The Bears and I

The live-action movies from Walt Disney Pictures in the 70s (and for different reasons those of the 80s) are some of my favourites of the studio, when it's searching for a way, after Disney's death, to continue with their style and at the same time adapt to the modern cinema that is exploding everywhere. This film is a good example of a story that feels like one of their classic "True-Life Adventures", but mixed with more contemporary problems of colonialism and human-wildlife conflicts. Unfortunately, the best way (quality wise) to watch the movie today is on Disney +, but the version there is quite censored.

"The Bears and I" is a Disney film starring Patrick Wayne, John Wayne's handsome son who appeared in a variety of films over the years, such as "SInbad and the Eye of the Tiger" and quite a few of his father's later films.

Like some other viewers, I must admit some trepidation when I watched this film on Disney+. After all, the 1970s saw a LOT of terrible live-action Disney films. Fortunately, it turned out really well and was a nice surprise.

The story begins with Bob (Wayne) arriving out in the wilderness where some natives live. It seems Bob was friends with the Chief's son..and they bonded while on tour in Vietnam during the war. Sadly, the Chief's son died...and Bob was bringing some of the guys' momentos to the father. So far, so good...Bob and the local tribe hit it off just fine. However, through the course of the story, again and again, misundersandings break out between Bob and the natives. First, when one of the annoyingly hot-headed Indians kills a female bear, Bob decides to adopt the trio of young bears instead of letting them die...yet the tribe think this is wrong. Second, when goverment agents arrive because they want to put a national park on this land, the tribe assumes Bob is in league with them when he actually isn't. What's to become of both these prblems and poor old Bob?

I liked the film for many reasons. It reminds me a lot of Marty Stouffer's nature video about him raising an orphaned grizzly cub. I also liked how the white folks and natives BOTH were not 100% good nor bad...and you could understand where all the distrust arises. Overall, a very enjoyable a dn compelling movie. My only complaint, and it's a minor one, but why did they cast Michael Ansara as one of the triebsmen...as he actually originally hailed from the MIddle East?! Fortunately, the rest of them were natives...so it's not all bad.

Patrick Wayne heads out to an Indian settlement to speak to Chief Dan George; Wayne had been a buddy of the Chief's son, killed in Vietnam. Wayne wants time to think about his life, so he holes up in a cabin. There he succors three orphaned bear cubs and gets in the middle of a squabble between the US Parks Department and the Indians. The Parks Department wants the land for a national park, and the Indians look on it as their home.

It's a good movie in terms of story and camerawork. The area around Chiko Lake in British Columbia, standing in for US wilderness, is beautiful, and the performers -- including the three bears -- are good-looking and move well. Where the film falls down is in the dialogue direction. Wayne drones, and the voice-over he performs, written by Jack Speirs, is annoyingly cute. The story movies which voice-over narration improves are very rare. Usually they are a kludge to fix a problem that should not exist. In this one, with its year-long story, the narration helps tighten the movie. Even so, there's too much of it and poorly performed.

"A man seeking peace and quiet finds himself father to three bears."

Well, with that synopsis, I was instantly sold. This was a simple, easy to watch Disney live action film from the 1970s. I didn't even know John Wayne had a son, but Patrick Wayne is the lead here - oddly reminding me more of Charlton Heston than the Duke.

The acting is incredibly wooden, and often awkward. Thankfully (and somewhat amusingly), Wayne has better chemistry with the bears and wilderness than he does his human co-stars.

"The Bears and I" isn't the type of film you watch for technical aspects. You won't find any Oscar awards here. Instead, you'll experience some of the most breathtaking scenery put to film. The British Columbia landscapes and wilderness are the real stars of the film here - besides the bears of course!

Scratch, Patch and Rusty were fantastic. You can't help but watch with a smile at times - even though it's often super cheesy. The Native American angle also added an interesting element to the story. Reminded me a tiny bit of a Disney-esque "Jeremiah Johnson". The John Denver song suited it perfectly.

9 years old when it came out. Haven't forgotten about it. Obviously it made an impression. Thinking the bears were named Patch scratch and itch. Been 45 years. I may have a name wrong.. Cant find their names on line...