12:15 am – The Wild Country (1971)
Focusing on farm life, The Wild Country is the most human story of the night. It’s a family western, following them as they endure harsh weather and harsher neighbors in a lawless part of Wyoming. Horses and cows are a big part of the film, but this is the one entry tonight that is barely an animal film as all of the main characters are human.
The Tanner’s have just bought a ranch in Wyoming and are ready for a new life, but they find nothing but trouble. The ranch is broken down, the neighbors restrict them from accessing fresh water for their crops and cattle, and a drought and tornado would be enough to make anyone give up. But this inspiring story shows a family that perseveres and endures, unwilling to compromise or give up their dream.
Young Ronny Howard stars along with his brother Clint in one of his first projects for Disney. Vera Miles (Those Calloways, Follow Me Boys!) is the most familiar Disney face in the film, and of the entire night. There are elements reminiscent of Old Yeller, but the film chose real Wyoming filming locations rather than Disney’s more comfortable Golden Oak Ranch.
Recommendation: “The Wild Country” is a solid film and one of Disney’s few attempts in the early 1970’s to branch away from tried and true formulas, showcasing a more violent and less optimistic view of Western living than Disney audiences were accustomed to. Step outside the traditional Disney comfort zone and check out “The Wild Country.”
2:00 am – Cheetah (1989)
It would’ve been ideal for Cheetah to air directly following The African Lion. This Roy E. Disney produced film also takes place in Africa and connects the dots of his film career, which began on the True Life Adventures series and ultimately lead to his position as Director Emeritus of the Walt Disney Company. In addition, Roy E. Disney revitalized the Walt Disney Animation Studio, which produced The Lion King a few years after this film was made. The phrase “Hakuna Matata” was first heard by Disney moviegoing audiences in 1989’s Cheetah.
Ted and Susan get to spend their summer in Kenya with their overprotective parents, who don’t allow them to explore the savannah while they work. When the siblings sneak off and befriend a village boy named Morogo, they discover and orphaned cheetah and raise her back to health. But when their summer comes to an end, they discover that some cruel men have devious plans for their trained wild pet.
If you’ve visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, Cheetah will remind you of the experiences you’ve had there and the important message of conservation and respecting the natural balance between mankind and the animal kingdom. Themes in the film that resonate with park goers include poaching, sanctuary reserves, and collecting illegal animal artifacts. Even the music will remind you of the theme park, with a song called “Jambo Bwana” recurring throughout the film and the phrase “Hakuna Matata” spread about, including on a t-shirt worn by Keith Coogan.
Recommendation: Fans of Disney’s Animal Kingdom won’t want to miss “Cheetah.” Hakuna Matata!
3:30 am – Benji the Hunted (1987)
The 1980’s were a weird time at Walt Disney Pictures and a real curiosity in the cannon of Disney films is Benji the Hunted. You’ve no doubt heard of Benji, the popular dog film series by Joe Camp who already had three theatrical films and a holiday TV special by the end of the 1970’s. Flash forward almost a decade when Disney gives the little dog his fourth and final theatrical outing, although he would resurface in direct-to-video and Netflix films later.
The famous show dog Benji gets lost in the woods of Oregon and must fend for himself if he’s ever to get home. His journey leads him to four orphaned cougar kittens and the loving dog becomes their surrogate father, taking care of them and protecting them against the dangerous elements.
From the uniquely 1980’s score to cinematography that often resembles those posters of kittens in a field of flowers from the same era, there’s no doubt about when this film was released. It may not have been beloved at the time, but with nostalgia it takes on some added entertainment value. And with Benji returning to prominence on Netflix, Disney fans should revisit the star dog’s only film to open with a blue castle intro.
Recommendation: Dog + cougar kittens = cuteness overload.
5:00 am – The Bears and I (1974)
Winston Hibler is most well known for narrating the True Life Adventures series, but he was also a producer at Disney, primarily focusing on scripted films starring animal actors. One of his last films before retiring was The Bears and I, written by John Whedon (grandfather of Joss Whedon).
Discharged from the army, Bob Leslie travels to the Canadian Rockies to pay respects to the native family of his fallen brother in battle. While there, he takes three orphaned bear cubs under his care, unintentionally causing conflict with the indigenous people who believe he has interfered with the plans of the Great Spirit. But when the Canadian Government tries to force them out of their home to turn the area into a national park, Bob finds himself in the role of peacekeeper while raising his cubs.
The bears are named Scratch, Patch, and Rusty, and surprisingly the film doesn’t feature as many cute cub scenes as you would expect. It focuses more on the human drama than the animal antics. The theme song for the film is “Sweet Surrender” by John Denver, who had a holiday special with the Muppets a few years later.
Recommendation: “The Bears and I” is another little-known gem in the Disney library and a more mature film than you expect it to be.
Although this installment of Treasures from the Disney Vault featured two films that have already aired in the series (Charlie the Lonesome Cougar and Benji the Hunted), it was still an entertaining lineup. It’s surprising that the series would re-air two films rather than explore other untouched animal films in the Disney vault, but I’m sure some backend politics play into these decisions.
The next installment on June 25th will have a sleuthing theme and includes films like The Moon-Spinners, The North Avenue Irregulars, Emil and the Detectives, Never a Dull Moment, and The Littlest Horse Thieves. Sadly, That Darn Cat is not part of this lineup, despite being on theme.