Original theatrical poster 1977
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a 1977 American animated musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. It's the 22nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and first released on March 11, 1977. The ending sequence was based on the final chapter of The House at Pooh Corner.
Sources
The films plot is based on fifteen A.A. Milne stories In which We are introduced to Winnie the Pooh and some bees and the stories begin (Chapter I of Winnie the Pooh) In which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a tight place (Chapter II of Winnie the Pooh) In which Piglet does a very grand thing (Chapter VIII from The House at Pooh Corner) In which Eeyore finds the Wolery and Owl moves into it Chapter IX from The House at Pooh Corner In which Tigger comes to the forest and has breakfast Chapter II from (The House at Pooh Corner) In which Piglet meets a Heffalump (Chapter V from Winnie the Pooh): Pooh's bad dream of Heffalumps and Woozles, In which Piglet is entirely surrounded by water" Chapter IX of Winnie the Pooh In which Christopher Robin gives a Pooh Party and we say goodbye (Chapter X of Winnie the Pooh) In which Tigger is unbounced" (Chapter VII from The House at Pooh Corner) In which it is shown that Tiggers don't climb trees Chapter IV of The House at Pooh Corner In which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a Woozle (Chapter III of Winnie the Pooh) In which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in (Chapter VI from The House at Pooh Corner) In which Eeyore has a birthday and gets two presents (Chapter VI of Winnie the Pooh), and In which Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an Enchanted Place and we leave them there (Chapter X from The House at Pooh Corner).
Plot
The film’s content is derived from three previously released animated featurettes Disney produced based upon the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A.A. Milne: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974). Extra material used to link the three featurettes together was added to allow the stories to merge into each other.
A fourth shorter featurette is added to bring the film to a close. The sequence was based on the final chapter of The House at Pooh Corner, where Christopher Robin has to leave the Hundred Acre Wood behind as he's starting school. In it, Christopher Robin and Pooh discuss what they liked doing together and Christopher Robin asks his bear to promise to remember him and to keep some of the memories of their time together alive. Pooh agrees to do so, and the film closes with the narrator saying that wherever Christopher Robin goes, Pooh will always be waiting for him whenever he returns.
Voice cast
- Winnie the Pooh, voiced by Sterling Holloway
- Christopher Robin, voiced by Bruce Reitherman, later Jon Walmsley and finally Timothy Turner with Sean Marshall
- Piglet, voiced by John Fiedler
- Tigger, voiced by Paul Winchell
- Eeyore, voiced by Ralph Wright
- Kanga, voiced by Barbara Luddy
- Roo, voiced by Clint Howard and Dori Whitaker
- Rabbit, voiced by Junius Matthews
- Owl, voiced by Hal Smith
- Gopher, voiced by Howard Morris
- Black Honeypot, voiced by Thurl Ravenscroft
- Narrator, voiced by Sebastian Cabot
Differences from the Book
The Winnie-the-Pooh book that appear in the beginning and the end of the film.
The following is a list of differences from the A.A. Milne classic children's books and the film created by The Walt Disney Company.
- Most of the stories are out of order. For instance, the introduction of Tigger doesn't happen before the flood.
- Gopher is present in some of the original stories. This is alluded to by his frequent line in context meaning his mining company's phone number is listed of "I’m not in the book, you know."
- In the original stories, Heffalumps and Woozles aren't associated with each other.
- In the original stories, Pooh only wears his trademark shirt in the winter time.
- Rabbit’s friends and relations aren't in the film at all, although they are seen at the beginning of the film near Christopher Robin’s house. This is a reference to the original books, as they are seen on the map at the beginning of the book.
- The part where Roo and Tigger jump out of a tree in winter in the film and not in winter in the original stories.
- In the original stories, Piglet’s sweater is green, while it is magenta in the film.
- Some stories are omitted, including The Search for Small, and Making a Trap for Heffalumps.
Reception
Film critic, Leonard Maltin, calls the movie a gem. However, Friz Freleng says the funniest Walt Disney adaptations are based on the books The film has a 91% fresh rating in Rotten Tomatoes.
Home video
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was first released on VHS, Betamax, CED video record, and laser disc in the early 1980s. It was re-released on VHS on March 27, 1996 as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection series and included video footage of the making which was shown before the film starts.
The film was released on VHS and DVD for the first time on May 7, 2002 as a 25th anniversary edition, with digitally restored picture and sound. The individual shorts had also been released on their own on VHS in the 2000s. The first DVD release is packed with bonus features, includes a 1983 animated short Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, the music video performed by Carly Simon, and "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Story Behind the Masterpiece", which documents the history of the books and their initial film adaptations.
The "Friendship Edition" VHS and DVD was re-released on June 19, 2007. The DVD re-release included the only bonus feature which was an episode of Playhouse Disney’s computer-animated series My Friends Tigger and Pooh. The DVD re-release coincides with the 30th anniversary of the release of the film.
The film was released on Blu Ray VHS Again in 2012. it includes Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, a Pete's Dragon DVD Trailer, 10 The Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Episodes, and the music video for the 2011 version of the Winnie the Pooh Theme Song.
The Blu-ray version was released as a 35th anniversary special edition for the first time on August 27, 2013. It includes a 1983 animated short Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, 5 Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh segments, and the music video performed by Carly Simon and it does not include a digital copy.
Jim Cummings, Frankie J. Galasso, Steve Schatzberg, Ken Sansom, Gregg Berger, Tress MacNeille, Andre Stojka, Nikita Hopkins and Michael Gough dub their voices.
Songs
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh Soundtrack
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh is a Soundtrack
- "Winnie the Pooh"
- "Up, Down and Touch the Ground"
- "Rumbly in My Tumbly"
- "Little Black Rain Cloud"
- "Mind Over Matter"
- "A Rather Blustery Day"
- "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers"
- "Heffalumps and Woozles"
- "The Rain, Rain, Rain, Came Down, Down, Down"
- "Hip-Hip Poohray!"
Sequel
Walt Disney Pictures released a sequel, Winnie the Pooh, on April 15, 2011 in the United Kingdom, and on July 15, 2011 in the United States. The film received positive reviews while its short length was criticized.