2:15 AM – The Golden Touch (1935)

This Silly Symphony is a perfect lead in to the next film, Walt Disney’s take on the fable of King Midas. The greedy king sings about his love of gold, causing a mischievous elf to grant him the gift of the golden touch. But he soon discovers that this blessing is an even greater curse when he comically can’t eat anything without food becoming gold whenever he touches it.

Interestingly enough, The Golden Touch is one of the few shorts in the Disney cannon actually directed by Walt Disney himself. He famously did it to prove a point after a feud with his animation directors. However, he was reportedly displeased with the results and for years after, if a director wanted to end an argument with Walt in a hostile way, they would bring it up. Whether you enjoy it or not, it’s a perfect lead-in for the first feature film of the night.

Recommendation: This Silly Symphony offers a Disney style take on a well known fable. Why wouldn’t you watch?

2:15 AM – The Sword and the Rose (1953)

If you’ve only ever seen Glynis Johns in her role as Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, then you’re in for a treat. She stars as Mary Tudor here in her early thirties in the third of four films produced in England with Disney’s European film profits made during World War II. The first two films (Treasure Island and The Story of Robin Hood) have already been featured on Treasures from the Disney Vault and those staying up all night are about to complete the quadrilogy.

When Mary Tudor falls in love with a commoner named Charles Brandon, she convinces her brother, King Henry VIII, to make him Captain of the Guard. But after being forced to marry King Louis XII of France, the lovers are parted. Unbeknownst to Brandon, King Henry made an arrangement that when Mary’s elderly husband passes, she may marry whomever she pleases. But other forces are at play to deceive the Captain (the sword) from reuniting with his princess (the rose).

Robin Hood himself, Richard Todd, co-stars in this delightful medieval romance. It’s full of humorous moments and a few bits of genuine excitement. Peter Ellenshaw provides beautiful matte paintings, a British artist who relocated to Hollywood shortly after this film to spend the majority of his career at Disney.

Recommendation: This charming romantic adventure offers a whimsical performance by Glynis Johns guaranteed to make you smile. Don’t miss it.

4:15 AM – Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)

If you’ve ever watched a Treasures from the Disney Vault before, you know that the 4:00 am film is often the weakest of the bunch. If you haven’t been put to sleep yet, you surely will be. By no means do I have a short attention span, yet I find Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue to be very hard to sit through (and I’ve tried several times).

Set in the early 1800’s, Rob Roy leads his clansmen in war agains King George I in the highlands of Scotland. When the war ends, all of the clans are pardoned, save for Rob Roy’s McGregor clan. Forced to go rogue, he becomes a vigilante on the run fighting against the new regime.

The film reunited Richard Todd and Glynis Johns again and Walt Disney had plans for Todd to star in King Arthur in the vein of the previous England-based Disney productions. However, both The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue disappointed at the box office and this was to be the final film of its ilk. It’s just as well, as Walt’s attention was about to turn to Disneyland and television. But think of this film and The Story of Robin Hood as precursors to Zorro and Davy Crockett. As for king Arthur, Disney has adapted his story in several ways, including The Sword in the Stone, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, and the upcoming streaming service exclusive live action version of T.H. White’s The Once and Future King series.

Recommendation: If you aren’t already asleep, Rob Roy will get you there. There’s not much reason to see it, unless you want another one of Richard Todd’s signature shirtless scenes (he’s like the original Chris Hemsworth in that regard).

This “On the Move” edition of TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault offered a fairly solid lineup, despite not having a widely beloved film to anchor it. The quarterly event returns in June and from the looks of it, things get a little wild and wooly next time with an evening of animal films, mostly involving dogs. I’m looking forward to it, Leonard!