The story of Little Red Riding Hood was originally a rather coarse French oral folk story that was adapted by Charles Perrault in 1697 as a morality tale warning young ladies to avoid human “wolves.” It was again modified in 1812 by the Grimm Brothers to make it more suitable for children. The last hundred years as seen it tailored for motion pictures, many of these versions available on DVD.
Little Red Riding Hood Cartoons
The period from 1922 through the 1960s saw many animated shorts centered around the Red Riding Hood story, many of them spoofs or parodies of the original story. Among the most memorable are:
Walt Disney’s Little Red Riding Hood (1922) and The Big Bad Wolf (1934). The first has Red as a 1920s flapper and the wolf as a human lothario. It was Disney’s first animated movie. The second cartoon combined the basic RRH story with that of The Three Little Pigs.
The Trial of Mr. Wolf (1941). The wolf is brought to trial on harassment charges, but in his defense claims that Red was out to make a fur coat of him. Considered by some to be one of the best RRH animations.
Red Riding Hoodwinked (1955). Red is taking Tweety Bird to Granny’s house as a gift. When Sylvester the Pussy Cat hears of this, he decides to join forces with the wolf to hopefully catch two edible prizes. However, Granny proves too much for them.
Rough Riding Hood (1966). When a sobbing Red tells Woody Woodpecker that a wolf bullied her all the way to Grandma’s house, the rascally bird decides to take her place. Mayhem ensues.
There have also been two more recent animations:
Redux Red Riding Hood (1997). This 15 minute movie is actually a sequel to the original tale. An unhappy wolf, who blames Red for his troubles, builds a time machine so he can travel back and complete the job that he bungled the first time.
Hoodwinked (2005). A full length animated film, Hoodwinked tells the original story from four different points of view. The movie has had mixed reviews despite an excellent cast highlighted by Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, and Jim Belushi.
Little Red Riding Hood in Movies
During the era of silent movies, a dozen or more Riding Hood movies were made, starting with France’s Le Petit Chaperon Rouge in 1901. Almost all of these short one or two reel films followed the basic story. However, in the last 25 years there have been several LRRH movies which have offered very unique adaptations -- many of them not suitable for children.
The Company of Wolves (1984). Based on a short story by Angela Carter, the movie is a symbolic tale about werewolves and their victims. Filled with sexual connotations, the movie and its original source is often seen as a horror movie. Others, though, see it as a tale about growing up into adolescence. Angela Lansbury plays a storytelling Grandma.
Into the Woods (1991). Originally appearing on television, this is an original cast production, led by Bernadette Peters, of Stephen Sondheim's Broadway musical. The story, filled with memorable songs, seamlessly combines Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. Although rated PG, its length (153 minutes) may be too much for young children.
Freeway (1996). When it appears that juvenile delinquent Vanessa Lutz (Reese Witherspoon) is about to be sent to a foster home, she runs away, hoping to find her grandmother somewhere in northern California. Along the way, she meets smooth talking Bob Wolverton (Keifer Sutherland) who, unbeknowst to Vanessa, is a serial killer. The movie is a biting, satirical look at modern society. Filled with black humor, it is not to everybody's taste.
Little Red Riding Hood (1997). A short (15 minutes) independent movie that is filmed in beautiful black and white. The story closely follows the original French oral folktale and is therefore unsuitable for children. It stars Christina Ricci.
Additional Sources: For more cartoon, movie, and TV adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood, see the website SurLaLune.
Related Articles: The Origins of Little Red Riding Hood and Modern Versions of Little Red Riding Hood.
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