“Mr
Brown was looking forward to his birthday,
and Paddington wanted to buy him something
nice…”
Paddington wants to buy something nice for
Mr Brown’s birthday, but he
doesn’t have enough money. His friend Mr Gruber
has given him a book
for inspiration, only “1001 Ways
of Making Money” doesn’t have anything
in it to help a bear in a hurry. So Paddington
is still searching for ideas…
And one quickly forms, when an organ grinder
shows up at the house.
Mr Brown is not amused at having to fork out
for a fellow who merely turns
a handle… What a cheek!…Now, if he’d been
a One Man Band, he might
have been more forthcoming…
Thus Paddington takes to the streets with
his harmonica, though he gets
short shrift from the neighbours and it looks like
his moneymaking venture
won’t ever make some actual money. That is,
until he arrives at the fashionable
home of Mrs Daphne Smith Cholmley. She’s throwing
a party, and our little
bear is mistaken for the replacement waiter. In
no time at all, he’s serving
soup to her bemused guests. And soon after,
he’s taking over culinary
duties in the kitchen, as Vladimir the chef
does a runner. Paddington’s
affable ways and wiles delight his captive
audience, and the following day
her receives an invite to a televised charity
ball she’s staging, where there’s
a £50 cash prize on offer to the best
couple of the night…
So it’s Paddington again, in FilmFair form,
just as we know and love.
Only, this particular Paddington is different,
because the film is imbued
with colour, everywhichway, from the credits
to the backgrounds and
even the cutouts. It’s all in colour now,
because this is one of two film
specials made in the wake of Paddington’s
success in America (the
other being “Paddington
Goes to School”). The story is sound, and
Paddington himself is as charming and self-effacing
as ever. The sets
too feature some delightful prop details,
like the Wedgwood on Mrs
Smith Cholmley’s mantelpiece, and the photos
of Aunt Lucy which
adorn Paddington’s bedroom. And yet… all
that colour… it doesn’t
particularly add anything to proceedings.
In fact, dare on say, it takes
the shine off the film, somewhat. There’s
something just so chic about
the original black and white concept. Why
tinker with it?
Well, tinkering aside, this is another classic
little story in Paddington’s
cannon, animated with all the aplomb you’d expect
of the FilmFair team.
The young bear captures the camera’s attention
at the ball, and he
never lets it go. He waltzes and rumbas with
Mrs Smith Cholmley,
all the way to first place, thanks to a misplaced
marmalade sandwich.
And soon he’s won himself a £25 share
of the winnings, which he uses
for a special musical gift for Mr Brown…
Hats
off
Paddington wears a yellow hat throughout this
film!
Aunt
Lucy
Well lookee here. Paddington’s Great Aunt
Lucy appears in two
framed photographs in her nephew’s bedroom…
Busking
badly
Paddington knocks on three doors, without
success, before he arrives at
Mrs Cholmley Smith’s party.
At the first, he’s met by an old codger and
his bristling bulldog. Then he
moves on to a big blue door, which turns out to
be the main entrance to
a Police Station. Finally, the occupant at
#47 chases him away with the
aid of a bucket of water!
Suits
you
Look out for the suit of armour in Mrs Cholmley
Smith’s hallway. As
Paddington totters past and outside, the head turns
towards him!
Is there someone inside – Or is it just a
ghostly game by the animators?
Incidental
characters
Vladimir
He’s the troubled chef whose pastanovich
looks more like mashed potatovich…
Seymour Ward
He’s the geeen suited host at the charity
ball…
Alf Wiedersehen
He conducts the band at said ball…
Paddington’s Birthday Bonanza 1986 animated special
“Mr
Brown was looking forward to his birthday,
and Paddington wanted to buy him something
nice…”
Paddington wants to buy something nice for
Mr Brown’s birthday, but he
doesn’t have enough money. His friend Mr Gruber
has given him a book
for inspiration, only “1001 Ways
of Making Money” doesn’t have anything
in it to help a bear in a hurry. So Paddington
is still searching for ideas…
And one quickly forms, when an organ grinder
shows up at the house.
Mr Brown is not amused at having to fork out
for a fellow who merely turns
a handle… What a cheek!…Now, if he’d been
a One Man Band, he might
have been more forthcoming…
Thus Paddington takes to the streets with
his harmonica, though he gets
short shrift from the neighbours and it looks like
his moneymaking venture
won’t ever make some actual money. That is,
until he arrives at the fashionable
home of Mrs Daphne Smith Cholmley. She’s throwing
a party, and our little
bear is mistaken for the replacement waiter. In
no time at all, he’s serving
soup to her bemused guests. And soon after,
he’s taking over culinary
duties in the kitchen, as Vladimir the chef
does a runner. Paddington’s
affable ways and wiles delight his captive
audience, and the following day
her receives an invite to a televised charity
ball she’s staging, where there’s
a £50 cash prize on offer to the best
couple of the night…
So it’s Paddington again, in FilmFair form,
just as we know and love.
Only, this particular Paddington is different,
because the film is imbued
with colour, everywhichway, from the credits
to the backgrounds and
even the cutouts. It’s all in colour now,
because this is one of two film
specials made in the wake of Paddington’s
success in America (the
other being “Paddington
Goes to School”). The story is sound, and
Paddington himself is as charming and self-effacing
as ever. The sets
too feature some delightful prop details,
like the Wedgwood on Mrs
Smith Cholmley’s mantelpiece, and the photos
of Aunt Lucy which
adorn Paddington’s bedroom. And yet… all
that colour… it doesn’t
particularly add anything to proceedings.
In fact, dare on say, it takes
the shine off the film, somewhat. There’s
something just so chic about
the original black and white concept. Why
tinker with it?
Well, tinkering aside, this is another classic
little story in Paddington’s
cannon, animated with all the aplomb you’d expect
of the FilmFair team.
The young bear captures the camera’s attention
at the ball, and he
never lets it go. He waltzes and rumbas with
Mrs Smith Cholmley,
all the way to first place, thanks to a misplaced
marmalade sandwich.
And soon he’s won himself a £25 share
of the winnings, which he uses
for a special musical gift for Mr Brown…
Hats
off
Paddington wears a yellow hat throughout this
film!
Aunt
Lucy
Well lookee here. Paddington’s Great Aunt
Lucy appears in two
framed photographs in her nephew’s bedroom…
Busking
badly
Paddington knocks on three doors, without
success, before he arrives at
Mrs Cholmley Smith’s party.
At the first, he’s met by an old codger and
his bristling bulldog. Then he
moves on to a big blue door, which turns out to
be the main entrance to
a Police Station. Finally, the occupant at
#47 chases him away with the
aid of a bucket of water!
Suits
you
Look out for the suit of armour in Mrs Cholmley
Smith’s hallway. As
Paddington totters past and outside, the head turns
towards him!
Is there someone inside – Or is it just a
ghostly game by the animators?
Incidental
characters
Vladimir
He’s the troubled chef whose pastanovich
looks more like mashed potatovich…
Seymour Ward
He’s the geeen suited host at the charity
ball…
Alf Wiedersehen
He conducts the band at said ball…