I have mixed feelings about the Dick Lundy Barney Bear cartoons. The shorts are always hybrids, sort of a trait d'union between the Tom and Jerry shorts and the Avery's entries. So, as a whole, the series failed to have its own characteristics.
Barney himself was basically too much passive and didn't achieve to reach even that little of personality Andy Panda or Porky Pig had in their solos shorts, resulting friendly characters on whom solid entries can be tailored. Even if he often acts and reacts in the cartoons, all his actions results in fact out of character.
Despite all this, however, the shorts are enjoable, with some entries being very good.
"Wee Willie Wildcat", for example, came so far to steal two major gags from "Senor Droopy" and "Wags to Riches" (giving Barney, in this last case, a hat, only for the execution of the gag: no comment!) but this does not prevent it from being one of the best in the series, up there with "The Impossible Possum" and "Half Pint Palomino".
I'm gonna show you "The Impossible Possum" today. The highlight is a great sequence in which Barney, using a female possum hand puppet, tries to seduce the title character. The way Barney reacts, at the end, and his closing line to the audience, explain at better his typical passive behaviour.
See Youse,
Andrea
I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like Barney Bear very much. I usually thought he was an idiot-not much to feel sorry for. "The Impossible Possum" is the best entry no doubt for that amazing dancing puppet sequence!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else notice the part where the tree was ripped up by the roots by barney bear, and the impossible possum is under the roots in a convenient space in the next shot? and in the next shot he is hanging from a branch of the same tree which convenietley hits barney bear on the head. Over all an enjoyable watch but that one part had some major gaps in the continutity department. I loved the puppet gags, they were just brilliant. Oh an not to mention the super cute ending.
ReplyDeleteI've got a Barney Bear tattoo, man I love that bear. MGM needs better representation on DVD.
ReplyDeleteThat's got to be the fastest-moving Barney Bear cartoon ever!
ReplyDeleteWho animated that great dance scene with the puppet? Was that Grant Simmons or Michael Lah?
Hilarious when Barney clobbers his hand with the puppet on, and the puppet gets knocked out :D !
Mike Lah animated the dance scene.
ReplyDeleteGreat analyze! thnks
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with your article. Barney is not my favorite, but seems like he had something behid that is nice
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