Hayley Mills: Forever Young: A Memoir

 

If you love the 1960's live action Disney films as much as I do, you probably have the same fondness for Hayley Mills (who as a child acted in multiple Disney classics). To me Pollyanna (1960) still ranks as one of Disney's finest live action movies and The Parent Trap (1961) is still a comedy classic. Because of this I was eager to read Hayley Mills' memoir. 

What I found was the Hayley is just a lovely of a human being as she is an actress. She not only talks about her career and personal life but also her own personal philosophies. In a simple and unpretentious manner, she shows herself to be a very soulful and intelligent woman. You not only learn about her here, but you connect with emotionally. 

As a buff of all things Walt Disney, I of course greatly enjoyed the times when she talked about Walt himself. It is rare to be able to actually read about Walt from the point of view of someone who actually knew him. This makes me treasure every chance I get to read a first-hand account of the great filmmaker. To read Hayley writing about him with such love and fondness only increased this joy. 

She also talked greatly about some of her British films. Even if you have not seen these movies, Hayley's writing makes you want to search them out. 

Hayley also talks greatly about the effects of being a child star in Hollywood. While her life does not have the same tragedies that many child stars suffered, it did lead to much insecurity on her part. She obviously still remembers these insecurities and writes about them in a way that can feel heartbreaking to read. 

A must read for any Hayley Mills and/or Disney fan. 

Treasures From the Disney Vault on TCM 6/25/19

Hello again my friends, important news on June 25th, Turner Classic Movies is going to do another line up of Treasures of the Disney Vault. Like always it will be hosted by film historian and critic (as well as huge influence on me) Leonard Maltin and feature a great line up of rare Disney live action features and short cartoons.

The line up begins with a movie I absolutely love and feel deserves much more attention. This is The Moon-Spinners (1964). As Disney's great child star of Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961), Hayley Mills was getting older and outgrowing the roles she got in early Disney films, the studio decided to place her in a grownup role in this very exciting Hitchcock influenced feature. The results were very successful as you will see. Next comes a fun little Pluto cartoon, The Bone Bandit (1948). This is not one of the funniest Disney cartoons of its era, but it is certainly enjoyable. After this comes one of my favorite Disney movies of the 1970's, The Littlest Horse Thieves (1976). This is a very low key and extremely charming little film, that I couldn't love more. This is followed by a classic Silly Symphonies cartoon, The Robber Kitten (1935). As I have stated before on this blog, the Silly Symphonies still stand as one of the greatest cartoon series of all time and this is an especially delightful entry. After this comes one of the studio's many delightful live action slapstick comedies, The North Avenue Irregulars (1979). This is followed by another fun little live action comedy with Emil and the Detectives (1964). The line up ends with another live action Disney comedy with Never a Dull Moment (1968), the film that marks the last time Edward G. Robinson played a gangster.

Line-Up

The Moon-Spinners (1964) Director: James Neilson. Starring Hayley Mills and Eli Wallach. 5pm Pacific. 8pm Eastern.

Bone Bandit (1948). Director: Charles A. Nichols. Starring Pluto. 7:15pm Pacific. 10:15pm Eastern.

The Littlest Horse Thieves (1976) Director: Charles Jarrott. Starring Leslie Sands and Maurice Colbourne. 7:25pm Pacific. 10:25pm Eastern.

The Robber Kitten (1935) Director: David Hand. 10:15pm Pacific. 1:15am Eastern.

The North Avenue Irregulars (1979) Director: Bruce Bilson. Starring Douglas Fowley and Kim Bullard. 10:30pm Pacific. 1:30am Eastern.

Emil and the Detectives (1964) Director: Peter Tewsbury. Starring Walter Selzak and Bryan Russell. 12:15am Pacific. 3:15am Eastern.

Never a Dull Moment (1968) Director: Jerry Paris. Starring Dick Van Dyke and Edward G. Robinson. 2am Pacific. 5am Eastern.

-Michael J. Ruhland.
 

...And The Blue Ribbon Goes to The Parent Trap

Here is a 1961 article about Disney's great live action feature The Parent Trap.


During the 1960's many of these Blue Ribbon Awards went to Disney features. I will post more of these articles about 1960's Disney films winning Box Office Magazine's Blue Ribbon Award.

-Michael J. Ruhland  

"The Parent Trap" (1961) is Family Friendly Old Fashioned Fun Says Minister

In the 1960's cinema was rapidly changing. Filmmakers were developing new and very experimental ways of telling their stories, as even Hollywood was becoming more and more influenced by the art house films being made overseas. Something else was happening as well. Censorship was becoming looser and it was no longer that one could take a child to any movie playing at the local cinema. One must keep in mind that in 1960 movies like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Billy Wilder's The Apartment were released, neither of which could ever be considered family entertainment.

During this time though Walt Disney would be the one keeping family friendly entertainment and classic Hollywood conventions alive. This may seem kind of strange as Walt was one of the biggest experimenters in Hollywood in the 1930's and 40's. However the reason for this was not Walt playing it safer as the years went by. The reason for this was the same reason he had worked on much more experimental film ideas earlier in his career. Walt always stuck to his guns and made the type of movies he liked and movies like The Parent Trap were the type of movies he liked. What Walt also knew was that being family friendly was not enough. His movies had to be good films. This is why the live action Disney movies of the 1960's were so popular with audiences. They were good movies. They may not be critic's movies or as daring as much of 1960's cinema, but they were pure crowd pleasers and still are today. I am second to no one in my love of movies like Psycho or the French New Wave overseas, but the Disney movies of this era are just as good in their own right.

Of course being family friendly certainly helped the films win audiences at the time. It is important to remember these were not kid's movies, but family movies, and there was little coemption that could actually compete with them in that decade. The following is an article from Boxoffice magazine (dated August 7, 1961) that shows the effect The Parent Trap had on its family audience.


"LINCOLN- 'The best picture I ever saw.'

"One of Lincoln's leading ministers and civic leader, Dr. C. Vin White of First Presbyterian Church looked up Varsity Theatre Manager Walt Jancke to tell him this says Walt.

"The picture?

"Disney's 'The Parent Trap' which had played to top crowds for two weeks at the Varsity and moved over to the state theater August 1 for what Walt and State Manager Bert Cheever hoped would be another good house.

"Walt reflects the enthusiastic reception young and old have given the picture in Lincoln.


"'Its like old times,' he remarks 'standing in the lobby and hearing the people laugh and knowing that they are all enjoying the picture.'

"He sees in the public's reception of 'The Parent Trap,' a return to some of America's better movie days.

"'The boxoffice for this one will show this is the kind of picture patrons want,' he said.

"He sees the success of 'The Parent Trap' as a tribute to Disney's foresight and work.

"The Varsity opened with Jimmy Stewart in 'The Two Ride Together' August 1. After the state's 'The Parent Trap'  run another Disney production 'Nikki,' is scheduled."

The Parent Trap is one of my favorite live action Disney movies. The reason for this is very simple, it is pure entertainment at its absolute best. It never fails to put a smile on my face. It was remade rather well in 1998, but nothing can ever quite top that pure natural unpretentious charm of this movie.

Before we close this post, what do you say we sing one we all know.




-Michael J. Ruhland

Some Great Overlooked Walt Disney Movies Vol. 1

Hello my fellow Disney lovers, today is our Uncle Walt's birthday (He would have been 117 years old). Now if you are like me you have seen Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, and many more highly praised Disney films more than a few times. That is why today we are going to look at some of the lesser known movies from Walt Disney's career. Keep in mind since this is Walt's birthday, I am not including any Disney films from after Walt passed away. There are so many of these movies that I can guarantee you I will have more than one post of this.


Summer Magic (1963) I love Hayley Mills and her presence brightened up so many great Disney films of the 1960's. While movies like The Parent Trap or Pollyanna still receive the attention they deserve, it is unfortunate that such a delightful movie as Summer Magic goes practically unnoticed. This is not a plot heavy or fast moving film. However the movie is covered in atmosphere. Director James Neilson and writer Sally Benson (Meet Me in St. Louis and Shadow of a Doubt) provide us with a great sense of small town Americana that I find irresistible. The Sherman Brothers are also at the top of their game, providing some songs that are up to par with their best work for Disney. This is especially true of On The Front Porch and The Ugly Bug Ball.

Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) Watching this movie many would have no idea the Disney studio actually worked on it. It is very slow paced and dialogue heavy. It is also a movie that a kid would have trouble following. This does not mean it is not a great movie in its own right though. The characters here are extremely well fleshed out and the story is a very good one. The scenes with the horses performing are absolutely breathtaking, especially if you are a horse lover like me. This movie requires patience on the part of the audience, but if you give it this patience you will find very rewarding.


The Three Lives of Thomasina (1964) Highly intelligent and spellbindingly beautiful movie. Don Chaffy was one of Disney's great live action directors though he hardly gets the credit as such. This movie perfectly shows why. This movie is fantastic. It has a leisurely pace that it uses perfectly to its advantage. This pace lets you get completely sucked into the atmosphere. This movie also offers a compelling character examination of the father. He is not a bad guy but a man who has lost his faith in both humanity and God and this has made him cold and distant. With his daughter and our main character we have some of the most heartbreaking scenes in Disney history. Though this is a fantasy movie these elements make it feel so real.


The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) I have to confess when people say Disney's Robin Hood, this live action movie is what comes to my mind. For those who have seen this movie that might be very understandable. This movie focuses much more on the relationship between Robin and Marion than any previous film version, and this is handled beautifully. This is especially true with how well the two leads (Richard Todd and Joan Rice) work together. What is interesting is that Todd was not happy with Rice being cast saying it should go to a more experienced actress and according to all accounts he never warmed up to her. This is not felt in the movie at any time and the chemistry between them is phenomenal. This was the first Disney movie for director Ken Annakin, who would later direct The Sword and the Rose, Third Man on the Mountain and Swiss Family Robinson for the studio. This movie already shows him in full force as it is unbelievably visually beautiful and the action scenes are excellently handled.

So Dear to My Heart (1949) Walt considered this one of his favorite films he worked on. It is not hard to see why. This is one of the finest and most charming pieces of small town Americana ever put on screen. This use is irresistible and I can't help but have a smile on my face. For a country boy like Walt a film like this must have felt like going home. This is the type of charm that makes so many Disney movies special and one of the studio's most underrated classics. There is just such a simplicity and honesty to this movie that I love revisiting again and again.

The Three Caballeros (1945) Made as part of the goof neighbor policy work the Disney studio did during World War 2, this movie overcomes its topicality to become something timeless. This is one of the craziest, silliest and cartoon-est animated features the studio ever made. There is so much absolutely hilarious humor, great imagination and wild fantastic animation here, that the movie is simply breathtaking. There are those who view Disney cartoons as tame compared to the work from Warner Brothers or MGM. This perfectly proves them wrong as the climax is one of the craziest, cartoon-est and all together funniest things in cartoon history. If you want fast paced cartoon fun look no further. Plus it stars our good pal Donald Duck.


Victory Through Airpower (1943) On the other side of Walt's animated work for the World War 2 effort was Victory Through Air Power. This was a completely serious animated documentary about the importance of using air power to win World War 2. This movie was based off a book by Major Alexander de Servesky about how he felt airpower could win World War 2. Walt was inspired by this book and wanted to make a film out of it. He got Seversky to appear in live action between the animation to discuss his ideas. The animation itself was different from any previous Disney feature. The animation would be much more limited and much less character based than ever before. However the studio accomplished this just as well, providing many truly memorable images. This may not be for every Disney fan, but it is a great film.


-Michael J. Ruhland