aka... ながぐつ三銃士 / Sanjûshi:3 Musketeer's Gun Christmas Stocking' (Jp), Nagagutsu Sanjyuushi / 'Puss inBoots 2 - In the Wild West' (Jp), ex... Le retour du chat botté / 'The Returnof Puss in Boots' (Ca-Qu), Kocour v botách 3 - Na Divokém západě / 'Puss inBoots 3 - In the Wild West' (Cz), Le chat Botté 2 / 'Puss in Boots 2' (Fr),Gestiefelte kater im wilden Westen / 'Puss in Boots in the Wild West' (Ger),Pero der Held - Der gestiefelte Kater Collection / 'Pero is Good - Puss inBoots Collection' (Ger-dvd), Continuavano a chiamarlo il gatto con gli stivali/ 'And They Still Call Me Puss'n'Boots' (It), Superkatt i ville vesten /'SuperKatt in the Wild West' (Nor), Kot w Butach na Dzikim / 'Puss in Boots inthe Wild West' (Pol), Continuaban llamandole El Gato con Botas (Sp), Кот всапогах на Диком Западе (Rus), Puss in Boots 2 - Return of Perro (Ex), Returnof Perro (Ex), Ringo Rides West (Ex), The Three Musketeers in Cowboy Boots
A1972 Japanes, Canadian co-production [Toei Animation (Tokyo),Sonolab/Télé-Métropole (Montreal)]
Distributor: Dist:Toei (Jp, 03/18/72), ATA Trading (WW),Mountain Video (UK, Vhs, 12/83), DEA (It), MPI Home Video (US, Vhs),(Cz, 93), Toei Video (Jp, Dvd, 03/21/03), Vapet (Cz, Dvd, 03/07/09), DivisaHome Video (Sp, 05/26/10), Alive (Ger, Dvd, 02/03/12)
Producer: Isamu Takahashi
Director: Tomoharu Katsumata
Story: Hiroichi Fuse
Screenplay: Hiroichi Fuse
Animation: Tōei Animation
Music: Seiichiro Uno
Running time: 51minutes
Cast:
Ringo/Pero/Pierre - Ron Lea & Yasushi Suzuki
Annie - Jane Woods & Kurumi Kobato
Various - Neil Shee
Jimmy - Kiyoshi Komiyama
Killer 1 - Shun Yashiro
Killer 2 - Isamu Tanonaka
Killer 3 - Ado Mizumori
Boss - Ushio Shima
One-Eye - Hidekatsu Shibata
Big - Hiroshi Masuoka
Fat - Eken Mine
Tiny - Setsuo Wakui
Mouse leader - Kôsei Tomita
Little Mouse -Sachiko Chijimatsu
Jane - Kazue Takahashi
Mayor - Shoji Aoki
Coachman - Kôji Yada
Sonolab of Montreal handled the English language version.Since they turned it into a "Ringo" western they deserve to get aco-credit. Sort of a 'Cat with a Name'.
In 1969 Toei released an animated adaptation of CharlesPerrault's classic fairytale Puss ‘n Boots titled Wonderful World of Puss 'nBoots (Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko). The film proved so popular that the titularcat, named Perrault, after the original's author - or Pero for short, wasadopted as the company's mascot. Many older readers might remember him from theclosing credits of a number of the American Saturday morning cartoons animatedby the company including Transformers.
The popularity of Pero's debut prompted several otheroutings for the character. Nagagutsu Sanjyuushi (Three Musketeers in Boots) wasthe first, appearing in cinemas on 18th March 1972. The action is relocated tothe Wild West where Pero helps a young girl named Annie, restores law and orderto the town of Go Go and avoids the constant ambushes of his arch nemesis Nekoboss' henchmen.
The 53 minute film was directed by Tomoharu Katsumata whowent on to direct the Captain Harlock movie Arcadia of My Youth in 1982.
Pero's third and final outing came in 1976 with Puss 'nBoots: Around the world in 80 Days a return to the first movie's literatureroots. In 1992 a Toei Puss In Boots TV show aired on TV Tokyo but it iscompletely unrelated to these movies and stars a different title character.
Three Musketeers in Boots was picked up for westerndistribution by the company ATA Trading in the early 1980's. The company wasfounded in 1947 and specialized in independent productions and foreign moviesand acquired a number of animated movies from Toei for distribution in otherterritories including Nobody’s Boy and Ali Baba's Revenge. ATA Trading arestill in business today and have expanded their operations into art dealing andvaluation.
With a dub by the Canadian studio Sonolab (the companybehind the Raccoons TV series) TMiB became Ringo Rides West, Pero renamed Ringoafter the infamous real life Cowboy Johnny Ringo. Released in 1984 it wasbriefly available on video in the USA and UK from MPI Home Video and MountainVideo respectively. The UK video also contained a 'Bonus Cartoon' to bulk upthe running time to feature length (more on this later). It was also mistitled RingoGoes West on the video sleeve.
Pero's second adventure was seen around the world on TVand video including France, Germany,
Spain and Italy.
There is something interesting about the portrayal of theold west in Ringo Rides West. It is far removed from the way a similar children’smovie from the west would deal with the scenario. In a Disney or Warner Broscartoon would the child sheriff hero actually shoot dead the outlaws or wouldhe instead capture them by far less fatal and more slapstick means? I can'timagine Blackie being shot dead in the street in a Pixar production more likelyhe would have been caught in barrel or snared by a rope related ambush whiletrying to flee the town.
I'm not suggesting that the gunplay in Ringo is overtlyviolent - there is no blood and the victims simply clutch their wounds and fallto the ground in the tradition of Cow Boy matinees - it's just that such actionwould unlikely be deemed acceptable for a kid's movie in the West especiallytoday.
I think Ringo Rides West benefits from the shorter thanusual running time. The animation is great, smooth and fluid if not toodetailed. The dubbing is good and well characterized. It's a shame that thissecond sequel wasn't as widely available as the other movies in the Puss 'nBoots series.
By Mike Ferguson
