Belle's Magical World
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''Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World'' is a 1998
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...
animated musical film produced by
Walt Disney Television Animation Disney Television Animation (DTVA), formerly known as Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group and Walt Disney Television Animation, is the television animation production arm of Disney Branded Television, a sub-division of the Disney Ge ...
. It was released on February 17, 1998, and is a sequel to the 1991 Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'' and the third and final installment in the ''Beauty and the Beast'' trilogy, featuring the voices of
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
as Cogsworth,
Robby Benson Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956) is an American actor and director. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films '' One on One'' (1977) and '' Ice Castles'' (1978). He subsequently ...
as The Beast, Gregory Grudt, who replaced Bradley Pierce as Chip Potts,
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara (born Donna Paige Helmintoller; May 10, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and painter. O'Hara began her career as a Broadway actress in 1983 when she portrayed Ellie May Chipley in the musical ''Showboat''. In 1991, she made her m ...
as Belle, Anne Rogers, who replaced
Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...
as
Mrs. Potts Various characters have been featured in Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast'' franchise. This list includes those from the 1991 animated film, its direct-to-video follow-up, a short story collection, the stage musical adaptation, and the 20 ...
, and
Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
as Lumiere. The film features two songs performed by Belle, "Listen With Our Hearts" and "A Little Thought." This storyline is set within the timeline of the original ''Beauty and the Beast'' (after Christmas but before the fight against Gaston). When first released in 1998, the film consisted of three connected segments, which are "The Perfect Word", "Fifi's Folly" and "The Broken Wing". For the special edition released in 2003, another segment was included, "Mrs. Potts' Party" (from '' Belle's Tales of Friendship'') making the film 22 minutes longer.


Production

The film consists of three episodes of an unreleased television show, loosely woven together in a feature-length story and also based on the original Disney animated feature. It was produced by
Walt Disney Television Animation Disney Television Animation (DTVA), formerly known as Walt Disney Pictures Television Animation Group and Walt Disney Television Animation, is the television animation production arm of Disney Branded Television, a sub-division of the Disney Ge ...
and animated by Toon City Animation, Inc. in Manila, Philippines and Thai Wang Film Productions in Bangkok, Thailand. Finished and copyrighted in 1997, at the time when '' Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas'' was also completed, the film was released January 13, 1998.


Plot


The Perfect Word (February 1, 1997)

Beast (
Robby Benson Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956) is an American actor and director. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films '' One on One'' (1977) and '' Ice Castles'' (1978). He subsequently ...
) and Belle (
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara (born Donna Paige Helmintoller; May 10, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and painter. O'Hara began her career as a Broadway actress in 1983 when she portrayed Ellie May Chipley in the musical ''Showboat''. In 1991, she made her m ...
) plan to eat together, and Beast asks for advice from Lumiere (
Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
). While Cogsworth (
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
) escorts Belle to the dining room, they come across the castle's well-meaning but rather verbose scribe, Webster ( Jim Cummings), turned into a dictionary, whom Belle invites to join them in the dining room (to Cogsworth's dismay). During the meal, while Belle explains a story she has been reading to Beast, Beast gets sweaty. He demands for the windows to be opened, despite there being a draft of air in the room and the servants getting cold. Beast and Belle get into an argument, and Beast strikes Webster off the table when the dictionary begins giving unwanted synonyms to Belle's insults. Subsequently, they both stop speaking to each other, despite Lumiere and Cogsworth's attempts to patch things up. Eventually, Webster, feeling guilty for his part, forges a letter of apology from Beast to Belle with his friends, a pile of papers named Crane ( Jeff Bennett) and a quill named LePlume ( Rob Paulsen). Belle sees the letter, and makes amends with Beast. That night, however, the truth comes out, and after a furious chase around the castle, Beast catches and banishes Webster with brokenhearted dinner, Crane and LePlume for the forgery, throwing them into the forest. Belle ventures out and brings them back, and Beast, touched by Belle's sympathy, forgives the three and allows them back in, realizing that their intentions were good. The moral of the story being that it is easy to forgive with the sad song ''Listen With Our Hearts''.


Fifi's Folly (February 14, 1992)

On Lumiere and Fifi's
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
, Fifi (
Kimmy Robertson Kimmy Robertson is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' and for the film '' The Last American Virgin''. Career Robertson's high-pitched voice has led to roles in animated series such as '' Bat ...
) grows so nervous to the point that he cleans himself excessively and turns to Belle for advice, by walking with her in the garden and reciting what he plans to say to Fifi to her. Fifi overhears this, and believes that Lumiere and Belle are having an affair behind her back. In reality, Lumiere has planned a surprise snow ride around the castle gardens with Fifi. To get back at Lumiere, Fifi attempts to make Cogsworth like her, who is apparently not interested. In the end, things are cleared up and Lumiere and Fifi go for the ride, but the pot they are sitting in slips off the edge of the balcony and hangs over the moat. Lumiere holds onto Fifi while hanging for dear life, and tells her that he loves her. Before they can fall, Belle, Cogsworth and a few more servants arrive and get them back to safety. Everyone ends up learning to not jump to conclusions and that sometimes things are not just as the kiss of Lumiere and Fifi.


Mrs. Potts' Party (February 3, 1999)

Mrs. Potts is feeling depressed due to dreadful weather, and Belle decides to cheer her up by throwing a surprise for Mrs. Potts' birthday party for her. Belle has come to look at Mrs. Potts as a mother figure by this point. During preparations for the party, Belle and her friends have to avoid waking up the sleeping Beast. Beast spent the entire previous night fixing a leak in the roof and needs his sleep. However, Lumiere and Cogsworth's rivalry gets in the way. The two argue and compete over the tasks of composing music, choosing Mrs. Potts' favorite flowers, and choosing the flavors of the cake that will be served at the party. Two oven mits, Chaude (the red mit) and Tres (the blue mit), also take part in the argument, as they each side with one of the rivals. Eventually, Lumiere and Cogsworth's attempt to sabotage one another's decisions has consequences. The baking cake explodes and makes a complete mess in the kitchen. Lumiere and Cogsworth, after a scolding from Belle, decide to put their rivalry behind them for good and work together to make a small surprise for Mrs. Potts. The plan goes well, and Mrs. Potts is cured of her depression, and the sun finally shines again. Everyone learns the power of cooperation and compromises with Mrs. Potts' birthday, singed by the song ''A Little Thought''.


The Broken Wing (February 17, 1994)

Belle and Beast arrange to have lunch together again, but an injured bird accidentally flies into Belle's room, and she forgets her arrangement, instead paying more attention to the bird. Beast discovers this, and flies into a rage, as he has a strong dislike for birds, trying to catch the bird, but he trips over Cogsworth and hits his head hard on the floor. This strips him of his hatred for birds, but his selfishness remains, driving him to lock the bird in a cage and demand that he sing for him when he pleases, but the obviously saddened and frightened bird refuses. Meanwhile, Cogsworth feels he is losing control over his staff, and demands their respect with harsh treatment. In the meantime, Belle convinces Beast to release the bird once its wing is cured. But the bird, still too weak, begins to fall, and Beast rushes to rescue it. In the process, Cogsworth falls from the West Wing balcony and into the garden. He is unhurt, and learns that you cannot demand respect, but you can earn it by giving it. Belle and Beast make amends, and Beast learns to treat people and animals with respection, comppassion and attention.


Voice cast

*
David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
- Cogsworth, Narrator *
Robby Benson Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal; January 21, 1956) is an American actor and director. He rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, appearing in the sports films '' One on One'' (1977) and '' Ice Castles'' (1978). He subsequently ...
- Beast *Gregory Grudt -
Chip Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a type of immunoprecipitation experimental technique used to investigate the interaction between proteins and DNA in the cell. It aims to determine whether specific proteins are associated with specific genom ...
*
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara (born Donna Paige Helmintoller; May 10, 1956) is an American actress, singer, and painter. O'Hara began her career as a Broadway actress in 1983 when she portrayed Ellie May Chipley in the musical ''Showboat''. In 1991, she made her m ...
- Belle * Anne Rogers -
Mrs. Potts Various characters have been featured in Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast'' franchise. This list includes those from the 1991 animated film, its direct-to-video follow-up, a short story collection, the stage musical adaptation, and the 20 ...
*
Jerry Orbach Jerome Bernard Orbach (October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004) was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last'' bona fide'' leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a " ...
- Lumiere *
Kimmy Robertson Kimmy Robertson is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' and for the film '' The Last American Virgin''. Career Robertson's high-pitched voice has led to roles in animated series such as '' Bat ...
- Fifi the Featherduster * Frank Welker - Sultan the Footstool * Jim Cummings - Webster, Tubaloo, Chef Bouche, Punch Bowl * Jeff Bennett - Crane, Frappe * Rob Paulsen - LePlume, Tres, Egg Beater * April Winchell - Chandeleria, Chaud, Concertina *
Jo Anne Worley Jo Anne Worley (born September 6, 1937) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. Worley is widely known for her work on the comedy-variety show ...
- Armoire the Wardrobe


Home media

''Belle's Magical World'' was released on VHS in the United States and Canada on February 17, 1998; the film consisted of three connected segments called ''The Perfect World'', ''Fifi's Folly'' and ''The Broken Wing''. In the first two days of its release, sales of its VHS copies were more than expected. Ultimately, more than a million copies were sold. At the time, the film ranked among the top 10 top-selling videos of all time, bringing in profits. The film was retitled to ''Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World'' for its Special Edition, when released on VHS and DVD on February 25, 2003 in North America. This release included another segment from the cancelled TV series, called ''Mrs. Potts Party'', making the film 22 minutes longer. Although this segment was not featured in the original version of the film, its footage of Belle's song "A Little Thought" was featured on a ''
Disney Sing Along Songs ''Disney Sing-Along Songs'' is a series of videos on VHS, betamax, laserdisc, and DVD with musical moments from various Disney films, TV shows, and attractions. Lyrics for the songs are sometimes displayed on-screen with the Mickey Mouse ico ...
'' home video release in North America and Southeast Asia, ''Honor to Us All'', which featured songs from ''
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'' (1998), ''
Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...
'' (1997), '' Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World'', '' The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'', and Disney's other animated productions. The film was re-released on DVD on November 22, 2011 with a new bonus feature, '' Sing Me a Story with Belle'' episode, "What's Inside Counts". In 2019, the original version of the film was released on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
. It marked the first release of the film without the additional segment ''Mrs. Potts Party'' since the original release on VHS. Despite that, the second song "A Little Thought" has been accidentally removed from this printing. Currently, it is the only ''Beauty and the Beast'' film available in
standard-definition Standard-definition television (SDTV, SD, often shortened to standard definition) is a television system which uses a resolution that is not considered to be either high or enhanced definition. "Standard" refers to it being the prevailing sp ...
.


Critical reception

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of 17% with an average rating of 3.1/10, based on 6 reviews. DVDDizzy spoke poorly of the "Disney employee who had the idea to salvage episodes created for an animated TV series that wasn't going to materialize by stringing them together as a direct-to-video feature film", noting that it resulted in one of the very worst movies Disney put their name on.


Awards and nominations

, - , rowspan=2, 1998 , ''Belle's Magical World'' , Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production , , - , Paige O'Hara for playing "Belle" , Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production , , - , 1999 , ''Belle's Magical World'' , Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Direct to Video - Sound ,


References


External links

* * * *
Movie/DVD Review at UltimateDisney.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belle's Magical World, Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World 1998 films 1998 animated films 1998 direct-to-video films 1990s American animated films 1998 fantasy films 1990s musical films 1990s romance films American anthology films American children's films American sequel films Animated films about birds Direct-to-video sequel films Disney direct-to-video animated films DisneyToon Studios animated films Beauty and the Beast (franchise) Films scored by Harvey Cohen Films about animals Films about books Films about infidelity Films about princes Films set in castles Animated films set in France Films about magic Disney Television Animation films 1990s children's animated films 1990s English-language films