Steal Wool

Steal Wool is a 1957 Looney Tunes short directed by Chuck Jones. 
== Title ==
The title is a play on steel wool.
== Plot ==
Ralph Wolf is trying to steal the sheep, which Sam Sheepdog is guarding.
# Ralph's first plan is to sneak under a sheep and carry it off, wearing it as a disguise. When Ralph is caught by Sam, he attempts to push the sheep away and act innocent, but Sam punches him in the nose, turning his nose into an accordion.
# Ralph devises a plan that involves tunneling under the field and digging very small holes through the surface. This time, he creates the hole a safe distance away and surveys the area with a periscope. After spotting a sheep, he attempts to capture it with a lasso but accidentally snags Sam, who punches him in the head. This time, Ralph walks away with his entire body turned into an accordion.
# Ralph's third plan is to build a simple suspension bridge out of firecrackers and lure Sam to the other side. When Sam passes, Ralph grabs a sheep, lights the firecrackers, and runs across the bridge, ensuring that Sam has no way to return. However, Sam uses his uncanny ability to appear at the other end of the bridge, where he prompts Ralph to hand over the sheep. Ralph begins running toward the burning end of the bridge (which is now floating in midair, against the laws of gravity but not the laws of cartoon physics) and extinguishes the firecracker. However, Sam lit the other end of the bridge, and Ralph's bridge disappeared beneath him.
# Ralph then attempts to place a makeshift teeter-totter under Sam and jump on the other end from a great height. However, because of Sam's weight, the board merely acts as a springboard, tossing Ralph into Sam's arms. Sam places Ralph on one end of the teeter-totter and slams the other end down as hard as he can, sending Ralph flying through the air.
# Next, Ralph wheels a giant, lit cannon up a hill behind Sam. As Ralph runs away, giddy, the cannon begins to roll down after him. As Ralph notices this, he runs as fast as he can until he reaches the edge of a cliff, which has a very small cliff immediately below it. Ralph climbs onto the cliff and turtles. The cannon stops on the edge of the cliff but has enough momentum to flip the cannon over so it's pointing straight down at Ralph. Ralph, curious if he's safe, stands up, only to discover that he's inside the cannon just before the cannon is about to fire.
# In Ralph's final attempt, he sneaks up behind Sam and attaches each end of a very large elastic band to rocks on either side of Sam to create an oversized slingshot. As Ralph pulls the band back, the rocks loosen and fire past him, anchoring themselves into opposing sides of a chasm and slinging Ralph through the chasm. On the other side of the chasm, Ralph grabs hold of a tree and holds on for dear life, but the elasticity of the rubber band slings the two rocks into Ralph, sending Ralph, the two rocks, and a piece of the tree flying, while the rubber band is still wrapped around the rest of the tree. Ralph manages to free himself from the two rocks and the piece of tree, only to run into a cliff face and be crushed by the items. As Ralph crawls out from under the wreck, the rest of the tree slings into him.
Finally, the punch clock whistle blows, and Ralph and Sam walk home. Ralph has two black eyes, an arm in a sling, and is stumbling. Sam reassuringly suggests that Ralph take the next day off and that Sam can handle both jobs.
== Music ==
The music played during the title card sequence is "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep".
== Availability ==
LTCE VOL 14 CARTOON SUPERSTARS.jpg|(1999) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 14: Cartoon Superstars
Golden Collection box 3.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc Four
lt cas4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 4
lt spotlight 7.jpg|(2009) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 7, Disc 2
LT Platinum Collection VOL 3 DVD Cover.png|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
LTPC Volume 3 Cover.png|(2014) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc One
lt cv3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Volume 3
=== Streaming ===
lt boomerang.jpg|Boomerang (2017 - )
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - )
== Notes ==
* The short was given a Blue Ribbon reissue in 1969. However, the original titles were never changed/altered in anyway, only the production code was.
** This is one of the two Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog cartoons to be given a Blue Ribbon reissue, the other was "Don't Give Up the Sheep".
== Gallery ==
Steal Wool (1957) - Credits.jpg|Title & credits
188432 10150130286703926 223597233925 6438478 7925604 n.jpg|Lobby card
51asbLJbmJL.jpg|Lobby card
Ralph sheepjacking.png
799-LD1.png|Layout drawing
799-LD2.png|Layout drawing
799-LD3.png|Layout drawing
799-LD4.png|Layout drawing
799-LD5.png|Layout drawing
Progress01_SMALL.jpg|Layout drawing, color sketch, and production cel
20-05_cutsmall.jpg
== References ==
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Shorts
Category:Looney Tunes Shorts
Category:1957
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons animated by Richard Thompson
Category:Cartoons animated by Abe Levitow
Category:Cartoons with effects animated by Harry Love
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Philip DeGuard
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist