TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault: June 2017
TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault returns for its summer lineup of programming on Friday, June 2nd, with two different themes. The first is Hayley Mills at the turn of the century. Mills was Disney’s biggest movie star in the first half of the 1960’s and we’ve already seen her most iconic role(s) playing separated twins Sharron and Susan in The Parent Trap almost one year ago on Treasures from the Disney Vault. Tonight we experience her career-defining role as the insatiably happy Pollyanna, as well as a charming Sherman Brothers musical that fittingly kicks off this early summer lineup, Summer Magic.
The second theme is equestrians with a classic Mickey Mouse short and four TV productions concerning horses. As an animal lover, Disney made no shortage of horse films and the entire evening could have easily been devoted to this topic. Sadly, we won’t see some of the more memorable offerings, such as Tonka or The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit, but living up to the title of the programming block, many of these are fetched from deep within the Disney Vault. Leonard Maltin is sure to have lots of valuable insight into these films as well as an explanation for their selection.
8:00 pm – Summer Magic (1963)
If you feel like you just walked under the train station and are entering Main Street, U.S.A., there are probably two reasons for it. The first is because Summer Magic takes place at the turn of the century. The second is that Magic Kingdom’s Main Street is peppered with references to this film via signage throughout its many shops. The songs, written by the legendary Sherman Brothers, are also part of the continuous music loop found on Main Street. Classics such as “Flitterin’,” “Beautiful Beaulah,” and the title track “Summer Magic” will all be memorable melodies to anyone who has logged more than a few hours waiting for parades or fireworks in a Disney park. And anyone who grew up in the era of Disney Sing-Along Songs VHS tapes will be familiar with “The Ugly Bug Ball” (They just didn’t realize it was from something!).
Summer Magic is based on the novel Mother Carey’s Chickens by Kate Douglas, whose other works inspired the MGM classic Meet Me in St. Louis. Hayley Mills leads this cast, which also includes Dorothy McQuire (Old Yeller, Swiss Family Robinson) and Burl Ives (So Dear to My Heart for Disney, plus a legendary singer and star of classics such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and East of Eden). After losing their father, the Carey family moves from Boston to a small country town based on a lie the eldest daughter (Mills) told them. Full of charm, humor, and wonderful songs, if you haven't seen Summer Magic you're in for a treat!
Recommendation: This is one of my favorite Disney films and one of the few live action musicals in the canon. ‘Summer Magic’ is a treat for the soul and is not to be missed.
10:00 pm – Pollyanna (1960)
The star film of the evening is without a doubt Pollyanna. It's a one-of-a-kind motion picture that is capable of lifting the spirits of even the gloomiest gulch in the audience. Like Summer Magic, this film is set right around the turn of the century. It's hard to believe that this was only Hayley Mills' second film, but it's easy to see why it made her an overnight success, leading to a series of classics that include The Parent Trap and That Darn Cat!.
Pollyanna is a high spirited orphan who is taken in by her wealthy aunt, a stone cold heiress played by Jane Wyman. Pollyanna's infectious nature warms the hearts of everyone she meets, from her aunt's hired help (Nancy Olson) to an orphan boy (Kevin Corcoran) and even the citizens, including a memorable role by Agnes Morehead. But can Pollyanna warm the heart of her stern aunt?
Recommendation: If you're only going to tune in to one program tonight, make sure it's 'Pollyanna.' It's one of the finest films in the Disney Vault.
12:30 am – Mickey’s Polo Team (1936)
The only animated portion of the evening kicks off a nearly six-hour salute to horses. It's also a perfect fit for TCM, as the stands and game are full of celebrities of the era, including Shirley Temple and the Marx Brothers, as well as Disney characters like the Three Little pigs, Big Bad Wolf, and Max Hare. Where else can you see Clarabelle Cow flirting with Clark Gable?
It’s interesting to note that Walt Disney played polo on a celebrity league, which was obviously the inspiration behind this short. However, a few years after its release, Walt suffered an injury that forced him to stop playing. It went improperly treated and resulted in a painful calcium deposit in his neck which studio personnel would blame for days when the boss was in a less than friendly mood.
Recommendation: As with the first two films, 'Mickey's Polo Team' is a must-see for both Disney fans and film buffs.
The night is still young, to see what other equestrian fun Disney has in store, proceed to the next page.
12:45am – The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960)
This featurette from 1960 was originally released to theaters with Swiss Family Robinson and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. At 47-minutes in length, it was initially conceived as an episode of Walt Disney Presents. It finally made its TV debut in 1963 as part of The Wonderful World of Color.
This documentary follows the true events of a champion jumping horse through his many owners. As a finalist in the Pan American Games, the horse was named Nautical, but before becoming a victor he went through a series of life obstacles, from herding cows to being mistreated by a cruel owner. Note that quite a bit of the action in the first half appears to be staged or recreated. In true Disney fashion, elements of the story have also been embellished to sound more exciting than they really were. The sepia toned segments appear to be from the live televised sporting event with a cameo by a young(er) Queen Elizabeth II.
Recommendation: If you’re an Oscar aficionado or a fan of narrated vintage documentaries, then stick around for ‘The Horse with the Flying Tail.’ But at almost 1:00 am, it’s sure to be a tough one to stay awake through, even with a short 47-minute runtime.
1:45 am – The Tattooed Police Horse (1964)
If you’re feeling dejavu, it’s because The Tattooed Police Horse has a lot in common with The Horse with the Flying Tail. Both were directed by Larry Lansburgh as episodes of Disney’s weekly anthology series and both were deemed worthy of theatrical release, this one with 1964’s Emil and the Detectives, which has yet to debut on TCM’s Treasures from the Disney Vault. However, unlike the previous flick, this one is pure fiction.
Jolly Roger is a trotting horse who can’t control his own speed, often getting in trouble. Out of money and luck, his owner sells the horse to a Boston police officer where he serves his new community, but soon finds himself a winner again on the racetrack.
Recommendation: If you had to choose between ‘The Horse with the Flying Tail’ or ‘The Tattooed Police Horse,’ this is the more exciting of the two. However, with similar pacing and the late airtime, it will be tough to stay awake through unless you have severe insomnia.
2:45 am – Hacksaw (1971)
A fun fact about Hacksaw is that it was originally a two-part episode of The Wonderful World of Disney. Part 1 aired on September 26th, 1971, while part two premiered on October 3rd, bookending the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort on October 1st. So as you watch this combined version, be sure to think about all of those weird and creepy pre-opening TV ads for Disney’s newest kingdom. For example, this nightmare-inducing preview that surely resulted in a decrease in attendance and was possible the reason Eastern Airlines went under:
Director Larry Lansburgh is at it again with a feature-length horse film that is quite different from the previous featurettes. 1950’s teen heartthrob Tab Hunter is all grown up here, playing a Rocky Mountain cowboy who helps a girl on vacation capture a different kind of stud, a wild horse named Hacksaw. The horse eventually goes on to be a competitor in barrel race. With original folk songs and a mix of scripted action and narrated exposition, it’s a hybrid between the previous horse fare and what’s next to come.
Recommendation: ‘Hacksaw’ continues the horse lineup with some beautiful imagery and a better story than the previous featurettes. However, it has some major pacing issues and is by no means a classic.
4:30 am – The Horse Without a Head (1963)
A departure from the previous three films, The Horse Without a Head doesn’t star a real horse. Instead, the mare in this title is a ride-on toy that a group of street kids play with. Set in France, a train robbery goes awry when the robbers quickly hide a key inside the head of their broken toy riding horse. Now the thieves will stop at nothing to get it back.
The Horse Without a Head was filmed in England and released theatrically in Europe in 1961. For whatever reason, Disney chose not to distribute it domestically until 1963, when it was split into two parts for The Wonderful World of Color. It’s likely that it was originally filmed with TV in mind, but its distribution was certainly atypical. But since Disney’s anthology series was not broadcast in Europe, it was not uncommon for many of these TV movies to be distributed theatrically abroad after making their US debut.
Recommendation: 'The Horse Without a Head' is more reminiscent of the family films Disney was famous for in the 1960's, but has too many dull moments to make it memorable.
Holy Cabooses! I hope you enjoyed this joyride with Haylie Mills through the turn of the century, as well as the later hours of horse fare. I was thrilled to see two of my favorite Haylie Mills films get the most prime time slots of the evening and Mickey's Polo Team is always a joy with its weird, wacky take on 1930's Hollywood. The four horse films were certainly obscure and there's better content in this category. I would love to see Treasure's from the Disney Vault repeat the theme, but include Tonka and The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit in the lineup. In addition, there's a TV movie called The Horsemasters that is hard to come by and I've always wanted to see it solely for its Disney star power. It paired Annette Funicello, Tommy Kirk and Janet Munro! Make it happen, Leonard!