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Rating:  - Bongo-- As I remember it
I remember both Mickey and the Beanstalk AND Bongo, but have special memories of Bongo. In 1956, one of the Mickey Mouse Club records pressed by ABC-Paramount was the story of Bongo, parts 1,2. I first heard it in school, early in 1957; it was taped
to facilitate listening by my class. I recall how eerie the call
of the wild, "BONGO!" sounded, causing a chill to run down my spine; in the record, Cliff Edwards (as Jiminy Cricket) remarked that as the circus train moved into the night, with the circus traveling between cities, it seemed to be speaking to Bongo, but that it wasn't the circus train but the call of the wild. Yes, the video, Fun and Fancy Free, DID follow very closely the record that I heard. So did the Golden Book Bongo, and the story in Walt Disney's Treasury. So, when I obtained the video, what I heard and read about that wonder bear Bongo who was king of the circus DURING his act but then humiliatingly caged and escaped and became a WOODS bear, all came back to me. Even Cliff Edwards' remark about this being story of three bears, but not the one expected, came back to me.
Rating: - Even the newest generation likes it!
My almost-4-year-old has asked me every day since I got this DVD for him if he can watch it again (AND AGAIN). At first, I was afraid that my son would be turned off by the more "dated" elements (the 40s music, sweet narration by Dinah Shore, the almost-creepy ventriloquism)but not so. He's not even very familiar with Disney cartoons yet but he loves this DVD, which I think speaks volumes for the genius and timelessness of the old Disney films. As for the format being different from what some people remember (I'm 27 and can remember the Wonderful World of Disney on TV), it's really a minor thing and doesn't take away any of the joy of watching these shorts.
Rating:  - One of Disneys most whimsical films.
In this film Disney dishes out two more stories that are very charming. In feature one you meet lovesick Bongo the Bear, and in the second feature Mickey fills Jack's shoes and climbs the beanstalk with Donald and Goofy behind him. The animation is good, and the music is great. A definate must see. I reccomend this film.
Rating: - Mickey's Second Time On The Big Screen
The Disney Studios didn't have much money at the time of this release, so Disney made two short films, "Bongo" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk," and packaged them together with in between animation featuring Jiminy Cricket, Figaro, and Cleo from "Pinocchio." This formula works if your a fan of the old Mickey Mouse cartoons. If you aren't, I don't recomend that you buy this film. The picture and sound isn't much better than the home video release.
Rating:  - The Fancy may be Free, but it's not all Fun
In this, the ninth feature animation film of Disney's Canon classics, we are treated again to two featurettes - "Bongo" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk".
"Bongo", with narration by Dinah Shore (a rather unusual choice for this story) is the story of a circus bear who dreams of life in the wild. But when he finally gets his wish, he finds he is unprepared for that life. The story of how he adapts to his new situation is priceless. This is a story that, even though made in 1947, has relevance today.
The version of "Bongo" that I remember best is the one from "The Wonderful World of Disney", which, if I can remember that far back, did not have Dinah Shore doing the narrating chores, and was a much better cartoon for it.
The other featurette, "Mickey and the Beanstalk", marks the final time that Walt Disney himself will create the voice of Mickey Mouse. The story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" retold in a Disney format, it stars Mickey, Donald, Goofy, the Magic Harp (with a wonderful singing voice!), and a wily magical giant named Willy. This is absolutely worth the price of admission. The DVD makes this Disney version of a timeless story watchable over and over again.
"Beanstalk" is also narrated, this time by Edgar Bergan and his cast of marionettes. This exact reproduction of the theatrical release is fun, but not as much fun as it would have been had it included the narrator I remember from showings of the featurette on "The Wonderful World of Disney".
Still a great addition to a collection of Disney classics.
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