Species chipmunks | ||
 | ||
Voiced by Chip:Jimmy MacDonald (1947–1960)Helen Silbert (1956)Tress MacNeille(1988–present)Dale:Dessie Flynn (1947–1960)Dessie Miller (1952)Corey Burton (1988–present)Tress MacNeille (1999–2006) Aliases The Lone ChipmunksThe Rescue Rangers | ||
Chip and Dale (also rendered 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 of the famous 18th-century cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale. This was suggested by Bill "Tex" Henson, a story artist at the studio.
Contents
- List of Chip n Dale shorts
- VHS and DVD releases
- Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers
- Comics series
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
- Other appearances
- Goofy Gophers
- Voice actors
- Video games
- Kingdom Hearts series
- References
Chip is the logical schemer while Dale is the goofy, dim-witted one. 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 (somewhat resembling a chocolate "chip", as befitting his name) and two centered protruding teeth. Dale has a larger, dark red nose and it is his canine teeth that are exposed. Dale has a very strong sense of humor while Chip is more of the safe, focused one. Chip is also depicted as having smooth, short hair atop his head while Dale's is ruffled.
In most cartoons they are either antagonists against Pluto or, more frequently, against Donald Duck. In the 1950s, 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).
List of Chip 'n' Dale shorts
Chip and Dale appear in the following 23 animated short films. (Complete list)
VHS and DVD releases
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
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.
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, Corey Burton gave Dale a slightly raspier voice not heard in any incarnations before.
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 (1955–62), which was then continued by Gold Key Comics with #1-64 (1967–80), and later under its brand Whitman with #65-83 (1980–84).
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Chip and Dale appear as guest stars in some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes:
Other appearances
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 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 chase 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 (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.
Voice actors
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".
Since 1988, Chip has been voiced by Tress MacNeille and Dale by Corey Burton.
Video games
Kingdom Hearts series
In the Kingdom Hearts 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 also appeared in the prequel game, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.