Barney's Hungry Cousin

Barney Bear goes to the national park to have a picnic. Once there, however, a local bear mooches everything from Barney's basket.

It's a funny series of gags that makes this look like a Tex Avery short, and the red-headed bear certainly adds to the sense. That's because Avery's usual writer, Heck Allen, is one of the two writers, and Avery himself voices the second bear.

MGM didn't really have many cartoon stars, There were Tom and Jerry of course, and Avery turned out the occasional Droopy cartoon, but he didn't like repeating characters. Barney was a holdover from Rudy Ising's tenure, directing with his producing partner Hugh Harman.

Barney Bear arrives at Jellystone National Park. He intends to have a picnic while a local bear intends to steal that picnic. I've never heard of Alum which leads me to wonder whether it was more prevalent during the olden days. I do remember a lot of these gags and I may have seen this one before. I just don't know if he's Barney's cousin. It would be funnier if he's a country cousin. He seems like a fun character and I wonder if he ever reappears in Barney or even Yogi Bear cartoons.

While not one of my favourite cartoon characters, Barney Bear was a very funny and likable character where his sluggishness was a huge part of his charm. He was also interesting for being modelled on both his creator Rudolf Ising (who also was his first voice actor until 1941) and the mannerisms of Wallace Beery.

After the Preston Blair and Michael Lah unit stopped after just three (and pretty good too) cartoons, 'The Bear and the Bean', 'The Bear and the Hare' and 'Goggle Fishing Bear', Dick Lundy was the fourth director to take over the Barney series after Ising (10 cartoons), George Gordon (3) and Blair/Lah, and turned out to be the joint-longest-serving director after Ising with 10 contributions to the series. 'Barney's Hungry Cousin' (introducing Yogi Bear's home Jellystone Park) is one of his best, would also go as far to say it's one of the best Barney Bear cartoons overall. It doesn't have the frenetic pace of the contributions of the series' previous directors, but this doesn't matter with the pace being as beautifully judged and still lively as it is.

Barney's personality, less cranky and gruff compared to his original persona, and character design, much more nuanced before, have become more simplified over time. This has mattered far less with each cartoon, and he is still the fun, adorable and easy to like and root for character he always has been. The hungry bear is a very good match for him and the two have great chemistry together.

Animation is nicely drawn and colourful, if slightly lacking the finesse and meticulousness of the earlier entries of the Barney Bear series. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed, even enhancing the impact of actions and gestures.

'Barney's Hungry Cousin' is a very funny cartoon, even hilarious (one of the series' funniest), throughout. The timing, even with the not as frenetic and more laconic pace, is still spot on. Really liked the characteristic silly charm that makes the series so likable. The voice acting is without complaint too.

Overall, one of Lundy's best Barney Bear cartoons and wonderful as a cartoon in general. 10/10 Bethany Cox