A lascivious wolf stops chasing Red Riding Hood long enough to take part in a Cinderella story--with the heroine a dead-ringer for Bette Davis! This Cinderella, with mascara-circled eyes and a voice dripping with disdain, wants to go to the ball all right, but only because she's the sultry stage chanteuse; her Fairy Godmother has eyes for the wolf herself--but even dolled up in Old Lady Chic, she can't get his attention. Using a particularly expressive style of animation here, Tex Avery gives us a grown-up Cinderella with more curves than the Hollywood Freeway! Jessica Rabbit would envy this bombshell, which makes the tag at the finish line even funnier as Cindy returns to her duty as an aircraft riveter on-board a bus full of wolves. She may have gone back to her working girl roots, but the guys love her anyway.
14 Reviews
Wartime Twist of a Fairy Tale
Hitchcoc12 October 2021
Another Tex Avery howling wolf cartoon. It's clever and hyped to the hilt. In this one, the wolf is the object of affection and it is played well. There is the usual eye popping. Since it's wartime, Cinderella is worker for the effort. Well done bits, especially with the Fairy Godmother.
Back in 2007, when Warner Bros. threw . . .
oscaralbert22 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
. . . this MGM animated short SWING SHIFT C!NDERELLA onto one of their DVD releases, it was mostly due to their Prophetic Foreknowing that Iwanna would become America's De Facto First Lady in 2017, and SWING SHIFT's "Cinderella" character is an uncannily accurate depiction of Putin's choice for America's new Czarina (sorry, Kellyanne). Vlad "The Mad Russian" Red Commie KGB Chief Putin shows up himself here as "Joe" (aka, The Big Bad Wolf). When Joe first attacks Cinderella's Home (standing in for our American Homeland), he's a Toothless Threat: No-Drama Obama's still in charge. However, when Cinderella and Kellyanne Conway (aka, her Fairy Godmother) leave the safety of Obama World for an Inaugural Ball in Putin's (aka, The Devil's) Playground (aka, Mar-a-Lago, or "Manana Castle" here, where only Fat Cat One Per Centers can afford the $500 dinners--that's Mar Lago's current membership fee, adjusted for inflation). There Kellyanne can shill for Iwanna\Cinderella's Fashion Line, while Putin's Plutocrat Cronies take Selfies with the "Nuclear Football" and kibitz on Top Secret War Room Strategy Sessions. All that's missing is Hillary leading chants of "Lock HIM up, Lock HIM up!!" against Putin's Puppet, Rump.
Tex Avery at the top of his form!
llltdesq8 March 2001
This cartoon is just great! Lots of sight gags, a fair number of topical gags framed on the war and life on the home front and the most entetaining fairy godmother to come down the pike in quite a while. Another "fairytale" cartoon by Avery that is ribald and lecherous and pokes fun at everything, including itself. Tex Avery was incredible. The bit with the jeep is beautiful! The swimmers make the final turn, they're coming to the wall-it's a world record! Recommended!
one of the greatest cartoon shorts
planktonrules4 June 2006
This is a wonderful film and about the best cartoon ever directed by Tex Avery--or anyone else for that matter. That's actually saying a lot because his films for MGM are as good or better than the best at Warner Brothers/Loony Tunes or the Tom and Jerry films (these MGM shorts were not directed by Avery). It's only been in recent years that a real appreciation of his work has been growing--especially with the release of the movie THE MASK--which was strongly inspired by the way over-the-top zaniness of his very surreal cartoons.
This film starts with a wolf chasing Little Red Riding Hood. They actually run past the film's title at which point the wolf stops and tells the kid to scram--at which point he goes on the prowl for the incredibly sexy Swing Shift Cinderalla (a reference to the ladies who worked the "swing shifts" at wartime armament factories). In addition to the wolf's crazy escapades chasing the lady, the Fairy Godmother gets involved and chases the wolf! Throughout all this there are amazing and silly sight gags--coming so fast that there are enough for two or three cartoons. Among my favorites were the mallets crashing over the head, the wolf's reactions when he first meets Cinderella and when the Fairy Godmother accidentally transforms herself into "Miss Gruesome". A wonderful, high-energy and intensely entertaining film not to be missed.
By the way, if you liked this, try watching Avery's RED HOT RIDING HOOD--a very similar film from MGM that was made two years earlier and with very similar themes.
This film starts with a wolf chasing Little Red Riding Hood. They actually run past the film's title at which point the wolf stops and tells the kid to scram--at which point he goes on the prowl for the incredibly sexy Swing Shift Cinderalla (a reference to the ladies who worked the "swing shifts" at wartime armament factories). In addition to the wolf's crazy escapades chasing the lady, the Fairy Godmother gets involved and chases the wolf! Throughout all this there are amazing and silly sight gags--coming so fast that there are enough for two or three cartoons. Among my favorites were the mallets crashing over the head, the wolf's reactions when he first meets Cinderella and when the Fairy Godmother accidentally transforms herself into "Miss Gruesome". A wonderful, high-energy and intensely entertaining film not to be missed.
By the way, if you liked this, try watching Avery's RED HOT RIDING HOOD--a very similar film from MGM that was made two years earlier and with very similar themes.
Bing,Bang,Zoom,Boom,Flop,B-O-I-N-G!
Seamus28296 August 2008
Let's face it. Tex Avery was a one of a kind director of animated shorts. The best thing that could happen to his career was being fired by Leon Schlesenger at Warner Brothers. This allowed Avery to migrate over to M-G-M to direct a series of frantic, fast paced animated shorts for Fred Quimby. Swing Shift Cinderella was probably the best of the batch (or at least among the best, at any rate). The plot has the wolf tiring of chasing Little Red Riding Hood,only to want to pursue Cinderella (a lounge singer/assembly line worker). As in any Avery short,there is no lack of visual gags (which can run from the truly silly to outright surreal). The short manages to get some good use of mish mashing the whole Cinderella/Little Red Riding Hood plot line (with Hood's grandmother tossed in for good measure). Thankfully, Avery's animated shorts exist on a series of DVD's, for future generations to enjoy (about the only thing will be the countless WWII references and in jokes that will go sailing right over their heads).
Outrageous!
nycritic18 April 2005
Tex Avery was always looking for ways to exaggerate his toons into sight gags of outrageous hilarity, and in this one he spares nothing: from the opening montage in which a feral Wolf chases Little Red Riding Hood across the titles only to realize they're in the wrong story, to later introducing the main story -- that of a much different, sexier Cinderella, one who sings in Castle Manana while still having to be back by midnight or else. Insanity ensues of course when she calls on her Fairy Godmother to come to her aid and dress her up; in pure Avery fashion we see numerous chases in which the Godmother goes ape over the Wolf and bends over backwards to literally chain him to her: the final twist is revealed in the end when Cinderella zooms back to her house at the stroke of 12:00 AM, swiftly changes to an industrial outfit, and realizes she's surrounded by wolves on her way to work. Hysterical animation, always a treat to watch on TCM's Cartoon Alley.
Swing Shift Cinderella is among the best of Tex Avery's cartoons
tavm23 August 2021
Well, if you're in the mood for a Tex Avery cartoon, I highly recommend this one! It starts with Little Red Riding Hood being chased by the wolf as they run pass the title of this short. Then they stop and look at that before the wolf shushes Red away and changes to a tux! So the story switches gears to the title character and the Fairy Godmother being at home wearing glasses drinking herself a glass...I'll just now mention the gags come fast and furious which should not surprise anyone familiar with Avery's work. Perhaps the highlight is the "Oh, Wolfy!" number performed by the title character as she does moves that make the Wolf very horny! That sequence, by the way, was reused in Avery's later cartoon Little Rural Riding Hood which I reviewed on this site years before. I'll just now say I highly recommend Swing Shift Cinderella!
Swing That Bung Starter, Fairy Godmother
boblipton20 November 2021
The second of Tex Avery's three Red Hot Cinderella cartoons keeps up the pace, as voice artist Sara Bermer seems to voice everyone but the Wolf. The story is that the audience stopped the show for the first one, insisting the theater show the cartoon again. This one certainly keeps up the pace!
There are a lot of contemporary gags that will not have aged well for a modern audience, but with Heck Allen doing the script, there are enough gags to keep you smiling.
There are a lot of contemporary gags that will not have aged well for a modern audience, but with Heck Allen doing the script, there are enough gags to keep you smiling.
provocative
Kirpianuscus11 May 2020
...not exactly for sensuality and not comfortable humor, but for lovely freshness. The smart irony, the great fairy godmother and the poor wolf are the precious pieces of a lovely animation who, scene by scene becomes the most realistic of the post - war American realities, from the expectations and dreams to the pragmatic pespectives.
'Cinderella' at its funniest, sexiest and most imaginative
TheLittleSongbird24 October 2017
Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. It was truly wonderful and fascinating to see Avery put his own unique spin on one of my favourite fairy-tales and 'Swing Shift Cinderella' has as of now become one of his best cartoons (coming from a director who had so many very good and more cartoons, have yet to see a "bad" one) and one of my favourites in general. 'Cinderella' has never been funnier, sexier or more imaginative, and only Avery can achieve something like that.
The characters are an absolute delight. The wolf and the fairy godmother are a riotous duo and work so wonderfully together, and there has never been a hotter Cinderella. The voice work all round is a tour-De-force.
Can't say anything bad about Avery's direction. He does a wonderful job directing, with his unique, unlike-any-other visual and characteristic and incredibly distinctive wacky humour style all over it as can be expected.
Once again there is nothing sadistic or repetitious, instead it's imaginative, wonderfully wild, deliciously deranged, violent but imaginatively so and hilarious throughout from start to finish. The sight gags throughout are an absolute joy and are immaculate in timing, not a misfire in the bunch, nothing too tame and it retains the quintessential magic of the original story. The in-jokes are witty and inspired, and the topical issues are insightful and done in an entertaining way.
It is no surprise either that the animation is superb, being rich in colour and detail. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.
Overall, simply amazing and one of my favourites. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. It was truly wonderful and fascinating to see Avery put his own unique spin on one of my favourite fairy-tales and 'Swing Shift Cinderella' has as of now become one of his best cartoons (coming from a director who had so many very good and more cartoons, have yet to see a "bad" one) and one of my favourites in general. 'Cinderella' has never been funnier, sexier or more imaginative, and only Avery can achieve something like that.
The characters are an absolute delight. The wolf and the fairy godmother are a riotous duo and work so wonderfully together, and there has never been a hotter Cinderella. The voice work all round is a tour-De-force.
Can't say anything bad about Avery's direction. He does a wonderful job directing, with his unique, unlike-any-other visual and characteristic and incredibly distinctive wacky humour style all over it as can be expected.
Once again there is nothing sadistic or repetitious, instead it's imaginative, wonderfully wild, deliciously deranged, violent but imaginatively so and hilarious throughout from start to finish. The sight gags throughout are an absolute joy and are immaculate in timing, not a misfire in the bunch, nothing too tame and it retains the quintessential magic of the original story. The in-jokes are witty and inspired, and the topical issues are insightful and done in an entertaining way.
It is no surprise either that the animation is superb, being rich in colour and detail. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.
Overall, simply amazing and one of my favourites. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Tex Avery's classic cartoon short with the big bad wolf from red riding hood invading the Cinderella story.
talarisw10 March 2012
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best cartoons from the 1940's and of all time. This is my favorite from legendary animation director Tex Avery. This is a great cartoon that represents it's time, the swinging 1940's. This is a sequel to the cartoon "Red Hot Riding Hood" and the 2nd installment of five cartoons featuring a wolf lusting & chasing a sexy female stage performer. The two characters have no official name but the wolf is simply known as "The Wolf" but it's possible his name is Joe because he is briefly called Joe in this cartoon and in "Wild & Wofy". The woman is called "Red" by fans(for her red hair & for that her 1st appearance was as red riding hood)but she appears in every cartoon with a different name. This is pure Tex and he had a style like no one else. He was the anti-Disney of his time and this cartoon proves it. This might be the most sexual cartoon of this time, it's aimed for adults and Tex does things Disney wouldn't dare to do. Sex is never bluntly said or shown but definitely applied. I Love the begin when the wolf and little red riding hood run pass the opening credits and realize their in the wrong cartoon. I love how Tex breaks the fourth wall and it's a great way of bringing the wolf into the Cinderella story. The reactions by the wolf are legendary as they are exactly how every man feels upon seeing a sexy woman. I love the grand ma from "Red Hot riding hood" who's the fairy godmother here. I wish she was used in more cartoons. It's so funny seeing this hyped up, oversexed and extremely horny old woman chasing the wolf, and him being repulsed by her. There's undertone of sexual arousal on the part of the wolf & grand ma and you get the feeling that grand ma is trying to rape the wolf and the wolf trying to rape Cinderella. I love Red, playing Cinderella, she generally looks sexy not exaggerated like Jessica Rabbit, Red looks like a real woman which makes her even more sexy. The highlight and my favorite part is Red's erotic stage show, the animation of her dance is great! I love her song "Oh, Wolfie!", a very sexy song and this has one of the best endings ever, when Red has to make it home by 12 o'clock for her other job at the steel mill but when she gets on the bus she finds out it's a bunch of wolves howling in lust! Great animation, I love the colors and layouts here, super fast pace and a great twist on the Cinderella story. This one of the greatest cartoons of all time from Tex Avery and mgm studios.
Big Bad Wolf
SnoopyStyle20 November 2021
The Big Bad Wolf stops chasing Little Red Riding Hood. Instead, he starts chasing Cinderella. Fairy Godmother intervenes. This is a more adult theme cartoon. It's Tex Avery with the Wolf and that happens a lot sometimes. He's a more dangerous Pepé le Pew. I wouldn't mind more expressions from Cinderella but she is basically the super hot Instagram model. This is fun but not necessarily for kids.
Avery continues to push boundaries
gbill-748778 January 2022
A continuation of the ideas from Tex Avery's 1943 effort, Red Hot Riding Hood, this cartoon geared towards teenage boys and men (and possibly wartime morale?) is far from politically correct by today's standards, but I enjoyed it nonetheless for its audacity and Avery's creativity. Flying in the face of the Production Code, all of the characters here ooze sexual desire - the wolf, who literally chases after Red Riding Hood and then Cinderella, the fairy godmother, who after throwing down a highball hustles over and begins chasing the wolf, and Cinderella herself, who performs seductively in a nightclub in a skimpy outfit. It's a side gig for her, you see, because she works ala Rosie the Riveter at an aircraft plant by day, apparently surrounded by a lot of horny men (yikes). The jabs at how unattractive the older woman is ("Miss Repulsive 1898") are a little mean and the cartoon is not something I'd like if it were made today (I mean, the wolf is clearly the protagonist and what's he going to do when he catches Cinderella anyway?). For 1945 though, I smiled.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
