Fun and Fancy Free
The lingering economic effects of World War II made it impossible for
Disney to produce a true animated feature, so the studio improvised. Fun and Fancy Free was one of a series of package films, animated shorts tied together into a feature-length compilation.
Jiminy Cricket serves as host of the film, starting things off by
playing a record of the first tale: “Bongo.” Dinah Shore sings the
story’s narration, which chronicles the life of a talented circus bear
named Bongo. Unable to cope with the mistreatment of his cruel circus
masters, Bongo escapes into the forest, where life is not much easier.
After enduring thunderstorms, wild animals, and the like, Bongo
meets a pretty female bear, only to be rebuffed with a series of slaps
to the face. But after Bongo learns a thing or two about how bears
express affection, he’s off to claim his new love from a jealous rival.
Jiminy leads into the next featurette with an invitation to the birthday party of child star Luana Patten (Song of the South’s
Ginny). Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and puppets Charlie McCarthy and
Mortimer Snerd entertain at the girl's party. Bergen tells the young
Luana the tale of “Mickey and the Beanstalk,” a reworking of the old
fairy tale starring Mickey, Donald and Goofy.
The three farmer friends live in total poverty, forced to divvy up
a slice of bread and a single bean for supper. Mickey trades the farm
cow for a handful of “magic beans,” sending Donald into a tizzy. When
the beans sprout overnight into a giant beanstalk, the sleeping friends
are carried up to the castle of Willie the Giant, who is none too
pleased by the intrusion. Bergen, McCarthy and Snerd offer wisecracking
commentary on the action.
Though the film disappeared from circulation for many years,
"Bongo" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk" showed up occasionally as
separate cartoon shorts on Disney's many television programs. The
entire film was restored and re-released on video for its fiftieth
anniversary in 1997.
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