Swing Shift Cinderella (1945) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Wolf stops chasing Little Red Riding Hood when he spots the title card showing 'Swing Shift Cinderella.' He realizes he's in the wrong cartoon and decides to pursue Cinderella instead, shoos Red away, and heads off to find her.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes the self-aware, meta-humor tone that runs through the entire cartoon.

• big bad wolf
• little red riding hood
• wrong cartoon
• meta humor

After Cinderella calls her for help, the Fairy Godmother arrives and traps the Wolf. However, she quickly becomes infatuated with him and starts chasing him around the house, trying to get close to him while also protecting Cinderella. This creates a role-reversal where the pursuer becomes the pursued.

• fairy godmother
• big bad wolf
• chase
• role reversal

In a comic mix-up at the nightclub, the Wolf mistakes the Fairy Godmother for Cinderella and kisses her. The Godmother becomes even more smitten with the Wolf because of this, which complicates the chase and adds to the chaotic humor.

Foreshadowing: The Godmother's earlier infatuation with the Wolf sets up this moment of mistaken identity.

• kiss
• mistaken identity
• nightclub
• fairy godmother

The cartoon reveals at the end that Cinderella is actually Rosie the Riveter working the night shift at Lockweed. She must be home by midnight so she won't be late for her night shift at the munitions factory. This ironic twist explains why the Fairy Godmother warned her about the midnight deadline.

• midnight
• cinderella
• rosie the riveter
• night shift
• lockweed

Cinderella is revealed to be Rosie the Riveter, working the night shift at a place called Lockweed (a pun on Lockheed, the aircraft manufacturer). The midnight deadline isn't about magic wearing off, it's about her needing to get to work on time.

• rosie the riveter
• night shift
• munitions factory
• lockweed

The Wolf escapes from the Fairy Godmother by grabbing her magic wand. While trying to get away, he accidentally uses the wand to transform Cinderella's bathtub into a convertible car, which he then drives to the nightclub.

• bathtub
• convertible
• magic wand
• escape

Little Red Riding Hood stops the Wolf mid-chase and points out they're in the wrong cartoon. This meta-joke references the fact that she's not the character the Wolf should be pursuing in this particular film, referencing another Avery cartoon called The Screwy Truant released earlier in 1945.

• wrong cartoon
• little red riding hood
• meta humor
• tex avery

After escaping from Cinderella's house in the bathtub convertible, the Wolf heads to the nightclub where Cinderella is performing. He continues his obsessive pursuit of her, chasing her across the club while she performs her song 'Oh Wolfie.'

• nightclub
• pursuit
• cinderella performance
• oh wolfie

The Fairy Godmother tries to keep the Wolf busy by parading before him in comically mismatched outfits, including an old-fashioned 1890s swimsuit labeled 'Miss Repulsive 1898.' She also switches into an elegant gown and tries to snuggle up to him on the couch while Cinderella prepares for the ball.

• fairy godmother
• outfits
• comedy
• distraction

The Fairy Godmother transforms a pumpkin into a Woodie (a style of station wagon) so Cinderella can drive to the ball. This is the magical transportation she uses to attend the ball that evening, before the midnight deadline.

• pumpkin
• woodie
• ball
• fairy godmother magic

After Cinderella rushs home and reveals she's Rosie the Riveter going to her night shift, the cartoon ends with a bus full of wolves pulling up outside. They wolf-whistle and catcall at Cinderella, suggesting the Wolf's pursuit isn't over despite being foiled for the moment.

• bus ending
• wolves
• wolf whistle
• final gag