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[Via Wikipedia] The Bear That Wasn’t was the last MGM animated short produced. The original book by Master animator and writer, Frank Tashlin was adapted into a cartoon by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble in 1967 (a Christmas Season Special).
[via Iancul] The Bear That Wasn’t tales the story of a bear that after hibernating founds himself in the middle of a Factory, constructed in winter while he was asleep. In the Flickr by Kip W, there is a complete scan of the original book.
When he asks the foreman what happened and the man orders the bear to resume his work. The bear answers “I’m not a man, I’m a bear”. But the foreman states that he is
“a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat”.
From then on, the bear goes asking for a recognition of his real self. But he is not given the opportunity to prove it. Even bears at the Zoo say that he must not be a bear, because if he were a bear, he would be caged like them.
Then the Bear convinces himself that he must be a man and starts working at the factory. When winter comes, his instincts are stronger than the social suggestion an he returns to Mother Nature and Hibernates again.
This story reminds me that of Munro, the Feiffer book that was also adapted into cartoon an that could be seen at this old post. In this Feiffer story, a four year old is drafted and send to the army. Although the child states that he is an infant, his reclamations are not taken seriously, because an order could not be mistaken. Only when Munro cries like a four year old boy, his superiors understand that something must be wrong.
In both this cartoons the message seems to be the same. One can convince himself of any foolishness others assigned to us. At the time this cartoon was released, being a common middle-class worker was better than being special. Social integration at any cost more than uniqueness.
When he asks the foreman what happened and the man orders the bear to resume his work. The bear answers “I’m not a man, I’m a bear”. But the foreman states that he is
“a silly man who needs a shave and wears a fur coat”.
From then on, the bear goes asking for a recognition of his real self. But he is not given the opportunity to prove it. Even bears at the Zoo say that he must not be a bear, because if he were a bear, he would be caged like them.
Then the Bear convinces himself that he must be a man and starts working at the factory. When winter comes, his instincts are stronger than the social suggestion an he returns to Mother Nature and Hibernates again.
This story reminds me that of Munro, the Feiffer book that was also adapted into cartoon an that could be seen at this old post. In this Feiffer story, a four year old is drafted and send to the army. Although the child states that he is an infant, his reclamations are not taken seriously, because an order could not be mistaken. Only when Munro cries like a four year old boy, his superiors understand that something must be wrong.
In both this cartoons the message seems to be the same. One can convince himself of any foolishness others assigned to us. At the time this cartoon was released, being a common middle-class worker was better than being special. Social integration at any cost more than uniqueness.
This cartoon was so popular at the day that was produced that even a LP could be bought, with the narration and the music. I found several covers of the song by different groups.
The embed of the cartoon is something you should not leave without watching it first. You will regret it. It is a jewel of the animation art.
[via Xavierenigma]
The embed of the cartoon is something you should not leave without watching it first. You will regret it. It is a jewel of the animation art.
[via Xavierenigma]
2 comments:
Este dibujo animado me apasionó cuando lo vi hace cosa de 15 años en la Cartoon Network y lo había buscado sin éxito varias veces en YouTube :) gracias por comentarlo y, de paso, avisarme de esta forma de que por fin está on line, así que me lo bajo de inmediato.
Me alegro de haberte servido de algo.
Tengo la idea de hacer al menos una entrada semanal dedicada a la animación (y al cine, en su defecto). Así que tu comentario y el que hiciste en la entrada de Bosko son muy bien recibidos.
Prometo ir descubriéndoos un buen montón de curiosidades y sorpresas.
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