BEN AND ME (1953)

BEN AND ME
Directed by Hamilton Luske
Starring the voices of Sterling Holloway and Charles Ruggles

Leave your history books at home. They've been lying to you. At least that's what the Walt Disney Short “Ben and Me” would have you believe. According to this film, Benjamin Franklin was not the inventor of things like bifocals and the Franklin stove. The real inspiration was a small mouse named Amos. Amos also wrote the opening of the Declaration of Independence. In short, Amos created this country.

Of course, this isn't true. And I seriously doubt that any child watching will take this Douglas Adams-inspired version of history as gospel truth. It's a very fun short film—Very tongue in cheek. I kind of wish that a mouse HAD done all that! It would certainly have made history class more interesting.

If it sounds like I'm stretching to make this review longer, it's because I am. There's really not much to say about this short. Sure, it's fun, and I like “twisted history” stories, but it's standard Disney. While it's certainly good, it's not the best that they've ever released. Kids will enjoy it, and there are worse ways to get your children interested in history. I saw it when I was in elementary school on one of those Disney Afternoon Specials on TV, and I liked it a lot then, but it's not the same now. It doesn't hold up like other Disney shorts have for me.

“Ben and Me” lost the Academy Award for Best Short Subject Two-Reel to another Disney release, “Bear Country”. Also nominated were “Return to Glennascaul”, “Vesuvius Express”, and “Winter Paradise”.

This review was written on June 10, 2008