Getting a Nickel Back

Tex Avery pulls out some of his favourite Warner Bros. bits in The Bear’s Tale. There’s a pan over a long outdoor background with cel overlays. There’s a large character that can’t top laughing (played by Avery himself). There’s a mash-up of fairy tales. And there’s the split screen routine.

Red Riding Hood calls Goldilocks at the Three Bears’ house (she just happens to have the number) to say the wolf is coming over there to get her. Then, ignoring the screen, Red hands Goldie the wolf’s note.



Goldie thanks Red and the two hang upleave the scene.



Avery’s not finished. He uses another one of his bits—the theatre audience is watching a cartoon and the characters in it know it’s happening. There’s a metal clinking that anyone who has used a pay phone will recognize as the sound of a coin falling into the coin return. Goldilocks comes back into the scene and tries to fish out the nickel. Then, she realises the theatre audience can see her doing it, and retreats out of the frame.



Bugs Hardaway is given a story credit, but this doesn’t feel like a Bugs Hardaway cartoon.

Sara Berner is Red. Berneice Hansell is Goldilocks.