It's So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House is a 1979 animated short film (11 minutes) directed by Paul Fierlinger.
An old man lives in a house on the docks with his old dog Peppy, his old cat Ginger, and his old fish, Lightning. The old man and his old pets decide they need someone to look after them, so they put out an advertisement looking for a companion. The ad is answered by a large, furry animal who glories in the name of Cuthbert Q. Divine. Cuthbert establishes himself in the house quickly, doing all the cooking and cleaning and ingratiating himself with his new friends. He insists that he is a German shepherd, unwilling to tell them what he really is—a wolf.
Tropes:
- All Bikers are Hells Angels: Cuthbert eventually admits that he was part of a wolf biker gang, that terrorized old folks by going into their retirement homes and telling them how old they were.
- Angrish: The old man descends into angry gibberish when he finds out that Cuthbert is actually a fugitive from justice, accused of "rip-offs".
- Animated Adaptation: Of a 1977 children's book of the same title by Harry Allard and James Marshall.
- Funny Animal: All the animals basically act like people, talking, acting like humans. Cuthbert cooks and cleans.
- Happy Ending: After Cuthbert is spared from prison, the whole family moves to Arizona, where the houseboat is put on blocks.
- Narrator: A narrator reads passages from the books, narrating the story. (Jim Thurman not only does the narration, but voices all the characters.)
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Cuthbert says "Many people think that I am a wolf," but he reassures them that he's really a German shepherd.
- Thick-Line Animation: Done with a rather crude, thick-line style that evokes a children's book.
