TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault: December 2016
TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault celebrates its 9th evening of all-Disney entertainment on Wednesday, December 21st. Being the third December programming lineup, this one abandons winter and the holidays and instead shines a light on Disney’s treasure trove of animal films. It’s no secret that Walt Disney was passionate about nature conservation, but many modern audiences forget that he was responsible for the nature documentary genre. While we won’t see any of the True-Life Adventures series in tonight’s lineup, we will celebrate their legacy with the films that followed in its wake. Starting with the one-and-only True-Life Fantasy, the night has a lot to offer. From a true classic Old Yeller, to a Dean Jones comedy The Ugly Dachshund, and one of the most fondly remembered Wonderful World of Color specials, there’s a lot to love in this evening’s programming lineup.
8:00 PM - Perri (1957)
The True-Life Adventure series had won critics and audiences over since its debut in 1948, but by the end of the 1950’s the series had begun to run its course and Walt’s vision had shifted more towards scripted storytelling with animals. While it is true that some of the True-Life Adventures featured staged action, the studio was about to shift towards all-staged animal action. The first in the series was also the only one to be branded as a True-Life Fantasy with 1957’s Perri.
Welcome to Wildwood Heart, a charming section of the forest where young Perri is born. After losing her family, Perri must find her own method of survival in the wilderness. In her quest for a mate, Perri will travel through all of the seasons with some beautiful winter landscapes.
While the story centers on Perri, a good portion of the picture is spent on other animals, such as foxes, raccoons and skunks, the other citizens of Wildwood Heart. The film is based on a book by Felix Saltin, author of Bambi, and even features a not-so-subtle homage to the great prince of the forest. Produced, written and narrated by Winston Hibler, the film is also notable for being one of the films that Roy E. Disney worked on.
Recommendation: Perri offers an early look at the successful Disney animal films that came later, but is often boring and quite forgettable.
9:30 PM - Old Yeller (1958)
One of Disney’s most beloved live action films, Old Yeller introduced the world to Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran, who would spend the majority of their childhoods on camera in Disney productions. Almost all of the exterior shots were filmed at Golden Oak Ranch, which Walt Disney purchased shortly after. But the film is most famous for its shocking ending, which still brings me to tears every time I see it.
On the verge of manhood, young Arliss has to support his mom and younger brother while his father is away. But when a stray dog creates mischief for the boy, he soon becomes a friend and source of joy for the family. But Arliss’ strength is put to the test when Old Yeller contracts rabies while saving the family from a wild wolf .
With a beautiful theme song and some powerful performances, it’s not hard to see why Old Yeller has become a classic while so many other films of its ilk have been lost to time. Dorothy McGuire is so charming as the mom and Fess Parker, TV’s Davy Crockett, has a small role as the mostly absent father. If you watched September’s pirate-themed Treasure’s from the Disney Vault, you may also recognize Jeff York from Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. But the real start is Spike, who played the unforgettable Old Yeller.
Recommendation: Old Yeller is the highlight of the entire evening, don’t miss it!
11:15 pm - The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
In addition to Walt Disney’s love of animals, he also loved to travel and explore other cultures. To those familiar with his goodwill tour of South America in the 1940’s and the People & Places series, The Littlest Outlaw won’t come as a huge surprise. To anyone else who may believe the picture of a racist Disney, this film should be eye opening.
Filmed in Mexico twice in both English and Spanish and with an almost entirely Mexican cast, The Littlest Outlaw is as authentic as it could possibly be. The films primary themes also deal with animal cruelty and doing what is right vs. what is legal.
Pablito is the son of a horse trainer, who is cruel with his training methods. When his favorite horse injures the general’s daughter, he steals Conquistador and runs away to save the poor animal from being put down. Now an outlaw, he and the horse will have to count on the kindness of strangers to stay alive.
Recommendation: The Littlest Outlaw is a perfect example of Walt Disney being a man ahead of his times and tells a very sweet story about a boy and his horse. Give this one a chance.
12:45 AM – Silly Symphonies About Animals
The animated portion of the night features two classic Silly Symphonies. First up is one of the most iconic, The Tortoise and the Hare from 1935. It’s the timeless fable of “Slow and steady wins the race” as only Disney could tell it. Toby Tortoise and Max Hare quickly became stars in their own right, with merchandise, comics and even sequels. The short won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short that year and quite a few critics have drawn similarities between Max Hare and Bugs Bunny, who debuted five years later. This short was so iconic that many of its characters can be seen in the Toontown finale of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
The second Silly Symphony might surprise fans expecting a colorized version with more sophisticated animation. That’s because The Ugly Duckling was remade in 1939 and that is the more beloved version. This black and white earlier version from 1931 is more akin to the barnyard animals found in the early Mickey Mouse shorts and emphasizes gags over heart. It’s the only Silly Symphony to ever be remade, but the original still has its merits. However, it is a shame that there wasn’t room in the programming block to show both versions back-to-back. But this is a perfect lead-in to the next feature of the night, which also drew inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson.
Recommendation: You can’t miss the only animated portion of the night!
The night is only halfway through. Proceed to the next page for the rest of the lineup.
1:15 AM – The Ugly Dachshund (1966)
Inspired by The Ugly Duckling, The Ugly Dachshund paired Dean Jones with Suzanne Pleshette for the first time in their Disney careers. And while The Littlest Outlaw shows Disney being respectful of another culture, The Ugly Dachshund features one of the most offensive Asian stereotypes in any of the Disney films. But that one scene shouldn’t discredit the rest of the picture, which is pure 1960’s Disney fun.
When the Garrison’s prize-winning dachshund has a litter of puppies, they bring home one extra runt from the vet. As Brutus grows bigger and becomes the Great Dane that he truly is, the couple begin to feud. But their quarrel leads husband Mark to enter his “ugly dachshund” into the dog show to prove his worth.
If Brutus looks familiar, you may remember him from his role as Duke, one of the dogs in Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson. Winnie the Pooh fans should note that he made his debut in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, which was attached to The Ugly Dachshund in its initial release. This film was released the same year that Walt Disney passed away from lung cancer. There’s a scene where Suzanne Pleshette gives Dean Jones a gift for his smoking habit and he reminds her that he already quit. This may all be coincidence, but perhaps the line was inspired by Walt’s personal struggles with smoking and the realization that it would be his undoing.
Recommendation: This sweet comedy offers a lot of fun, while predictable and sticking close to the Disney formula. Catch it if you’re a fan of Disney comedies, all others should pass.
3:00 AM – A Tale of Two Critters (1977)
Unless you were a child in the 1970’s and were taken to see The Rescuers in theaters, you’ve probably never seen A Tale of Two Critters before. I certainly hadn’t. This live-action animal short was attached to The Rescuers in its original theatrical run and was released to video rental stores in 1981, but has been otherwise unavailable since.
“It was not the best of times, it was not the worst of times,” are the first words our narrator says as he introduces us to a young bear and raccoon, two unlikely friends who will have to rely on each other’s talents to survive when they are separated from their families. This kid-friendly animal film features lots of mischief as our protagonists come into contact with wolverines, foxes, and skunks as they go through the seasons together.
Recommendation: The most obscure “Treasure” to date is worth a view if you’re a fan of Disney’s animal films, but it’s otherwise pretty forgettable.
4:00 AM – Sammy the Way Out Seal (1962)
One of the most memorable 2-part TV movies to come from The Wonderful World of Color, Sammy the Way Out Seal is full of charm and nostalgia for simpler times. The 4:00 end of Treasures from the Disney Vault is usually reserved for the worst selection of the night. But this time around, it’s actually one of the best.
When brothers Arthur and Petey happen upon an injured seal at the beach, they sneak the animal home and name him Sammy. Hiding him right under their parent’s noses, the boys do their best to care for the mischievous Sammy. But when the seal sneaks out and crashes a neighborhood party, they will have to find a way to stop a feud between neighbors.
Filmed almost entirely on the Disney lot, the boys in Sammy appear to share the same neighborhood as the couple in The Ugly Dachshund since they all live on historic Residential Street. Fans of classic Disney films will recognize Ann Jillian, who played Bo Peep in Babes in Toyland, and Michael McGreevey, who went on to star as one of Dexter Riley’s friends in the Kurt Russell film series. Another bit of fun trivia is that the pool scenes were filmed inside soundstage 3, utilizing a portion of the tank originally built for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Recommendation: Sammy the Way Out Seal is a must-see for all Disney film fans and my second favorite film of the night, behind Old Yeller.
This animal edition of TCM's Treasures from the Disney Vault featured a few wonderful animal films, plus two memorable Silly Symphonies. It's one of the few versions of the programming lineup that has managed to stay on-theme from start-to-finish and this theme could easily be repeated several times over without re-airing a single film. However, my hope is that next December returns to a winter and Christmas theme with films like The Happiest Millionaire (featuring the song "It Won't Be Long Until Christmas"), Melody Time (featuring "Once Upon a Wintertime") and Swiss Family Robinson (it has a Christmas scene).