WINNIE the Pooh, one of the nation's best loved children's storybook characters stars in an all new feature film, released in cinemas on 15th April 2011. But where did this "silly old bear" come from?
A A Milne based his classic stories on a collection of soft toys owned by his son Christopher Robin, which are now on display at the New York Public Library, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga. At Christopher's bedtime, Milne would tell his son stories which he would eventually publish in the US in collaboration with E H Shepherd who drew the classic Pooh illustrations.
Christopher Robin named his teddy bear Winnie the Pooh after a black bear he had seen on a visit to London Zoo. Originally owned by Harry Colebourn, a Canadian Lieutenant in the First World War, he had purchased the bear as a cub for only $20. Colebourn name the bear Winnie after his hometown of Winnipeg in Manitoba. The name "Pooh" came from a nickname which young boy Christopher had a given a black swan at the Zoo.
The Winnie the Pooh book was published in 1926 in America after being serialised in the London paper "The Evening News" and was an immediate success. In 1930 the TV, recording and various other licensing rights were bought by Stephen Slesinger who developed the Red-shirt Pooh a derivation of which is seen today in the Disney version of Pooh. Slesinger was very successful in developing the Winnie the Pooh franchise with many product lines on sale throughout the USA.
The Walt Disney Company bought the rights to Winnie the Pooh in 1961 and began development of "The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh" the first full length Winnie the Pooh movie. Release in cinemas in 1977, the movie was an instant hit and spawned what is Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise today. With Winnie the Pooh DVDs, t-shirts, mugs, toys, books, games, activities and much much more, Winnie the Pooh is probably one of the biggest Disney characters, after Mickey Mouse.
"Winnie the Pooh" the new movie starring the lovable golden bear in the red-shirt is a deliberate move away from highly computerised 3D movie making. Created entirely from hand-drawn animation and in 2D, Disney took the decision to go back to the basics with Winnie the Pooh and create a film which was not only beautiful visually and perfectly appealing to the new generation, but a movie which would touch the nostalgia of adults too.
Based on three short Pooh stories, "Winnie the Pooh" tells the story of Pooh who is looking for some hunny to fill his rumbly tumbly, Eeyore who has lost his tail again, Piglet who must be very b-b-brave, the bouncy flouncy Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo and of course Christopher Robin who organises a contest to find a new tail for Eeyore! With laughter, warmth and most of all lots of adventure, "Winnie the Pooh" is sure to be the perfect day out for the whole family, young and old alike!
"Winnie the Pooh" is release in UK cinemas 15th April 2011.
