Wednesday, January 07, 2009

THE THREE BEARS: Chuck Jones Cartoons

When people think of Chuck Jones' classic Warner Bros. output they always seem to talk about One Froggy Evening or What's Opera, Doc? but for my money Chuck really hit paydirt with these Three Bears cartoons. The writing, the timing and the characters are fantastic!

Chuck Jones once asserted that they predicted "All in the Family" by about twenty years: the grouchy father, the mousy mother and a next generation that doesn't belong. 

In addition to the great work of the animators, these cartoons are especially notable for the vocal performances of artists Billy Bletcher (Pa), Bea Benederet (Ma) and Stan Freberg (Junyer) who really bring these characters to life.

What with his successful Pepe Le Pew and Roadrunner series (in addition to his Bugs and Daffy chores) it's hard to believe that Chuck didn't see a reason to continue this series throughout the 50s...





Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears, 1944




What's Brewin' Bruin? 1948




Bee-Deviled Bruin, 1949




A Bear For Punishment, 1950



No comments: