The Case
No other studio head in the history of Hollywood touched more lives than Walt
Disney. From 1954 (the announcement of Disneyland) through 1966 (his death from
lung cancer), Walt had a permanent place in our living rooms, courtesy of the
American Broadcasting Company—a network the Disney corporation now owns.
Each week, this master showman would tease us with previews of his latest films
and theme park attractions, entertain us with original telefilms and series, and
take us deep inside the animal kingdom, all the while educating and enlightening
us on the worlds of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In this latest installment
of the Walt Disney Treasures collection, host Leonard Maltin takes us
deep into the Disney vaults for a sampling of the best episodes from
Disneyland, Walt Disney Presents, and Walt Disney's Wonderful
World of Color. The only downside here is that it leaves you wanting
more.
Walt Disney Treasures: Your Host, Walt Disney features six episodes:
two focused on Disney's original Magic Kingdom, three on the magic being made at
the studios, and one celebrating the anniversary of the series.
DISC ONE
Where Do the Stories Come From? (52 min, 1956)
With a little
magic and mayhem, Walt presents a stylized look at the creation process within
Disney Studios. From story inspiration (fairy tales, real life events, animator
hobbies) and the use of live models for character study, to the power music has
in bringing a tale to life, you see Disney story men and animators in action.
Mix in clips from some classic animated shorts (Donald Gets Drafted, 1942; Fall
In Fall Out, 1943; Crazy Over Daisy, 1950; Out of Scale, 1951; R'Coon Dawg,
1951) as well as new animation of Pluto collaborating with his artist, and you
have a wonderful glimpse of the family atmosphere at the Disney Studios during
the 1950s.
The Fourth Anniversary Show (52 min, 1957)
In another behind
the scenes at the Disney Studios episode, Walt recounts (and recreates) his
meeting with composer Sergei Prokofiev, who wrote his symphony "Peter and
the Wolf" with Walt in mind. We also get an interesting look at a preview
of The Rainbow Road to Oz, the proposed first Mickey Mouse Club
feature film. Unfortunately (or fortunately), this project was never realized.
The show concludes with the Mouseketeers surprising their boss with an
anniversary party for the series, and he returns the favor by teasing us with
what we can look forward to in the coming season—appearances by Guy
Williams (Lost in Space) as Zorro, and Jerome Courtland as Andy Burnett
(introduced by Daniel Boone himself, Fess Parker). Even though the Burnett
series only lasted six episodes, Courtland later went on to become an
accomplished television director (The Flying Nun, Fantasy Island,
The Love Boat, and more).
Disneyland '59 (90 min, 1959)
Art Linkletter returns to the
fold as host of this live event celebrating Disneyland's fifth anniversary, with
featured guests Vice President Richard Nixon, Broadway composer Meredith Wilson,
pre-recorded Kodak commercials by Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, an uncredited dance
number with Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, and brief glimpses of Fred MacMurray,
Lawrence Welk, and very young unknowns Dennis Hopper and Clint Eastwood. If you
saw the disastrous Opening Day celebration for Disneyland, the setup here is
similar, though this is better produced and contains many more filmed segments
(Walt learns quickly from his mistakes). Frequent visitors to the park will love
the unveiling of The Matterhorn, The Alweg Monorail (very different from the one
we see today), and the Submarine Voyage (which closed in 1998). For those who
complain that ABC's annual Walt Disney World Christmas Parade is nothing
more than a commercial for the resort, one need only look here to see where that
concept began. Walt was a marketing genius, who used new technology to his every
advantage; television was no exception.
BONUS FEATURES:
My Dad, Walt Disney (21 min)
The
ever-gracious Diane Disney Miller, Walt's eldest daughter, sits down with
Leonard Maltin for a one-on-one interview about her father. From the early days
of her father's many travels and having to wait for dinner until dad got home,
to her and her sisterÕs weekends on the studio lot and pool parties at the
house with the animator's families, Diane confirms that Walt truly was the man
we all knew and loved on television.
Photo Galleries
This cursor driven scrapbook of more than 125
images takes us deep inside the archives, from Walt and Roy's earliest days in
business to the final years of the television series and continuous development
of the parks. Not for the casual observer, but true Disneyphiles will find them
fascinating.
DISC TWO
Backstage Party (52 min, 1961)
Those of you who own or have
seen Walt Disney Treasures: Behind The
Scenes At The Walt Disney Studios will already be familiar with the first
portion of this episode, a carefully scripted tour of the Disney backlot. As a
fan himself, Walt loved giving people a look behind the curtain of Hollywood
magic. Framed as a wrap party for Babes in Toyland (1961), Walt invites
us to enjoy the festivities. Again, the cynic will see this as nothing more than
an elaborate trailer for the film, and in a way it is. There's nothing here that
was not carefully rehearsed. However, the value lies in the sense of camaraderie
and family that permeated every aspect of production. That's a rare commodity in
Hollywood today.
Disneyland Tenth Anniversary Show (46 min, 1965)
Moving far
away from the live events staged for the park's first two celebrations, the 10th
anniversary is Walt doing what Walt does best—promote new projects. With
the exuberance of a young child, Walt escorts Ms. Disneyland Tencennial, Julie
Reihm, through his soundstage mockup of the WED Imagineering Workshop. We also
get a historical montage of the past ten years at Disneyland, including the
attractions and some of the special guests who were on their inaugural riders.
The first half of the episode will be very familiar to Disneyphiles, as clips of
the unveiling of Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions have
shown up on other releases, such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest. But the second half will brighten the smiles of Disneyland fans, as
the '60s costumes for the walk-around characters make their appearance in a
well-choreographed celebration in front of the castle. No dignitaries or park
guests here, just dancing candles, cake, and early character costume designs.
Pay particular attention to Peter Pan (as played by a woman), very skinny and
cheap versions of Chip and Dale, hirsute dancing hippos from Fantasia, and primitive representations
of the Seven Dwarves (reminiscent of "Those Funny Little People"
franchise that hires out costumed characters for parades, product promotions,
and special events). There is also an uncanny look-alike for Julie Andrews, who
flies in as Mary Poppins to help kick the event into high gear. Oh, and if
anyone recognizes what Disney feature or short the three witch costumes were
supposed to be from, please let me know.
BONUS FEATURES:
I Captured the King of the Leprechauns (49 min,
1959)
Walt the actor's first and only starring adventure finds him meeting
with Hollywood legend Pat O'Brien (The Last
Hurrah) for inspiration on an upcoming Leprechaun feature. It's yet another
of Walt's masterful marketing pieces that entertains and teases at the same
time. Though IÕve seen segments of this episode in the past, it still made
me smile, perhaps because Darby O'Gill and the
Little People is an all-time favorite and requisite St. Patrick's Day
viewing. James Bond fans will want to check out a very young Sean Connery, in
only his second principal role.
Working with Walt (9 min)
A new featurette made up of
interviews with some of the many actors who worked for Walt over the years.
Mouseketeers Bobby Burgess, Don Grady, and Cheryl Holdridge, as well as studio
stalwarts Tommy Kirk and Tim Considine, and many more all chime in on the
wonderful man they called Mr. Disney. While this is a nice tribute, what we
really want to see are interviews with actors like Kurt Russell, who spent years
at the Disney studios.
Disneyland USA at Radio City Music Hall (7 min, 1962)
A
recently unearthed short created to go along with a live stage show that played
at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. After much difficulty establishing a
connection between NYC and Hollywood, a costumed Mickey Mouse (voiced by Walt
himself) introduces his boss to talk about the creation and development of
Disneyland. While thereÕs no footage of the stage show that followed, this
was one of the earliest examples of staged long-distance communication that's
been used repeatedly in television throughout the years. Given it's age and time
spent tucked away in a file cabinet, it's a beautifully restored piece.
Presented in 1.33:1 full frame format, the various pieces show their age
with dirt, grain, and scratches. Much of it is in black and white, as created
for the medium in which it was originally shown. The Disneyland '59
episode is actually a Kinescope (recorded by filming a television screen) and
the degradation is obvious. Even the late episodes done in color show their age,
exhibiting washed-out palates and a fair amount of grain. The new interviews and
introductions by Leonard Maltin are pure digital recordings and pristine in
their presentation, as one would expect for DVD. The same holds true for the
audio. The source material is presented in its original mono, with the new
material in two-channel stereo. The menus are perfunctory—general
photo-static images of Walt with a brief background music loop.
Walt Disney Treasures: Your Host, Walt Disney is another release
directed at the die-hard Disneyphiles, hence its limited edition run. Despite
rumors that the Walt Disney Treasures line has been discontinued, Buena
Vista Home Video has assured DVD Verdict this is not the case and that we can
expect more of these beautifully restored, archival masterworks collections in
years to come.
