Fun and Fancy Free was the 9th animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions and celebrated its 70th anniversary last week. The Disney package film contained two short films, Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk. Both films were originally planned to be separate full length features but with World War II causing shortages, loss of resources and the loss of some animators the decision was made to combine the two into one film. Jiminy Cricket begins the film inside of a house, exploring and singing “I’m a Happy-Go-Lucky Fellow”, when he come across a record player and some records. He ends up selecting “Bongo – a Musical Story sung by Dinah Shore”. Dinah Shore and Edgar Bergen were brought on hoping to use their popularity at the time to their advantage. Story by Homer Brightman, Eldon Dedini, Lance Nolley, Tom Oreb, Harry Reeves and Ted Sears. Directed by Jack Kinney (animation), Bill Roberts (animation), Hamilton Luske (animation) and William Morgan (live-action) and produced by Walt Disney.
Bongo
Bongo is based on the tale of “Little Bear Bongo” by Sinclair Lewis. The story was first published in the September 1930 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. After escaping captivity in the circus Bongo forms a romantic relationship with a fellow bear named Lulubelle but must prove himself to earn her love. Since in the story of Bongo he is in a circus, the initial drafts included a crossover with Dumbo and his supporting cast. Eventually with the decision to shorten the feature, the idea was scrapped.
Mickey and the Beanstalk
Originally titled The Legend of Happy Valley, it began production on May 2, 1940. Later known as Mickey and the Beanstalk, it is hosted by Edgar Bergen and is based on the classic story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The Disney version features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as three peasants who discover Willie the Giant’s castle in the sky after they use some magic beans. Walt Disney had provided the voice for Mickey Mouse since his introduction in 1928. This would be the last film to feature the voice Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse. In the late 1930’s, Mickey’s popularity was falling behind other Disney characters such as Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. One of the main reasons cartoons such as “Brave Little Tailor”, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Mickey and the Beanstalk” were created. Nowhere in the film does it say where Mickey got the magic beans from. An early version had him getting them from John and Gideon from Pinocchio in exchange for a cow. Another version had him giving a cow to the Queen, played by Minnie Mouse and in exchange she gave him the magic beans.
Voice Cast
Edgar Bergen (himself, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snead), Luana Paten (herself), Dinah Shore (singer, narrator of Bongo), Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket), Walt Disney (Mickey Mouse), Clarence Nash (Donald Duck), Pinto Colvig (Goofy), Billy Gilbert (Willie the Giant), Anita Gordon (singing harp), The King’s Men (Happy Valley crows)
Fun Facts
– Billy Gilbert who voiced Willie the Giant in Mickey and the Beanstalk was also the voice of Sneezy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He was a well known radio comic whose best-known gag was a comic sneeze.
– The song “I’m a Happy-Go-Lucky Fellow” sung by Jiminy Cricket was originally intended to be used in Pinocchio but was dropped.
– This was the fifth of seven package films released by the Walt Disney Company. They were called package films because they were feature-length films containing two or more short films tied together by other material. These films included The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Saludos Amigos (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), Make Mine Music (1946), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), Melody Time (1948) and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).
– Fun and Fancy Free was first released on VHS in 1997 to commemorate its 50th anniversary.
“Though it doesn’t quite live up to its title, Fun and Fancy Free has its moments, and it’s a rare opportunity to see Mickey, Donald, and Goofy together,” states Rotten Tomatoes. If you have never seen it, it is definitely worth a watch to see for yourself.
Walking Down Main Street 