Mickey think his dog has been critically wounded. Exit one Mouse, leaving the chipmunks once again the sole occupants of the cabin. (Interestingly, though the two chipmunks have no physical distinctions, certain elements of the two chipmunks' later personalities can be recognized
Chip 'n' Dale did not get their names (or the traits that separate them) until the cartoon Chip an' Dale (1947) where they antagonize Donald Duck. They continued to appear in animated cartoons, usually annoying/terrorizing Donald, until the mid-1950s.
Chip 'n' Dale wander into a farmyard to collect as many acorns as they can but Dale mistakes an egg for a nut, and is in turn mistaken for a hatching egg. Upon investigation by the rooster, Dale is forced to impersonate a newly-hatched chicken.
In this short, Donald is an apple farmer, and Chip 'n' Dale are wreaking havoc on his apples. A battle for supremacy on the farm ensues, with many apples getting destroyed in the process. The word rhyme "Applecore - Baltimore" is used in this short.
Although Chip 'n' Dale are almost always united in a common goal, this was one of their only shorts to see them working against each other, for the affections of Clarice, a performer at the Acorn Club.
Chip and Dale appear in the following 23 animated short films. (Complete list)
| # | Title | Release date | Author | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Private Pluto | April 2, 1943 | Clyde Geronimi | Private Pluto has been assigned to guard a pillbox from saboteurs. But Chip and Dale are occupying it using the cannon to crack acorns on Pluto's head. Finally the chipmunks fire Pluto out of the cannon and crack the remaining acorns, leaving him to whine. |
| 2 | Squatter's Rights | June 7, 1946 | Jack Hannah | In a house, Chip and Dale inhabit a stove when Mickey and Pluto return and get in their way. Determined to keep their home, Chip and Dale get Pluto in trouble with Mickey. The chipmunks manage to drive the two out after they make Pluto seem like he was shot badly. |
| 3 | Chip an' Dale | November 28, 1947 | Jack Hannah | Being cold and lacking wood, Donald heads off to chop down a tree which happens to be inhabited by Chip and Dale. Chip and Dale try to get their nut supply out before Donald can set the tree alight but Donald keeps kicking them out. Chip finally takes care of Donald with a giant snowball. |
| 4 | Three for Breakfast | November 5, 1948 | Jack Hannah | When Chip and Dale catch sight of Donald's pancakes they decide to try and swipe some, but Donald tricks them with a rubber cement pancake. Soon Chip and Dale get Donald into a long stretch with the rubber pancake jamming him in the chimney. |
| 5 | Winter Storage | June 3, 1949 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale try to store acorns for the coming winter but run out on their tree. The chipmunks swipe Donald's acorns he is using for a seeding project, getting trapped in Donald's box trap and then get into a squabble. Chip and Dale challenge Donald in game of hockey with the acorns and overwhelm him with a huge pile of acorns. |
| 6 | All in a Nutshell | September 2, 1949 | Jack Hannah | Donald has run out of nuts for his nut butter sales and gets some out of Chip and Dale's tree. The chipmunks think Donald's stall is a giant walnut. Dale injures Chip in his clumsy attempts but the two both break into Donald's store and find nut butter tastes good. They swipe Donald's jars and after a chase dispose of Donald. |
| 7 | Toy Tinkers | December 16, 1949 | Jack Hannah | Donald chops down a pine tree for Christmas. Chip and Dale follow him to his house. Chip procures some walnuts while Dale plays around. Chip and Dale put the toys to use to get the nuts while Donald fools them with a Father Christmas guise, drawing a pistol at them. Donald and the chipmunks engage into a toy gun battle until Donald gets blown with a firework and Donald surrenders. |
| 8 | Crazy Over Daisy | March 25, 1950 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale antagonise Donald Duck as he attempts to deliver a present to Daisy, even managing to destroy his penny-farthing. Donald forces the chipmunks to transport him and Daisy, outraged with the way Donald treated the chipmunks, dumps him. |
| 9 | Trailer Horn | April 28, 1950 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale follow a trail of footprints to Donald's campsite and amuse themselves by honking the car horn, waking Donald up. The chipmunks then prevent Donald from trying to swim and he dazes them. As payback, the chipmunks pelt Donald with pine cones. Donald tries to get at them with his car but totals it. |
| 10 | Food for Feudin' | August 11, 1950 | Charles Nicholas | Chip and Dale gather lots of hazel nuts, but Pluto buries a bone in the tree and loses all the nuts in his dog house. Chip and Dale camouflouge in gardening gloves and lure Pluto to their tree, retrieving their nuts. The chipmunks and Pluto play a Palm Pile game getting their fingers tied. |
| 11 | Out on a Limb | December 15, 1950 | Jack Hannah | Donald interferes with Chip and Dale's nut storage process by pruning the tree. Donald tails the chipmunks with a branch cutter but they knock Donald with a stone. Donald chases the chipmunks, getting their crowns shaved with a lawnmower, but runs into an electric line. |
| 12 | Chicken in the Rough | January 19, 1951 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale drop their acorns in a chicken farm and go in after them. In the henhouse, Dale mistakes the eggs for walnuts. He meets a hatched chick and is forced to impersonate a chick to hide from the cockrel, his cover almost blown and staying stuck in the nest. |
| 13 | Corn Chips | March 23, 1951 | Jack Hannah | Donald tricks Chip and Dale into clearing the snow from his yard. The chipmunks enter Donald's house to get hold of some of his popcorn, but get mixed in his popcorn when Donald comes back. Chip and Dale swipe Donald's popcorn and he tries to get it back. After a chase, Donald lights a fire in the tree and the chipmunks fill Donald's yard with popcorn. |
| 14 | Test Pilot Donald | June 8, 1951 | Jack Hannah | Donald tries out his model airplane finding it works fine. When it gets caught in a tree, Dale hitches a ride in it to Chip's disapproval. When Dale crash lands, Donald traps him in a jar, but he escapes and drives the plane again. Donald tries to catch Dale with a fishing rod, but Dale traps him with the plane on a building spire. |
| 15 | Out of Scale | November 2, 1951 | Jack Hannah | Donald is having fun with his small train set but removes Chip and Dale's tree after declaring it "out of scale". As the chipmunks try to get their tree back, Donald chases them. The chipmunks make themselves comfy in a miniature house. Donald finds their scale fits with the house and torments them with weather changes. Chip and Dale retrieve their tree and make it fit to scale as a giant redwood tree. |
| 16 | Donald Applecore | January 8, 1952 | Jack Hannah | Donald is annoyed Chip and Dale are replacing his apples with eaten cores and Dale tricks him in disposing of them. They resist Donald's insect powder and Donald takes back the apples with his helicopter. The chipmunks empty the apple silo and Donald goes after them with chemical bombs but gets blown underground to China. |
| 17 | Two Chips and a Miss | March 21, 1952 | Jack Hannah | In New York, Chip goes for his secret date with Clarice. Dale himself has also been invited to meet Clarice. When they cross each other at the Acorn Club they bicker and fight for Clarice's love and affection. They stop to watch her act. The chipmunks compete for Clarice with their music, both receiving a kiss and all three sing together. |
| 18 | Pluto's Christmas Tree | November 21, 1952 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale tease Pluto and hide in a pine tree which Mickey is chopping down for Christmas. In Mickey's house, Chip and Dale are fascinated by the sparkling balls. They try to get the candy canes but Pluto spots them. After Chip and Dale have a long and mischievous tackle with Pluto, the tree gets destroyed, but Mickey is delighted to have the chipmunks. Donald, Goofy and Minnie come to greet Mickey with carols. |
| 19 | Working for Peanuts | November 11, 1953 | Jack Hannah | Chip and Dale come across a peanut and check out the zoo and the elephant Dolores and all those peanuts. Dolores however prevents the chipmunks getting any. Donald chases them after they thwack Dolores. Chip and Dale attract some people to get some peanuts, then cover themselves in white wash and trick Donald into thinking they're albino chipmunks. |
| 20 | The Lone Chipmunks | April 19, 1954 | Jack Kinney | Black Pete is wanted for terrorising and robbing towns. Chip and Dale find Pete has been stashing stolen money in their tree and take the opportunity for the reward. They fail to get Pete twice and he finds them and shoots at them. Chip and Dale put up a tricking fight with Pete and get him captured by the cavalry. Chip and Dale ride off to town known as the Lone Chipmunks. |
| 21 | Dragon Around | July 16, 1954 | Jack Hannah | Dale is fascinated by medieval fantasy and drags Chip into it when they spot a dragon which is actually Donald's refuse tractor. Donald is intent on destroying the chipmunks tree. Chip as a knight and Dale as his stead get swallowed by the tractor grabber but they escape and disable its teeth. Before Donald can smash the tree the chipmunks sabotage the tractor. Donald tries to blow them up with dynamite but they blast him in the sky instead. |
| 22 | Up a Tree | September 23, 1955 | Jack Hannah | Donald is on the verge of sawing Chip and Dale's tall tree. Chip causes Donald to fall three times before he cuts off the top and finds out about the two. Donald cuts down the tree and the chipmunks fail to keep it standing. Chip and Dale get Donald in a run from the logged tree until it is catapulted with dynamite along with Donald's house. |
| 23 | Chips Ahoy | February 24, 1956 | Jack Kinney | Chip and Dale spot an island with lots of acorns but have no way to get to it. They make off with Donald's ship in a bottle, Chip as captain and Dale as a sailor. Donald torments the chipmunks into thinking they're on a rough voyage. Dale stops Donald and he tries to chase them in his boats which Dale prematurely sabotaged. While the chipmunks enjoy their acorns, Donald tries to build a dug out canoe. |
In 1989, Chip and Dale became the title characters in a new animated series, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, in which they formed a detective agency with new characters created for the show: female mouse inventor Gadget Hackwrench, muscular adventuring Australian mouse Monterey Jack, and Zipper the fly. While in the original shorts the duo are frequent troublemakers who are concerned only with themselves, in Rescue Rangers they are crime fighters who help the less fortunate.[1]
In this series the personality differences between the two are more pronounced, with Chip as the responsible, no-nonsense leader and Dale as the goofy, laid back free spirit. Additionally, they wear clothes in this series which reflect their personalities; Chip wears a leather jacket and fedora (much like Indiana Jones), while Dale wears a Hawaiian shirt (much like Magnum, P.I.). Also, Burton gave Dale a slightly raspier voice not heard in any incarnations before or since.
Chip 'n' Dale also had their own comic book title, first from Dell Comics with Four Color Comics #517,581,and 636, then their own title for issues #4-30 (1955–62), which was then continued by Gold Key Comics with #1-64 (1967–78).
Chip and Dale appear as Guest stars in episodes
Chip 'n' Dale occasionally appeared in Mickey Mouse Works and House of Mouse. They can also be spotted in the 1983 featurette Mickey's Christmas Carol where they are seen dancing to the music inside Fezziwigs. They are also at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.
A recurring shtick often mistakenly attributed to Chip 'n' Dale is the characters' alleged use of politeness: "After you," … "No, I insist, after you!" This gag, from the early-1900s Alphonse and Gaston comic strip, is used by another studio's characters: Warner Bros' Mac and Tosh as the Goofy Gophers. However, in the 1950 short "Out on a Limb," Chip 'n' Dale do engage in a round of this (possibly in reference to the Goofy Gophers) before Chip stops it from getting out of hand with a swift kick to Dale's rear end.
The classic voices of Chip 'n' Dale were mostly provided by Helen Silbert, Dessie Flynn/Dessie Miller, and James MacDonald. The earliest voices were provided by female office staff, without credit. In "Private Pluto" the chipmunks' speech was created by speeding up sound clips of normal speech. In a number of the shorts that followed, many of these same sound clips were used again, though later shorts used dialogue specifically recorded for that short.
At one point in "Winter Storage", Chip and Dale get into an argument while caught in a trap. When the scene switches to an outside view of the box (with Donald Duck sitting on the box) the dialogue being heard is actually a sped up segment of the voice-over narration from the Goofy short "A Knight for a Day".
As of today, Chip is voiced by Tress MacNeille and Dale is voiced by Corey Burton.
In the Kingdom Hearts game series, Chip and Dale reside in Disney Castle as operators of the Gummi Ship garage. While Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton resume their respective roles, the latter uses a deep-sounding voice for Dale. Though making voiceless cameos in the first game, Chip and Dale play a larger role in Kingdom Hearts II. The two appeared in the game prequel Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
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