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| “ | Songbirds sing. Saloon gals sing. Little bitty snot-nosed children sing. I yodel! And yodeling IS AN ART! | „ |
| ~ Slim's villainous breakdown at one of his nephews calling his yodeling singing |
| “ | When you're talking revenge, every last acre... counts! | „ |
| ~ Slim planning to buy Patch of Heaven – also his most famous quote. |
| “ | Pleasure doing business with you. O'Dell is the name, foreclosure is the game. | „ |
| ~ Slim's catchphrase when disguised as Yancy O'Dell. |
Alameda Slim, or simply known as Slim, and also known as Yancy O'Del when in disguise, is the main antagonist of Disney's 45th full-length animated feature film Home on the Range.
He is a feared, wanted cattle rustler who is said to be capable of stealing 5,000 cattle in a single night, and has the ability to entrance cattle through his yodeling, which he utilizes in his thefts. Slim has Rico as his secret partner, his nephews, the Willie Brothers as his henchmen, and Mr. Wesley as one of his clients. He is also Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway's archenemy, as well as the reason the former was sold to Patch of Heaven.
He was voiced by Randy Quaid, who also played Elijah C. Skuggs in Freaked, Nick Laemle in Parents and Sheriff Mike Collins in Hard Rain.
Development[]
Alameda Slim was present in the early drafts of the film, when it was to be a supernatural western called Sweatin' Bullets. In this version, he was an undead cattle rustler who plotted to run numerous herds of cattle off cliffs to their deaths in revenge for having been trampled down in life. When this version of the film was canceled and reworked into Home on the Range, Alameda Slim was reworked into the master yodeler, though his original scheme was to march on Washington, D.C. with an army of hypnotized cows in an attempt to become president.
It is also known that there was alternate version of his defeat. In this version, Slim wears a cow mask as a disguise, and yodels to hypnotize the cattle. The coyotes appear, and Slim tries to escape from them, but is cornered. He then removes the mask, in the hope that they will leave him alone if they realize that he is not a cow. His pursuers give up, but Slim accidentally falls into a hole.
He screams for help and the gang kidnappers (the secondary antagonists in the film) hear him. They act to help Slim to get out of the hole, but they really want to catch him and exchange him for the money. They bind him with his belt, put the bag on his head and crammed him into a bag that bind. Later, they were arrested for their villainous actions, and Slim is extracted from the bag, but is bound to the kidnappers and they all get gagged. In this thin, they are thrown in jail.
Appearance[]
Slim is an very-large, obese man with long dark red mullet-style hair, thick red eyebrows, short red goatee on his chin, long angular mustache, and large gray bags under his murky green eyes.
In his traditional outfit, he wears a large brown coat, a sparkly orange shirt, red frills, a blue tie, both tan gloves and chaps, both brown pants and leather belt with gold buckle, and a gray Stetson hat with black band around on its brim. He is mostly seen stealing cows and selling them to Wesley.
In his disguise outfit, he wears a navy blue top hat with a teal band around on its brim, a navy blue tuxedo suit coat with three black buttons lined vertically, black spectacles, deep blue suit pants, a teal bow tie, a black cravat, a white dress shirt with both a collar and cuffs, white gloves with the black dot in middle, black shoes with white spats on them, and a black cane with gold hooked head. He takes the name as Yancy O'Del as a disguise to buy people's lands after stealing their cows. No one can tell Slim and Yancy are the same person, even his idiotic nephews get fooled easily.
Personality[]
Slim is a rude, greedy and arrogant man who does his wicked deeds for money and power. He openly states that he wants local farmers and ranchers to lose as much as possible as he steals their cows and buys their land.
Slim is also very egotistical, power-hungry and overconfident, so he takes pride in his yodeling, which he uses to hypnotize cows for theft and gets angry if anyone (including his nephews) disrespects his talent. He also compared that why isn't yodeling a form of singing, as birds sing.
Slim also has a short-fuse when it comes to his plans failing, and his nephews' vast stupidity because they mistake him for his Yancy O'Del disguise (even when they watch him putting on the disguise) and interrupting when he is counting the cows.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Hypnotic Yodeling: Slim has this special talent to hypnotize cows by yodeling, he uses this to steal and lead them to his prison hold.
- Supernatural Strength: In spite of his heavy gut, Slim uses his great strength to round up cows, as he was able to single-handedly tackle down Maggie, Grace, and Calloway before tying them up, as he had enough of their attempt to capture him in order to save their farm Little Patch of Heaven, also able to break through metal must as mine cart.
Weaknesses[]
- Tone-deaf: Cows who are tone-deaf are fully immune to his talent, Grace was the only one to be immune and she also doesn't find his yodeling (singing) very well.
- Gag: If someone gags Slim, he is unable to yodel or speak properly and his hypnotic trace is broken. He gets gagged two times: the first time he falls into a chimney and can't move his hands, but try to yodel and hypnotize the animals. However, Grace manages to throw the bell in his mouth and gag him. The second time, he was taken by the police, tightly bound with the rope and gagged with the cloth. He flails and mumbles, but is too strong tied so he can't even move a finger and can't say anything.
Biography[]
At the beginning of the film, Alameda Slim targets the Dixon Ranch, home of a brave cow named Maggie (the protagonist of the film). All of the cattle disappear in one night, leaving only Maggie on her own. As a result, her ex-owner Abner Dixon is forced to sell Maggie to a small farm called Patch of Heaven, and heads out west for a new start. Later, Abner's ranch is bought by Yancy O'Del (Slim in disguise). As a result of his numerous thefts, it is revealed that a $750 reward is out for the capture of Slim, which Maggie, Mrs. Calloway, and Grace, decide to claim in order to save their farm from foreclosure.
Later, Alameda Slim commits another theft, and his unique technique is revealed; he uses yodeling to hypnotize bovines into following him. Alameda Slim is able to hypnotize cattle through yodeling. He captures all of the cattle and takes them to his lair, located in an old mine named "Echo Mine". At the mine, Slim reveals that he had once been a talented farm hand, but had been repeatedly fired (It is hinted that this was because his employers hated his yodeling ("singing")). As revenge, Slim has been using his abilities to steal the cattle of his former employers, and sells them.
When the ranches are put up for auction, he uses the money to buy the property, under the name Yancy O'Del. At that moment, one of the Willies moves from his spot of the couch, revealing the location of the Patch of Heaven farm on his map of ranches (the farm is shown to be the exact shape of the minion's head and had never been seen before because it was always blocked). Upon learning from the Willies that the farm is being put for auction for Thursday, Slim decides to buy the farm under his alter ego's name.
Later, Slim's assistant Mr. Wesley arrives to make cash out of the stolen cattle. Mr. Wesley buys the cattle, and Slim uses the ill-gotten money to buy the now-bankrupt farm he stole the cows from. The Willie Brothers finish counting the cows they captured, stating that the total is 4,997. Mr. Wesley tells him that they are supposed to be 5,000. Slim tells him that one of his nephews just miscounted, but he hears Grace's moo and sees her by the entrance and decides to bring her to him. Slims begins to yodel at Grace not knowing that she is immune to his hypnosis. When Slim sees Grace not even respond to his yodeling, he is completely confused, so he decides to confront the cows head on. However, Slim is captured by Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway, who plugged their ears to avoid his yodeling. The cows headbutt Slim, sending him into a mine cart. Lucky Jack (the jackrabbit who helped the cows reach Echo Mine) then whacks Slim in the face with a pot, knocking him unconscious. A chase between the cows, the Willies, Buck and Rico ensues throughout the mine. Soon, Slim regains consciousness - just in time to see to his horror that he has headed straight for the train, and all groups collide with it.
An enraged Slim grabs the three cows and ropes them and prepares to place them on the train. He then reveals that Rico is actually a mercenary working for him, to Buck's disappointment and heartbreak. Rounding up the three cows, Slim obtains the money and attends the auction of Patch of Heaven under his O'Del identity, attempting to buy the farm.
However, the cows escape thanks to Buck, and they manage to finish off Rico, Mr. Wesley and the Willies before freeing the rest of the cattle. The cows later use Mr. Wesley's train to head back to the farm, where they throw Slim in a chimney of the train and expose him to Sheriff Sam Brown (who gives Slim the deed to become the ownership of the farm) and Pearl Gesner, who are both are horrified that the man who is buying the farm is the wanted outlaw in disguise. Refusing to accept defeat, Slim tries to yodel, but Maggie throws her cowbell and Grace kicks it into his mouth, gagging him and freeing Maggie and Mrs. Calloway from the hypnotic yodeling spell. The enraged Sheriff binds Slim and gags him with a cloth. Slim, Mr. Wesley, the Willie Brothers, and Rico are all arrested for their crimes.
Quotes[]
| “ | Gil: Shoot, you gotta be the richest land baron in the west. Alameda Slim: Yes, but the part that really warms my heart... (Slim pulls out his branding iron) ...is watching those homesteaders suffer. (Slim presses his brand on Mike Donald's farm and the Dixon Ranch on his map of all the ranches he has robbed of their cattle and forced into bankruptcy) Slim: Back in the day, I worked the highfalutinest ranches you ever seen, but those stuck-up ranch bosses couldn't appreciate my talents. Phil: Maybe they just didn't like your singing. (Slim grits his teeth) Alameda Slim: My singing? (Bill gasps and clamps his hand over Phil's mouth as Slim slowly advances on them, holding his hot branding iron) Alameda Slim: Songbirds sing. Saloon gals sing. Little bitty snot-nosed children sing. I yodel! And yodeling IS AN ART! Bill: Well, maybe they just didn't like your yodeling. (Phil clamps his hand over Bill's mouth and both dodge as Slim furiously swipes his branding iron at them) Gil: He didn't mean it, Uncle Slim. Everybody likes yodeling. (Slim slowly turns to Gil sitting the couch) Alameda Slim: Hmm? Gil: Why, it's one of the funniest, cornball, goofy, silly sounds in the whole west. Aah! (Slim's temper boils over and he swings his branding iron at Gil. Gil dodges, revealing the unmarked Patch of Heaven, shown to be the exact shape of Gil's head. Slim gasps and his eye twitches) Alameda Slim: Uh, Gil? Gil: Uh-huh? Alameda Slim: Am I correct in assuming that each and every time we brought a herd back to this secret lair, you've managed to sit in the exact same spot, blocking that choice-piece of property from my view?! Gil: This is my comfy place. What? (Slim grabs him by the throat) Phil: It's called "Patch of Heaven", Uncle Slim. Goes on auction Thursday morning. (Slim's fury is quickly replaced with eagerness) Alameda Slim: Perfect! (drops Gil) Pencil it in. Thursday morning—right after we sell off this herd. Bill: But it's just a lil' old dirt farm. Alameda Slim: Ah, what's the difference? When you're talking revenge, every last acre... counts. (He marks his brand on Patch of Heaven) |
„ |
| ~ Slim revealing his past about being repeatedly dismissed by all ranches and slowly flying into a rage when one of his nephews refers to his yodeling as singing. When one of his nephews moves from his spot on the couch, revealing Patch of Heaven, Slim decides to buy the farm at its auction on Thursday and thus own every ranch in the west |
| “ | (Alameda Slim breaks out of the cart in a rage. He grabs Maggie, Mrs. Calloway and Grace and flings the cows to the ground) Alameda Slim: DAGNABBIT! I guess I gotta do everything around here MYSELF! (Slim ropes the cows and hands the ropes to the Willie brothers as they prepare to place them on the train) Alameda Slim: Call me crazy, but I think these cows got it in for me. Gil: Maybe they just don't like your singing. Alameda Slim: SHUT UP! Ahem. Mr. Weasley? My money, if you please? Mr. Wesley: I-I was just keeping it safe for you, Slim. Alameda Slim: Sure you were. Protecting my investments is what I pay this fellow for. [Buck gets up from the wreckage and glares at Slim] Alameda Slim: Mr. Weasley, let me present the most traitorous and double crossin' gun for hire that I've ever had the pleasure to call partner--Rico. Rico: You're too kind, boss. Buck: [heartbroken] No, it can't be! Alameda Slim: His reputation as a bounty hunter is well-known, but lately he's been doing a little moonlighting and covering my tracks. (Slim tosses Rico some cash as the fake bounty hunter starts to ride away with Buck) Alameda Slim: Rico's gonna see you to the border, so that nothing else goes wrong. (Slim clicks his tongue twice and his mount Junior the Buffalo runs up to him. Slim dons on his Yancy O'Del disguise) Alameda Slim: Now, if you'll all pardon me, there's a Little Patch of Heaven on the auction block this morning. Grace: [gasps] He's gonna buy our farm! (the cows try to break free, but to no avail) Alameda Slim: Adios! YEE-HAW! |
„ |
| ~ Slim after lassoing Maggie, Mrs. Calloway and Grace. He then reveals that the supposed bounty hunter Rico is actually a mercenary who was working for him the whole time, to Buck's disappointment and heartbreak. He then leaves on his way to buy Patch of Heaven |
| “ | What's the idea of crashing your train on my property?! What? It can't be! | „ |
| ~ Slim outraged to see a train crash on Patch of Heaven, then shocked to see the cows emerge from it |
| “ | You think you've won?! It ain't over till the fat man sings! | „ |
| ~ Alameda Slim's last words |
Trivia[]
- Slim is the seventh villain in the Disney animated canon to have his own song since Ursula in 1989's The Little Mermaid. That is, unless anyone counts Yzma, who sings "Snuff Out The Light" on the The Emperor's New Groove soundtrack (originally meant to be used in Kingdom of the Sun, before being rewritten).
- His features, look and appearance seem to be based on Dallas J.R.
- In the Mexican dub of the movie, it is said that his voice actor, Jaime López, executed the yodeling part of his song so flawlessly to the point the recording would be used in the dubs of the film in other languages, such as the Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese dub.
- His title, Uncle Slim, is obviously inspired by Uncle Sam.
- In a deleted scene, Slim originally had a plan to invade Washington D.C. using an army of hypnotized cattle so that he could become president.
- Throughout the film, Slim is known for an annoying giggle when he signs the papers and when the chickens run through his clothes, he also does this during his song.
- He is the fourth Disney villain to hypnotize characters like Jafar from Aladdin (who does it with his snake staff), Kaa from The Jungle Book and Sir Hiss from Robin Hood (who both do it with their eyes).
- His defeat is similar to the arrest of Arthur Blinkson. This criminal was accidentally stuck in the chimney of the house that he wanted to rob, was seen by passers-by, then bound, gagged and arrested.
- Slim's Yancy O'Del alias is a reference to his love of Yodelling, this is shown in sign he places in Dixon Ranch after buying it as the sign reads "MR. Y.O'DEL, ESQ".
- Slim was inspired by the Pied Piper.
- Slim's supervising animator is the late Dale Baer.
- Slim is so far the only animated movie villain to be voiced by Randy Quaid.
External Links[]
- Alameda Slim in the Disney Wiki
