#the bear that wasn't

[animatejournal]

The Bear That Wasn't | Writer: Frank Tashlin Director: Chuck Jones | Studio: MGM | USA, 1967

[thatcartoonnetworkblog]

Cartoon Network Friday Spotlight: "The Bear That Wasn't"

Frank Tashlin may not have been as innovative as a director as Tex Avery or Chuck Jones, or as consistently hilarious as Friz Freleng or Bob Clampett, but he had arguably the most impressive resume of the major Looney Tunes directors. Tashlin moved from studio to studio for more than 15 years, most notably holding a few stints at Warner, as well as brief runs of varying jobs with Ub Iwerks, Columbia's animation division, and even Disney, not to mention working on his own comic strip, as an early pioneer of stop-motion animation, and as a gag writer for a range of talents including the Marx Brothers. In the 50s, he started directing live-action films for comedic icons like Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis, with or without Dean Martin, as well as bombshell Jayne Mansfield.

Hugely impressive, right? Tashlin also wrote a few children's storybooks during all of this time, one of which would be adapted into a short subject during Jones' tenure at MGM*, this, which ended up being the studio's last short subject.

In this, a confused bear wakes up from hibernation in the middle of a busy building, where he's confused for a big, hairy man in a fur coat who needs to go back to work. The thing is, he's just a bear and wants to go back to his lifestyle, but no one will believe him. He goes through the chain of commands to state his case, but to no avail.

The original book was a criticism of the increasing corporate industrialization and the pressures in society of embracing popular opinion despite how it might conflict with the truth. The cartoon keeps these themes to varying extents but due to its short nature, some of it is missing, which Tashlin noticed and considered disappointing, even as Jones made the short as a tribute to his friend and in hopes of winning him an Oscar. That didn't prove to be, but it's still an enjoyable cartoon, one of Jones' last true classic animated works. Luckily, this is available on the first Looney Tunes Platinum Collection.

*confession- I don't recall or have immediate evidence of "The Bear That Wasn't" airing on CN or Boomerang, but as it's a part of the Turner library, I think it's worth adding here anyway.

[calmmug]

MGM's The Bear That Wasn't (1967)

Directed by Chuck Jones, Maurice Noble Written by Frank Tashlin, Irv Spector Music by Dean Elliott Cast: Paul Frees, Gloria Wood Produced by Chuck Jones, Frank Tashlin

[mimeparadox]

Holy crap, The Bear that Wasn't is just as unsettling as I remember it being twenty-five years ago--if not necessarily for the same reasons. Also, the storyboarding and design!

[lele37]

You guys should watch this 1967 cartoon about identity. I've been thinking about it for the last 25 years.

[reasonsforhope]

Sometimes you just have one of those moments where the progress we've made as a culture get thrown into stark relief. You look at something and go "Holy shit, that would never have happened when I was a kid."

Today, I had one of those moments when I realized that the teenage boys I'm working with are just. genuinely, openly enthusiastic about going to Build-a-Bear for their outing.

These are sixteen and seventeen year old boys! They just had a whole conversation about what to name their "cute", mostly new squishmallows! They're genuinely excited that they're going to Build-a-Bear this weekend and asking other kids to pick up specific accessories for them!!

Holy shit, that never would've happened when I was 16. None of the boys would have dared to be visibly interested - and neither would most of the girls! There would have been a million gay jokes and "Haha, you're a girl" jokes and "What are you, a baby?" jokes. Teenagers weren't even supposed to care about anything back then!

Less than 15 years later, and I'm watching three 17 year old boys treat all that as not even worthy of comment.

So let's call that a reason for hope. Even when the kids aren't alright, in some ways apparently they are alright. Go Gen Z, honestly. It's so lovely to watch you guys just openly doing and saying stuff that, when I was a teen, would've been a social death sentence.

[johnthestitcher]

OMG! This was just amazing!

This is amazing.

[jkvjimin]

seven days a week; jungkook's birthday countdown ↳ sat: at this moment, it's "yes, I'm sure" - jeon jungkook

[elbiotipo]

It's fascinating to me that for our modern (at least on European-influenced societies) thinking, the classical Roman way of life is so familiar. When you read about it, the rethoric of the speeches feels modern, a society based on contracts and laws and litigation, with public works, a state bureucracy and standing army and trade economy and even spectator sports, a concept of philosophy separated from religious dogma and tradition, with even a limited understanding of a government by 'the people' and 'citizenship', even the names all sound familiar even if in completely different contexts, and no wonder since they inspired our current politics.

This all in contrast to medieval feudalism, which is completely alien to me. A society created upon family connections and oaths of fealty and serfdom with no such thing as an overarching state, not even kingdoms were any more real than a title one person holds, and all held together completely, utterly, to an extent I cannot emphasize enough, by the institution of the Church and the Christian faith. In a way we just aren't used today in our secular world. I simply cannot overstate how everything, every single thing, was permeated by faith in the Medieval worldview and the Church which took its power from it, we have an understanding of it but I think people just don't realize it.

[ruporas]

all I wanted was to save them... (ID in alt)

[lizardcake-was-taken]

them...............................

[benjingle]

Artistic freedom is awesome sauce

[protosymphonette]

fallout: new leaf

inspired by @beentobeetle :333333

[jerswayman]

LOVE THY GOALIE. GIVE THY GOOD BOY HEAD PATS.

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Me 2 years ago: i love the bonds the demigods share with each other & some with Radagon/Godfrey/Rennala, but it’s kinda sad no one seems to be particularly insane about Marika :(

Fromsoft pre-heating Messmer in the oven: hey-

this image has changed the trajectory of my life

like, it might not be apparent before but i've never been normal about Marika for one bit... so a demigod with a whole ass giant statue of her cradling a baby in his boss room (also, that's the most LOVING depiction of Marika so far in the entire game) + the first one to outright calling her Mother ?? M A N

also all the “unwanted child” thing is pure fan speculation so far. no one in canon is saying he's unwanted. yes he carries all the symbols that are against the Erdtree but have you considered ...... they are trophies ....... of all the forces he had slayed to protect his Mother ...... how about that .........

EDIT to add that the throne he’s sitting on in the poster is actually also in the boss room, it’s just tiny af against the gigantic Marika statue behind it.

What’s his deal that is so insane … just a lil guy chilling in front of a colossal statue of his mom cradling baby him

[romanroygirls]

EMMY WINNERS