Mr. B Natural
Encyclopedia
Mr. B Natural is a short sponsored film
produced in 1956 by Kling Film Productions for the C.G. Conn Company, directed by Phil Patton. It is also the name of film's main character, played by Betty Luster
.
The short was intended to be shown in classrooms and school assemblies
to advertise Conn's line of musical instruments for American
school band
s. It fell into obscurity until it was satirized in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000
that first aired on November 30, 1991, after which it was celebrated as a prime example of period kitsch
.
figure, a "hep pixie" who is meant to embody the "spirit of fun in music
". In this capacity, the character inspires children to take up band instruments. The name is a pun
on the musical notation B♮ (B natural), as the character explains: "that's what your feelings of music are, as natural as you can be."
The character also acts as a kind of nascent brand mascot
for C.G. Conn musical instruments, though Mr. B Natural made no appearances for the company beyond the one film.
Conn provided details about the film in the Spring 1957 issue of their magazine, The Baton, distributed to public school music teachers: "Mr. B Natural is the spirit of music in everyone...a sort of LepreCONN who is always no more than an inch away from the fingertips of anyone. Mr. B has a code however, that prohibits him from showing himself for anyone unless he reaches out and calls for the spirit of music. In full color, Mr. B Natural entertainingly answers the call of Buzz, a shy, reticent teen-ager and for twenty-six minutes and forty seconds explains how music and playing a musical instrument will help develop posture, breathing, self-confidence, coordination and in general a young person's character. Mr. B gives both youthful and adult audiences ease to take instruction in the values of music. The Film is being made available by the Band Instrument Division of Conn through Conn dealers everywhere."
In captions for the productions photos included in the three-page essay, the title character is consistently referred to as "he", an indication that Conn intended Mr. B to be of the male gender. However, in an instance of reverse-gender casting similar to the casting of Mary Martin
as Peter Pan
, ("Mary Martin syndrome" as Kevin Murphy
says when writing about his experiences with the short film), the role was cast with an actress, Betty Luster, who had been a television musical variety star only a few years before.
in which Mr. B Natural lives. Mr. B addresses the audience directly, in an effort to appear welcoming, and explains what it means to be a spirit of music
. Awaiting a person's call for help, Mr. B evinces sympathy and concern for lonely junior high student Buzz Turner.
Buzz shows an interest in music like the more popular kids at school, but is so shy that he makes excuses to not attend a dance, even when a girl directly invites him. Dejected, Buzz returns home and puts on a record. This magically summons Mr. B into the adolescent boy's bedroom, whereupon the pixie uses magic, music and dance to convince Buzz to take up playing the trumpet
.
In visiting the music dealership, Buzz's parents are reassured by the salesman that buying a trumpet is "simply making a small investment in your son's lifetime personality." When Buzz mentions that he didn't care what make his new horn would be, he is upbraided by Mr. B Natural, and is treated to a detailed description of the C. G. Conn factory and laboratories.
Through the gift of music and the help of his mysterious friend, Buzz finds the confidence and assertiveness he needs to try out for the school band, impress girls, and play solo at concerts and school dances.
Shooting took place in 1956, on 16mm in Technicolor
. Which sound stages were used for the production is not known, but the school grounds of Waukegan Elementary School
in Illinois
and Miami Sr. High School in Ohio
were used for location shots. Footage of workers at a C.G. Conn plant also appears.
, and employed "ephemeral film" expert Rick Prelinger
to locate amusing vintage footage. Mr. B Natural was not held in Prelinger's collection, but was licensed for use in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K)
from Streamline Film Archives, now F.I.L.M. Archives
. F.I.L.M. Archives is the only known holder of this film print today, archived as reel #1133B.
, which first aired November 30, 1991. It is celebrated by fans and critics alike as one of the most memorable shorts ever satirized by the show.
In MST3K's revisiting of the short, Joel Robinson
and the bots mock Mr. B's gender ambiguity and seemingly sinister interest in Buzz. They also pick up on a frank comment of Mr. B Natural, "don't be too sure I wasn't in the Garden with Mr. and Mrs. Adam," making the obvious connection that Adam and Eve
's only companion in Eden mentioned in the Genesis story was the snake
. When Mr. B Natural starts a series of bizarre dances, Crow moans "Oh, my God, please say this isn't happening!" while Tom intones "Ladies and gentlemen, please accept our sincere apologies for all of this." Following the short, Joel moderates a mock-serious debate between Crow T. Robot
and Tom Servo
as to whether Mr. B Natural is a man or a woman.
Mr. B was recreated by Bridget Jones in the live broadcast "Turkey Day" host segments of episode #701T Night of the Blood Beast
, on November 23, 1995. Jones's Mr. B has arrived on the show to celebrate Thanksgiving
, but becomes the focus of the unwelcome affections of another guest, a drunken Jack Perkins
, played by Jones' real-life husband Michael J. Nelson
.
Sponsored film
Sponsored film, or ephemeral film, as defined by film archivist Rick Prelinger, is film made by a particular sponsor for a specific purpose other than as a work of art: the films were designed to serve a specific pragmatic purpose for a limited time...
produced in 1956 by Kling Film Productions for the C.G. Conn Company, directed by Phil Patton. It is also the name of film's main character, played by Betty Luster
Betty Luster
Betty Luster was an American television actress, singer and dancer, whose career was active in the 1940s and 1950s. The role for which she is best remembered today was at one time her most obscure: her portrayal of Mr...
.
The short was intended to be shown in classrooms and school assemblies
School assembly
A school assembly is a gathering of all or part of a school in order to communicate information and share learning experiences....
to advertise Conn's line of musical instruments for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
school band
School band
A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conductors...
s. It fell into obscurity until it was satirized in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
that first aired on November 30, 1991, after which it was celebrated as a prime example of period kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
.
Titular character
Mr. B Natural is an androgynousAndrogyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
figure, a "hep pixie" who is meant to embody the "spirit of fun in music
Euterpe
In Greek mythology, Euterpe + τέρπειν terpein ) was one of the Muses, the daughters of Mnemosyne, fathered by Zeus. Called the "Giver of delight", when later poets assigned roles to each of the Muses, she was the muse of music. In late Classical times she was named muse of lyric poetry and...
". In this capacity, the character inspires children to take up band instruments. The name is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the musical notation B♮ (B natural), as the character explains: "that's what your feelings of music are, as natural as you can be."
The character also acts as a kind of nascent brand mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for C.G. Conn musical instruments, though Mr. B Natural made no appearances for the company beyond the one film.
Conn provided details about the film in the Spring 1957 issue of their magazine, The Baton, distributed to public school music teachers: "Mr. B Natural is the spirit of music in everyone...a sort of LepreCONN who is always no more than an inch away from the fingertips of anyone. Mr. B has a code however, that prohibits him from showing himself for anyone unless he reaches out and calls for the spirit of music. In full color, Mr. B Natural entertainingly answers the call of Buzz, a shy, reticent teen-ager and for twenty-six minutes and forty seconds explains how music and playing a musical instrument will help develop posture, breathing, self-confidence, coordination and in general a young person's character. Mr. B gives both youthful and adult audiences ease to take instruction in the values of music. The Film is being made available by the Band Instrument Division of Conn through Conn dealers everywhere."
In captions for the productions photos included in the three-page essay, the title character is consistently referred to as "he", an indication that Conn intended Mr. B to be of the male gender. However, in an instance of reverse-gender casting similar to the casting of Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
as Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, ("Mary Martin syndrome" as Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
says when writing about his experiences with the short film), the role was cast with an actress, Betty Luster, who had been a television musical variety star only a few years before.
Plot synopsis
The action opens upon the musical staveStaff (music)
In standard Western musical notation, the staff, or stave, is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch—or, in the case of a percussion staff, different percussion instruments. Appropriate music symbols, depending upon the intended effect,...
in which Mr. B Natural lives. Mr. B addresses the audience directly, in an effort to appear welcoming, and explains what it means to be a spirit of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Awaiting a person's call for help, Mr. B evinces sympathy and concern for lonely junior high student Buzz Turner.
Buzz shows an interest in music like the more popular kids at school, but is so shy that he makes excuses to not attend a dance, even when a girl directly invites him. Dejected, Buzz returns home and puts on a record. This magically summons Mr. B into the adolescent boy's bedroom, whereupon the pixie uses magic, music and dance to convince Buzz to take up playing the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
.
In visiting the music dealership, Buzz's parents are reassured by the salesman that buying a trumpet is "simply making a small investment in your son's lifetime personality." When Buzz mentions that he didn't care what make his new horn would be, he is upbraided by Mr. B Natural, and is treated to a detailed description of the C. G. Conn factory and laboratories.
Through the gift of music and the help of his mysterious friend, Buzz finds the confidence and assertiveness he needs to try out for the school band, impress girls, and play solo at concerts and school dances.
Cast
- Betty LusterBetty LusterBetty Luster was an American television actress, singer and dancer, whose career was active in the 1940s and 1950s. The role for which she is best remembered today was at one time her most obscure: her portrayal of Mr...
as Mr. B Natural
- Betty Luster performed on the operatic stage in the late 1940s, was a regular on the 1951 NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
variety showVariety showA variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
Seven at Eleven, and in 1955 appeared on Broadway. Mr. B Natural is her last known role.- Bruce Podewell as Buzz Turner. "Buzz" is Podewell's own nickname, and he had appeared under that name on Watch Mr. WizardWatch Mr. WizardMr. Wizard's World, a faster-paced version of the show developed by Don Herbert, was shown three times a week on the then rising kids cable channel Nickelodeon. Once again, the revival was produced in Canada . The show produced 78 episodes from 1983 onwards, and continued to run thereafter as...
in 1951. As of September 2011, he is a professor of theater and dance at Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. - James Andelin as Band instructor (uncredited)
- Lester Podewell as Mr. Turner (Buzz's father) (uncredited)
- Paul E. Richards
- Bruce Podewell as Buzz Turner. "Buzz" is Podewell's own nickname, and he had appeared under that name on Watch Mr. Wizard
Production
Mr. B Natural was produced by Kling Film Productions, an industrial film producer based out of Chicago, Illinois. The film's sponsor, C.G. Conn, was introducing its new line of "Connstellation" brass instruments in the mid-1950s, which may explain the emphasis on these instruments in the storyline.Shooting took place in 1956, on 16mm in Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
. Which sound stages were used for the production is not known, but the school grounds of Waukegan Elementary School
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is in Waukegan, Illinois, and serves Waukegan, Park City, and Beach Park. Total enrollment is approximately 16,000 in kindergarten through grade twelve...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Miami Sr. High School in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
were used for location shots. Footage of workers at a C.G. Conn plant also appears.
Crew
- Phil Patton, director
- Patton's only other known credit was for directing the American dubs and footage of the Soviet children's classic The Snow QueenThe Snow Queen (1957 film)The Snow Queen is a 1957 Soviet animated film directed by Lev Atamanov. It was produced at the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow and is based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen...
in 1959.- Marvin David, writer
- Bernie Saber, music
- David Savitt, cinematographer
- Arthur Ellis, editor
Rediscovery
In 1991, HBO sought content for its new network, Comedy CentralComedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, and employed "ephemeral film" expert Rick Prelinger
Rick Prelinger
Rick Prelinger is an archivist, writer and filmmaker, and founder of the Prelinger Archives, a collection of 60,000 advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur films acquired by the Library of Congress in 2002 after 20 years' operation.Rick has partnered with the Internet Archive to make...
to locate amusing vintage footage. Mr. B Natural was not held in Prelinger's collection, but was licensed for use in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K)
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
from Streamline Film Archives, now F.I.L.M. Archives
Film Archives, Inc.
Film Archives, Inc. or F.I.L.M. Archives is a stock footage company based in New York City.It is believed to be one of the oldest independent footage companies and has supplied footage to feature films, television, industrial, commercial, and web footage users.Footage from its library of mostly...
. F.I.L.M. Archives is the only known holder of this film print today, archived as reel #1133B.
Spoof
Mr. B Natural was featured on MST3K as part of episode #319, preceding the film War of the Colossal BeastWar of the Colossal Beast
War of the Colossal Beast is a 1958 black-and-white science fiction film, directed by Bert I. Gordon and produced by Carmel Productions and distributed by American International Pictures. It continued the storyline of the 1957 movie The Amazing Colossal Man, although it was not marketed as a direct...
, which first aired November 30, 1991. It is celebrated by fans and critics alike as one of the most memorable shorts ever satirized by the show.
In MST3K's revisiting of the short, Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is a fictional character featured in the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000...
and the bots mock Mr. B's gender ambiguity and seemingly sinister interest in Buzz. They also pick up on a frank comment of Mr. B Natural, "don't be too sure I wasn't in the Garden with Mr. and Mrs. Adam," making the obvious connection that Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
's only companion in Eden mentioned in the Genesis story was the snake
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. When Mr. B Natural starts a series of bizarre dances, Crow moans "Oh, my God, please say this isn't happening!" while Tom intones "Ladies and gentlemen, please accept our sincere apologies for all of this." Following the short, Joel moderates a mock-serious debate between Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Crow is a robot, who, along with others, quips and riffs upon poor-quality B movies.- Overview :...
and Tom Servo
Tom Servo
Tom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off space madness as Joel was forced to watch...
as to whether Mr. B Natural is a man or a woman.
Running joke
The short was later referenced many times during the show's run. Examples include:- In Episode #420, The Human DuplicatorsThe Human DuplicatorsThe Human Duplicators is an American science fiction film released in 1965 by independent company Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.-Plot:The plot involves a giant alien named Dr. Kolos who is dispatched to Earth from a faraway galaxy on orders to create android doppelgängers by employing the...
, as a lithe woman walks down a stairway and across a room, Crow says in a higher pitched voice, "Knew your father, I did", a line uttered by Mr. B Natural. - In Episode #421, Joel, to cheer him up after a particularly bad movie (Monster A-Go-Go), dressed Tom up as a "Happy King", quoting Mr. B and pronouncing it the same oddly chipper way the character did.
- In Episode #514, Teen-Age StranglerTeen-Age StranglerTeen-Age Strangler is a 1964 crime drama film. It was featured on a Season 5 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 .- DVD releases :...
, as a character walks past several high school lockers, Crow declares nervously, "Mr. B Natural's in one of those lockers." - During the short Design for DreamingDesign for DreamingDesign for Dreaming is a musical sponsored film about a woman who dreams about a masked man taking her to the 1956 General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Frigidaire's "Kitchen of the Future." The entirety of the dialogue is sung, though the actors...
in Episode #524, Crow reacts to the main actress's perky dancing by declaring "It's a salute to Mr. B Natural!" - In one scene in #703, Deathstalker and the Warriors from HellDeathstalker and the Warriors from HellDeathstalker and the Warriors from Hell, also known as Deathstalker III: The Warriors from Hell, is a 1988 sword and sorcery fantasy film. It is the third film in the Deathstalker tetralogy.-Plot summary:...
, Deathstalker gingerly leaps out of the way of a sword, to which Crow exclaims, "I'm Mr. B Natural!"
Mr. B was recreated by Bridget Jones in the live broadcast "Turkey Day" host segments of episode #701T Night of the Blood Beast
Night of the Blood Beast
Night of the Blood Beast is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced by B movie filmmaker Roger Corman and his brother Gene, the film was one of the...
, on November 23, 1995. Jones's Mr. B has arrived on the show to celebrate Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, but becomes the focus of the unwelcome affections of another guest, a drunken Jack Perkins
Jack Perkins
Jack Perkins is an American reporter, commentator, war correspondent, and anchorman. He has been dubbed "America's most literate correspondent" by the Associated Press....
, played by Jones' real-life husband Michael J. Nelson
Michael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
.
External links
- MST3K "War of the Colossal Beast" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- MST3K "The 1995 Thanksgiving Episode" at TV.com
- Episode 701T- Night of the Blood Beast (Turkey Day Host Segments) at MST3Kinfo.com
- Mr. B Natural MST3K version at Google Video
- JB's Warehouse Ken Smith review of the short
- Mr. B Natural: Man or Woman? Transcript of the debate that originally followed, and was an intrinsic part of, the spoof