Barney Bear, the MGM cartoon bear from ‘The Bear That Couldn’t Sleep’. Barney was intended for stardom from the beginning. In fact, his second cartoon, The Fishing Bear came out only six months after the first, meaning it must already have been in the production pipeline long before audiences had a chance to respond to the character. When they did have a chance to respond, they must have been fairly lukewarm toward him, because Barney settled into a pattern of one or two cartoons a year, sometimes as many as three, and never really did take off.
Movies with Barney Bear
- The Bear That Couldn’t Sleep (1939)
As Autumn draws to a close, Barney Bear prepares for his long winter’s sleep, but his surroundings keep him up until spring. - The Fishing Bear (1940)
Barney goes fishing, but as he’s getting ready to hook a whole school of trout, a persistent duck keeps getting in the way. - The Prospecting Bear (1941)
Barney Bear goes off prospecting for gold with a little donkey who eventually eats the dynamite and blows everything up. - The Rookie Bear (1941)
Barney is dreaming about being in the military, but a knock at the door makes him realize that it’s not a dream. - The Flying Bear (1940)
Barney is an Air Force mechanic. He takes a little one-seater plane out for a spin. - The Bear And The Beaver (1942)
Barney has run out of firewood in mid-winter and his quest for more is not too successful. - Wild Honey (1942)
Barney sets off in search of honey, but his various gadgets don’t always work out the way they should. - Barney Bear’s Victory Garden (1942)
Barney unsuccessfully attempts to keep a mole out of his victory garden. - Bah Wilderness (1943)
Barney Bear sets up camp in the middle of the forest, where all creatures come to give him a hard time and deny him sleep.
- The Uninvited Pest (1943)
A lone squirrel makes his way into Barney Bear’s log cabin in the forest. Barney tries to get rid of the squirrel. - Bear Raid Warden (1944)
Barney is the local Air Raid Warden and is awoken by an Owl who sounds like the warning signal. - Barney Bear’s Polar Pest (1944)
Barney is getting ready to hibernate for the winter, but gets an unscheduled visit by his nephew, just in from the North Pole. - The Unwelcome Guest (1945)
Barney Bear is gathering berries for a tasty snack. He’s observed by a little skunk who wants his berries. - The Bear And The Bean (1948)
Barney Bear gets a package from Mexico, which contains a pesky little jumping bean. - The Bear And The Hare (1948)
Barney’s hunting up north when he spots a snowshoe rabbit. - Goggle Fishing Bear (1949)
Barney has a dive mask and swim fins to help with his pursuit of fish. He gets ‘help’ from an overly helpful little seal. - Little Wise Quacker (1952)
Hunter Barney tries to procure a duck for dinner, but all that this duck wants to do is sleep. - Busybody Bear (1952)
Barney attempts to help a beaver dam a nearby river, but the beaver doesn’t want his help.
- Barney’s Hungry Cousin (1953)
Barney Bear goes on a picnic, though the area he picked is inhabited by an untamed member of his same species. - Cobs And Robbers (1953)
Barney is plagued by crows. Joe Scarecrow comes along and, using gets the crows to follow it out in a conga line. - Heir Bear (1953)
Barney Bear inherits a treasure map disclosing a fabulous pirate hoard in his own backyard. - Wee-Willie Wildcat (1953)
Barney tries to show a neighbour how to discipline his bratty son, using child psychology, with disastrous results. - Half-Pint Palomino (1953)
An eccentric millionaire has put up a large prize for the capture of the world’s smallest horse. - The Impossible Possum (1954)
Barney wants possum for dinner and has gone out into the woods to get one. - Sleepy-Time Squirrel (1954)
Barney Bear’s winter sleep is disturbed by a squirrel whose tree house he unwittingly destroyed. - Bird-Brain Bird Dog (1954)
Bird season starts and of course Barney wants to go hunting.