Bongo the Wonder Bear is a 30 minute long Disney Classic. Jiminy Cricket narrates the story of Bongo, whose amazing circus act made him a superstar. He rides a unicycle over a tightrope, at the same time juggling an insane amount of dishes and cups. But Bongo is also lonely and wants to be free as the other bears, frolicking in the wild. When he makes is escape, he meets sweet Lulubelle, with whom he falls in love with. A bully bear wants Lulubelle for himself, forcing Bongo to pull out some showbiz surprises to defeat him.
Besides Bongo there are four other characters who make an
appearance in the movie. Two of which later one became famous on their
own.
Characters
Bongo the Wonder Bear
Bongo is the star. He works in a circus, performing daredevil stunts on his uniquely. Late at night, when he’s asleep, he hears the ‘voice of the wild’; calling his name. Bongo wants to leave the circus and be free. On night he breaks out of his cage and disappears into the forest. But life in the outdoors is not as easy as he had expected. When he meets the other bears, it takes some time to get adjusted to their strange habits. Bongo might be a small bear, but a brave bear as well. When he meets Lulubelle, he even fights the huge Lumpjaw for her.
Lulubelle
Lulubelle is the prettiest bear of the
forest. Lumpjaw would love to have her as his girlfriend, but she’s more
interested in Bongo. She’s a lady who knows what she wants. Lumpjaw is
too strong to resist him, but the true love of Bongo comes to her
rescue.
Lumpjaw
Big, ugly and without much of a brain, Lumpjaw
is only interested in four things: sleeping, beating up other bears,
eating and the lovely Lulubelle. He doesn’t want to hear no for an
answer. Therefor he’s surprised when that little bear, Bongo, stands up
to him.
Chip and Dale
Chip and Dale make a short appearance in this movie, mocking our hero Bongo when his first attempts to climb a tree fail.
History
Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In the 1920s and 1930s Sinclair Lewis wrote many short stories for various magazines and publications. One of those short stories in Cosmopolitan in 1936 was ‘Little Bear Bongo’, a story about a bear cub who wanted to escape the circus in search of a better life in the real world. The story was bought by Walt Disney Pictures in 1940 to make a film of it. The Second World War led to postponement until 1947, when the story became part of the film ‘Fun and Fancy Free’.
Too Good to Be True
A Disney love story between Bongo en Lulubelle.
Composed by Buddy Kaye & Eliot Daniel
Performed by Dinah Shore
Lyrics
This is too good to be true
I can’t believe it’s real
Can it be you
I really see
I never knew I’d find an angel
And out of the blue
You came to me
You’re all the heavenly things
That I’ve been dreaming of
Don’t spread your wings
And fly away
But if you’re only passing through
Then take me to heaven with you
Or is this a dream
Too good to be true
This is too good to be true
I can’t believe it’s real
Can it be you
I really see
I never knew I’d find an angel
Out of the blue
You came to me
You’re all the heavenly things
That I’ve been dreaming of
Don’t spread your wings
Don’t fly away
But if you’re only passing through
Then take me to heaven with you
Or is this a dream
Too good to be true