The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
While the rest of the world is getting ready for Christmas, all the bears in Bearbank are getting ready to sleep… except for Ted E. Bear. Ted gets curious about the holiday, and sets out to learn the meaning of it from Santa Claus himself.
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- Cast:
- Tom Smothers , Arte Johnson , Barbara Feldon , Casey Kasem , Bob Holt , Michael Bell , Kelly Lange
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Reviews
Too much of everything
Purely Joyful Movie!
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas (1973) *** (out of 4)This animated short starts off in a bear community where the honey factory is about to close down so that everyone can hibernate. This doesn't sit well with one bear because he wants to know what happens on Christmas morning so he sets out to find it. After a somewhat slow start I was worried this one here was going to be a dub but it actually turned out to be quite good and I'd say the ending was highly memorable as well. I'm not going to spoil the twist at the end but I thought it was quite touching and it certainly managed to end the film on a high note. I also really enjoyed the section of the film taking a look at a bear's life inside the factory. I thought the honey plant featured some pretty good animation with a lot of imagination. I found the bear characters to be mostly memorable and especially the lead one who wants to go against his kind, refuse sleep and try to find out about Santa. I'm sure kids will enjoy the cute looking bear and the adventure he goes on.
This cartoon, directed by Pink Panther regular Hawley Pratt, features a bear who manages to stay awake for Santa, despite what the title may lead you to believe.Theodore E. Bear (get it?) works in a honey factory (wait...doesn't it come from bee farms?) and decides he doesn't want to hibernate for winter. He is laughed at and mocked but is determined to find out what Xmas really is.The animation is similar to the minimalistic schemes found in Pink Panther but there is plenty of dialogue and a decent amount of characterization. Not quite a classic, but pleasant festive viewing.
I grew up watching this movie from 3 years old until I was about 12. At the time I thought it was a great cartoon, but 10 years later, after losing my original tape and paying $20 for a new copy at a pawn shop, I love this movie even more. Now I understand the story and it is the most touching Christmas special and it completes my Christmas holiday. If anyone is lucky enough to see this, please do, it will be worth it.
It seems that Christmas specials about bears trying to stay awake until Christmas are a dime a dozen. I can't count how many different specials I've seen using this scenario. However, this is one of the good stories. We, the viewers, follow Ted E. Bear on his journey to find Christmas through various hardships and trials. What he finds in the end is not what one might first expect given the way the show starts but is just as good if not better.I think the simple art work is great. It is simple and yet satisfying. Thumbs up to Tom Smothers, Barbara Feldon, Arte Johnson and the other actors who provided the voices.