Topolino e il fagiolo magico

Just after WWII, Disney released a feature film ("Fun & Fancy Free") that was actually just two shorts strung very tenuously together. The same thing happened with "Make Mine Music" and "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad". And, for the most part, these shorter films were of lesser quality and don't stack up all that well with the best of the studio.

As for "Mickey and the Beanstalk", it is the film that makes up the second half of "Fun & Fancy Free". The first half is a very lame short, "Bongo"--and the less said about that dull cartoon the better! Because of that, I'd recommend seeing a copy of "Mickey and the Beanstalk" on its own--without the first portion. I've seen it marketed that way on several Disney DVDs and videotapes. The only major difference is that the live action portion that accompanies "Mickey and the Beanstalk" from "Fun & Fancy Free" is missing--though some of Edgar Bergen's narration is there--along with new narration by Sterling Holloway. While I miss the cute live action portions (Charlie McCarthy had some nice lines in it), it's just more compact and enjoyable on its own. Not a great short--but well made and entertaining--and a variation on the earlier Disney short "The Brave Little Tailor"--which, incidentally, is actually better than "Mickey and the Beanstalk".

When I first viewed Mickey and the Beanstalk with my toddler son approximately 16 years ago, I saw it as more than a retelling of an old fairy tale. Later, while watching a documentary about the devastation wrought upon a real life "Happy Valley", the Owens River Valley, I was reminded of my initial impression of the back story of this short film - the drought and desolation in Happy Valley caused by the theft of the harp as a veiled metaphor for the appropriation of water resources by the GIANT burgeoning metropolis of Los Angeles under the direction of "Willie" Mulholland. Streams and brooks sing or are musical in their own way. Diversion of riparian resources can cause calamity. A giant municipality that diverts water for its own use can leave the former beneficiaries of those resources woefully lacking the wherewithal to prosper or even survive.

If the writers used the foundation for the plot of this short animated film as an opportunity for political protest or commentary, they may have done so secretly, fearing that their theme might be edited from the film or that they might suffer reprisal. I'd like to believe that Walt Disney, whom I believe had a social conscience, left the metaphor in the film but didn't publicize it so as not to cause undue controversy around a film that was intended as children's entertainment. I'd appreciate comments about this subject, especially from anyone who has knowledge of the intentions of the writers, directors, or producer.

In my opinion, this is the best short that Disney has ever done. A very good short for the whole family, with that humor that only Walt Disneuy could do. Highly recommend.

Originally part of Fun & Fancy Free, this cartoon was released on its own later. It's arguably the best animated version of the Jack and the Beanstalk story, and some might even say it's better than the film versions. It's narrated by Sterling Holloway, replacing the narration from Fun & Fancy Free by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. I'm not sure the reason for the change but I would never complain about hearing Holloway's distinctive voice. Nice animation and voice work. Really just a fun cartoon all around.

I absolutely love this mini-classic. The animation is really beautiful with colourful backgrounds, especially the opening part with Happy Valley and vibrant too. I also want to say that I thought the animation for the beanstalk was fantastic. As for the music, it was absolutely stunning, full of playfulness and lyricalism. The song "My What a Happy Day" I have always considered a great song, it is just so joyful and makes you want to sing along. All the characters were great too, I have always loved Mickey, Goofy and Donald, and I don't know about you but Willie the Giant was quite lovable here. The voice acting was spot on, with Clarence Nash, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert and Walt Disney himself. The narration was satisfying, from Professor Von Drake in the version I am most familiar with, but also the one with Sterling Holloway narrating and Edgar Bergen in the underrated Fun and Fancy Free were nicely done too. Can I say that I think the singing harp has a beautiful singing voice? All in all, a real pleasure to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox