Belle's Tales of Friendship

**Belle's Tales of Friendship** is a 1999 live-action/animated film directed by Jimbo Mitchell, and is the fourth instalment in the Beauty and the Beast franchise.

The film was released on August 17, 1999 as a direct-to-video.

## Plot

### Belle's Narration

Belle owns and works at her music and bookstore in France. A group of children walk into the store eager to hear Belle's stories, as she is noted to be a great storyteller. Belle agrees to tell a story, but the gang also play games and learn some simple lessons about life. Belle narrates two Disney cartoons, Morris the Midget Moose and Hansel and Gretel, while the children help Belle clean the bookstore. She also reads The Wise Little Hen and The Three Little Pigs, but Shawn and Harmony will not help make chili for the group. Along the way, Belle adds music and interacts with the children.

### Mrs. Potts' Party

During the film, an episode planned for a Beauty and the Beast television show premiered at the end titled Mrs. Pott's Party. In animation, Belle is still living in the Beast's castle while the enchanted spell was still happening. One day, Mrs. Potts is feeling depressed due to dreadful weather, and Belle decides to cheer her up by throwing a surprise party for her. Belle has come to look at Mrs. Potts as a mother figure by this point. During preparations for the party, Belle and her friends have to avoid waking up the sleeping Beast. Beast spent the entire previous night fixing a leak in the roof and needs his sleep. However, Lumiere and Cogsworth's rivalry gets in the way. The two argue and compete over the tasks of composing music, choosing Mrs. Pott's favourite flowers, and choosing the flavours of the cake that will be served at the party. Two oven mitts, Chaud (the red mit) and Tres (the blue mit), also take part in the argument, as they each side with one of the rivals. Eventually, Lumiere and Cogsworth's attempt to sabotage one another's decisions has consequences. The baking cake explodes and makes a complete mess in the kitchen. Lumiere and Cogsworth, after a scolding from Belle, decide to put their rivalry behind them for good and work together to make a small surprise for Mrs. Potts. The plan goes well, and Mrs. Potts is cured of her depression, and the sun finally shines again. Everyone learns the power of cooperation and compromises.

This animated short was released in 2003 as a part of Belle's Magical World. The episodes in that film were also from the same television show that was later scrapped.

## Cast and Characters

### Live-action

* Lynsey McLeod as Belle
* Shawn Pyfrom as Shawn
* Kirsten Storms as Kirsten
* Natalie Trott as Natalie
* Hampton Dixon as Hampton
* Jennefer Jesse as Jennefer
* Julie Vanlue as Julie
* Jim Cummings as Lewis
* Christine Cavanaugh as Carroll

### Animated

* Paige O'Hara as Belle
* Robby Benson as Beast
* David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth
* Jerry Orbach as Lumiere
* Gregory Grudt as Chip
* Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts
* Jo Anne Worley as Armoire the Wardrobe
* Frank Welker as Sultan the Footstool
* Jim Cummings as Webster / Chef Bouche / Tubaloo / Big Book
* Jeff Bennett as Crane / Frappe
* Rob Paulsen as LePlume / Tres
* April Winchell as Chandeleria / Chaude / Concertina
* Jeff Conover as Harmony