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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
An example of Disney's neglect of a treasure trove., 3 January 2001
9/10
Author: Robert Reynolds (minniemato@hotmail.com) from Tucson AZ

This marvelous film, while occasionally being run in the wee hours on the Disney Channel, has been otherwise shoved to the back of the vault and for being woefully neglected, has suffered a much better fate than much of Disney's output in the 1940's and 1950's. Disney regularly put out one and two-reel shorts and documentaries back then and the majority probably haven't been seen in decades. Ben and Me is a case in point-not in print and rarely shown, while we get the umpteenth replay of Cosmic Capers-a good short, but with so much material available, why not air some less-seen stuff? This film, for example, a funny take on Ben Franklin and why he accomplished so much. One wonders what Edison must have consulted with. Most recommended.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Entertaining, enjoyable and somewhat fictional history lesson about Benjamin Franklin, 3 July 2005
10/10
Author: robinj22 from Japan

This is by far one of the cutest animated "history" lessons anyone can watch or show to children. Of course it is fictional with a mouse as the hero and main character but does present the founding of our nation and the writing of the constitution in a very entertaining matter. Amos is really portrayed as the hero in place of Benjamin Franklin, with Franklin portrayed as somewhat of a bumbling, "absent-minded" professor type. We are also shown some of Benjamin Franklin's inventions as well as some of his famous sayings scattered throughout the short movie. We do have a video version of this and I believe it is still available. I highly recommend this very entertaining and educational 25 minute feature by Disney at his best.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Franklin was a phony, we owe it all to a mouse, 30 July 2000
9/10
Author: dcorr123 from Dallas, Texas

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Amos is as poor as a church mouse, if fact he is a church mouse. He leaves home to seek his fortune is 18th century Philadelphia, finding employment with a news publisher, Benjamin Franklin. Amos rides about in the brim of Ben's tri-cornered hat; and you thought those hats were only for style. Amos, it turns out is the real source of many of Franklin's inventions. Possibly a spoiler if you ever get a chance to see this film: Eventually Franklin sends Amos on a kite ride, ostensibly to gain a new perspective on news gathering. When Amos learns the "shocking" truth he's led to drastic measures. Franklin is reading Amos' declaration as Thomas Jefferson is fretting over how to word his own Declaration...The rest is history. I wish Disney studios would someday release this little gem to tape.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Story of Ben Franklin through eyes of a mouse., 26 December 2001
Author: cmyklefty from Philadelphia

I remember see this cute movie long time ago at the Underground Museum in Franklin Court in Philadelphia. It took a light heart look at Ben Franklin's life told by Amos the Mouse. The film is enjoyable to watch with the whole family. I wish they will release this on video and DVD.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A favorite literary short from my childhood, 31 May 2008
10/10
Author: Julia Arsenault (ja_kitty_71) from Canada

I have always loved films (animated and live action) and also theatrical shorts that are based on books, and this was one of my favorite literary short from my childhood, because I've watched it a bunch of times as a kid, and I've even readed the book too.

This short has an excellent cast featuring Sterling Holloway as Amos Mouse/Narrator, Charles Ruggles as Benjamin Franklin, and Hans Conried as Thomas Jefferson (I love the talents of Hans); and I also love why they combined paintings and the animated characters in the backgrounds (Excellant work!). I recommanded this short those who literary shorts and films like me.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
History As Told By A Mouse, 22 August 2003
10/10
Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA



A Walt Disney Cartoon.

Amos the Philadelphia church mouse greatly influences Ben Franklin and the founding of the American Republic.

Robert Lawson's classic 1939 story BEN AND ME comes to life in this delightful short film. Celebrated children's author Bill Peet penned the script and left in the original's sense of whimsy and good fun, featuring a slightly bumbling Ben and a remarkably astute Amos - whose ideas become some of Franklin's most famous inventions. The voice cast is perfect, with Sterling Holloway as Amos, Charles Ruggles as Ben & Hans Conried as Tom Jefferson.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings. As a lad in Marceline, Missouri, he sketched farm animals on scraps of paper; later, as an ambulance driver in France during the First World War, he drew comic figures on the sides of his vehicle. Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters. Always the innovator, his ALICE IN CARTOONLAND series broke ground in placing a live figure in a cartoon universe. Business reversals sent Disney & Iwerks to Hollywood in 1923, where Walt's older brother Roy became his lifelong business manager & counselor. When a mildly successful series with Oswald The Lucky Rabbit was snatched away by the distributor, the character of Mickey Mouse sprung into Walt's imagination, ensuring Disney's immortality. The happy arrival of sound technology made Mickey's screen debut, STEAMBOAT WILLIE (1928), a tremendous audience success with its use of synchronized music. The SILLY SYMPHONIES soon appeared, and Walt's growing crew of marvelously talented animators were quickly conquering new territory with full color, illusions of depth and radical advancements in personality development, an arena in which Walt's genius was unbeatable. Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto. All this was in preparation for Walt's grandest dream - feature length animated films. Against a storm of naysayers, Walt persevered and over the next decades delighted children of all ages with the adventures of Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi & Peter Pan. Walt never forgot that his fortunes were all started by a mouse, or that childlike simplicity of message and lots of hard work always pay off.

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