Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
In the midst of World War II and, therefore, a lack of animation resources, Disney was forced to adapt their animated features to house multiple smaller projects often with lighter narrative connections and technical achievement. Still, there was a clear desire to push back into more connected feature animation projects with the closest the company got during this period being that of 1947's Fun and Fancy Free. Split between only two stories, Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk, the film still has its faults but at least makes an attempt to come together and deliver something more stable than the rest of Disney's output at the time.
Rather than focusing first on the shorts themselves, it is important to give attention to what surrounds them. In a notable attempt to build a better narrative structure, the film uses the character of Jiminy Cricket, once again voiced by Cliff Edwards, to introduce the stories and act like a host for the feature. Where this isn't a revolutionary concept for Disney at the time, another form of introduction would be found a few years later in the release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, this is Disney's most substantial attempt at giving the transitions and introductions between shorts some personality and narrative purpose which is a welcome addition and helps the film have a larger identity.
With that said, Cricket also leads the film into its strangest and most off-putting section of runtime. Between the two shorts in the center of the feature, Cricket leads the audience to Luana Patten's birthday party where a blending of live action actors and puppets are used. Speaking to the ideals of variety shows, this is meant to employ and celebrate the talents of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, yet the bizarre nature of this scene mixed with the dull comedy on display leads to a negative experience. Disney was swinging for the fences with how to entertain audiences, yet this was a clear strikeout.
Focusing now on the shorts themselves, both deliver fine results but remain overall underwhelming. The first, Bongo, follows the titular circus bear, voiced by Jimmy MacDonald, who escapes to the wild and finds himself struggling to fit in with the customs of wild bears. The most notable is how they show affection through physical violence. The short is cute enough and contains a decently strong song, but is undeniably a lighter meal that fails to pack a punch.
Mickey and the Beanstalk, as the title suggests, is a parody of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale featuring Mickey Mouse (Walt Disney), Donald Duck (Clarence Nash), and Goofy (Pinto Colvig). Similar to Bongo, this is a fine short display of comedy that is neither painful or hysterical. The jokes are mildly entertaining and it is easy to imagine younger audiences having fun with them as casual viewing, but there is nothing here that transcends expectations or feels like it contains the iconic Disney magic so many love.
While this might seem like a harsh indictment, this is easily enough to propel the film into being one of the stronger films of the era for Disney. The animation is continually passable and the film never feels unwatchable. For what the studio was working through, it feels commendable that they were able to put everything together to release any film. The fact that so much effort was put into Fun and Fancy Free to make it feel like more than just a random collection of shorts is something to be celebrated, even if the final product remains passable at best.
Rather than focusing first on the shorts themselves, it is important to give attention to what surrounds them. In a notable attempt to build a better narrative structure, the film uses the character of Jiminy Cricket, once again voiced by Cliff Edwards, to introduce the stories and act like a host for the feature. Where this isn't a revolutionary concept for Disney at the time, another form of introduction would be found a few years later in the release of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, this is Disney's most substantial attempt at giving the transitions and introductions between shorts some personality and narrative purpose which is a welcome addition and helps the film have a larger identity.
With that said, Cricket also leads the film into its strangest and most off-putting section of runtime. Between the two shorts in the center of the feature, Cricket leads the audience to Luana Patten's birthday party where a blending of live action actors and puppets are used. Speaking to the ideals of variety shows, this is meant to employ and celebrate the talents of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, yet the bizarre nature of this scene mixed with the dull comedy on display leads to a negative experience. Disney was swinging for the fences with how to entertain audiences, yet this was a clear strikeout.
Focusing now on the shorts themselves, both deliver fine results but remain overall underwhelming. The first, Bongo, follows the titular circus bear, voiced by Jimmy MacDonald, who escapes to the wild and finds himself struggling to fit in with the customs of wild bears. The most notable is how they show affection through physical violence. The short is cute enough and contains a decently strong song, but is undeniably a lighter meal that fails to pack a punch.
Mickey and the Beanstalk, as the title suggests, is a parody of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale featuring Mickey Mouse (Walt Disney), Donald Duck (Clarence Nash), and Goofy (Pinto Colvig). Similar to Bongo, this is a fine short display of comedy that is neither painful or hysterical. The jokes are mildly entertaining and it is easy to imagine younger audiences having fun with them as casual viewing, but there is nothing here that transcends expectations or feels like it contains the iconic Disney magic so many love.
While this might seem like a harsh indictment, this is easily enough to propel the film into being one of the stronger films of the era for Disney. The animation is continually passable and the film never feels unwatchable. For what the studio was working through, it feels commendable that they were able to put everything together to release any film. The fact that so much effort was put into Fun and Fancy Free to make it feel like more than just a random collection of shorts is something to be celebrated, even if the final product remains passable at best.