Fun and Fancy Free facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fun and Fancy Free
Original theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jack Kinney (animation) Bill Roberts (animation) Hamilton Luske (animation) William Morgan (live-action)
Produced by	Walt Disney
Story by	Homer Brightman Eldon Dedini Lance Nolley Tom Oreb Harry Reeves Ted Sears
Narrated by	Dinah Shore (Bongo) Edgar Bergen (Mickey and the Beanstalk)
Starring	Cliff Edwards Edgar Bergen Luana Patten Walt Disney Clarence Nash Pinto Colvig Ruth Clifford Billy Gilbert Anita Gordon
Music by	Oliver Wallace Paul Smith Eliot Daniel Charles Wolcott
Editing by	Jack Bachom
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s)	September 27, 1947 (1947-09-27)
Running time	73 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Money made	$3,165,000 (worldwide rentals)

Fun and Fancy Free is a classic animated musical movie from 1947. It was made by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. This film is the ninth animated feature from Disney. It's also the fourth of several "package films" Disney made in the 1940s. These films combined shorter stories into one movie. This helped the studio save money during World War II. The money earned from these films helped Disney create famous movies like Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953).

The movie tells two main stories. The first one is called Bongo. It's introduced by Jiminy Cricket and narrated by singer Dinah Shore. Bongo is based on a story by Sinclair Lewis. It's about a circus bear cub named Bongo who dreams of being free. He escapes the circus to live in the wild. There, he meets a female bear named Lulubelle. Bongo learns he must prove himself to win her over.

The second story is Mickey and the Beanstalk. This part is narrated by Edgar Bergen in live-action scenes. It's a new version of the classic "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale. In this story, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are poor farmers. They find a giant castle in the sky thanks to some magic beans. Inside, they meet the huge but sometimes funny Willie the Giant. The friends must outsmart the giant to bring peace back to their valley. Mickey and the Beanstalk was the last time Walt Disney himself voiced Mickey Mouse. He was too busy with other projects. Sound effects artist Jimmy MacDonald took over the role.

Exploring the Storylines

Fun and Fancy Free brings together two exciting adventures. Each story has its own unique characters and challenges. Let's dive into what happens in each part of the film.

The Tale of Bongo

The first story begins with Jiminy Cricket. He explores a big house and sings "I'm a Happy-go-Lucky Fellow." He finds a record player and a record titled Bongo. Jiminy decides to play it for us.

The story is about Bongo, a talented circus bear. He's great at performing but isn't treated well backstage. While on a circus train, Bongo feels a strong urge to be free. He escapes into a forest. At first, living in the wild is much harder than he imagined.

The next morning, Bongo meets Lulubelle, a beautiful female bear. They quickly fall in love. But then, a huge, tough bear named Lumpjaw appears. Bongo doesn't understand that when Lulubelle slaps him, it's a sign of affection among wild bears. When she accidentally slaps Lumpjaw, he thinks she likes him! Lumpjaw then claims Lulubelle as his mate. Bongo soon learns what the slapping means. He returns to challenge Lumpjaw. Bongo uses his cleverness to fight Lumpjaw. They both fall into a river and go over a waterfall. Bongo's hat saves him from falling. Lumpjaw is swept away. Bongo finally wins Lulubelle's affection.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy's Adventure

This part of the movie is told by Edgar Bergen. He uses his famous puppet friends, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. They tell the story to a young girl named Luana Patten at her birthday party. Jiminy Cricket also listens in.

The story starts in a happy place called Happy Valley. A magical singing harp keeps the valley lively and green. But one day, the harp is stolen from the castle by a mysterious thief. Happy Valley becomes a sad, dry place. The people become very poor and have to leave. Only Mickey, Donald, and Goofy remain. They have almost no food left.

Donald gets very hungry and upset. He tries to eat plates and silverware! He even tries to chop up their pet cow for food. Mickey and Goofy stop him each time. Mickey decides to sell their cow to buy food.

Goofy and Donald are excited about eating again. They sing about delicious meals. But Mickey returns with only a container of beans. He says they are magical. Donald gets angry and throws the beans away. They fall through a hole in the floor.

That night, the beans turn out to be truly magical! A giant beanstalk grows from under their house. It lifts the house high into the sky. The next morning, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy find themselves in a huge, magical kingdom. Everything is enormous compared to them. They find a giant castle and enjoy a huge feast. They also find the singing harp, who tells them she was kidnapped by a "wicked giant."

Suddenly, Willie the Giant appears! He sings happily and shows off his powers. He can fly, become invisible, and change his shape. Willie finds Mickey hiding in his sandwich. Mickey tries to trick Willie by reading his palm. Willie offers to show off his powers. Mickey asks him to turn into a fly. But Willie decides to turn into a pink bunny instead. When he does, he sees Mickey, Donald, and Goofy with a fly-swatter! Angry, Willie captures them and locks them in the harp's chest.

Mickey must find the key to free his friends. The singing harp helps by singing Willie to sleep. Mickey almost gets caught when he sneezes. But Willie also sneezes and loses sight of him. Mickey frees his friends, and they escape with the harp. Willie wakes up and chases them down the beanstalk. Mickey stalls him long enough for Donald and Goofy to start cutting down the stalk. Mickey joins them just in time. Willie falls with the beanstalk, seemingly to his end.

Back at Edgar Bergen's house, he finishes the story. He says Happy Valley became prosperous again. He comforts Mortimer Snerd, who is sad about Willie. Edgar says Willie isn't real. But then, Willie the Giant bursts through the roof! He's alive and well! Willie asks where Mickey is. Edgar faints in shock. Mortimer tells Willie goodnight. The scene ends with Jiminy Cricket leaving. Willie sees a restaurant and puts it on his head like a hat. He stomps off to find Mickey, with the Hollywood lights blinking in the background.

Meet the Voices

Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in Fun and Fancy Free. Some even played themselves in the live-action parts!

• Edgar Bergen – Himself, and the voices of his puppet friends Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd
• Luana Patten – Herself
• Dinah Shore – The singer and narrator for the Bongo story
• Cliff Edwards – The voice of Jiminy Cricket
• Walt Disney – The original voice of Mickey Mouse
• Clarence Nash – The voice of Donald Duck
• Pinto Colvig – The voice of Goofy
• Ruth Clifford - The voice of Minnie Mouse
• Billy Gilbert – The voice of Willie the Giant
• Anita Gordon – The voice of the Singing Harp
• The King's Men – The singing crows in Happy Valley

Songs from the Film

The movie features many memorable songs that help tell the stories.

Songs from Bongo

Songs from Mickey and the Beanstalk

See also

In Spanish: Fun and Fancy Free para niños