Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears (1944)

The stories of "Goldilocks" and "Little Red Riding Hood" collide with the world of jazz, resulting in three jiving bears and a jitterbugging Big Bad Wolf.

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Tedd Pierce (story)

Stars:

Bea Benaderet, Mel Blanc, Ruby Dandridge

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Bea Benaderet	...	Little Red Riding Hood (voice) (uncredited)
Mel Blanc	...	Big Bad Wolf / Little Bear / Western Union Boy (voice) (uncredited)
Ruby Dandridge	...	Grandmother (voice) (uncredited)
Vivian Dandridge	...	Goldilocks (voice) (uncredited)
Ernest Whitman	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

An all-black cast, featuring the Three Bears as a jazz combo, combines the stories of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "Little Red Riding Hood."

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Plot Keywords:

bear | three bears | little red riding hood | goldilocks | big bad wolf | 

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Genres:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy | Music

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 1944 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amos 'n' Andy and Little Black Sambo are caricatured.

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Quotes

Western Union Boy: [reading a telegram] Telegram from Red, quote: sorry Grandmadder can't be there til later, I'm working down at lockheed as a riveter signed Red Riding Hood, end quote.
Big Bad Wolf: Well kill me dead!
[telegramer shoots him]
Big Bad Wolf: [leaps onto a chandelier] What's the matter with you puddin' head?
Western Union Boy: Sorry sir but that's what you said,
[in a fast Rochester voice]
Western Union Boy: that's what he said, that's what the man said, he said that!

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Crazy Credits

With this cartoon, the Merrie Melodies Series Title Card credit that reads Produced by Leon Schlesinger transitioned to A Warner Bros. Cartoon.

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Connections

Featured in The Nostalgia Chick: Shorts: Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Home Sweet Home"
(uncredited)
Music by H.R. Bishop

User Reviews

jazz fairy tales

Friz Freleng's "Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears" is one of several cartoons that usually don't get any circulation these days due to racial stereotypes (I saw it at an exhibit about Mel Blanc). In this case, the stories of Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood get combined to create a jazz-filled extravaganza. A really good time.

It's easy to enjoy these cartoons, just as long as we understand the content. Cartoons like this one and "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" were intended as homages to African-American culture. And anyway, it's not as if racism has totally vanished from our culture (just look at some of the depictions of Barack Obama).

Overall, a really fun cartoon.