Disney releases popular movies from past on DVD
One of the all-time childhood weepies, “Old Yeller,” and the exuberant musical comedy “The Parent Trap” are among the latest offerings from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, as the company continues its innovative and, presumably, lucrative program of releasing its most popular movies from the past on DVD, with lots of special bonus materials included. These two films, from 1957 and 1961, respectively, were released last week in two-disc sets as part of the Vault Disney Collection ($29.99 each, both rated G).
“The Parent Trap” stars the gifted 15-year-old English actress Hayley Mills in the dual roles of twin sisters of a divorced couple (played by Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara).
The story is as unlikely as any Disney fairy tale: The two girls discover they are long-lost twin sisters when they meet unexpectedly for the first time at summer camp, and decide to work together to fulfill the dreams of many divorced kids – to bring their parents back together.
But the exuberance of Mills’ performance and the humor of the script helps overcome whatever ickiness exists in the story.
The film is aided by a terrific score by Richard and Robert Sherman, whose rock ‘n’ rolly “Let’s Get Together” became a Top 10 single for Mills.
This was the first Disney film scored by the Sherman Brothers, who later wrote the music for Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” “Mary Poppins” (winning two Oscars apiece) and other films and TV shows. One of the highlights of the DVD is an interview with the Shermans, who describe their introduction to Walt Disney and their work on this film, and who sing, charmingly, some of their original tunes that were included here.
(In the interests of full disclosure, this reviewer proudly reveals that I am a second cousin of the Shermans.
However, I bear no responsibility for their authorship of “It’s a Small World,” the theme song of a Disneyland attraction that has driven many to thoughts of murder and mayhem.)
Other special features on the DVD are an audio commentary by Mills and writer-director David Swift, “Donald’s Double Trouble” (a Donald Duck cartoon), a documentary about the making of “The Parent Trap,” a video of “Let’s Get Together,” Dolby Digital sound, a widescreen picture and lots of material from the Disney archives.
“Old Yeller” is the story of a stray dog who get adopted by the Texas frontier family of Jim Coates, played by the familiar Disney star Fess Parker, of “Davy Crockett” fame.
The cast is filled with Disney movie regulars, with Dorothy Maguire (also in Disney’s “Swiss Family Robinson) as the mom, and Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran (both of whom were also in “Swiss Family Robinson and “The Shaggy Dog”) playing their two boys.
When Dad is away on a cattle drive, Old Yeller demonstrates dogged courage in saving the boys and the family from bears and other wild dangers. Just thinking about the ending can bring a tear to a 50something who saw the movie some 45 years ago.
The two-disc DVD includes a feature-length reunion-audio commentary with Kirk, Parker and Corcoran, several short documentaries about the film and its impact, Dolby Digital sound, a widescreen picture and lots of memorabilia from 1957, including lobby cards, posters and fan letters.
Two additional Vault Disney films, both from 1960, have also been released for the first time on DVD: “Pollyanna,” for which Hayley Mills received a special Academy Award for her performance as the buoyantly spirited orphan in small-town America, and “Swiss Family Robinson,” a latter-day “Robinson Crusoe” tale about a family shipwrecked on an island in the South Seas, starring John Mills (Hayley’s father), Dorothy Maguire, James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran.
Finally, Disney has also just released a special 25th anniversary editon of “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” a two-disc package available for the first time on DVD (Walt Disney Home Entertainment, $29.99, rated G).
This collection of the Disney animated versions of A.A. Milne’s stories about Pooh, Tigger, Christopher Robin, Eeyore and Roo is presented as a feature-length film, digitally remastered and restored, and includes the songs of Richard and Robert Sherman.
Among the special bonus features are a brand-new music video of Carly Simon performing the “Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” a sing-along version of “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers,” “Pooh’s Pop Up Fun Facts,” a game entitled “The 100 Acre Wood Challenge,” a sneak preview at a 2003 theatrical film, “Piglet’s BIG Movie,” and many images from the Winnie the Pooh Video Art Gallery.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com.)