DVD Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney:
Rate:
Editor: Walt Disney Video
Category: Cartoons & Animation - Children - Children's Video - Family - Feature Film Family
Availability: 19 December 2006
List Price: $32.99 Our Price: $22.99YOU SAVE $10!
Buy it
DVD Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney
More than a time-capsule treasure for Disney buffs, this two-disc set will warm the nostalgic hearts of baby boomers who eagerly looked forward to their weekly visits with "Uncle Walt" Disney. As the host of his anthology series, Disneyland (later Walt Disney Presents, then The Wonderful World of Color), Disney presented classic cartoons and original programs, but he also gave starry-eyed viewers a privileged, behind-the-scenes look inside his magic kingdom, from the construction of his magnificent theme park to animators at work. Disneyland transformed Disney into the face of Disney Studios, a pied piper, according to film historian Leonard Maltin, who introduces the features on each disc. This collection of episodes features Disney at his most avuncular. "Where Do the Stories Come From" (1956) is a fun exploration of where Disney artists find their inspiration. "Fourth Anniversary Show" (1951) charts the development of the Disney featurette, Peter and the Wolf, but then becomes a surprise-party musical extravaganza for Disney hosted by his Mouseketeers, and featuring appearances by Guy "Zorro" Williams and Fess "Davy Crockett" Parker. Long-thought lost, "Kodak Presents Disneyland '59," is a black and white kinescope recording of a live, 90-min. television special (compete with entertaining Kodak commercials featuring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and sons) that serves to introduce three new attractions to Disneyland: the Nautilus submarine ride, the Monorail and the Matterhorn. Look for rising stars Clint Eastwood and Dennis Hopper among parade participants.
"Backstage Party" (1961) is a visit to the set of Disney's production of Babes in Toyland, with appearances by the film's stars, including Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn, and Ray Bolger. "Disneyland 10th Anniversary" (1965), previously released on the now-out-of-print Disneyland U.S.A. set, introduces the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It's a Small World rides, and shows how "space-age" technology was used to create the Enchanted Tiki Room. Disc 2's extras include a true rarity, a 1962 Cinemascope film presentation created to accompany a Disney Radio City Music Hall stage show. Another delight is "I Captured the King of the Leprechauns," a 1959 Disneyland episode tied to the release of the feature Darby O'Gill and the Little People (and included as a bonus feature on that DVD). This whimsical bit of blarney follows Disney to Ireland in search of "the little people." Movie tough guy Pat O'Brien sends him off with a charming song about leprechauns, just a small sample of these episodes' endearing and enduring hokey charms. --Donald Liebenson
Review(s): DVD Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney
10th anniversary show: will there be edits this time?
I bought the Disneyland USA treasures set specifically for the Disneyland 10th anniversary show, and in particular for the tiki room segment. I was appalled and very angry to find that they had done their creative editing again. About 8 minutes were cut out of the tiki room segment, and then to add insult to injury they put a large hard to avoid flashing warning on the bottom of the screen during the tahitian terrace fire dance segment. All this from a set that was pretty heavily advertised as being "uncut" and "original". The other shows on the set had some light editing done as well, whenever the mousketeers normally showed up breifly in the background these peices were cut out, and of course the infamous scene in the opening day broadcast where Walt thinks he's off camera and swears a bit. I dont know about anyone else, but I am really tired of revisionist history. I would rather take these things as whole and unedited blemishes and all, then have someone take out parts for one reason or another.
I am really really hoping that the reason that the 10th anniversary show is on this set yet again, is that they are putting out a unedited original version. If not, then once again as with many disney things lately I will have to find a way to put my old unedited television tapings from disney channel onto dvd. I refuse to buy into someone else's version of history, and will not buy edited dvd's. For it to be a "treasure" it has to be an original version to me, otherwise its pretty near useless garbage in a pretty decorated tin.
Some new rare TV show offerings, but some re-issues.
Disney DVD has announced 6 episodes that will be included in this collection:
1) "The Fourth Anniversary Show" : 1957 DISNEYLAND season opener, originally aired 9/11/57 on ABC.
2) "Where Do Stories Come from?" (1956) a nice little behind-the-scenes show about the Disney animators and their inspiration.
3) "I Captured The King of the Leprechauns" : this last DISNEYLAND episode of the 1958 season was a big promo for the Darby O'Gill movie, originally aired 5/29/59 on ABC. *** This has already been released as a bonus on the Darby O'Gill DVD. ***
4) "Kodak Presents Disneyland '59" : a long thought lost TV special, not part of the DISNEYLAND series. This is well worth getting this set for!
5) "Back Stage Party" sort of a behind-the-scenes wrap party for Disney's 1961 movie "Babes In Toyland" starring Annette.
6) "Disneyland 10th Anniversary Show" : from the 1964 season of Wonderful World Of Color, originally aired 1/3/65 on NBC. To be unedited this time, or not to be unedited this time, that is the question! *** This has already been released on a Disney Treasures DVD Tin called "Disneyland U.S.A." in the first wave! Sure that DVD is out of print, but It is disappointing not to have a new to DVD episode included here. There are SO many episodes in which Walt plays a major part, this DOUBLE DIPPING is regrettable! ***
Related DVD's Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney
Around this time of year, I always check out 'Disney treasures' on the Amazon search to see what my favourite studio is treating me to for Christmas. I am not disappointed this year.
Volume 2 of The Complete Pluto was always going to happen and is most welcome. No news yet on content and extras but its fair to say that they should be up to the excellent standard of the previous volumes.
More Info about this DVD Director(s): Charles A. Nichols DVD Release Date: 19 December 2006
List Price: $32.99 Your Price: $23.09YOU SAVE $9.9!
Buy it
The second set of Silly Symphonies completes the series of music-themed cartoons Walt Disney began in 1929 with "The Skeleton Dance." Disney used these films to train his artists and to experiment with new techniques and visual styles. Viewers who watch the Symphonies in chronological order can see the artists' work improving at an astonishing pace. When a ring of imps dances around a fire in "Hell's Bells" (1929) the flat-looking flames move stiffly, like paper cut-outs; five years later in "The Goddess of Spring" (1934), the flames ripples and crackle, and their changing hues produce multi-colored shadows on the cavern walls. The imps in the earlier film are rubbery golliwogs who just bounce and stretch to the music; in the later film, the rounder, more dimensional... More Info about this DVD Director(s): David Hand - Walt Disney - Ub Iwerks - Wilfred Jackson DVD Release Date: 19 December 2006
List Price: $32.99 Your Price: $22.99YOU SAVE $10!
Buy it
From the moment Thurl Ravenscroft intoned, "Gold doubloons and pieces of eight/ Handed down to Applegate," "The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure" became one of the best-loved serials on the The Mickey Mouse Club, second only to "The Adventures of Spin and Marty." Gifted young actors Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk make a believable pair of adolescent sleuths: Frank and Joe Hardy want to follow in the footsteps of their father, private detective Fenton Hardy. Summer vacation in the little town of Bayport seems boring until Frank and Joe run into Perry Robinson, a new kid in their neighborhood, who them leads into the search for the long-lost pirate treasure of local eccentric Silas Applegate. There's plenty of low-key daring-do, suitably sinister villains, misread clues, and wholesome... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Sidney Miller DVD Release Date: 19 December 2006
List Price: $32.99 Your Price: $23.09YOU SAVE $9.9!
Buy it
I know of this film only through a richly illustrated book for children, Secrets of Life, with photographs from the film by the Disney Studio. I borrowed the book several times from the library simply for its wonderful photographs of the life of bees. One sequence struck me-how bees do a 'dance' to 'tell' other bees in the hive where a good source of nectar(a field of flowers) is. According to Roy Disney the film looks better than it did when originally released. According to other reviewers the movie includes lovely time lapse photography of flowers accompanied by the classical piece, Bolero. Nature lovers, rejoice! This set also includes Perri, the life of a squirrel, which was also well received. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Paul Kenworthy Jr. - Ralph Wright - James Algar DVD Release Date: Released the 05 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $32.99 Your Price: $22.99YOU SAVE $10!
Buy it
Long before Animal Planet existed, Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures awakened viewers to the wonders of the natural world. Disney began the series in 1946 with Seal Island, and the six features and seven featurettes won eight Academy Awards.
Listen to our interview with director emeritus Roy E. Disney.
One winner was Bear Country (1953), which is included in Creatures of the Wild, along with The African Lion (1955), Jungle Cat (1959) and The Olympic Elk... More Info about this DVD Director(s): James Algar DVD Release Date: Released the 05 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $32.99 Your Price: $22.99YOU SAVE $10!
Buy it
