Treasures from the Disney Vault returns to TCM on September 11^th and repeats two themes used last September. Leonard Maltin has curated a night of programming that starts with some classic Disney pirates films, both starring the handsome James MacArthur. The evening then takes us into Halloween season with a pair of ghost adventures, one of which features a pirate ghost. And the evening ends with two classic Jodi Foster films from the 1970’s, both of which have a mysterious or “freaky” element to stay on theme. So get ready to set sail for a frightful adventure. An adventure that begins with... PIRATES!!! (Bonus points if you know what that's from)

8:00 pm - Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Grab a pineapple Dole Whip or a Citrus Swirl and settle in for one of my favorite live action Disney films of all time, Swiss Family Robinson. Join Dorothy McGuire, John Mills (Hayley's father), James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk, and Kevin Corocoran as they get shipwrecked on a jungle island full of danger and beauty. When the family takes in a refugee, the beautiful Janet Munro, they discover their island paradise is in danger when a crew of pirates come looking for her.

When it was filmed in 1960, Swiss Family Robinson was the most expensive live action film Disney had ever produced, but it also became one of the highest grossing films of the year, outperforming both Psycho and Sparticus at the box office! One of the reasons for the high cost was because the film was shot entirely on location on the island of Tobago. In addition to building a real working tree house and sunken ship sets, the crew also had to transport wild and exotic animals to the island, including an elephant, ostrich, tiger, monkey, giant turtle, and a pair of Great Danes. When the footage arrived back in Burbank, it was discovered that almost all of the audio was unusable. Nearly the entire film's audio was recorded on a California soundstage, but you would never know from watching it.

Following the success of the film, a walk through attraction was added to Disneyland park in 1962. Both the film and attraction were so iconic worldwide that you can still experience the attraction at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. It's also worth noting that Disneyland's tree is still there, it's just been rethemed to Tarzan and that version was reproduced in 2005 for Hong Kong Disneyland.

Recommendation: A must-see Disney film, truly one of the best!

10:30 pm - Kidnapped (1960)

Little known fact: In 1960 James MacArthur saved a girl from some sea scalawags in one film, but was taken prisoner by them in another. Kidnapped is based on a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and directed by Robert Stevenson (no relation). One became famous for writing Treasure Island, the other acclaimed for directing Mary Poppins. Sadly, Kidnapped is not an example of the best work of either Robert Stevenson.

When David Balfour (MacArthur) visits his uncle Ebenezer to claim the inheritance left to him by his deceased father, he is instead sold into slavery aboard a ship bound for America where he befriends a shipwrecked captive named Alan Breck Stewart (Peter Finch). But just when they think they've escaped, they get on the bad side of the Red Coats and have to hide in the highlands of Scotland.

There is evidence to suggest that Kidnapped was originally filmed as a two-part episode of The Wonderful World of Color but was instead released theatrically. It feels like it has two distinct and different acts pefectly split in the middle and the 90-minute runtime would have left room for Walt's intros and a word from the sponsors. Ever the perfectionist, Walt had the film produced in England with a mostly British cast, just like he had done on Treasure Island a decade earlier. In fact, Uncle Ebenezer is played by John Laurie, who you may recognize as the blind man who visits Jim Hawkins' inn at the beginning of the film. Was Kidnapped a failed attempt at recapturing the magic of Treasure Island? It certainly seems that way.

Recommendation: Kidnapped is surprisingly slow paced for an adventure film, but serves as an example of Walt Disney's unflinching commitment to quality filmmaking. If you enjoyed Treasure Island, you should at least give it a chance.

12:15 am - Lonesomes Ghosts (1937)

For the second Treasures from the Disney Vault in a row, we get just one animated short instead of a collection of shorts to fill a half-hour. It's a shame for fans of Disney animation, as many of the shorts have recently been restored and these restorations have yet to be seen by fans. Furthermore, Lonesome Ghosts is the first short or film to be repeated in this programming lineup, having made its Disney Vault premiere in October 2015.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy star as the original Ghostbusters in this classic short. When their ghost hunting agency finally gets a call, they spring to action to help rid a haunted house of its spirits. But the jokes on them when these practical joking poltergeists have a lifetime worth of fun in a single night, sending Mickey, Donald, and Goofy running for the hills.

Recommendation: A true Halloween classic, you can't miss this animated portion of the night.

The night is still young! To learn about the fun the bewitching hours have in store, proceed to the next page.

12:30 am - Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)

Robert Stevenson and the writing team behind Mary Poppins (Don DaGradi and Bill Walsh) are the masterminds behind Blackbeard's Ghost. This formulaic Disney comedy reunited Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette (from The Ugly Dachshund) and like many films from the early post-Walt years, this was an unrealized idea on the drawing board when Walt was alive. Filmed in Southern California and on the Disney Studio lot, be on the lookout for some staple Disney character actors, some impressive Peter Ellenshaw matte paintings, and the old animation building doubling as... wait for it... a college.

Godalphin's new track coach Steve (Jones) unintentionally releases the spirit of the dreaded pirate Blackbeard while trying to impress beautiful Suzanne Pleshette by bidding on an antique bed pan at a charity auction. Blackbeard's descendants, who run the historic Blackbeard Inn, are at risk of losing their land to a shark who needs their island to build a casino. Now Steve is caught between coaching a losing team and trying to save the Inn so this cantankerous spirit will leave him alone.

Blackbeard's Ghost is largely a rehash of some visual gags that were first used in The Absent-Minded Professor with a few genuine laughs. While Jones and Pleshette prove charming together a second time, the show is mostly stolen by Peter Ustinov as Blackbeard, his first of several Disney roles. His most iconic performance for the studio was as the voice of Prince John a few years later in the animal animated version of Robin Hood.

Recommendation: Fans of Disney's 1960's visual gag comedies won't want to miss Blackbeard's Ghost.

2:15 am - Freaky Friday (1973)

Far out! Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris pull a switcheroo in this uniquely 1970's body changing comedy. With a screenplay from the book's author, Mary Rodgers, the humor and plot twists made the film an instant classic. It's no wonder it was remade by Disney in 1995 and 2003. While the remakes added some depth and heart to the story, it's impossible to top these original performances. Plus, I defy you to get "I'd Like to Be You for a Day" out of your head. It's a catchy theme song that will never leave you.

On Friday the 13th, Annabel Andrews and her mother, Ellen, make a wish to trade places out of frustration and it actually comes true! Annabel discovers that her mom doesn't just have fun while she's at school and Ellen discovers that a lot has changed since she was a teenager. Learning to be someone you're not proves not only difficult, but also life saving when Annabel needs to save her mother from her obligation to perform fantastic aquatic stunts.

Freaky Friday really touched on something special and while many films have tried to reverse the scenario with a father/son switch, they've never been able to recapture the mother/daughter magic of this formula. The film serves as a sort of time capsule for 1970's L.A. and in the hilarious car chase sequence, be on the lookout for a residential roundabout, the former site of the Carthay Circle Theater where Snow White had its historic debut. In addition to remakes, the story was recently adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical and that version is slated to be produced into a TV movie for ABC.

Recommendation: Freaky Friday is one of the few gems from Disney in the 1970's and is a must-see. I'm shocked it's not on earlier in the night when more people could enjoy this wonderful comedy.

4:00 am - Candleshoe (1977)

Jodie Foster returns a year later for her last Disney film in Candleshoe. With a more mysterious tone and filmed in England, it feels far removed from her other Disney work. I would describe it as Anastasia meets The Rescuers meets The Goonies.

Casey is a street urchin in L.A., constantly on the run from the law when she is approached by a business man with an unusual proposition. Being the right age and bearing a striking resemblance to a missing child from a wealthy family in England, she is sent abroad to pose as the granddaughter of Lady St. Edmund (Helen Hayes) in her manor called Candleshoe. But the real reason for the ruse is that a former housekeeper had uncovered the first in a series of clues that could lead to a hidden treasure worth millions. It's up to Casey to solve the mystery and make the swindlers very rich, but after being welcomed into the first family she's ever known, can she actually follow through with the plan?

Candleshoe has a slow pace to start, but is thoroughly engaging once you get into the grove. Helen Hayes gives a memorable performance and even played the Dowager Empress in Fox's 1956 version of Anastasia, which no doubt prepared her for this role. David Niven also has an unforgettable part as a butler who pretends to be other employees to protect Helen Hayes from realizing that her fortunes are dwindling. And in case you're wondering, yes, those are Winnie the Pooh and Piglet toys on Jodi Foster's bed.

Recommendation: Candleshoe is a little-known gem in the Disney vault and I highly recommend it.

It's hard to go wrong with an evening of all-Disney entertainment on TCM. While it's a shame that two fine Jodi Foster films were kicked to the least watched hours of the night, overall this was a solid lineup. Treasures from the Disney Vault should return in December. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this winter's lineup brings back some snowy fun, such as Snowball Express or Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates.