Pooh's Adventures of Tony of Australia

Written by
 Directed by

**Pooh's Adventures of Tony of Australia**is the nineteenth episode of the series.

## Synopsis

When his mentor Chuck Ramses dies, Tony Mosaic remembers an age-old Australian legend in which the first humans would've been granted immortality if they had carried the moon's pet snakes across a river. So Tony, Pooh Bear & Gadget Hackwrench venture to Australia to fulfill the legend and revive Chuck. There, they meet Milo Socrates the outback guide, and Amy Welch, a slave of the greedy Vincent Ramone of Ramone Industries, his henchman Dennis and Pooh's old enemies Stan the Woozle & Heff the Heffalump. Will this American become a hero in Australia?

#### Dedicated to the memory of:

Michael Jackson, Ted Kennedy, Dom Deluise & Walter Cronkite, who were always there.

## Plot

After a theater viewing of the new film *Machine Going on Man, (Remember the Time*) young Tony Mosaic gets depressed at the ending (similar to *Bicentennial Man)*and requests a comedy next time, much to his parents' disapproval.  At his Los Angeles home, Tony meets Pooh, his gang, Gadget Hackwrench the cream mouse inventor, and an old man named Chuck Ramses, who is Tony's mentor & playmate.  Unlike Tony's parents, Chuck understands why Tony is against drama.  They play together at the beach, until Tony is needed at home for a tri-tip dinner.

One day, the Mosaic family gets a grim phone call that Chuck is dead!  Tony, Pooh & Gadget mourn him.  The next day, Tony's parents a see note at his room that he's leaving for Australia.  According to the note, there was an ancient legend in which the Aboriginal people there had a dreamtime, that the moon went down to the earth and offered to the early folk that if they carry her pets across the Murray River, they would rise again to life, but the humans refused, because they were afraid of the moon's pets, which were all deadly snakes, including the mangrove, the puff addler, the egg-eater, the whip, and the black mamba. The moon calls them silly humans, that they will stay dead, and that she will always send them poisonous snakes, to remind them that they disobeyed her.  And now Tony claims that because of this, the moon robbed him of Chuck, so he believes he should resurrect his mentor in Australia, because only that place houses the legend.  Before Tony left, he wrote that he still loves his family, and will make them proud.  Ma is distressed, but Pa tells her that they would be here when their son comes back.

After a lengthy flight, Pooh, Gadget & Tony arrive in Sydney, the capital of Australia. (*Down Under*)  After checking into his hotel, Tony gets armed with a radiation suit to scoop the snakes to carry through the Murray River.  He stops at an outlet where a clerk tells him that he should pick an outback guide first.  Milo Socrates appears as Tony's choice, but Tony feels that his mission is too important to jeopardize, and they board a jeep to be on their way.

Little did they know that they were being spied on by Vincent Ramone, the shifty chairman of Ramone Industries. With him are his slave Amy Welch, and Pooh's old foes, Stan the Woozle, Heff the Heffalump. Ramone, who is elderly and in failing health, wants to relieve the legend that caused mortality, and sends Amy to distract Tony so Ramone can continue his work.  Stan & Heff crave honey, and plan revenge on Pooh to get some.  (*Snuff out the Light)*

Meanwhile, Pooh, Gadget, Tony & Milo find the five snakes and put them in a glass jar.  Suddenly, Tony falls into a trap, and a hunter named Dennis Muntz emerges!  He notices the snakes, and intends to shoot Tony for "ruining a good hunt."  Amy appears, and takes Tony with her.  Tony tells Milo, Pooh & Gadget to drive to safety.  Dennis was taking the jar of snakes to Sydney, when he is met by Ramone, Stan & Heff.  Ramone offers Dennis to join him in using the snakes for money & power.  They decide to build Snake Haven, a division of Ramone Industries.  Stan & Heff believe this would lead them to Pooh.

Now, although Amy was supposed to pretend to fall in love with Tony, actually she meant it.  (Waltzing Matilda)  However, once Amy mentioned *Machine Going on Man,* Tony finally came to his senses, and sends Amy back to the hotel.  Once there, Amy gets tired of the deception, and takes Milo, Pooh & Gadget with her to put an end to it all.  Ramone eavesdrops on this.  Tony arrives in Snake Haven, when Dennis attacks him!  A moment later, the other snakes chase Dennis out of the industries, while Tony recovered the jar snakes.  As he drove off, Ramone sees a notice that his industries are condemned by the board of health for illegal snake trapping.  He gets enraged by this.  Heff asks Stan what time it is, and Stan answers that it's "payback time."

Finally, Tony was about to live the moment of truth, and fulfil the legend!  He boards a jet boat and sails the snakes across the Murray River, complete with moonlight shining.  Before Tony could set the snakes free, Amy, Milo, Pooh & Gadget arrive, really wanting to know the truth sooner or later.  Tony tells them about the Aboriginals, their refusal, how he lost Chuck, and how he came to Australia in the first place.  Despite Tony taking extreme measures, the group tells him to let go of desires to hold onto things that might be taken from him (like Chuck), accepting that all things pass away eventually.  Tony is not pleased, but he agrees.

Ramone, shows up at the river, attempting to get the snakes back, as he wanted power.  Stan & Heff confront the gang, ready to do away with them.  Amy stops Ramone and states that she is through being a thief under his orders, and leaves him, tossing the snake jar to Tony, who tries to speed away on his boat.  Ramone chases Tony down the river, until they find themselves on the brink of a waterfall!  The current is too much for their boats, which get swept over.  Tony & Ramone fight on a cliff, until Ramone forces Tony onto the ledge!  Before the final blow was struck, a hand-shaped cloud shoots lightning, and Ramone tumbles off the waterfall to his death.  Stan & Heff try to take care of Pooh themselves, when Gadget stands up to them.  Heff thinks that Gadget is a giant mouse and starts to freak out. He jumps up and lands on Stan. Stan hates it when Heff does that. Heff implores Stan to get him out of here. As Stan tries to carry Heff, he vows that he and Heff would be back with friends, and then they'll get them and Gadget, also thinking that Gadget is a giant mouse.  With Stan & Heff gone, Tigger gloats over having taught them "a thing or three."

Tony recovers himself on the cliff, and discovers Chuck's spirit above.  Chuck tells Tony that as his playmate and rightful pupil, Tony must remember who he is and return to America. After exiting the cliff and reuniting with Amy & Milo, this encourages Tony to return to his homeland, where he is welcomed back with open arms by his parents, and where his new friends become part of them.  And best of all, Tony finally sees a comedy named *New York Dachshund.*  Tony Mosiac went to a proud career in Los Angeles. But no matter how far he traveled, he never forgot his mentor and his parting words.  Chuck had shown him that friendship was a treasure greater than all the legends of the world.  Pooh, his gang & Gadget part ways, until the next adventure.

## Trivia

### Story Behind the Story

I once encountered a rare tale on the Microsoft Home software *Dangerous Creatures,* in which the first humans were visited by the moon, who told them. "if you carry my pets across the river, you will rise again to life after you have died, and so live forever. But the humans refused, because they were afraid of the moon's pets, which were all deadly snakes, so the moon said, "Silly humans. Now when you die, you will stay dead, and I will always send you poisonous snakes, to remind you that you disobeyed me." This could've been the gateway to immortality, but this is a fantasy, like Frankenstein. As for *Machine Going on Man,* the movie in the opening, it was a ripoff of *Bicentennial Man,* in which a robot named Andrew Martin, had committed suicide in his human form at the end, which was so tragic, that in my version, Tony requested a comedy at the end of this story, which was *New York Dachshund,* a ripoff on *Beverly Hills Chihuahua.* As for the general environment, I had been to Niwot, Colorado, which had an Outback feel to it.

### Pooh's side

Unlike Hundred Acre Wood natives Kanga & Roo, Gadget Hackwrench has more to do with Australia, while Stan & Heff are Huffalump & Woozle foes of Pooh's.

### Early concept

The movie was originally written to have the song *No More Mr. Nice Guy* as Ramone's villain song. It was later declared that the movie be changed to focus on the song *Snuff out the Light*, because it made so sense to waste such a grand Australia story on otherwise unimportant music.

### Connection

Heff has a fear of giant mice, and Gadget happens to be a mouse.  Stan says,"You may have won this round, but we'll be back."  This paraphrases Dr. Claw, whose enemy is also named Gadget.

## Cast

Jim Cummings as Winnie the PoohJohn Fiedler as PigletPaul Winchell as TiggerKen Samson as Rabbit & StanPeter Cullen as EeyoreTim Hoskins as Christopher RobinTress MacNeille as GadgetChuck McCann as HeffMatthew Broderick as TonyWalter Cronkite as ChuckDom Deluise as MiloAlyson Court as AmyBrian Doyle Murray as RamoneGoran Višnjić as DennisBilly Crystal as Pa MosaicKim Greist as Ma MosaicDon Rickles as the Clerk

### Songs:

* The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh theme
* Remember the Time
* Down Under
* Snuff out the Light
* Waltzing Matilda
* End Title Song: At the Beginning by Richard Marx & Donna Lewis
* Exit Music: The Flik Machine by Randy Newman