''The Rookie Bear'' is a 1941 MGM cartoon featuring

Barney Bear ''Barney Bear'' is an American series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. The title character is an anthropomorphic cartoon character, a sluggish, sleepy bear who often is in pursuit of nothing b ...

. It is the fourth cartoon in the

series.

Plot

Barney Bear is selected by a drawn Draft Number to enlist in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. His

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

is interrupted when a telegram is delivered to him. He misinterprets the words on the telegram, and assumes that it is an actual vacation. Barney enters the base with vacation supplies, but discovers his true purpose when bumping into the heavy artillery. He is refused departure. He enlists through answering "simple" questions, having his photo taken, his physicality examined, his

flat feet Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. Sometimes children are born ...

inflated, his teeth fixed and in the end, when he has passed all his exams, has his butt stamped. He finally gets his uniform, gun and gas mask "which is thoroughly tested". After putting on a pair of heavy shoes, Barney goes marching for , but is tired (as well as his shoes, literally) after just . His shoes get hotter and hotter until they sprout out

popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated; the same names also refer to the foodstuff produced by the expansion. A popcorn kernel's strong hull contains the se ...

. The whole thing turns out to be a dream when a spit from Barney's fireplace wakes him up by burning his rear. Before Barney can go back to sleep, he receives a telegram telling him to enlist in the army, along with a P.S., saying "And this time, buddy, it ain't no dream!", much to Barney's dismay.

Reception

''The Rookie Bear'' was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

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 ...

, but lost to

Disney 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 ...

's ''

Lend a Paw ''Lend a Paw'' is an animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures and released to theaters on October 3, 1941. ''Lend a Paw'' was directed by Clyde Geronimi and features original music ...

''.

References

External links

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films 1941 films 1941 animated films 1941 short films 1940s American animated films 1940s animated short films Films scored by Scott Bradley Films directed by Rudolf Ising Films produced by Fred Quimby Films about American military personnel Films about dreams Barney Bear films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films {{short-animation-film-stub

Plot

Reception

See also

References

External links