# A Close Shave

Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave is a 1995 British stop-motion animated short film directed by Nick Park at Aardman Animations. It is the third film featuring the eccentric inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit, following A Grand Day Out (1989) and The Wrong Trousers (1993). In the short film, Wallace and Gromit uncover a plot to rustle sheep by a sinister dog named Preston. Like Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
    Directed by Nick Park. Produced by Carla Shelley and Michael Rose. Written by Bob Baker and Nick Park.

## Dialogue

    [First lines]
    Wallace: Porridge today, Gromit! Tuesday!
    Wallace: Mice, do you think? [Gromit is suspecting something] I think I'll make my own porridge. [Gromit begins to look around; picks up the box of porridge, but finds the bottom is bitten, causing the porridge mix fall out] Well, I'll be. [sees the cheese eaten] Have you been peckish during the night? Only someone's been at me cheese.
    Wallace: Well, I don't know, there's something very fishy going on. [Gromit sniffs; sees the bitten hole of the newspaper] Huh? Do you think we should get the pest control people in? [telephone ringing; picks up the reciever] Hello, Wallace & Gromit's Wash'n'Go Window Cleaning Service. May we be of assistance?
    Woman: [on the phone] Hello. Yes, my windows could do with a jolly good clean. The wool shop in the high street. Soon as you can.
    Wallace: On our way, madam!
    Wallace: Need wool, don't you, lad?
    [Bell rings]
    Wendolene: Thank you for coming so quickly.
    Wallace: [picks a ball of yarn, but the rest fall off] Oh, dear!
    Wendolene: Oh, allow me, please.
    Wallace: Oh, I'm sorry. Oh! I'll soon have these cleared up. There's no trouble. How embarrassing.
    Wendolene: This is Preston, my dog.
    Wallace: All right, pooch. [they began to pick up balls of yarn] Won't take a minute.
    Both: [accidentally touched their hands together] Oh.
    Wallace: [blushing] Well, I-I..
    Wendelone: What was it you wanted?
    Wendolene: Ramsbottom, Wendolene Ramsbottom.
    Wallace: Oh, charming. I'm Wallace...the windows. Is this place yours?
    Wendolene: Mm-hmm. My father left it to me, along with his debts, and a few other things. He was an inventor.
    Wallace: Never! Well, I do a bit of that meself.
    Wendolene: Oh!
    Wallace: I see they still haven't caught those sheep rustlers yet. Still, you've got plenty of wool, eh?
    Wendolene: [stands up] Your dog's waiting.
    Wallace: Aye. I'd better see to him. The bounce has gone from his bungee. [gives her the rest of the yarn balls]
    Wendolene: Oh, they're spanking. You've done a grand job.
    Wallace: Windows are our specialty. [accidentally slams onto the window door]
    Wallace: Let's get that kettle on. [sees the whole house a mess] Good grief! What's all this?! Burglars? Thieves? Oh, what a mess! [Gromit goes to the kitchen, but finds the sheep Shaun knawing on the bone, covered up in splattered food] I've never seen anything like it. [sees Shaun] Heavens above, Gromit! Look at this! The little chap must be really hungry. Oh, come over here, lad. No need to be sheepish. [laughs] We'll have to get you cleaned up.
    Wallace: [putting Shaun in his Knit-o-Matic] There. Nothing to fret over. Just a quick shampoo. We've tested this on Gromit. Haven't we, lad?
    [Gromit briefly breaks the fourth wall, nodding wearily]
    [Shaun gets sucked up to be dry]
    Wallace: [worried] Oh, do something, Gromit! [then Shaun is put inside the knitting machine] Oh, it's too late now! [clippers buzzing] Turn it off, Gromit! Oh, oh, oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, dear! [the machine collects Shaun's wool to create yarn and creates the sweater, and the other machine puts the small sweater on his head] Brilliant, Gromit! Oh, smashing, this. A bit tight here and there. [then Shaun comes out of the machine, alive and shaved; takes off the sweater] Ah! Looks okay to me. We'll call him Shaun, eh? Come on, Shaun.
    Wallace: Back in a thick, Gromit, won't be long.
    Wendolene: Tell me about windows.
    Wallace: It's only temporary, you understand.
    Wendolene: Oh, really?
    Wallace: Oh, yes, I'm inventing mostly. Only...
    Wendolene: Oh, what sort of inventions?
    Wallace: Well, sort of...
    Wendolene: Daddy would loved to have met you. Poor daddy.
    Wallace: Of all the women I've met...Not that there have been many, you understand...
    Wallace: ...So you see, what I'm trying to say, in a manner of speaking, is...
    Wallace: Of all the ladies I've met...Whoa! Ow! Ow! Same time next week?
    Wallace: Caught bang to rights, you were. You've really let us down this time, lad.
    Wendolene: I'm sorry about this.
    Wallace: For what?
    Wendolene: Nothing. Just stay away from me, from my shop, and my silly, silly windows.
    Wallace: I...well, I...
    Wendolene: Forget me. I'm no good for you. I'm so sorry about Gromit.
    [The sheep have climbed on top of Wallace in order to help Gromit escape from prison]
    Wallace: [as they pull Gromit to safety] Oh, brilliant teamwork, lads!
    [slips on a bar of soap randomly lying about on the pavement] Whoah! [the sheep scream as they all come crashing down on him] AAAHHHH!!!! [thud]
    [To Gromit, after he escapes from jail with the help of Wallace and the sheep]
    Wallace: I suppose you'll have to skip the country now. A fugitive, eh? You'll be hunted down, like...well, a dog.
    Wendolene: [whack's Preston's head with the crook] Stop it. Stop it, Preston! [but Preston grabs the crook] Oh, I want no more of this rustling! It wasn't so bad when it was just the wool, but this is evil! [Preston snaps the crook in half] Daddy didn't create you for this! [Preston pushes her inside the back of the truck] You're supposed to protect me! [Preston throws Shaun in as well, and locks them up] Let me out! You're not going to turn me into dog meat!
    Wallace: Dog meat?!
    Wallace: Ooh! We're at maximum speed! She won't go any faster!
    Wendolene: Wallace, help me!
    Wallace: Don't worry, Wendolene! Everything's under control!
    Wallace: Where'd you get that from? That's MY machine! I've got patent pending on that!
    Wallace: Well done, Gromit! That'll teach him!
    Wendolene: He's malfunctioning.
    Wallace: Mal-what?
    Wendolene: Malfunctioning. Preston is a cyberdog.
    Wallace: Cyber-what?
    Wendolene: A robot! [Preston's robotic arm emerges from the machine] Daddy created him for good, but...he's turned out evil.
    Wallace: Huh? Ah! It's a sheep-mincing thing! Now, that's clever. [Gromit whistles] Huh?
    Wallace: By heck! I thought we were all for the can then.
    Wendolene: I couldn't pass by without saying thank you. [pushes the buttons on the remote control, and the fixed-up and reformed Preston rolls by] He's just like he used to be.
    Wallace: Oh, don't mention it. [Preston gives him a newspaper] Thanks, pooch. Give me a shout if he goes wrong again.
    Wendolene: You're very kind.
    Wallace: Well, won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.
    Wendolene: Oh, no! Not cheese. Sorry, it brings me out in a rash. I can't stand the stuff.
    Wallace: [smile fades to a stunned look, then gulps] Not even Wensleydale?
    Wendolene: Got to be on our way. Come on, Preston. [a sad Wallace goes back inside; pets Preston] Good-bye...Chuck. [walks off]
    [Last lines]
    Wallace: What's wrong with Wensleydale? [Gromit shrugs] Talking of which, all the more for us. And not a sheep to worry us. [lifts the cover of the cheese tray to discover Shaun eating the cheese] Get off me cheese! Get off! Get off! Gromit? Gromit! Go for 'im! Gromit! Oh! Ahhh! Get off with ya! Oh! Shoosh off!

## Taglines

* From the Oscar-winning creator of A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers.
* Academy Award Winner!
* From the makers of Chicken Run.

## Cast

* Peter Sallis as Wallace
* Anne Reid as Wendolene Ramsbottom