''Rugged Bear'' is a 1953 American animated

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

and released by

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. The cartoon follows

Humphrey the Bear Humphrey the Bear is a cartoon character created in 1950 at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He first appeared in the 1950 Goofy cartoon '' Hold That Pose'', in which Goofy tried to take his picture. After that he appeared in four classic Donald ...

(in his 2nd appearance) as he takes refuge in Donald Duck's cabin during

hunting season A hunting season is the designated time in which certain game animals can be killed in certain designated areas. In the United States, each state determines and sets its own specific dates to hunt the certain game animal, such as California, in ...

by disguising himself as a bearskin rug. The film was directed by

Jack Hannah John Frederick Hannah (January 5, 1913 – June 11, 1994) was an American animator, writer and director of animated shorts. Biography Hannah was born on January 5, 1913, in Nogales, Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles in ...

and features the voices of

Clarence Nash Clarence Charles "Ducky" Nash (December 7, 1904 – February 20, 1985) was an American voice actor. He was best known as the original voice of the Disney cartoon character Donald Duck. He was born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma, and ...

as Donald, Jimmy MacDonald as Humphrey, and an uncredited narrator. ''Rugged Bear'' was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year ...

at the

26th Academy Awards The 26th Academy Awards were held on March 25, 1954, simultaneously at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood (hosted by Fredric March), and the NBC Century Theatre in New York City (hosted by Donald O'Connor). The second national telecast of ...

in 1954, but lost to another Disney film, ''

Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom ''Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom'' is a 1953 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Ward Kimball and Charles A. Nichols. A sequel to the first ''Adventures in Music'' cartoon, the 3-D short '' Melody'' ( ...

''. This was the eighth of nine nominations received by the ''Donald Duck'' film series.

Plot

oversleeps through the opening of

one year. While the other bears flee to the safety of their cave, Humphrey is left outside and is forced to hide in a nearby cabin instead. Once inside the cabin, Humphrey is horrified to learn that it is a hunting lodge, made evident by the many guns and hunting trophies hanging on the walls. As he starts to leave, he sees

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor shirt and cap with a bow tie. Donald is known fo ...

coming toward the cabin carrying a rifle. Humphrey desperately looks for a hiding place inside the cabin, and finally notices a large bear skin rug in front of the fireplace. He quickly rolls up the rug, stows it in an empty trunk, and lays out flat on the floor in the rug's place. Just then, Donald enters unaware that his rug has been replaced, or that it is alive. Humphrey nervously endures several uncomfortable and painful experiences, all the while being very careful not to let Donald know that he is a real bear. These include hiccups, a burning ember from the fireplace falling on his fur, going through Donald's washer-dryer, and being mowed with a reel mower, among other things. Off screen Humphrey spends the rest of hunting season in Donald's cabin carrying on his rug masquerade. When hunting season is over, Donald finally leaves and Humphrey breaths a sigh of relief. But just then, he hears a sound from the trunk in the corner and learns, much to his surprise, that the bearskin rug which he had rolled up and stowed earlier is actually another bear who had also masqueraded as a rug. The film ends with the other bear leaving and thanking Humphrey for taking his place.

Voice cast

* Humphrey the Bear: James MacDonald * Donald Duck:

Releases

*1953 – Theatrical release *1959 – ''

Walt Disney Presents The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'', episode #5.18: "Duck Flies Coop" (TV) *1961 – ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'', episode #8.5: "The Hunting Instinct" (TV) *1968 – ''

'', episode #14.22: "The Ranger of Brownstone" (TV) *c. 1983 – ''

Good Morning, Mickey! ''Good Morning, Mickey!'' is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It was first aired on April 18, 1983 when Disney Channel was launched. It was one of the Disney Channel's first original programs, a ...

'', episode #17 (TV) *c. 1992 – ''

Mickey's Mouse Tracks ''Mickey's Mouse Tracks'' is an American animated television series on The Disney Channel which ran from 1992 to 1995, and featured Disney cartoons and animated short films, dating from before the advent of The Disney Channel. A similar show was ...

'', episode #15 (TV) *1997 – '' The Ink and Paint Club'', episode #1.30: "'50s Donald" (TV)

Home media

The short was released on November 11, 2008 on '' Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald, Volume Four: 1951-1961''. Additional releases include: *1984 – '' Cartoon Classics: Donald Duck's First 50 Years'' (VHS)

Plot

Voice cast

Releases

Home media

References

See also