Fun and Fancy Free



Released in 1947, Fun and Fancy Free is the 9th Film in the Disney Animated Canon

The movie is an Animated Anthology, consisting of two shorts that were originally planned to be full length movies in their own right, but due to situations at the time, had to be cut short and put together in this one movie.

The two shorts are:
 * Bongo: The story of a circus bear who escapes into the forest.
 * Mickey and The Beanstalk: An adaptation of Jack and The Beanstalk starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.

The shorts are tied together with a framing story starring Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, who sets up a record player that plays the first story, and then attends a birthday party where the second story is told.

Mickey and the Beanstalk is by far the more well known of the two shorts, and can often by found in other DVD collections by itself.

The movie provides examples of:
"Charlie: Hey! He [Goofy] got caught with his pants--
 * Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Played straight with Willie the Giant when he invades Happy Valley and steals the harp.
 * Caught with Your Pants Down: Happens literally to Goofy when he squeezes under the door of the giant castle and he loses his pants when they get snagged.
 * Lampshaded by Charlie McCarthy (whom Edgar Bergen tries to keep quiet):

Edgar: Charlie!

Charlie: Well, his slip was showing..."

"Edgar Bergen: But Donald doesn't give in, Donald doesn't give up--
 * Deadly Dodging: Bongo pulls this off.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Charlie McCarthy the ventriloquist dummy constantly snarks on everything from Edgar Bergen's story telling ability to the New Deal. Naturally, a lot of his jokes go over younger viewer's heads nowadays.
 * Disney Death:
 * Disney Villain Death: Willie the Giant, of course.
 * Everything's Worse with Bears: Inverted with Bongo, Lulubelle, and the gang of friendly bears that live in the forest. Played straight with the huge, monstrous bear, Lumpjaw.
 * Exactly What It Says on the Tin
 * "I Am" Song: "I'm a Happy-Go-Lucky Fellow" (which, incidentally, was originally created for Pinocchio, where Jiminy first appeared).
 * Insane Equals Violent: A hunger-induced Donald Duck attempting to kill the cow into hamburgers counts.
 * Interactive Narrator: In Mickey and the Beanstalk:

Donald: SHUT UP!"


 * Let's Get Dangerous: When Bongo stops running in fear and starts putting his circus skills to work.
 * Love At First Sight
 * Mood Whiplash: The scene where the narrator explains the plight of the peasants is somewhat gloomy but still funny. Then Donald starts freaking out....
 * Parasol Parachute: Jiminy Cricket does this.
 * Roger Rabbit Effect: The frame for the second story is in live action. Although Jiminy is so small and has such an insignificant role at this point, it's not really a big deal. But then Willie shows up at the end...
 * Title Drop: Jiminy's introductory song essentially names the set - the name "Fun and Fancy Free" describes his happy-go-lucky view on life.
 * Tricking the Shapeshifter: Mickey tries to get Willie to turn into a fly so that he can kill him with a fly swatter. Unfortunately, Willie wants to turn into a bunny rabbit, and does so instead.
 * Villain Song: "Fee Fi Fo Fum."