The Wrong Trousers (1993)

Wallace lets out his spare room to a penguin. The penguin and Gromit, Wallace's dog, immediately don't see eye-to-eye. Meanwhile, Wallace has invented a giant pair of robotic trousers, designed to take Gromit for walks.

Director:

Nick Park

Writers:

Nick Park, Bob Baker

Stars:

Peter Sallis, Peter Hawkins

Won 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Sallis	...	Wallace (voice)

Storyline

Plasticine animation of Wallace and Gromit, inventors of all manner of useful devices. Gromit (a dog) finds himself being pushed out of his room and home by a new lodger who is actually a ruthless criminal (and a small penguin). The penguin is planning a robbery and needs to use Wallace and his mechanical remote controlled trousers to pull off the raid. However, Gromit is wise to the penguin and comes to the rescue.

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Plot Keywords:

robbery | inventor | wallace and gromit | clay animation | penguin | 

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Taglines:

From the Oscar-winning creator of Creature Comforts and A Grand Day Out.

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Crime | Family | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Gromit is reading the newspaper at the café, one of the headlines is "Dog Reads Paper".

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Goofs

When the penguin uses the remote to get Wallace out of bed, the sheets are all crumpled up, but in the next shot they're neatly spread over the bed again.

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Quotes

Wallace: [to Feathers McGraw] Good grief. It's you. Now, get me out of those trousers.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits sequence, the Techno-Trousers walk down the street, still stuck in a dustbin. The sun sets until the sequence fades to black.

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Alternate Versions

In the original broadcast version Gromit's birthday card plays "Happy Birthday". When released on DVD it plays "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow". The music the penguin is playing to annoy Gromit has been replaced by organ music. The reason for the music change is due to copyright issues.

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Connections

Referenced in Arthur Christmas (2011)

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Soundtracks

Happy Talk
Performed by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

User Reviews

A true mile stone of animation

Nick Park's hysterical plasticine duo Wallace and Gromit are back in this, their second outing, pitting themselves against the plotting penguine whose devious nature is taking advantage of Wallace's niavity. However, the ever suspicious Gromit is seeing through the Penguine's frosty exterior and sets out to uncover his secret scheming shadowy plan. The Wrong Trousers is the best so far from Peter Lord and Nick Park, putting even the outstanding Chicken Run and Close Shave in it's shadow. The characterisation is simply electrical. The ever suffering but mute Gromit and the clumsy well meaning Wallace muddle their way to stopping a truely outstanding criminal genius penguine (whose pesona is portrayed with such subtlety and effect that the cute bird becomes the very essence of evil). Park and Lord's pace and cinematography in this animation medium are truely world leading, climaxing in the mad mayhem of a train-set chase through their house. The plot is simple yet full of nuances and details (check out the headline's on Wallace's newspaper and the wall paper in Gromit's bedroom)raising this above even the best that that big studios can produce. A film almost without fault which pays homage to the greatest and most farciscal works of the great Ealing comedy era (there is something sinister happening but, it isn't that sinister really). Watch this film and let the quality and clarity of the humour seep into your soul. A true mile-stone of animation which deserved it's oscar like no other animation ever will.

Details

Official Sites:

Aardman Animations

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wrong Trousers

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aardman Animations, BBC Bristol, Wallace & Gromit

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1