Turns out Gadget isn't the only girl they'll fight over.
Two Chips and a Miss is a classic Disney Short from 1952 starring Chip 'n Dale, generally agreed to be the characters' best short that does not include Donald Duck.
After tricking one another into thinking that the other has gone to bed, Chip and Dale both sneak out of their oak tree home to a nearby nightclub. Upon discovering that the other is there, the two chipmunks proceed to fight with one another for the affection of the club's headliner, a sexy singer named Clarice, much to her amusement.
Years following its initial release, the short would make a significant cultural impact in Japan by contributing to a rise in popularity for Disney films in the country, which in turn would inspire Disney to enter the Japanese market by opening Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. The short's one-off, Clarice, would also become a popular Japanese Disney icon through her prominent appearances in the theme park and merchandising.
This cartoon provides examples of...
- Accidental Kiss: In the short's final gag, Chip and Dale move to kiss Clarice, who's standing between them, at the same time, only for her to slip out just in time for them to kiss one another instead.
- Actually Pretty Funny
- Save her first scene, Clarice is more bemused than annoyed when Chip and Dale fight over her.
- Chip, Dale and Clarice all share a good laugh over the aforementioned Accidental Kiss.
- A Day in the Limelight: The only Chip n' Dale short in which the two are the stars rather than a temporary nuisance to Donald Duck or Pluto.
- Ass Kicks You: Chip hip-checks Dale out of view when the two of them show up at Clarice's dressing room door.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: None of the characters wear shoes.
- Big Damn Kiss: Clarice plants one on both Chip and Dale's cheeks. Both react accordingly.
- Blatant Lies: The cartoon opens with Chip and Dale looking out their window in disgust at the flashy nightclubs outside of the park where their tree home is. Chip declares that it's "not for [them]" and Dale agrees, saying "Yeah, early to bed, early to rise." It turns out both are lying to one another so they can sneak out to see Clarice without the other knowing.
- Bowdlerized: TV airings of the short tend to cut down the Fire-Breathing Diner gag by removing the reveal that Dale swapped out Chip's chocolates for moth balls, resulting in an awkward cut where Chip has his mouth burned by a chocolate for no reason and Dale is just laughing at his misfortune. Some airings also censor the disembodied voice saying "You gay dog, you", when Chip looks at his reflection in the mirror.
- Casanova Wannabe: Both Chip and Dale see themselves as the one who'll sweep Clarice off her feet, but in reality are too immature to not quarrel whenever she's around.
- The Chanteuse: Clarice.
- Cock Fight: The entire short is about Chip and Dale fighting for the affection of Clarice.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: The short ends on Chip, Dale and Clarice laughing at Chip & Dale's Accidental Kiss.
- Extreme Omnivore: While watching Clarice on stage, a hopelessly-in-love Dale aimlessly munches on a glass on his table.
- Fire-Breathing Diner: Dale swaps out Chip's box of chocolates for a box of moth balls, causing Chip to belch up a fireball when Clarice feeds him one.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: Not only is this the only Chip n' Dale short where they're the main characters instead of the antagonists, but it's also the only one where they're depicted as anthropomorphic characters living in a Mouse World rather than as normal chipmunks.
- Half-Dressed Cartoon Animal: Unlike most of the shorts, in which the titular chipmunks are more realistically feral, here they wear clothes, first nightgowns and then tuxedos. Subverted with Clarice, who wears a full-length dress.
- Hidden Depths: Chip and Dale prove themselves to be rather competent musicians, Chip on the piano and Dale on bass.
- Minimalist Cast: Only three characters appear on screen, with an off-screen stage hand calling Clarice to the stage is only heard. Even the waiter who brings a dish to Chip's table (which turns out to be Dale) is only a pair of disembodied hands.
- Mirror Routine: Done briefly when Chip and Dale are on their way to the club. They see one another through a gap in the grass and, assuming the other is their reflection, uses him to adjust his tie and hat.
- Mouse World: Chip and Dale live in an apartment furnished with tiny everyday objects in a hollow oak tree and, later, attend a mouse-sized nightclub across town.
- Pantsless Males, Fully-Dressed Females: Chip and Dale wear tuxedo jackets with no pants while Clarice wears both a full length dress and a modest bathrobe.
- Shout-Out: Chip and Dale bang on the table, whistle and briefly turn into howling wolves while cheering on Clarice's number.
- Sleepwalking: Dale sneaks out by pretending to sleepwalk, compete with Zombie Gait. Chip, none the wiser, uses it as an excuse to sneak out without Dale noticing.
- Something Else Also Rises: In addition to the classic cartoon action of going momentarily stiff in mid-air when kissed, upon receiving a big kiss from Clarice, Dale hops up on his bass and spins around, after which one of the strings snaps.
- Squirting Flower Gag: Dale tries to give a bouquet of flowers to Clarice, but Chip hooks a hose to it and sets off the water as Dale smells the flowers.
- Suddenly Voiced: Zig zagged. Chip and Dale did have voices in previous shorts, but this is the first in which they speak articulate English rather than the high-pitched gibberish.
