Chip 'n' Dale


Chip and Dale are two anthropomorphic chipmunk brothers created at Walt Disney Productions in 1943. Their names are a pun on the name of the 18th-century cabinet maker and furniture designer Thomas Chippendale. This was suggested by Bill "Tex" Henson, a story artist at the studio.
The characters were first introduced in the 1943 Pluto short Private Pluto, directed by Clyde Geronimi, in which they fight with Pluto about whether they can store their nuts in a military base cannon. Three years later, director Jack Hannah decided to use them as co-stars in Donald Duck shorts. Hannah said:
Of the two, Chip is portrayed as being safe, focused, and having a mind for logical scheming. Dale, by contrast, is more laid-back, dim-witted, and impulsive, and has a very strong sense of humor. Originally the two had a very similar appearance, but as a way to tell them apart, some differences were introduced: Chip has a small black nose and two centered protruding teeth, whereas Dale has a large dark red nose and a prominent gap between his buckteeth. Chip is also depicted as having smooth hair on top of his head while Dale's tends to be ruffled.
In most cartoons, they are paired with Pluto, Mickey Mouse, or most often, Donald Duck, who act as antagonists to the chipmunk duo who steal the spotlight in the shorts. They were given their own series in the 1950s, but only three cartoons resulted under their name: Chicken in the Rough, Two Chips and a Miss and The Lone Chipmunks. The duo was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film three times in four years: in 1946 for Squatter's Rights, in 1947 for Chip an' Dale and in 1949 for Toy Tinkers.

List of Chip 'n' Dale shorts

Chip and Dale appear in the following 23 animated short films.
#TitleRelease dateAuthorSummary
1Private PlutoApril 2, 1943Clyde GeronimiPrivate 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.
2Squatter's RightsJune 7, 1946Jack HannahIn 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.
3Chip an' DaleNovember 28, 1947Jack HannahBeing 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.
4Three for BreakfastNovember 5, 1948Jack HannahWhen 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.
5Winter StorageJune 3, 1949Jack HannahChip 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 a game of hockey with the acorns and overwhelm him with a huge pile of acorns.
6All in a NutshellSeptember 2, 1949Jack HannahDonald 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.
7Toy TinkersDecember 16, 1949Jack HannahDonald 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.
8Crazy Over DaisyMarch 25, 1950Jack HannahChip and Dale antagonize 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.
9Trailer HornApril 28, 1950Jack HannahChip 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 harasses them. As payback, the chipmunks pelt Donald with pine cones. Donald tries to get at them with his car but totals it.
10Food for Feudin'August 11, 1950Charles NicholasChip and Dale gather hazelnuts, but Pluto buries a bone in the tree and loses all the nuts in his dog house. Chip and Dale camouflage themselves 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.
11Out on a LimbDecember 15, 1950Jack HannahDonald 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.
12Chicken in the RoughJanuary 19, 1951Jack HannahChip 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 cockerel, his cover almost blown and staying stuck in the nest.
13Corn ChipsMarch 23, 1951Jack HannahDonald 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.
14Test Pilot DonaldJune 8, 1951Jack HannahDonald tries out his control line 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.
15Out of ScaleNovember 2, 1951Jack HannahDonald 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. This episode is unique because it is a take on Walt Disney's backyard railroad the Carolwood Pacific. The engine is modeled after the Lille Belle, his live steam engine and Canyonville was one of the towns the Carolwood Pacific Railroad serviced in Walt's back yard.
16Donald ApplecoreJanuary 8, 1952Jack HannahDonald 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.
17Two Chips and a MissMarch 21, 1952Jack HannahIn 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.
18Pluto's Christmas TreeNovember 21, 1952Jack HannahChip 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.
19Working for PeanutsNovember 11, 1953Jack HannahChip and Dale come across a peanut - and check out the zoo which hosts Dolores the elephant, and all those peanuts. Dolores however prevents the chipmunks getting any. As Dolores' handler, Donald chases them after they thwack Dolores. Chip and Dale attract some people to get some peanuts, then cover themselves in whitewash and trick Donald into thinking they're albino chipmunks.
20The Lone ChipmunksApril 19, 1954Jack KinneyBlack 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.
21Dragon AroundJuly 16, 1954Jack HannahDale 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.
22Up a TreeSeptember 23, 1955Jack HannahDonald 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.
23Chips AhoyFebruary 24, 1956Jack KinneyChip and Dale spot an island with abundant 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.

VHS and DVD releases

In 1989, Chip and Dale became the title characters in a new animated television series, , 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.
In this series the personality differences between the two are more pronounced, with Chip as the serious, heroic leader and Dale as the quick-witted, hard partying reluctant hero. Additionally, they wear clothes in this series which reflect their personalities; Chip wears a leather jacket and fedora, while Dale wears a Hawaiian shirt.

Comics series

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, which was then continued by Gold Key Comics with #1-64, and later under its brand Whitman with #65-83.

''Mickey Mouse Clubhouse''

Chip and Dale appear as guest stars in some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes:
Chip and Dale also make recurring appearances in Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures as mechanics.

''DuckTales''

Chip 'n' Dale, based on their Rescue Rangers iterations, made an appearance in the 2017 TV series DuckTales. Making their debut in the season 3 episode, "Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!", Chip 'n' Dale are depicted as ordinary chipmunks used as lab rats for an intelligence ray developed by the organization F.O.W.L. After becoming smarter and anthropomorphic, they teamed up with to escape their confines as well as help Launchpad McQuack defeat one of F.O.W.L.'s agents.

Untitled Chip 'n' Dale series

The characters will have an animated series that will be released on Disney+ in 2020, co-produced by The Walt Disney Company France and Xilam Animation. Unlike other iterations of the characters, the series will be non-verbal.

Other appearances

Chip 'n' Dale were planned to appear as a cameo in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The scene, "Acme's Funeral", however, was cut from the final film. Storyboard artwork for this sequence survives, where they can be seen alongside characters such as Goofy, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Popeye, Bluto, Felix the Cat, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Casper the Friendly Ghost and Droopy.
Chip 'n' Dale occasionally appeared in Mickey Mouse Works and Disney's 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 also appear at all the Disney Parks as well. In the new Mickey Mouse episode "Space Walkies", they made a brief cameo as they were being chased by Pluto.

Goofy Gophers

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 before Chip stops it from getting out of hand with a swift kick to Dale's rear end.

Voice actors

The classic voices of Chip 'n' Dale were mostly provided by Jimmy MacDonald and Dessie Flynn, Helen Silbert and Dessie Miller. 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 the dialogue being heard is actually a sped up segment of the voice-over narration from the Goofy short "A Knight for a Day".
Since 1988, Chip has been voiced by Tress MacNeille and Dale has been voiced by Corey Burton.

Video games

In the Kingdom Hearts series, Chip and Dale reside in Disney Castle as its chief engineers. They help develop new technology for the heroes such as the Gummi Ship and Gummi phone. Though making voiceless cameos in the first game, the two appear more prominently in Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Kingdom Hearts Coded, and Kingdom Hearts III, reprised by Tress MacNeille and Corey Burton respectively.