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Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney (1954)
More than a time-capsule treasure for Disney buffs, this two-disc set will warm the nostalgic hearts of baby boomers who eagerly looked forward to their weekly visits with “Uncle Walt” Disney. As the host of his anthology series, Disneyland (later Walt Disney Presents, then The Wonderful World of Color), Disney presented classic cartoons and original programs, but he also gave starry-eyed viewers a privileged, behind-the-scenes look inside his magic kingdom, from the construction of his magnificent theme park to animators at work. Disneyland transformed Disney into the face of Disney Studios, a pied piper, according to film historian Leonard Maltin, who introduces the features on each disc. This collection of episodes features Disney at his most avuncular. “Where Do the Stories Come From” (1956) is a fun exploration of where Disney artists find their inspiration. “Fourth Anniversary Show” (1951) charts the development of the Disney featurette, Peter and the Wolf, but then becomes a surprise-party musical extravaganza for Disney hosted by his Mouseketeers, and featuring appearances by Guy “Zorro” Williams and Fess “Davy Crockett” Parker. Long-thought lost, “Kodak Presents Disneyland ‘59,” is a black and white kinescope recording of a live, 90-min. television special (compete with entertaining Kodak commercials featuring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and sons) that serves to introduce three new attractions to Disneyland: the Nautilus submarine ride, the Monorail and the Matterhorn. Look for rising stars Clint Eastwood and Dennis Hopper among parade participants. “Backstage Party” (1961) is a visit to the set of Disney’s production of Babes in Toyland, with appearances by the film’s stars, including Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn, and Ray Bolger. “Disneyland 10th Anniversary” (1965), previously released on the now-out-of-print Disneyland U.S.A. set, introduces the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It’s a Small World rides, and shows how “space-age” technology was used to create the Enchanted Tiki Room. Disc 2’s extras include a true rarity, a 1962 Cinemascope film presentation created to accompany a Disney Radio City Music Hall stage show. Another delight is “I Captured the King of the Leprechauns,” a 1959 Disneyland episode tied to the release of the feature Darby O’Gill and the Little People (and included as a bonus feature on that DVD). This whimsical bit of blarney follows Disney to Ireland in search of “the little people.” Movie tough guy Pat O’Brien sends him off with a charming song about leprechauns, just a small sample of these episodes’ endearing and enduring hokey charms. –Donald Liebenson
Celebrate Walt Disney and his magical vision with this look back at several of the most memorable hours from his groundbreaking television shows. As its friendly, approachable host, Disney endeared himself to millions and became much more than an icon for family entertainment. He became Uncle Walt. Join Walt as he celebrates the rededication of Disneyland with a parade of celebrities and guest stars, the fourth anniversary of his weekly show featuring a surprise party arranged by the Mouseketeers, and a tenth anniversary program showcasing some of his talented Imagineers at work. And in a rare interview, Diane Disney Miller shares warm and personal memories of growing up with the man we all admired from afar.
Walt Disney Treasures - Silly Symphonies (1936)
In 1928, when Walt Disney’s artists completed “The Skeleton Dance,” the distributor of the Mickey Mouse shorts rejected the first “Silly Symphony” with a two-word telegram: “MORE MICE.” Disney arranged to screen “Skeleton Dance” at the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles, where it received an enthusiastic response, and the series took off. Seven “Silly Symphonies” won Academy Awards, beginning with “Flowers and Trees.” Disney used these musically themed shorts to train young artists and test new styles, effects, and technologies: every film represented an innovation of some sort. In “Three Little Pigs,” characters who looked alike demonstrated different personalities through the way they moved. “The Old Mill” showcased the newly invented Multiplane camera. The Sugar Cookie Girl in “Cookie Carnival” was one of several female characters the artists created while learning to animate a believable heroine for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The well-chosen selections in this set demonstrate how quickly Disney advanced the art of animation during the ’30s. Only eight years separate the crude black-and-white version of “The Ugly Duckling” (1931) from the moving Technicolor Oscar-winner of 1939. Over 60 years later, these films have lost none of their charm. The jazz-dancing insects in “Woodland Café,” the wonderfully animated caricature of Mae West in “Who Killed Cock Robin,” and the instrument-characters in “Music Land” remain as delightful as ever. Leonard Maltin makes a genial host, and two hidden cartoons include Walt’s introductions from the old Disneyland program. –Charles Solomon
This groundbreaking series of 31 uncensored cartoons, released between 1929 and 1939, includes six Academy Award(R) winners and provides an astonishing look inside the evolution of animation. Each boasting a unique cast of characters, these musical shorts served as Walt Disney’s proving ground for emerging technology, new musical styles, and experimental forms. In addition to the cartoons themselves, join Academy Award(R)-winning composer Richard M. Sherman (MARY POPPINS) for an overview of the “Silly Symphony” series, and take a peek inside the Disney archives to view some rare and remarkable merchandise, conceptual art, and theatrical posters. Enjoy a nostalgic look back at the original musical shorts that launched a revolution in the world of animation. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.
Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Black and White (1932)
In these cartoons released between 1928 and 1935, Walt Disney created one of the icons of 20th-century culture. Disney’s reputation was built on these early shorts, and the films shimmer with the energy of the young artists exploring the new medium of the sound cartoon. Watching the films in chronological order enables the viewer to see the remarkable progress Walt and his crew made in animation, storytelling, and acting in just seven years. The rambunctious, rubbery Mickey of “Plane Crazy” and “Steamboat Willie” quickly developed into the polished charmer of “Gulliver Mickey” and “Mickey’s Orphans.” More than 70 years after his debut, the black and white Mickey still displays the appeal that made him so popular during the ’30s, when A Mickey Mouse Cartoon appeared on theater marquees with the feature titles, and his fans included Franklin Roosevelt, Mary Pickford, George V of England, the Nizam of Hyderabad–and the more than one million children who joined the first Mickey Mouse Club. Although it’s fun to look at the old sketches and pencil tests, the high point of the supplementary material is the discussion host Leonard Maltin conducts with Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, the last surviving members of the justly celebrated “Nine Old Men” of Disney animation. Thomas and Johnston were nearly 90 at the time of the interview, but their enthusiasm for their work, for Mickey, and for the man who made it all possible remains undimmed. (Unrated; suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) –Charles Solomon
Witness the birth of an American icon. This historic compilation chronicles Mickey Mouse’s early career, from his landmark debut in 1928’s “Steamboat Willie” to the last of his black-and-white shorts, “Mickey’s Service Station,” in 1935. Gain insights into Mickey’s beginnings in new interviews with legendary Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. See the earliest visuals on record showing the creative birth of animation’s most historically significant cartoon as well as the only black-and-white cartoon pencil footage known to exist. All of this and more is revealed in this homage to the mouse who captured the imagination of the world. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.
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Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color (1937)
During the mid-’30s, Mickey Mouse’s fans ranged from the more than one million children who were members of the Mickey Mouse Club to Franklin Roosevelt, Mary Pickford, and the Nizam of Hyderabad; theater marquees announced “A Mickey Mouse Cartoon” with the feature titles. These wonderful shorts, many of which have never been released to the home market, remind viewers just how charming Mickey was before his popularity and role as a corporate symbol restricted his behavior. In these cartoons Mickey’s personality was boyish, appealing, and slightly mischievous. The superb animation emphasizes that impish appeal. When Mickey dances with a deck of cards in “Thru the Mirror,” he displays a stylish grace Fred Astaire might envy; in “Brave Little Tailor,” his expressions and body language reveal his thoughts as he outwits Willie the Giant. It’s virtually impossible to watch him without smiling. These shorts overflow with color and motion, and their lavish visuals pack an increased impact in an era of minimal television animation. Only Walt Disney would spend the money to animate a full deck of cards, a band flying through the air in a tornado, or a clutch of semitransparent ghosts, and only his animators could make those characters live on the screen. The prints have been lovingly restored without pumping up the color too much: the nuances of the delicate watercolor backgrounds still come through. Parents, Disney buffs, and animation fans will want this superb collection in their home libraries. Unrated: suitable for all ages. –Charles Solomon
A collection of twenty-six animated shorts in color starring everyone’s favorite, Mickey Mouse, released between 1935 and 1938. Introduction by Leonard Maltin. Cartoons: The Band Concert, Mickey’s Garden, Mickey’s Fire Brigade, Pluto’s Judgement Day, On Ice, Mickey’s Polo Team, Orphan’s Picnic, Mickey’s Grand Opera, Thru the Mirror, Mickey’s Rival, Moving Day, Alpine Climbers, Mickey’s Circus, Mickey’s Elephant, The Worm Turns, Magician Mickey, Moose Hunters, Mickey’s Amateurs, Hawaiian Holiday, Clock Cleaners, Lonesome Ghosts, Boat Builders, Mickey’s Trailer, The Whalers, Mickey’s Parrot, Brave Little Tailor.
Walt Disney Treasures - The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927)
Before Mickey, there was Oswald: By 1926, Walt Disney’s first series, the live-action/animation “Alice” comedies, had run its course. Under pressure from distributor Charles Mintz and Carl Laemmle of Universal, Disney and his artists created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927. Within months, Moving Picture World praised the cartoons’ “astounding feat of jumping into first-run favor overnight.” During the “Oswald” series, Disney’s talents as an organizer and story man began to emerge; his friend and head animator Ub Iwerks designed Oswald’s appearance and imbued him with a jaunty style of movement. But in 1928, Mintz took the character away from Disney. To replace Oswald, Walt created Mickey Mouse. This important collection includes the 13 surviving silent “Oswald” shorts (of 26). Many of them feel like rough drafts for later Mickey cartoons. When Oswald enters a trans-Atlantic race in “The Ocean Hop,” the antics he performs in his airplane prefigure the ones in “Plane Crazy.” In “Sky Scrappers,” Oswald takes a job on a construction site where his girlfriend (an unnamed cat) sells box lunches, anticipating the Mickey and Minnie cartoon “Building a Building” (1933)–down to the opening shot of a dinosaur-like steam shovel at work. The silent “Oswald” shorts have rarely been seen since they were first released 80 years ago: Some viewers may grow impatient with these relatively crude cartoons, but they remain intriguing examples into Walt Disney’s early work. Leslie Iwerks’ informative documentary The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999) traces the life of her grandfather. One of the greatest talents of the silent cartoon era, Ub Iwerks animated the first Mickey shorts and “Silly Symphonies” almost single-handedly. Iwerks left Disney to start his own studio in 1930. Although it attracted an impressive array of talent, it closed in 1938. Two years later, Iwerks returned to Disney, where he won two Oscars for innovations in visual effects technology. Hand suggests that the Iwerks cartoons were too sophisticated for the era of the Hays Code. But for all his talent as an animator and technical innovator, Iwerks was not an effective director: His studio’s cartoons simply weren’t very good. Included on this disc are three “Alice” comedies, “Plane Crazy,” “Steamboat Willie,” and “The Skeleton Dance,” which showcase Iwerks’ endearingly bouncy animation. (Unrated: suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) –Charles Solomon
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 12/11/2007 Run time: 234 minutes
Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Pluto, Volume Two (1947)
Unlike the other animal characters in Disney’s cartoon repertory company who served as substitute humans, Pluto remained a dog. Although he began as Mickey Mouse’s companion, he was soon given films of his own: Mickey and Minnie appear in only a few of these cartoons from the late ’40s and early ’50s. Most of the stories follow the pattern animator Norm Ferguson set in “Playful Pluto” (1934). The hectored hound has to cope with either a recalcitrant object or an adorable but problematic animal: a little bird in “Pluto’s Fledgling,” the embarrassing pink sweater Minnie knits in “Pluto’s Sweater,” Chip an’ Dale in “Food for Feudin’.” The animation in these shorts is polished and subtle: the animators capture the nuances of a change in expression as skillfully as the rhythm of a run. But the humor feels very tame. While director Charles Nichols and his staff made beautiful, amusing films, the artists at Warner Bros. and MGM were pioneering a brasher, faster-paced style of cartoon that was much funnier. The extras are generally interesting but some of the choices are odd: Pluto doesn’t appear in some cartoons. Animator Andreas Deja offers an interesting commentary on “Hawaiian Holiday” (1937), but the film isn’t shown in its entirety. Similarly, the pencil test from “Pluto’s Judgment Day” (1935) provides a rare look at the animators’ drawing, but the finished film isn’t included. The Complete Pluto, Volume Two is well worth having, but it’s not likely to provide many belly laughs. (Rated G, suitable for ages 5 and older: cartoon violence, minor ethnic stereotypes) –Charles Solomon
Mickey’s best pal Pluto continues to light up the screen as leading dog in more of his adventure-filled cartoons. Putting the spotlight on his comical antics from 1947 through 1951, this volume includes the inspired “Bone Bandit” of 1948 and the 1951 classic “Plutopia.” The treats continue with three rarely seen shorts featuring Pluto’s feline nemesis Figaro, and a revealing exploration of a classic Pluto short. Plus, contemporary Disney master animators discuss their favorite Pluto moments and the art and craft behind them. It’s no wonder Mickey’s faithful pup became top dog around the world. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come.
Walt Disney Treasures - Disneyland USA (1955)
To finance Disneyland he wanted to build, Walt Disney turned to the new medium of television. As host Leonard Maltin notes on this two- disc set of televised specials for the amusement park, Disney used the series to promote it, “and no one seemed to mind.” ABC agreed to invest in return for a weekly one-hour program. The “Disneyland” TV show premiered on October 27, 1954: “Disneyland Story” introduced the park and its various lands, which would be the subject of future programs. The opening-day special, “Dateline Disneyland” (July 17, 1955), attracted an estimated audience of 90 million–virtually every television household in America. Hosted by Art Linkletter, Robert Cummings, and Ronald Reagan, the live broadcast includes such unplanned moments as Linkletter searching frantically for a microphone in Fantasyland. The Tenth Anniversary show (January 3, 1965) features cameos of Mary Blair and Marc Davis, two celebrated animation artists. Home movie footage of Walt pacing off distances at the barren site in Anaheim is intercut with peeks at forthcoming attractions. “Disneyland After Dark” (April 15, 1962) offers performances by Annette Funicello, Bobby Burgess, Bobby Rydell, Louis Armstrong, and a prepubescent quartet of Osmond Brothers. A must-have set for Disneyland buffs, Disney collectors, and nostalgic baby boomers. –Charles Solomon
A special presentation of four Disneyland television specials - The Disneyland Story, Dateline Disneyland, Operation Disneyland, Disneyland After Dark - plus The Disneyland 10th Anniversary Show, all originally broadcast between 1955 and 1970, and hosted by Walt Disney himself. Also includes additional archival footage of Disneyland’s opening day and other rare materials. Introduction by Leonard Maltin.
Walt Disney Treasures - Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studio (1941)
As Walt Disney’s fame grew during the 1930s, people wanted to know more about his studio and how the “Silly Symphonies” and Mickey Mouse shorts were created. Although Disney seldom allowed visitors, he periodically offered viewers peeks inside into the studio through the films in this collection. In 1937, Disney made A Trip Through the Walt Disney Studios for his distributor, RKO, to help the marketing campaign for Snow White. This in-house documentary was later reworked and released as a trailer for the studio’s first feature as How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made. In 1941, humorist Robert Benchley toured the studio and chatted with the artists in The Reluctant Dragon. But the film was released during a bitterly fought strike that belied its cheerful depiction of the studio. During the ’50s, Walt used his studio as a backdrop for several episodes of the Disneyland TV series. “The Story of the Animated Drawing” traces the history of the medium, including re-creations of Emil Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique (1892-1900) and Winsor McCay’s vaudeville routine with his landmark film Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). “Tricks of Our Trade,” which focuses on the creation of Sleeping Beauty, shows staged footage of four of the celebrated “Nine Old Men”–Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston–sketching. In the DVD bonus material, host Leonard Maltin traces the development of the studio facilities from a Los Angeles garage to its present location in Burbank. Maltin also chats with Disney legend Joe Grant, who cowrote the “Baby Weems” sequence in Reluctant Dragon. Recorded at the time of Grant’s 94th birthday, the artist displays the sly wit that continues to inspire animators. (Unrated: Suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) –Charles Solomon
This volume goes inside the walls of the worlds most famous magic factory for an inside tour, via several “behind-the-scenes” films and television shows.
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Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Pluto, Volume One
Mickey’s pal Pluto developed from the pair of bloodhounds in “The Chain Gang” (1930). Walt Disney liked animator Norm Ferguson’s handling of the dogs’ expressions, so the artists continued to work with the character. Ferguson’s breakthrough animation of the flypaper sequence in “Playful Pluto” (1934), available on Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Vol. 2, showed that the cartoon character could think and react to a situation through pantomime. Many cartoons follow the pattern of “Playful Pluto”: the ochre dog tries to cope with either a recalcitrant object–skates in “On Ice,” an inflatable rubber horse in “Beach Picnic”–or a cute but troublesome animal: a seal in “Pluto’s Playmate,” a gopher in “Canine Caddy” and the title character in “Pluto and the Armadillo.” Pluto’s quick temper and willingness to rush in where pedigrees fear to tread made him a popular subject for cartoons (and military insignias) during World War II. In “First Aiders,” Pluto serves as a reluctant subject when Minnie practices splinting and bandaging. Eager to do his bit, he serves as a military watch dog in “Private Pluto,” “Dog Watch,” and “Canine Patrol.” In several of these cartoons, Mickey is reduced to playing straight man to Pluto, who gets the laughs. Pluto is pitted against a black housekeeper, reminiscent of Mammy Two-Shoes in the Tom and Jerry cartoons in “Pantry Pirate”–a rare example of ethnic stereotyping in a Disney short. (Unrated, suitable for ages 5 and older: cartoon violence, occasional ethnic stereotypes) –Charles Solomon
Mickey’s faithful friend Pluto is unleashed in this first volume of the celebrated canine’s cartoon capers. Spanning the years 1930 to 1947, these 29 classic shorts include Pluto’s 1930 debut in “The Chain Gang” — which was actually his first and second appearance playing unnamed, identical bloodhounds — and the 1941 Academy Award(R)-winning short “Lend A Paw.” The tales continue with a special “dogumentary” focusing on the birth and evolution of everybody’s best friend, an excerpt from the TV program “A Story Of Dogs,” a look back at the life of Pluto’s father, animator Norman “Fergy” Ferguson, and more. It’s no wonder Pluto’s star rose faster than his temper.
Walt Disney Treasures - The Mickey Mouse Club Featuring the Hardy Boys (1955)
From the moment Thurl Ravenscroft intoned, “Gold doubloons and pieces of eight/ Handed down to Applegate,” “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure” became one of the best-loved serials on the The Mickey Mouse Club, second only to “The Adventures of Spin and Marty.” Gifted young actors Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk make a believable pair of adolescent sleuths: Frank and Joe Hardy want to follow in the footsteps of their father, private detective Fenton Hardy. Summer vacation in the little town of Bayport seems boring until Frank and Joe run into Perry Robinson, a new kid in their neighborhood, who them leads into the search for the long-lost pirate treasure of local eccentric Silas Applegate. There’s plenty of low-key daring-do, suitably sinister villains, misread clues, and wholesome comedy to keep young children (or grandchildren) occupied while Baby Boomers delight in recalling how they enjoyed the adventure in the mid-’50s. The extras include the entire Mickey Mouse Club show from Oct. 1, 1956, when Considine and Kirk presented a preview of the new serial, and a short feature on how the Disney crew adapted the popular boys’ books to television. Host Leonard Maltin conducts an agreeable interview with a disconcertingly aged Considine and Kirk. This Disney Treasure is a must-have for viewers who grew up during the ’50s–or younger audiences who want discover the answer to the question, “Now where are those gold doubloons and pieces of eight?” (Rated G, suitable for ages 5 and older: mild violence) –Charles Solomon
THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB’S magical mix of entertainment was so captivating to television’s first generation of children, watching it became a daily ritual. And so the first day of the show’s second season, millions thrilled to the debut of a new adventure series, THE HARDY BOYS: THE MYSTERY OF THE APPLEGATE Treasure. All the cliff-hanging suspense unfolds right here, including the entire MICKEY MOUSE CLUB episode that introduced the series. Plus, you’ll get clued in to the truth behind the novels’ author Franklin W. Dixon, and you’ll witness the reunion of Tim Considine (Frank Hardy) and Tommy Kirk (Joe Hardy) at the scene of the crime — Stage 2 at the Disney Studio.
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