WWII was over, and while the US was still a few years away from being fun and fancy free, Disney was still helping things along by producing package films designed to bring smiles to audiences for an hour or so. Fun And Fancy Free was a step away from the last few music based movies, but continued the trend of breaking the film into different parts – here we have two stories. It’s another unremarkable effort but retains that magical Disney quality of charming each new generation.
‘Fun And Fancy Free‘ is a lot like a sitcom theme from the 1950s – light, fluffy, and cute as a rat. Lots of voices singing ‘ba ba bada ba’, lots of horn blurts, and simplistic melodies more like ad jingles than an actual song. It gets better when Jiminy starts singing – you already know how I feel about multiple voices – and this section has more clarity and character.
‘A Lazy Countryside‘ is a gentle, pastoral ditty, as laid back as the title suggests. Horns and strings are again the order of the day, not as wacky as on the opening track, and suiting the colourful images on screen. You won’t remember it once it’s gone.
‘Too Good To Be True‘ is Dinah Shore again, another lulling ballad. This time it’s a generic love song but soft in the form of a lullaby. I’d prefer the vocals to be toned down a little, and for the backing vocals to be scrapped altogether. The melodies let the song down – it’s more like a conversation or confession rather than a hit.
‘Say It With A Slap’ feels like it’s going to be a hoedown, but after about three seconds it turns into something far more unusual – a ballad about spousal abuse? An appreciation of a bit of slap and tickle? I don’t know. The hoedown does come eventually, with comedy lyrics before reverting back to the curious ballad. It’s all very odd.
‘My What A Happy Day‘ is the first song from the second story, a fun song in the vein of Bibbidi Bobbido Boo. Like many of the songs in this story, it’s too brief, but good fun.
‘Eat Until I Die‘ is another quickie – Goofy and Donald singing about food, singing to that tune – you know the one? You’ll know it when you hear it.
‘Fee Fi Fo Fum‘ is thirty seconds of Willy – just what every woman wants.
‘In My Favourite Dream‘ gets the melodies right – it’s reminiscent of Somewhere Over The Rainbow but shorter and more simple. Underrated.
There are some reprises in there too, but we don’t need to speak about those. Again there isn’t a standout song, and there isn’t really one you could lift out of this and stick on a greatest hits, though I do like In My Favourite Dream. In conclusion, another case of watch the movie but no need to listen to the soundtrack.
The Spac Hole 