Bear Feat

Although the cartoons with the three MAJORLY dysfunctional bears are not particularly famous, I think Warner Brothers really had something with them. They only appeared in a few cartoons, but every one I've seen made me laugh very hard. While "Bear Feat" isn't quite as good as they were when they were paired with Bugs Bunny, it was very, very good.

The cartoon begins with the three bears at home. Papa reads in the paper that the circus is looking for performing bears and is determined that the family could get rich this way. So, the rest of the cartoon has the family trying LOTS of insane stunts--making it look a bit like a Wiley Coyote and Road Runner cartoon. As usual, Junior is a total idiot, Mama is ineffectual and quiet and Papa is an insanely angry bear, indeed. It's hilarious seeing him lose his temper and physically abuse his son! Really. Though, if you think about it, it's VERY unsettling as the cartoon seems like an endorsement for child abuse and suicide! My advise is to turn off that nagging part of your brain that thinks and just enjoy--I know my daughter and I laughed our heads off!

When I see what happens to the Three Bears in Chuck Jones's cartoons, it's easy to see this ursine brood as a possible inspiration for "All in the Family" (Jones in fact often compared the two series). In this case, they try to form a vaudeville act, but Pa always suffers due to Junyer's incompetence (and body mass)! And finally, Ma reveals something that would have helped earlier!

Jones retired the Three Bears in 1951 (I guess that he wanted to concentrate on Pepe Le Pew and Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote). Even in the few years that they were one of his personal groups of stars, they sure did some hilarious stuff. "Bear Feat" is definitely a classic. Bea Benaderet, Billy Bletcher and Stan Freberg were great voice artists just like Mel Blanc was.

Bear Feat is a prime example of a Procrustean father controlling everything and everyone then wonders why things go wrong. I believe it is an allegory of a toxic workplace, a dictatorial manager, and how employees adapt to a toxic work environment. The joke where the Boss says "oh no, you did what I said" happens repeatedly and results in predictable blowback. The ending was poetic justice when the master of his domain tries to flee his plight only to be pulled back to wallow in his mess. This Procrustean toxic cartoon would never be made today.

The Three Bears cartoons are worthy of more praise than they get rather than the relative obscurity they garnered for some time, because they are well made with Papa and Junyer being very interesting and entertaining characters and some of the funniest material to come out of any cartoon from the late 40s.

Other than the waste of Mel Blanc, who has practically nothing to do here, 'Bear Feat' is an excellent cartoon and one of the better Three Bears cartoons (so far my personal favourite has been their final one 'A Bear for Punishment') to me.

As ever with early and mid-career Chuck Jones, considered one of the giants in animation for a reason, the animation is very good. Mama Bear's character design is more refined than in 'Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears' and 'What's Brewin' Bruin?', while the colours are bright and vibrant without being gaudy or flat, the backgrounds are never elaborate or simplistic instead very nicely detailed, the bears are crisply drawn and movements are smooth.

Carl Stalling does another outstanding job providing the music. Not even the very strong and almost as consistent Milt Franklyn wrote music as beautifully and cleverly orchestrated, as rhythmically energetic and characterful and uniquely action-enhancing (as well as fitting wonderfully) as Stalling did.

Papa Bear and Junyer are brilliantly depicted and wickedly funny, Junyer with his stupidity and Papa with his bad temper, Jones once again displaying great ability in packing in so many personality to his cartoons and characters in such a short running time. Mama Bear has more to do than before and while not as funny or as interesting she is not as bland thankfully.

'Bear Feat' is extremely funny, the best parts hilarious. The dialogue, especially Papa Bear's, is deliciously witty and there are some inspired gags and visuals like the somersault one. Bea Benaderet and Stan Freberg do stellar work as Mama and Junyer, but the biggest impression comes from Billy Bletcher who is spot-on as Papa.

Overall, excellent cartoon with very little wrong other than Blanc being wasted. 9/10 Bethany Cox