Literature   Poetry   Music   Film   Theatre

Literature: Novels

McBain, Ed. Goldilocks. New York: Arbor House, 1977.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

NOVEL: Mystery: Part of McBain's Matthew Hope series.

Shusterman, Neal. Dread Locks: Dark Fusion #1. New York: Dutton, 2005.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

NOVEL: From the publisher: "Fifteen-year-old Parker Baer is bored with his entire perfect life. But when Parker finds Tara, a strange but beautiful girl sleeping in his bed, his life turns upside down. Exotic-looking, with long, glimmering spirals of golden hair that seem almost alive and eyes that are always hidden behind sunglasses, Tara lives by herself in a house full of statues. Parker watches, fascinated, as the charismatic Tara picks students at the high school to befriend and wraps them around her little finger. As her "friends" start developing strange quirks, like drinking gallons of milk at a time and eating dirt, only Parker realizes what Tara is up to. But she’s endowed him with certain cravings of his own. . . . Can he stop her destructive game in time, or is he doomed to be under her spell forever?"

Read more about Neal Shusterman books.

Return to top of page

Return to top of page

Poetry

Dahl, Roald. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Revolting Rhymes. New York: Puffin Books, 1982.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Davis, Nedine. "I Am Mama Bear." Toward Solomon's Mountain: The Experience of Disability in Poetry. Baird, Joseph L. and Deborah S. Workman, eds. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1986.

Gaiman, Neil. "Locks." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.

Gibson, Magi. "Goldilocks." The Edinburgh Book of Twentieth-Century Scottish Poetry. Maurice Lindsay & Lesley Duncan, eds. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005.

Hay, Sara Henderson. "The Grievance." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Imlah, Mick. "Goldilocks." The Times Literary Supplement. 07-03-1987.

Kuzma, Greg. "In Love with the Bears." The New Yorker Book of Poems. The New Yorker editors, eds. New York: Viking Press, 1969.

Sansom, Clive. "In a Nutshell." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

Sansom, Clive. "A True Princess." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.

Vande Velde, Vivian. "All Points Bulletin." Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.

Return to top of page

Music

I have listed primarily classical compositions of music using the themes of this fairy tale in either ballet, opera or some other musical style. I have also provided links to popular recordings of the music when available at Amazon.com. The advantage to these links is that you can listen to samples of the music at no charge.

Return to top of page

Film

To learn more about these films, please visit the
Internet Movie Database.

Goldie Locks and the Three Bears (1922). Walt Disney, director.

ANIMATED SHORT

Alice and the Three Bears (1924). Walt Disney, director.

ANIMATED SHORT

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1934). Walter Lantz and William Nolan, directors.

ANIMATED SHORT: Early animated short contemporary with Walt Disney. This one is a parody, completely topsy-turvying the usual ending.

The Three Bears (1935). Ub Iwerks, director.
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.

ANIMATED SHORT: Early animated short contemporary with Walt Disney.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1939). Hugh Harman, director. Also known as: Bear Family.

ANIMATED SHORT: "The classic fable of breaking & entering; in this bear family, poppa is a bit accident prone and cowardly." (IMDB.com)

Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears (1944). Friz Freleng, director.

Cast:
Mel Blanc .... Big Bad Wolf (uncredited)
Ruby Dandridge .... Grandmother (uncredited)

ANIMATED SHORT: "An all-black cast, featuring the Three Bears as a jazz combo, combines the stories of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood." (IMDB.com)

Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears (1944). Chuck Jones, director.
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.

Cast:
Mel Blanc .... Bugs Bunny, Papa Bear

ANIMATED SHORT: "Without any porridge left in the cupboard, the three bears realise they won't be able to attract Goldilocks to their home. With only the old carrots available to eat, they make soup and lure Bugs Bunny into their house. However Bugs proves to be much harder to catch than Goldilocks and the bears are not getting their fairytale ending." (IMDB.com)

Goldimouse and the Three Cats (1960). Friz Freleng, director.

ANIMATED SHORT: "Sylvester Cat is head of a household consisting of himself, a mother cat, and their spoiled-brat son, Junior. In this parody of "Goldilocks", Sylvester and Junior try to catch "Goldimouse", who came from the forest into their house to sample their porridge." (IMDB.com)

Goldilocks (1971) (TV).

Cast:
Bing Crosby .... Himself/Papa Bear
Mary Crosby .... Herself/Goldilocks
Nathaniel Crosby .... Himself
Kathryn Grant Cosby .... Herself/Mama Bear

ANIMATION: A made for TV animation film featuring the voice work of Bing Crosby and his family. Poorly executed music, animation, and writing.

Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1984) (TV). Gilbert Cates, director.
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.

Cast:
Alex Karras ... Papa Bear
Carole King ... Mother
Hoyt Axton ... Ranger
John Lithgow ... Father
Tatum O'Neill ... Goldilocks
Brandis Kemp ... Mama Bear
Donavan Scott ... Cubby Bear

This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.

DysEnchanted (2003). Terri Miller, director.

Cast:
Laura Kightlinger .... Cinderella
Sarah Wynter .... Sleeping Beauty
Alexis Bledel .... Goldilocks
Jaime Bergman .... Alice
K.D. Aubert .... Little Red Riding Hood
Shiva Rose McDermott .... Snow White
Amy Pietz .... Clara
Jill Small .... Dorothy
James Belushi .... Doctor (The Shrink)

SHORT FILM: "Storybook characters Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Goldilocks, Alice, Dorothy, and Red Riding Hood are in group therapy dishing and dealing with what comes after "happily ever after." When Clara, a New Jersey divorcee, joins the group, she finds out that while life is no fairy tale, it doesn't mean her dysenchantment has to be terminal." (IMDB.com)

Return to top of page

Theatre

Brenner-Farrell, Terry. The Trial of Goldilocks. Music and Lyrics by George Morgan. Oxnard, CA: Iron Horse Productions, 2003.
Read more about the play on the Music Box International website.

MUSICAL: "A 'what-if' play, The Trial of Goldilocks asks, and answers, the question: What would have happened if Goldilocks had been put on trial for breaking and entering the home of the Three Bears?"

Carpenter, Edward Childs. Three Bears. New York: Samuel French, 1926.

PLAY: Three men, disillusioned in love and intent on getting away from all women, rent a cabin and retreat there. But the young woman who owns the cabin, unaware that it has been rented, is on her way there to escape from an unhappy engagement. Made into a silent film in 1919 titled Three Men and a Girl.

Harder, Eleanor. Goldilocks and the Christmas Bears. Book, music and lyrics by Eleanor Harder. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1981.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: Fox, Wolf, Squirrel and Jay have just breathed a sigh of relief. The first snowflake has fallen sending the Three Bears off to bed for a winter's nap. Suddenly Goldilocks, full of Christmas spirit and just a twinge of guilt over her last visit, arrives bringing presents to the Three Bears. But Father Bear gave a stern warning: "Keep it quiet this winter—and no strangers—especially that Goldilocks." Goldilocks, shocked to learn that the Bears sleep through Christmas, decides to wake them up. The terrified animals warn her not to, but she will not be deterred in her effort to bring Christmas to the Three Bears. And she does!

Kerr, Walter and Jean. Goldilocks. Lyrics by Joan Ford, Walter and Jean Kerr. Music by Leroy Anderson. New York, Doubleday, 1959. (Libretto).

MUSICAL

Monk, Ed. Goldilocks on Trial. New York: Playscripts, Inc., 2003.
Read more about the play on the Playscripts, Inc. website.

SHORT PLAY: Goldilocks is on trial for breaking and entering. Will she be found guilty and sent to prison, or will the truth come out? It's up to Judge Wallabee and some very silly jurors to decide, after hearing testimony from Goldee, the bickering Three Bears, and surprise witness Merwin the Big Bad Wolf, among others...

Morley, John. Goldilocks and the Three Bears. New York: Samuel French.

FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Comedy. The well-known fairy tale has been expanded into a more elaborate adventure story. Goldilocks is the daughter of a vibrant and often hilariously outrageous circus owner. But the circus is doing badly; they are plagued by a rival troupe run by villainous Benjamin Black. They need a really original animal act. A good fairy disguised as a bareback rider saves the day when Goldilocks encounters the three Bears and they become circus stars. Black plans to seize the Bears and many adventures ensue. The audience is encouraged to help as the story rolls along to a happy ending.

Robinette, Joseph. The Trial of Goldilocks. Music by Robert Chauls. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago, 1991.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL and/or SHORT PLAY: This exciting retelling of the familiar fairy tale is full of mirth and melody as Goldilocks is brought to court to face the charges of breaking and entering the Bears' cottage. After the hard-of-hearing judge calls the court to order, the clerk presents the traditional story. Then the lawyers take over to present their sides of the case. In rollicking enactment's—with the jury playing tables, chairs, beds and forest animals—the stories unfold. Guilty or innocent? Was the young girl a selfish, spoiled brat, intruding where she didn't belong? Or was she the victim of three conniving bears (and their animal "band of hoods" in the woods)? The surprising verdict from the jury—along with the judge's unique sentencing—bring this charming musical to a highly satisfying "happily-ever-after" conclusion. Available as a short play or musical.

Shockey, Marilyn. What's a Wolf to Do?. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.

MUSICAL: Everybody needs friends, but Wolfie doesn't have any, because whenever he meets someone he likes, he always tries to eat them. Goldie invites Little Red to go for a walk in the forest, but Mrs. Hood refuses permission, reminding her daughter that she must take a basket of goodies to Granny. Besides, Mrs. Hood doesn't approve of Goldie. That girl is always getting into trouble! As Little Red and her imaginary friend, Roddy, go through the forest to Granny's, Little Red encounters Wolfie, who pretends to be her friend, while secretly plotting to eat her for dinner. Having been warned by Mrs. Hood not to talk to strangers, Little Red refuses to speak to him; but when he offers her a bouquet of flowers, she takes them, since her mother never mentioned taking flowers from a wolf. Further along the path, Little Red meets the singing Pig Sisters, who tell her in story and song their experiences with Wolfie. They warn her to stay away from that wolf! In another part of the forest, the hillbilly Bears leave their porridge in search of honey; and Goldie checks out their cottage. Soon she's running for her life when the Bears come back and discover her asleep. As she runs by Little Red, Goldie quickly tells about her adventure. Suddenly she hears the Bears approaching and sprints away again. The Bears explain to Little Red that they are looking for Goldie because Baby Bear wants to be her friend. But what's a wolf to do? Wrestling with the age-old conflict: whether to have friends or to eat them, Wolfie gives in to his hunger pangs, takes the shortcut to Granny's, swallows her whole and waits for Little Red to arrive. Everyone converges at Granny's house, where the Heimlich maneuver is applied and Granny pops out, good as new. Goldie arrives with her new friends, Baby Bear and his parents, and the Pig Sisters stop by to check on Granny. When Wolfie decides to become a vegetarian and give up eating people and pigs, Little Red agrees to be his first friend and wistfully says goodbye to her imaginary friend, Roddy.

Return to top of page