Toon Talk: Walt Disney Treasures Wave 6
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From “historic Stage 2�?, Maltin introduces The Hardy Boys - The Mickey Mouse Club: 1956-1957. Including all 19 black and white episodes (each running approximately 12 minutes) plus the complete MMC episode that “introduced�? it to young TV viewers back in the day, this set follows closely on the heels of last year’s Spin and Marty edition, much like the series itself did.
Following the success of that earlier serial, Hardy Boys differed in that it was based on characters that were already famous. The brothers first appeared in print in 1927 in book “The Tower Treasure�? by Franklin W. Dixon. Many books followed, but it was actually the first one that was adapted by Disney for their weekday kids show, renamed “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure�?.
Tim Considine (fresh off Spin and Marty) and then newcomer Tommy Kirk played Frank and Joe, who were aided in their investigation by their private eye dad and the high-strung girl-next-door. The brothers stumble upon a mystery of their own when they meet the eccentric Mr. Applegate. His wild tales of mysteriously missing pirate doubloons spurn spooky goings-on and attract the attention of a motley collection of usual suspects: a cranky ex-con-turned-plumber, a shadowy stranger, and a secretive new kid in town. The result is a fun, even suspenseful - if a bit silly at times - mystery, hardly scary by today’s standards but quaintly wholesome and entertaining nonetheless.
Aside from the requisite galleries, the set includes two well-made featurettes. On disc 1 you will find “From Dixon to Disney�?, which unravels a mystery of its own - who exactly was Franklin W. Dixon? It also delves into the changes made from page to screen and why the entire serial was filmed indoors.
“The Hardy Boys Unmasked�? is a new, extensive interview by Maltin with series’ stars (and recently named Disney Legends) Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk. The duo’s playful, brotherly banter is highlighted by an amusing anecdote from Considine (who, all grown-up, looks like he could be Eric Dane’s equally handsome uncle) regarding a certain female Mousketeer (you get one guess).
Toon Talk Rating: B
Walt Disney the showman is the focus of the last new "Treasure": Your Host, Walt Disney - TV Memories: 1956-1965. Television, specifically the long-running anthology series that bore his name in all its variations, turned “Walt Disney�? into just plain Walt (sometimes even “Uncle Walt�?), who became a celebrity in his own right. This set focuses on the episodes that he was most involved in, on-screen, delving into three of his favorite subjects: animation, feature films and his own “personal playground�?, Disneyland.
Disc 1 features three black and white programs, beginning with “Where Do Stories Come From?�? (Disneyland, 1956), a behind the scenes look at how Disney cartoons are made, concluding with a tour of Walt’s own backyard railroad. The “Fourth Anniversary Show�? (Disneyland, 1957) finds the Mousketeers, rarely seen outside of their own show, throwing Walt a surprise party for him, capped off by their performance of songs form the upcoming The Rainbow Road to Oz movie (of course, the movie never happened and we ended up with The Return to Oz). Other Disney stars appear, such as Fess Parker and Guy Williams, who, dressed as his alter Zorro, seemingly kills a marauder right in front of Walt and the kids.
Thought lost for many years, the real rarity in this whole wave is a rediscovered kinescope of the 90-minute live program “Kodak Presents Disneyland ‘59�?, which served as a way to introduce the public to the park’s three newest attractions, the Matterhorn, the Nautilus Submarine ride and the then futuristic Monorail. Art Linkletter is once again on hand as master of ceremonies (as he was on Disneyland’s opening day) and other celebrities in the crowd include such Disney faves as Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Guy Williams (again dressed as Zorro) and Robert Loggia (Elfego Baca). Each of the new attractions has their own dedication ceremony, most infamously with then US VP Richard Nixon and family at the Monorail. It looks like it was a very busy day indeed, with live mermaids in the sub lagoon, real mountain climbers scaling the Matterhorn and, of course, a parade, led by Music Man composer Meredith Wilson. Funnest of all is the still-intact (and still cheesy) Kodak commercials featuring Ed Sullivan and the cast of Ozzie and Harriet.
Wonderful World of Color episodes make up disc 2, led by “Backstage Party�? (1961), basically a staged wrap party for the recently completed Babes in Toyland. The whole cast is on hand to perform, including a very young Ann Jilliann. The “Disneyland Tenth Anniversary Show�? (1965) has already been included in a previous "Treasure" set (Disneyland U.S.A. from the first wave), but since it is such a good show (with a perfectly charming Walt throughout) and it features behind the scene looks at three of the most - if not the three most - popular attractions in Disney park history (Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion and It’s a Small World), it is hard to fault its inclusion here.
Hiding in the bonus features is a sixth episode, the black and white Disneyland program “I Captured the King of the Leprechauns�? (1959), which again finds Walt heavily ensconced in the proceedings. A fanciful look at the film Darby O’Gill and the Little People, this episode can also be found on the DVD for that Gaelic charmer.
Another rare archival find is a special six-minute prologue Walt filmed especially for the Radio City Music Hall presentation of the Peoples and Places featurette Disneyland U.S.A. Filmed in Cinemascope, Walt on-screen playfully “interacts�? with the “live�? Mickey Mouse on-stage.
More galleries are included, and several Mousketeers and other Disney celebs discuss “Working With Walt�? in one feature, but the bonus of real interest is Maltin’s new interview with Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, in “My Dad, Walt Disney�?. Diane gives a candid interview filled with home movie footage and beloved recollections of her famous father. Maltin seems especially pleased to find out that it was indeed true that Walt was just like the “guy on TV�?.
Toon Talk Rating: A-