Mr. B Natural

Mr. B Natural
Mr. B Natural as part of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Directed by	Phil Patton
Produced by	Kling Film Productions
Written by	Marvin David
Starring	Betty Luster Bruce Podewell
Music by	Bernie Saber
Cinematography	David Savitt
Edited by	Arthur Ellis
Release date	1956 (1956)
Running time	26 min 40 sec
Country	United States

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 the 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 bands. 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.

Mr. B Natural is an androgynous 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 nickname of Billy Eckstine, a highly popular singer and bandleader at the time, was "Mr. B."

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."