Winnie Pooh (1969)
"Vinni-Pukh" (original title)

Director:

Fyodor Khitruk

Writers:

A.A. Milne (books), Boris Zakhoder (screenplay),

Stars:

Evgeniy Leonov, Iya Savvina, Vladimir Osenev

Cast

Cast overview:
Evgeniy Leonov	...	Vinni-Pukh (voice) (as E. Leonov)
Iya Savvina	...	Pyatachok (voice) (as I. Savvina)
Vladimir Osenev	...	Narrator (voice) (as V. Osenev)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

based on book

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Family

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Also Known As:

Winnie Pooh

Company Credits

Production Co:

Soyuzmultfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

11 min 11 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Winnie the Pooh Goes Visiting (1971)

User Reviews

"This buzz is not without a reason"

Animators in the Soviet Union never really cared about copyright. Their work was typically destined to be released only in their own country, and so there seemed little reason to bother with gaining permission from the likes of Dr. Seuss {as in Alexei Karaev's 'Welcome (1966)'} or A.A. Milne. Fyodor Khitruk's series of animated Winnie the Pooh adaptations was not the first, Wolfgang Reitherman at Disney having already directed two shorts several years earlier, but they are nonetheless well-remembered by Russians who grew up watching the cartoons on television. With a cheeky, down-to-earth charm that appeals to both children and adults, the series – beginning with 'Vinnie-Pukh (1969)' – has since developed something of a cult following, and are considered by many to decisively surpass their Disney counterparts, however uneasily they may fit into the official canon. The animation itself is somewhat coarse and minimalistic, but this all adds to the charm of it all, with the story and characters coming to life as though they have just stepped out of a picture-book.

The first film runs just 11 minutes in length, and follows the efforts of Winnie and Piglet to steal precious honey from a hive of fiercely territorial bees. Demonstrating a keen sense of creativity, Winnie decides to borrow a blue balloon from Piglet's home, the idea being that, after the balloon carries him to the top of the oak tree, the bees will mistake the balloon for a piece of sky, and Winnie for a darkened rain cloud. It was a good idea… in theory. One doesn't usually associate Winnie the Pooh with intelligence, but the Russian version does exhibit a sharp sense of wit, and Evgeni Leonov brings a wonderful amount of humour and character to his voice-acting. Piglet (or Pyatachok, voiced by actress Iya Savvina) is placed cute and innocent, enthusiastically submitting to Winnie's every command, and occasionally lamenting at the loss of his beloved blue balloon. For fans of Soviet animation, or animation in general, 'Vinnie-Pukh' is a charming and witty moving storybook.