Like old friends, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the other residents of the Hundred Acre Wood always seem to have been a part of our lives. And like those old friends, it’s difficult to remember how we connected with them in the first place, but it almost doesn’t matter. The important thing is that they’re here and likely will continue to be for as long as we’d like — for which we owe a thanks to Disney!
That silly old bear originally appeared in the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by British author A.A. Milne. He would follow up with others, all of which would be translated into different languages. Flash forward to 1961 and Walt Disney Productions enters the picture, licensing film and merchandising rights. In terms of the former, audiences were first introduced to Pooh, Rabbit, Piglet, Eeyore, Roo, Kanga, Gopher and, of course, Christopher Robin in the animated short released to theatres in 1966, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.
This was followed in 1968 by Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (which, unlike its predecessor, features the character of Tigger) and, then, 1974’s Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too. All three of these were brought together, along with new bridging material, in 1977’s The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Since then, of course, there have been so many shorts, TV shows, feature films and a never-ending supply of merchandise adorned with the characters. Let’s face it, you can never have enough Pooh.
In an interview with Collider, actor Jim Cummings, who has been voicing the characters of Pooh and Tigger for decades, expressed his view on why Winnie and his friends have held a sway over people for so long. “It’s evergreen,” he says. “There’s no cynicism there. Pooh doesn’t have an agenda — nobody does in the Hundred Acre Wood — unless he’s trying to get some honey. Stay out of his way when he’s looking for honey! But other than that, they’re not tied to any trend or fad or anything. As a result, that heartfelt groove just keeps on going. It’s something that everybody can relate to.”
To Ripped Jeans and Bifocals, Marc Forster, director of 2018’s live-action film Christopher Robin, muses, “In the times we live in, I think it’s so important to have hope, joy and, really, it’s about love. And Pooh is about love and reconnecting with the people you love.”
Please scroll down to reconnect with the original Winnie the Pooh cast.
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