Ragtime Bear

The Ragtime Bear (1949)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Nice Columbia short has the near-sighted Mr. Magoo going to a winter lodge with his nephew Waldo who is constantly playing the banjo. When Waldo falls off a cliff a bear picks up the banjo and begins playing it and this drives Mr. Magoo crazy but he can't see what's really going on. THE RAGTIME BEAR certainly isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it's a decent enough of a short and it's certainly worth watching if you've got eight-minutes to kill. I think some of the best moments deal with the bear and especially one scene where he literally gives a guy a big bear hug. Another funny sequence happens at the end when Magoo is protecting the banjo with a gun and the bear must try and figure out a way to get it from it. Fans of the Mr. Magoo shorts will probably enjoy it even more and there's no question that the animation is extremely good.

As I understand it, this cartoon is called Ragtime Bear because Columbia wanted UPA to continue on with the animal-centered shorts that had been a staple for some time for the studio. UPA didn't really want to do that, as they had their own ideas (including one Quincy Magoo) but needed to get Columbia to sign a contract, so they did a cartoon ostensibly about a bear, but really starring the human Magoo. The first cartoons done by UPA proved more popular with audiences than Columbia's prior releases and Columbia basically gave them their head to do what they wanted. Money will do that, particularly with a movie studio, so a cartoon legend was born. One thing saddens me, though. The bear never appeared again, which is a shame, because he had acting ability and played a mean banjo! Excellent cartoon, well worth watching and having. Most highly recommended!

Mr. Magoo, the myopic little man, finds his voice in this first effort. He is on a trip to a ski lodge, but because of his inability to see, he runs into all kinds of obstacles, including a bear, who begins to take advantage of being mistaken for Magoo's sidekick. It is rambling and has a few fun moments, but it is also rather disjointed.

This early Columbia-UPA was the foundation for a restructuring of animation art which has yet to truly stop. Free-form linear artwork that strove for feel as opposed to reality were the hallmark of UPA, and can be traced to this epic, which gave the world MR. MAGOO...praise enough.

Just watched this notable UPA Jolly Frolics cartoon on Cartoon Brew as linked from Daily Motion. It's notable because it introduced the character that was most identified with United Productions of America than any other: Mr. Magoo. In this initial entry, he and his nephew Waldo are going to a ski lodge where the near sighted uncle gets grouchy every time his fur suited nephew plays the banjo. The short's title comes when Waldo falls from a cliff and a bear sitting on a tree gets the banjo which he then plays. Guess who Magoo mistakes him for? Since this was his first appearance, the design of Magoo is a bit rougher than his later cuter form and Jim Backus' voice is also not so charismatic. Still, there are charms aplenty especially when that bear starts playing or when he tries to get guitar out of Magoo's hands while he's sleeping. And Quincy Magoo's nearsightedness doesn't get as annoying as in the later '70s series from DePatie-Freleng. So kudos to creators John Hubley, director, and Millard Kaufman, writer, in whose memory Ragtime Bear was dedicated to from Amid at Cartoon Brew a few days ago.