The Jungle Book

  

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1967
Michael's Movie Grade: A-

History

The Jungle Book marked the last animated feature film that Walt Disney would personally work on. However, he would not live to see the film completed. 

This movie did not come about easily. Boxoffice magazine reported in an issue dated April 23rd, 1962, "After lengthy negotiations Walt Disney has purchased all of Rudyard Kipling's famous stories compiled in 'The Jungle Book' - Volume I and II - with plans to produce a multi-million-dollar motion picture. The Disney production will include Kipling's classic stories of Mowgli, the Jungle Boy, who learns the laws and life of the jungle from the family of wolves the adopts him." The idea to adapt Rudyard Kipling's classic book came from Disney story artist Bill Peet, who been trying to convince Walt for years. After Peet did the screenplay for Sword and the Stone (1963), Walt set him to work on The Jungle Book. Peet's original treatment (dated April 23, 1963) incorporated many elements from the classic story that would not make it to the final film. For instance, in his original treatment Mowgli would go to the man village and return to the jungle. This treatment had a much darker and serious tone than the average Disney animated film of this time and Walt not liking this approach felt it had to be changed a great deal. While this treatment may differ greatly from the final film, there are glimmers of the movie it would become. Peet's sketches of the characters greatly resemble how the characters would look in the actual movie. These sketches also gave the characters a little personality, which again resembles the characters in the film. It has been said that Peet even played around with the phrase, "bare necessities." Peet's treatment also included characters that didn't make it to the final film such as Ishtar the vulture (though four different vultures would appear in the movie) and a nearsighted rhinoceros. Bill Peet would not stay at the studio until the film was complete. He left the Disney studio on November 18, 1964, so that he could concentrate on writing and illustrating children's books.

Afterwards former radio gag writer, Larry Cleamons would be in charge of the story. He would work with Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson and Vance Gerry on the store. Vance Gerry recalled working with Cleamons stating, "We got a writer named Larry Cleamons. We worked with him on a script, which we would send to Walt and he would say yes or no. When we got the script down, we'd make the storyboards which was absolutely the wrong way to do it, but Walt was very busy, I guess. Cleamons was very good at getting voices and talent and very good at writing. But everyone accused him of being a radio writer, because he was a radio writer. He wrote in terms of radio, and it was difficult to make cartoons that way." 

This film spent years in development as the Disney team had a hard time adapting the book's episodic story to a plot that would work for a movie. Walt would eventually just tell the Disney crew to "throw the book away." Despite this, Disney's version was not the first film adaption of Rudyard Kipling's classic book. There had previously been a wonderful live action film version released in 1942 and directed by Zoltan Korda. 

Showman's Trade Review, 1942
An advertisement for the 1942 film version of The Jungle Book. 

Songwriter Richard Sherman later remembered the first time he and his songwriting partner (and brother), Robert Sherman, had heard about this film. He stated, “We were called into Walt’s office with several other people: Woolie Reitherman, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Larry Clemmons, and a whole bunch of the regulars at the studio. We were all staff people with our own specialties. Walt sat us all down in his office and he looked at us and said, ‘How many of you guys have read Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling?’ And of course nobody raised their hand. So I, sort of sheepishly said, ‘I saw a movie with Sabu.’ He said, ‘Yeah, yeah, but you didn’t read the book, did you?’ I said, ‘No, I didn’t read the book.’ ‘Good.’ He said, ‘We’re going to tell the story of The Jungle Book the Disney way.'”

 

While previous Disney animated features had used some celebrity voices, The Jungle Book started a trend in Disney animated movies to base characters off of the actors voicing them. Baloo the Bear is voiced by comedian and singer Phil Harris with the character's personality being that of Harris' persona. Harris would later voice characters in The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973). In both of those films, he essentially voices an animated animal version of himself the way he did in The Jungle Book. Despite the character of Baloo ending up being strongly based off Phil Harris, he was not the first actor planned for the role. Harry von Zell, Jim Backus (the voice of Mr. Magoo) and Thurl Ravenscroft (the singer of You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch) were considered for the role. Walt Disney suggested Phil Harris after seeing him perform at a benefit. When the role was given to Phil Harris, Baloo's personality became more and more like Harris. Singer Louis Prima is the voice of King Louie, and his persona is the basis of the character's personality. However, it was originally planned to have Louis Armstrong as the voice and basis for the character. Louis Prima enjoyed voicing the character so much, that he was very disappointed that he didn't get to work on another Disney film.  The great character actor, George Sanders plays the villain Shere Khan. However, George Sanders was not especially excited about voicing an animated Disney character. When he was given a drawing of Shere Khan autographed by Walt Disney, he handing back and stated, "What am I to do with it? This is absurd." Other characters were voiced by Disney veterans. Sterling Hollway (who had previously voiced such Disney characters as the Cheshire Cat, Mr. Stork (from Dumbo (1941)) and many characters in the Disney short films (including Pooh in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)) voices Kaa the snake. Verna Felton (who had previously voiced Dumbo's mom, The Fairy Godmother (in Cinderella (1950)) the Queen of Hearts (in Alice in Wonderland (1951)), Aunt Sarah (in Lady and the Tramp (1955)) and Flora in Sleeping Beauty (1959))) voices a female elephant. J. Pat O'Maley (who previously voiced Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (in Alice in Wonderland)) voices Colonel Hathi. Mowgli is voiced by Bruce Reitherman. Bruce Reitherman was the son of the film's director Wolfgang Reitherman and had previously voiced Chistopher Robin in the short film, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. Bagheera was voiced by Sebastian Cabot, who had previously been the narrator for the Disney feature, The Sword and the Stone and the Disney short Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. Previously considered for the voice of the character were Hans Conrid (who voiced Captain Hook in Disney's Peter Pan (1953)), Sabu (Who played Mowgli in the 1942 live action film version of The Jungle Book) and Frank Gorshin (The Riddler in TV's Batman). 

Terry Gilkyson was originally going to be the songwriter for this film, but as the picture moved away from the original darker treatment, he was replaced by the Sherman Brothers. However, one Terry Gilkyson song was kept and that became the most famous in the film, The Bare Necessities. Kaa's song, Trust in Me began as a song titled The Land of Sand. The Land of Sand was a song that had been written for Mary Poppins (1964) but not used in that movie. In an unused scene Mary Poppins would have taken the kids to the Sahara Desert and sang a song about the mirages and strange visions you see in the desert. Though that song was never used, the Sherman Brothers remained very fond of the song and reworked it for The Jungle Book. 

Milt Kahl (the supervising animator for Shere Khan) spoke about the relationship between his animation and George Sanders' voice work. He stated, "Shere Khan isn't really a caricature of Sanders, but if you have a voice like that and know Sanders, you can't help having a resemblance - there's no way to avoid it. When we started the picture, we were thinking about a more two-dimensional villain, like Jack Plance. Then Ken Anderson did a drawing of a tiger with Basil Rathborne in mind - a supercilious character, who was kind of above it all. He became quite a powerful character - so polite and understated." 

The character of Baloo was a minor character in Peet's original treatment (just as he was in the book). However after seeing Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson's animation of this character, Walt felt that this character's role should be extended. Thomas and Johnson spoke about this stating, "Once Baloo had become a definite individual, he was so entertaining that it was impossible to keep him out of the rest of the picture. Instead of the little cameo part that had been planned, he was built into the story more and more until he was the force that made it work. Phil Harris' performance added sincerity in a colorful character that gave new interest to everything he did, but, most important, this bear suddenly had great warmth, something the picture had needed." 

This also marked the first animated Disney feature to reuse animation (something that would become more common in the 1970's). Quite a bit of the animation of the elephant herd was taken from the Disney short film, Goliath II (1960). The rescue of Mowgli from King Louie was taken from a scene in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Animator John Ewing talked about the latter of these scenes stating, "Woolie [director Wolfgang Reitherman] wanted the sequence to be fast paced and funny. 'You know like the chase sequence from Wind and the Willows?' he asked. 'Uh yes,' I replied, recalling only vaguely the scene he was referring to. 'Well all you have to do is redraw the weasels into monkeys,' Woolie said, 'and Mole and Rat into Baloo and Bagheera.' 'Right.' I said trying to sound confident. 'And the rolled-up paper can be Mowgli.' 'Right.' 'Well get the drawings from the morgue' said Woolie, 'and good luck.' It was very, very hard work. Weasels into monkeys wasn't too difficult. But Rat in Baloo was virtually impossible, and the deed to Toad Hall into Mowgli was impossible. But I did it and it worked." 

Even as the animation was being done, the story had not been clear even to the people working on it. Milt Kahl would state, "We had four sequences in this picture animated before we knew where the hell we were going with the story at all ... I don't think anyone else could make a picture like this except Walt ... Frank Thomas and I did the first night in the forest when the leopard was taking the boy home. We developed Bagheera, the boy and the snake ... Meanwhile Ollie Johnson was getting into the Baloo thing and Phil Harris got in on it. The boy is kidnapped by the Bandar-log (monkeys), and we had the King Louie sequence. Yes, from the middle out: we didn't have any story. We didn't have a beginning or any ending or anything."  Many of those working on the film credited Walt with combining these seemingly unrelated sequences into an easy-to-follow story.


This film premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on October 18, 1967. The event also served as a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Zoo, which was only founded a year earlier. Mrs. Reese Hale Taylor, president of the zoo was there and called the film a “swinging safari that will amuse the young and old.” This was a star-studded evening. Big time movie stars including Bob Hope, Charlton Heston, and Fred MacMurray were there, along with their own families. However, they were not the first audience to see the film. That afternoon more than 1,200 under-privileged children attended the first real screening of the movie. Buses named after well-known Disney characters picked the kids up. They were met at the theater by various Disney cartoon stars including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Art Linkletter, host of the TV's Kids Say the Darndest Things!, interviewed some of the kids for the local TV station KTTV, which did live coverage of the event. This film was released to many theaters as half of a double bill with Charlie the Lonesome Cougar (1967), which was the first feature length Disney film made without Walt's involvement. The Jungle Book was a huge success and earned $13 million. Critics were mixed on the film with some finding it incredibly charming, while others felt it was too light on story and lacked the magic of earlier animated Disney features. Howard Thompson from the New York Times called it, "a perfectly dandy cartoon feature ... grand fun for all ages." Richard Schickel called it, "the best thing of its kind since Dumbo." Judith Crist said it was "completely devoid of mood or atmosphere ... a middle brow cartoon of middling quality." In his landmark book, The Disney Films, Leonard Maltin stated, "The Jungle Book is a very easygoing film. The trouble is it's too easygoing. Though it has a lot of to offers and the characters are very likable, the film is singularly lacking in excitement. It ambles through in a genial fashion but keeps one waiting for something to happen." The song The Bare Necessities was nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars. According to Gregory Peck it was considered for Best Picture but ended up not being nominated for that category. If it was it would have been the first animated movie with such a distinction. This film was reissued to theaters three times (1978, 1984, and 1990). Because the film was viewed with such prestige it never aired on Disney's anthology TV show.  



This movie has a major legacy in Disney history. The 1990's Disney animated TV series Tale Spin would feature Baloo, King Louie, and Shere Khan as major characters. Also in the 1990's was another animated Disney TV show, Jungle Cubs which featured child versions of various Jungle Book characters. In 1993 Disney would make a video game based off the film simply called The Jungle Book. Disney would distribute a live action film version, The Jungle Book (1994). A few years later Disney would make a direct to video live action movie entitled The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998). Disney would make a theatrically released animated sequel to their 1967 film entitled The Jungle Book 2 (2003). The sequel was intended as a direct to video movie but ended up being released theatrically instead. The Disney studio would remake their 1967 movie as a combination live action and CGI film, The Jungle Book (2016). 

An image from Tale Spin.

An image from Jungle Cubs.

For any film nerds reading this (which should be many of you), the Buena Vista Distribution Pressbook for this movie is available to read for free online. For anyone interested you can click here. If you want to see who animated what in this film click this link.

Below is a video of Disney legend Floyd Norman talking about working on this movie as a storyboard artist.

Review

A very charming movie.

This is one of the most leisurely and laid-back Disney animated features. However, this is what makes this film so charming. This is a movie that is simply relaxing to watch, and it is this slower pace that makes it so engrossing. For 78 minutes we are transported to this place and with these characters. This movie has the same charm as spending a nice relaxing day with good friends. It doesn't hurt that these characters are so charming as well. Baloo and Bagheera feel completely real to us, and we simply enjoy spending time with them. This is a film that brings even a little personality to even the most minor characters, something that can be especially felt in the scenes with the elephants. This relaxed and leisurely feel also comes from the fact that this movie is in many ways composed of various set pieces placed together by a loose story. While some other Disney animated features also attempted this, none of them pulled it off with the skill and charm that this one does. One of the main reasons for this is that every one of these set pieces is very charming and does something to further set up the film's atmosphere. 

This film also features one of the best animated Disney villains, Shere Khan. There is a lot of great buildup for him before he appears that sets up how major of a threat he is. Yet when we finally see him, he completely lives up to all this build up. This character is a lot of fun with his pompous and outwardly laid-back attitude. Yet he is also an incredible threat to our heroes. Though most of this film is laid back, the big confrontation with him is a fantastic suspense scene that ranks among Disney's best. 

This movie also benefits from a great sense of humor and wonderful songs. There were many moments that made me laugh out loud and there was not one weak song in the whole film. Though the most attention goes to the fun numbers of Bare Necessities and I Want to be Like You, I have a very soft spot for the hauntingly lovely song the human girl sings at the end of the movie.  

This is simply a wonderful movie. 

Film Credits

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman.

Writers: Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, Vance Gerry, Bill Peet.

Based on the Mowgli stories by Rudyard Kipling.

Voices: Phil Harris (Baloo), Sebastian Cabot (Bagheera), Bruce Reitherman (Mowgli), George Sanders (Shere Khan), Sterling Holloway (Kaa), Louis Prima (King Louie), J. Pat O'Malley (Col. Hathi, Buzzie), Verna Felton (Elephant), Clint Howard (Elephant), Chad Stuart (Vulture), Lord Tim Hudson (Vulture), John Abbott (Wolf), Ben Wright (Wolf), Darleen Carr (Human Girl).

Producer: Walt Disney

Music: George Bruns.

Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy.

Orchestrator: Walter Sheets.

Songwriters: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, Terry Gilkyson.

Editors: Tom Acosta, Norman Carlisle.

Layout Artists: Dale Barnhart, Tom Codrick, Basil Davidovich, Don Griffith, Sylvia Roemer.

Background Artists: Frank Armitage, Al Dempster, Ralph Hulett, Bill Layne, Art Riley, Thelma Witmer.

Supervising Animators: Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery

Animators: Eric Cleworth, John Ewing, Fred Hellmich, Hal King, Eric Larson, Dick Lucas, Walt Stanchfield

Effects Animator: Dan MacManus.

Sound Artist: Robert O. Cook.

Production Manager: Don Duckwall.

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

The Animated Movie Guide edited by Jerry Beck (Jungle Book section written by Martin Goodman)

The Walt Disney Film Archives: The Animated Movies 1921-1968 edited by Daniel Kothenschulte (Jungle Book section written by Charles Solomon). 

http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Jungle%20Book%20%28The%29

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061852/?ref_=ttsnd_ov_i

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://afilmla.blogspot.com/search/label/JungleBook

https://d23.com/this-day/the-jungle-book-premieres/

https://d23.com/the-1967-premiere-of-the-jungle-book-was-a-swinging-star-studded-safari/

-Michael J. Ruhland

The Gnome-Mobile

 

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1967
Michael's Movie Grade: B

History

With the studio's cinematic focus having been on slapstick comedies, it had been quite a while since Disney had made a feature length fantasy film, despite this being the genre the Disney studio is most associated with. The Gnome-Mobile was a return to the fantasy genre. It also marked the last feature length fantasy film that Walt Disney himself would work on. 

For this return to fantasy filmmaking, the director would be Robert Stevenson, who directed two of Disney's best live action fantasy films, Mary Poppins (1964) and Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959). His other movies for Disney include Johnny Tremain (1957), Old Yeller (1957), Kidnapped (1960), The Absent Minded Professor (1961), In Search of Castaways (1962), Son of Flubber (1962), The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964), The Monkey's Uncle (1965), That Darn Cat (1965), Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), The Love Bug (1969), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Herbie Rides Again (1974), The Island at the Top of the World (1974), One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975) and The Shaggy D.A. (1976).

The cast is also full of familiar faces to Disney fans. The main kids in this movie are played by Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, who are best remembered for playing the Banks children in Mary Poppins. This was the last Disney role for both of them. Their grandfather was played by one of the finest character actors ever, Walter Brennan. He will be immediately familiar to classic movie fans for his roles in such classic films as The Westerner (1940), Sergeant York (1941), To Have or Have Not (1944), My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948), The Far Country (1954), and Rio Bravo (1959) among many, many more. He had previously appeared in the Disney film, Those Calloways (1965). After this movie, he would appear in the Disney film, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968). The Gnome-Mobile also marks the last film appearance of Ed Wynn. A wonderful comedian, Ed had been in such Disney films as Alice in Wonderland (1951, as the voice of The Mad Hatter), The Absent Minded Professor (1961), Babes in Toyland (1961), Son of Flubber (1962), Mary Poppins (1964), Those Calloways (1965) and That Darn Cat (1965). Ed Wynn would pass away before this film was released. 

This movie was a moderate success at the box office. Critics were mostly mixed on the film. Some praised it for its performances and special effects, while others criticized its story and characters. Howard Thompson called the film, "good natured but heavy-handed." Variety called it "amusing but uneven." Judith Crist just called it "a lot of fun." Roger Ebert (who gave this movie 3 out of 4 stars) captured the attitude towards the live action Disney films at the time. He wrote, "The kids are my colleagues in this enterprise. Once I made the mistake of seeing a Disney movie the first thing on a Friday morning when all the kids were in school. There were about nine people in the theater. Under conditions like that, what critic can decide if Disney is up to par? Disney films are made to please kids, not critics." In his book The Disney Films Leonard Maltin praised the film stating, "Perhaps time will open more people's eyes to the excellence of this zesty comedy-fantasy, which ranks among Disney's best." It was rereleased to theaters in 1976 and aired on the Disney anthology show in 1978. 


The car and a set from this film can be seen in the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI. Walt Disney was friends with the owner and donated them as soon as the movie finished filming.

Review

A very charming little fantasy movie. 

There is a lot to really like about this movie. The fantasy elements are very well done. This film does exactly what a fantasy movie should do. It makes it fantasy elements feel completely believable. Not only that but it makes us want to live in this world and like for an hour and a half, we have entered the world of the film. Part of this is the unpretentious storytelling and part of this is the special effects. Even all these years later, the special effects still look fantastic. While the animatronic animals don't look very real, the gnomes still look fantastic. Even though this is a smaller scale film than Darby O' Gill and the Little People (1959), this is just a visual handsome a film as that movie. This is not only seen in the special effects but also in the settings. The characters may not be complex, but they are likable. This is especially true due to the performances from Walter Brennan, Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice. They all bring a real charm to their performances, that just helps give the film a real likability. The big car chase scene here is excellent. It is exciting as an action scene and very entertaining as a comedy scene. It perfectly combines both the action and the slapstick to make a real highlight. 

The humor in this film is never truly laugh out loud funny (the closest it comes is the car chase). This is more the type of comedy that will make you smile than the kind that will actually make you laugh. It does work very well on this level though. 

This film can admittedly drag a few times. These is especially true of the scene with the girl gnomes. The scene isn't as funny or charming as the filmmakers seem to think it is and it goes on much too long. This film also suffers from a rather weak villain, that does little but stretch out a simple plot. 

While this is not a perfect film, it is a very charming little movie. 

Film Credits

Director: Robert Stevenson.

Screenplay: Ellis Kadison.

 Based on the book The Gnomobile by Upton Sinclair

Cast: Walter Brennan (D.J. Mulrooney, Knobby), Matthew Garber (Rodney Winthrop), Karen Dotrice (Elizabeth Winthrop), Richard Deacon (Ralph Yarby), Tom Lowell (Jasper), Sean McClory (Horatio Quaxton), Ed Wynn (Rufus), Jerome Cowan (Dr. Ramsey), Charles Lane ( Dr. Scoggins), Norman Grabowski (Male Nurse), Gil Lamb (Gas Attendant), Maudie Prickett (Katie Barrett), Cami Sebring (Violet).

Producers: Walt Disney, James Algar.

Music: Buddy Baker.

Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman.

Cinematographer: Edward Colman.

Editor: Norman Palmer.

Art Directors: Carroll Clark, William H. Tuntke.

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Hal Gausman.

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas.

Costumers: Chuck Keehne, Neva Rames.

Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley.

Hair Stylist:  La Rue Matheron.

Assistant Director: Paul Cameron.

Second Unit Director: Arthur J. Vitarelli

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Dean Thomas.

Matte Artist: Peter Ellenshaw.

Special Effects: Eustace Lycett, Robert A. Mattey.

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Gnome%20Mobile%20%28The%29
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-gnome-mobile-1967

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

 

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1967
Michael's Movie Grade: B+

History

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin was the last western to bear Walt Disney's name. True to the direction the Disney studio had been heading at this time, this film was much more comedic than the more dramatic Disney westerns of the 1950's. 

As well as the last western for Walt Disney, this would also be the last Disney film to be directed by James Neilson. Neilson's previous Disney films had included Sign of Zorro (1958), Summer Magic (1963), Bon Voyage (1962), and The Moon-Spinners (1964). The writer for this film was Lowell S. Hawley, who had written such Disney movies as The Sign of Zorro (1958), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), Babes in Toyland (1961), In Search of Castaways (1962) and A Tiger Walks (1964). He would later write the Disney film, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968). He also wrote various episodes of the Disney anthology show for TV. Though this is a live action film, there are a few animated interludes and special effects provided by the legendary Disney animator, Ward Kimball.

Roddy McDowall plays the lead here, though he had played a smaller role in That Darn Cat (1965), this is the first time he played a major role in a Disney film. He would later play large roles in the Disney films, Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and The Cat From Outer Space (1978). He would also voice Mr. Soil in Pixar's A Bugs Life (1998). His other Disney credits include doing voices for episodes of the TV cartoons, Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles. Suzanne Pleshette plays the leading lady. She had previously been the leading lady in Disney's The Ugly Dachshund (1966). Her other Disney credits include Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), The Shaggy D.A. (1976) and voicing the character Zira in the direct to video movie, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998). Outside of Disney, she is best known for playing Emily Hartley in The Bob Newhart Show and Annie Hayworth in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). The younger brother is played by Bryan Russell, who played the main role in Disney's Emil and the Detectives (1964). Also in the cast is character actress, Hermione Baddeley. She had previously appeared in Disney's Mary Poppins (1964). Her future Disney credits include The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The Aristocats (1970) as the voice of Madame. Judge Higgens is played by the great Karl Malden, who previously played the Reverand in Disney's Pollyanna (1960). Malden is a very celebrated actor among film buffs for his great performances in such movies as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Patton (1970) and many more. TV fans also know him for the lead role in the series, The Streets of San Francisco. The character of Quentin Bartlett was set to be played Tony Hancock. However due to erratic on-set behavior, he would be replaced by Richard Hayden. Disney fans might know Richard Hayden as the voice of the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland (1951). 

When this film was released to theaters, it received mixed reviews from critics. Some enjoyed the comedy and performances, while others felt the film was too slow-paced. The movie did poor at the box office and would in 1971 appear on Disney's anthology TV show.  

Review

A delightful Disney comedy. 

After the last couple live action Disney comedies, it is great to see one that made me laugh out loud as much as I did here. So much of this film is full of great gags. These gags range from clever satire to out and out slapstick. The slapstick gags are often in the pure Mack Sennett style. This is to say they are completely over the top and impossible. More than any other live action Disney comedy, this film feels like a live action cartoon. These slapstick gags are provided with so much energy, enthusiasm and complete lack of pretention that it is simply hard not to have fun watching it. The climatic fight scene is one of the pure highlights here. It provides wonderful slapstick gag after wonderful slapstick gag. Each on builds on top of the last to become more over the top, silly and funny. The satire here is also wonderful as this movie does a great job of parodying various movie clichés. This is especially shown during the brief animated interstitials, which are delightfully but knowingly old fashioned. Those interstitials also feature some ballad type singing that wonderfully parodies a trope common in Westerns at this time. The humor doesn't sacrifice our two main characters here. Both Griffin and his young partner Jack are delightful characters. Though they are not complex characters, they are very likable characters, that we enjoy spending this journey with. Like all Disney movies of this era, the film benefits from a simply wonderful cast. When it comes to the actors and actresses there is not a weak link here. 

This film does have a couple flaws though. One is that for such a silly comedy, it can feel a little overlong and repetitive at times. Also, while our two main characters are great, much of the rest of the characters are often times too sidelined for us to get to know or care about. 

If you enjoy the live action Disney comedies, you should have a lot of fun watching this one. 

Film Credits 

Director: James Neilson.

Screenplay: Lowell S. Hawley.

Based on the book By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman.

Cast: Roddy McDowall (Bullwhip Griffin), Suzanne Pleshette (Arabella Flagg), Bryan Russell (Jack Flagg), Karl Malden (Judge Higgins), Harry Guardino (Sam Trimble), Hermione Baddeley (Miss Irene Chesney), Liam Redmond (Capt. Swain), Cecil Kellaway (Mr. Pemberton), Joby Baker (Bandido Leader), Mike Mazurki (Mountain Ox), Alan Carney (Joe Turner), Parley Baer (Chief Executioner), Arthur Hunnicutt (Referee), Dub Taylor (Timekeeper), Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez (Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez).

Producers: Walt Disney, Bill Anderson, Lou Debney.

Music: George Bruns.

Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman, Mel Leven and George Bruns. 

Cinematographer: Edward Colman.
Titles and Things: Ward Kimball. 

Editor: Marsh Hendry.

Art Directors: Carroll Clark, John B. Mansbridge. 

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Hal Gausman.

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas.

Costumers: Chuck Keehne, Neva Rames, Emily Sundby.

Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley.

Hair Stylist:  La Rue Matheron.

Assistant Director: John C. Chulay.
Second Unit Director: Arthur J. Vitarelli

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Robert Post.

Matte Artist: Peter Ellenshaw.
Special Effects: Eustace Lycett.

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin.

http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Adventures%20of%20Bullwhip%20Griffin%20%28The%29

Monkeys, Go Home!

 

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1967
Michael's Movie Grade: C

History

By the time Monkeys, Go Home! was released in theaters, Walt Disney had passed away. However, movie-goers would still be treated to more films that had Walt's direct influence on them for over a year. The first feature length of Walt Disney's films to be released after his death was Monkeys, Go Home! Though this film was released after Walt's death, production had been completely wrapped up before his passing. 

This was the first and only theatrical feature film Andrew V. McLaglen directed for Disney. However, he would later direct a made-for-TV movie for the studio, Trail of Danger (1978). As a director, Andrew V. McLaglen is best known for his westerns. For TV he directed 116 episodes of Have Gun Will Travel and 96 episodes of Gunsmoke. He also directed western movies with such stars as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Kirk Douglas. These films include McLintock (1963), Shenandoah (1965), The Rare Breed (1966), The Way West (1967), Chisum (1970) and Cahill U.S. Marshall (1973). He also directed John Wayne in a non-western Hellfighters (1968). The screen writer for this film was Maurice Tombragel, who had previously written Moon Pilot (1962) for Disney. That film had a comedic monkey in it. He had also written various episodes of the Disney TV anthology show (known at various times as Disneyland, Walt Disney Presents, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, etc.). These include the Texas John Slaughter episodes, many of the Gallegher episodes, The Waltz King and The Tenderfoot. His work outside of Disney included many B-movies and TV westerns. 

This movie marked the last film role for Maurice Chevalier. Though Chevalier had been working in films since the silent era, his greatest movie successes were in early 1930's, when he appeared in many wonderful musical comedy films including some directed by Ernest Lubitsch. However today Chevalier is probally best remembered for his role in the Best Picture Oscar winner, Gigi (1958), where he sang the song Thank Heaven for Little Girls. He had previously appeared in the Disney film, In Search of Castaways (1962). Though Monkeys, Go Home! marked his last acting role, Chevalier would later sing the title song for the animated Disney feature, The Aristocats (1970). As well as his film work, Chevalier also recorded an album of Disney songs for the company's Disneyland Records. After appearing in That Darn Cat! (1965) and The Ugly Dachshund (1966), Dean Jones was becoming the Disney studio's top comedy star. Though this is the last time he appeared in a movie produced by Walt Disney, he would appear in many more live action Disney comedies that were produced after Walt's death. These films include Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit (1968), The Love Bug (1969), The Million Dollar Duck (1971), Snowball Express (1972), The Shaggy D.A. (1976), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) and That Darn Cat (1997). 

This film was shot on the Zorro set, which had just been refurbished. Critic William Peper noted this stating, "It's shot on the back lot of the Disney studios so don't look for any authentic Gallic backgrounds." When this movie was released, most critics were rather harsh on it. They felt this that the movie relied too heavily on the comedy with the monkeys and that everything else took a strong back seat. Since the critics didn't find the comedy with the monkeys funny at all, naturally this gave them little to like about the film. However, critic Vincent Canby saw this film with a group of children and noted, "their fun, it seems, is derived, in direct proportion to the number of chimpanzees on hand." However, the film also did not do well at the box office, and it found its way on to Disney's anthology show in 1970. 

Review

This may be far from top-tier Disney but for what it is it is enjoyable enough. 

Even if they may not be complex, the main characters are quite likable and pleasant to spend some time with. Dean Jones and Yvette Mimieux make for a charming couple, and they have good chemistry with each other. The romantic storyline between them may not be anything we haven't seen before, but it works well enough. Maurice Chevalier is as a delightful as ever and adds a real charm to the film. While this may have been filmed on sets rather than on location, it is still a handsome and visually pleasing movie, like nearly all the Disney films of this era. 

For a slapstick comedy, the humor is quite hits and miss here. There are some decent laughs to be found here. This includes a surprising bit of political satire. While this satire is simplistic it does raise a few smiles and come with some good comedic lines. There are also some pretty good laughs in some of the scenes involving the priest, especially when first talks to our main character. However, the slapstick involving the monkeys is simply never as funny as it should be. An extended slapstick fight scene in the middle of the street was obviously intended to be one of the film's comedic highlights but it didn't even raise a laugh from me. 

With such a simple storyline, this film feels longer than it needs to be. There are definitely some moments where it drags and some scenes which seem to be there to extend the runtime. Also, the song Joie de Vivre is probably one of the least memorable songs that the Sherman Brothers wrote for a Disney movie. 

This is not a great film by any means, but for Disney fans there is enough here to enjoy. 

Film Credits 
, 

Director: Andrew V. McLaglen.

Screenplay: Maurice Tombragel.

Based on the book The Monkeys by G.K. Wilinson

Cast: Maurice Chevalier (Father Sylvain), Dean Jones (Hank Dussard), Yvette Mimieux (Maria Riserau), Bernard Woringer (Marcel Cartucci), Clément Harari (Emile Paraulis), Yvonne Constant (Yolande Angelli), Marcel Hillaire (Mayor Gaston Lou), Jules Munshin (Monsieur Piastillio), Alan Carney (Grocer), Maurice Marsac (Fontanino), Darleen Carr (Sidoni Riserau).

Producers: Walt Disney, Ron Miller.
Assistant to Producer: Lou Debney.

Music: Robert F. Brunner, Cecil A. Crandall, Evelyn Kennedy.
Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman.

Cinematographer: William Snyder.

Editor: Marsh Hendry.

Art Directors: Carroll Clark, John B. Mansbridge. 

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Frank R. McKelvy.

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas.

Costumers: Chuck Keehne, Neva Rames.

Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley.

Hair Stylist:  La Rue Matheron.

Assistant Director: Tom Leetch.

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Robert Post.

Matte Artists: Jim Fetherolf, Peter Ellenshaw.
Dialogue Supervisor: Flora Duane.
Animal Supervisors: Ralph Helfer, Stewart Raffill.

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin.
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Monkeys%20Go%20Home
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061989/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

 

Follow Me Boys

 

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1966
Michael's Movie Grade: B

History

It should come as no surprise that Walt Disney produced a feature length film dedicated to the boy scouts. Walt was not only a proud American, but he proudly supported any institution that helped people (especially children) become better citizens. He felt that the boy scouts did just this. This film was not the first time a piece of Disney media had boy scouts as a theme. In the animated short film, Good Scouts (1938), Donald Duck was a scout master leading Hewey, Dewey, and Louie on a hiking trip. In the comics (starting in 1954) Donald's nephews consulted their Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, which always seemed to have the answer to any question. A sweet and gentle feature film about the boy scouts was just a natural extension of who Walt was and what he believed in. 

This movie's director was Norman Tokar, who was very prolific as a Disney director. His first Disney film was Big Red (1962) and his last was The Cat from Outer Space (1978). Over his course of working at Disney he also directed such films as Savage Sam (1963), A Tiger Walks (1964), Those Calloways (1965), The Ugly Dachshund (1966), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), Rascal (1969), The Boatniks (1970), Snowball Express (1972), The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), No Deposit, No Return (1976) and Candleshoe (1977). Like many of the live action Disney directors of this era, outside of Disney he was most prolific on television. Most famously he directed a whopping 93 episodes of the classic sitcom Leave it to Beaver. He also directed 22 episodes of The Donna Reed Show.  Louis Pelletier wrote the screenplay. He had previously written the Disney films Big Red (1962) and Those Calloways (1965). He would later write the Disney films, The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), Smith! (1969), The Boy from Dead Man's Bayou (1971) and Run Cougar Run (1972). 

The star of this film is Fred MacMurray. MacMurry was already a staple in Disney movies by this time having already been in The Shaggy Dog (1959), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) and Son of Flubber (1963). His child co-star was none other than Kirk Russell making his film debut. Kirk Russell would soon also become a regular in Disney's live action comedies. This film also saw the return of Launa Pattern to Disney. As a young kid, she became the first actress to have a contract with Disney. Her Disney career started with Song of the South (1946). Follow Me Boys marks her first Disney movie since Johnny Tremain (1957). This marked the last theatrically released movie for actor Charles Ruggles, whose career had spanned almost 100 feature films, beginning in 1929. To name a few movies, his filmography included Trouble in Paradise (1932), Alice in Wonderland (1933), Six of a Kind (1933), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Invisible Woman (1940), A Stolen Life (1946) and It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947). For Disney he appeared in The Parent Trap (1961), Son of Flubber (1963) and The Ugly Dachshund (1966).

The title for this film was originally going to be On My Honor. However, when The Sherman Brothers wrote a song for this movie entitled Follow Me Boys, the title was changed. 

The film was released in theaters on December 1, 1966. Critics took to a strong dislike of the movie. Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times stated, "like a movie that might have been made 30 years ago. In thinking, approach, technique and every other way it could pass for a revival of the dear dead days beyond recall, and I sat there unbelieving that this many cliches could not only have been remembered but actually presented as something new." Clifford Terry of the Chicago Tribune stated, "Admittedly, there probably are enough chuckles and sniffles to satisfy the most rabid Disney devotees, but stretched out for more than two hours, the film seems almost as long as the 20 years it covers. Decidedly, far more imaginative and amusing products have been fashioned by the talent in Walt's workshop." However, the film still was a hit at the box office, grossing around $6 million. The movie would be reissued to theaters in 1976, however that rerelease would have a much shorter run time. The film originally ran 131 minutes. However, this reissue would run only 107 minutes. 

Walt Disney would make his last filmed appearance before a special screening of Follow Me Boys. This introduction can be watched below. 

Review

A thoroughly charming movie.

This film is exactly what people think of when it comes to live action Disney films of this era. It is as wholesome and sweet as can possibly be. However, this film comes off as more charming than saccharine in its sweetness. That is because the sentimentality feels completely genuine and earned. Much of the reason this movie feels so earnest is because of its cast. Kurt Douglas is simply wonderful and natural in his first film role. He can even hold his own with a top-notch adult cast. Fred MacMurray is as wonderful as always, making even the corniest lines feel completely natural and believable. Him and Vera Miles have wonderful chemistry together and are perfectly charming every time they share the screen. Lillian Gish, one of the greatest actresses of all time, has a smaller role here, but is very memorable. Yet the cast isn't the only reason, this film is so charming. The script (while corny) does paint a very charming and lovely picture of small-town America. The way this film looks is equally charming. The outdoor scenes (filmed at the studio's Golden Oak Ranch) are simply beautiful to look at. These beautiful scenes make even the adults watching the film wanting to join the boy scouts. Even the indoor scenes (shot on the Disney Studio lot) have a wonderfully idyllic look to them. This film also benefits with from a delightfully fun and charming musical score by George Bruns and a very catchy title song by the Sherman Brothers (which constantly lives in my head). While there may be sometimes big gaps between laughs, there are some truly very funny moments in this movie, especially towards the beginning. 

The main problem with this film is overlength. For such a simple movie, there is no reason for it to be as long as it is. Because of this, there are times when it can really drag. This is especially true in the war games scene, which is not only too long but never as exciting or fun as the filmmakers seem to think it is. In fact a lot of the later part of this movie could have been cut but a truly heartwarming ending makes up for this. This film also is very predictable, and you almost always figure out what is going to happen before it happens. There are also some lines of dialogue (especially almost anything the bank president says about the boy scouts) that feel much too corny and unlike how anyone would actually talk. 

Despite its flaws, this is a very charming film that is a real delight for Disney fans. 

Film Credits

Director: Norman Tokar.

Screenplay: Louis Pelletier.

Based on the novel God and My Country by MacKinlay Kantor.

Cast: Fred MacMurray (Lemuel Siddons), Vera Miles (Vida Downey), Lillian Gish (Hetty Seibert), Charles Ruggles (John Everett Hughes), Elliott Reid (Ralph Hastings), Kurt Russell (Whitey), Luana Patten (Nora White), Ken Murray (Melody Murphy), Donald May (Edward White, Jr.), Sean McClory (Edward White, Sr.), Steve Franken (P.O.W. Lieutenant), Parley Baer (Mayor),  William Reynolds ( Hoodoo Henderson). 

Producers: Walt Disney, Winston Hibler

Music: George Bruns, Evelyn Kennedy, Walter Sheets.

Cinematographer: Clifford Stine.

Editor: Robert Stafford.

Art Directors: Carroll Clark, Marvin Aubrey Davis. 

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Frank R. McKelvy.

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas.
Costumers: Chuck Keehne, Neva Rames.

Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley.

Hair Stylist:  La Rue Matheron.

Assistant Director: Terry Morse Jr.

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Robert Post.

Special Effects Artists: Eustace Lycett.

Matte Paintings: Jim Fetherolf.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Follow%20Me%20Boys
https://www.imdb.com/?ref_=nv_home

   

The Fighting Prince of Donegal

 

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland

Year Released: 1966
Michael's Movie Grade: B+

History

Despite Disney having got its start in live action filmmaking with a series of adventure films, at this time the studio had not done a real adventure film since Kidnapped (1960). Most of the studios live action movies at this time we’re silly family friendly comedies. With this in mind The Fighting Prince of Donegal is a bit of a return back to the roots of Disney live action filmmaking. This film would also like the early live action Disney films like Treasure Island, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy: The Highland Rouge, would be shot entirely in the U.K. 

This film would be directed by Michael O’Herlihy, who like many Disney directors of this time period, had worked mostly in TV beforehand. He had directed episodes of such shows as Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip and The Man From Uncle. This was his first Disney movie. He would eventually direct two more films for the studio, The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band (1968) and Smith (1969). He would also direct some episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and The Wonderful World of Disney. This is the second and last Disney film for its two leads. Peter McEnery had previously been in The Moonspiners (1964) and Susan Hampshire had previously been in The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963). The film's writer, Robert Westerby had previously written the Disney films, Greyfriars Bobby (1963) and The Three Lives of Thomasina, as well as various episodes of the Disney TV series. 

This film received mixed reviews from critics and lost money at the box office. Due to this being an expensive film and losing money, the Disney studio would not make another swashbuckler until The Three Musketeers (1993). The film would appear on TV's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in 1967, the year after it was released to movie theaters. 

Review

An excellent Disney swashbuckler.

I am personally a big fan of the Disney swashbucklers, and this movie has everything I love about them. The action scenes here are simply fantastic. They are fast paced, exciting and a lot of fun. Not only that, but the music accompanying them is perfect and helps build them up perfectly. The look of this film is very lavish and simply lovely to look at. This is especially true of Peter Ellenshaw's matte paintings and the elaborate sets. All of this gives the film a grand scale, that you could have not seen in a Disney comedy of this era. This lavish look will certainly remind Disney fans of many of the best live action movies that came out of the studio in the 1950's. It is great to see that by 1966, the Disney filmmakers where still just as capable of providing a visually beautiful adventure film as they were when they made The Sword and the Rose (1953), The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952) or Treasure Island (1950). This is not to say this movie is all style and no substance though. Much of the dialogue here is very clever and intelligent, often on par with the Warner Brothers swashbucklers of the 1930's and 40's. The story, while simplistic is quite engaging. The characters (while not exactly deep), serve their roles in this film very well. I especially like how our main hero, has his flaws along with being brave and a good leader. He can lose his temper at times, and this makes him feel much more real and relatable to us. The romance (while not given much screen time) is very well done and completely believable. 

I will admit that this film could have used a bit more editing, as some scenes feel unnecessary and even repetitive. This movie also tries to keep a lighthearted tone for much of it. Because of this it has a greater emphasis on humor than some of the previous Disney swashbucklers. Unfortunately, this humor often simply doesn't work and can even slow the story down. 

All in all, this is an excellent return to swashbucklers for Disney and I wish the studio would have made more after this. 


Film Credits

Director: Michael O'Herlihy.

Screenplay: Robert Westerby.

Based on a book by Robert T. Reilley.

Cast: Peter McEnery (Hugh O'Donnell), Susan Hampshire (Kathleen McSweeney), Tom Adams (Henry O'Neill), Gordon Jackson (Captain Leeds), Norman Wooland (Sir John Perrott), Richard Leech (Phelim O'Toole), Peter Jeffrey (Sergeant), Marie Kean (The Mother), Bill Owen (Officer Powell), Peggy Marshall (Princess Ineen), Maurice Roëves (Martin), Donal McCann (Sean O'Toole), Fidelma Murphy (Moire). 

Producers: Walt Disney, Ron Miller, Bill Anderson.

Music: George Bruns, Eric Rogers, Walter Sheets.

Cinematographer: Arthur Ibbetson.

Camera Operator: Freddie Cooper.

Editor: Peter Boita.

Art Directors: Maurice Carter.

Set Decorator: David Ffolkes.

Costume Designer: Anthony Mendleson.

Makeup Artist: Harry Frampton.

Hair Stylist:  Eileen Warwick.

Assistant Director: David Bracknell.

Sound Artists: Peter Keen, Gordon K. McCallum, Ken Rawkins.

Special Effects Artists: Peter Ellenshaw.
Matte Paintings: Peter Ellenshaw.

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Fighting%20Prince%20of%20Donegal%20%28The%29
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060408/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.

History and Review by Michael J. Ruhland














Year Released: 1966
Michael's Movie Grade: C+


                                          History

While making Mary Poppins, Walt Disney and Dick Van Dyke got along very well. With this Walt wanted to work with Dick again.


This film is the only Disney feature where the story is credited to Walt himself. However the onscreen credit does not refer to Walt by name. Instead it states "Retlaw Yensid", or Walter Disney backwards. The director of this film was Byron Paul. Paul was mostly a television director working on such shows as Gunsmoke, The Jane Forman Show, My Favorite Martian, Omnibus and Have Gun Will Travel. More important to this film he directed some episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and would later become the producer of The New Dick Van Dyke Show. Dick Van Dyke's co-star Nancy Kwan was a major star at this time. She had made her film debut in 1960 with The World of Suzie Wong, playing the title character. That movie had been a huge success and Nancy soon found herself as a major Hollywood star. The next year she made another movie in the lead role, Flower Drum Song (1961) and her star continued to rise.  

Though this was the only time director Byron Paul would direct a theatrically released Disney film, he had directed episodes of TV's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. This is actually the only theatrically released film that Byron Paul directed. Like many of the live action Disney directors of this time period, Paul was much more prolific when it came to TV. He directed episodes of such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Ben Casey, Have Gun Will Travel and My Favorite Martian. Lt. Robin Crusoe USN was not the last time Paul would work with Dick Van Dyke as he would later be an executive on TV's The New Dick Van Dyke Show. 

During the filming of this movie, Walt took his family on a Hawaiian trip while a week of location shooting was done there. Walt's daughter Diane would remember, "The location was a wonderful time for us. We spent about three weeks at the Waiohai Hotel with mom and dad, Bill and Nolie Walsh, Bryon Paul and his family. The Van Dykes were a wonderful family. Dick's a superb human being as well as a great talent." Though there was this week of location shooting there, most of the film was shot in San Deigo with some interior shooting at the Disney studio. 


This movie was not exactly a critical success. Even critics who were fans of Dick Van Dyke, thought this movie tended to drag. Arthur Knight (who was a fan of Van Dyke) wrote in his review in Saturday Review, "There is no variety to his playing, no zest (or possibly too much zest) to his performance. Inevitably some things work out nicely, such as a protracted bit of charades played with Nancy Kwan; but this seems to be one of the few scenes that permit the buoyant Van Dyke personality to bubble through." Howard Thompson wrote in his review in The New York Times, "Most of the picture has Mr. Van Dyke mugging and tripping over lush scenery. It is neither very funny nor very new and the picture is recommended with reservations, only for the very, very young and for television fans who think Mr. Van Dyke can do no wrong." Despite this though audiences went to see this movie in big numbers and the film became a huge hit, grossing nearly $8 million. 

This movie premiered on the Kitty Hawk, an aircraft carrier that part of the movie was filmed in, on June 29th, 1966. The audience for this premiere included only the crew of the ship and those that worked on the film. General audiences first got to see the film on July 29th of that year. In theaters it was paired with the live action Disney short film, Run, Appaloosa, Run.

Review

An enjoyable comedy, but far from one of Disney's best. 

So much of this movie working depends on the charm of its two leads. Luckily both of them are great here. Both Dick Van Dyke and Nancy Kwan bring a real likability to this film. They are simply a joy to watch on the screen and can even carry many of this film's weaker moments. Not only this but the two play off each other very well. The best scenes are the ones that involve these two playing off each other. The (often one sided) romantic tension between the two is also handled quite well feeling very natural and charming. It also helps that they are some moments here that are truly funny, such as the charade scene and some of the scenes involving Crusoe training the army of women. There is also a real easy-going charm to much of this movie. The film also has a strong start and a strong end. To start and close strong is often one of the most important elements to a comedy. 

The main problem with this film is overlength. For such a simple storyline there is no reason for it to be as long as it is. While there are some genuinely funny moments there can also be too long of periods between laughs. Because of this the film can really drag at times. For instance the time between when our main character lands on the island and when he meets Nancy Kwan's character seems much longer than it is. Much of this is due to an unnecessarily slow pace and some not especially funny jokes. Much of the reason the jokes during this part don't play well is that Dick Van Dyke's clowning often works better when he has someone to play off of and the chimp and the bird don't fill this position as well as Nancy Kwan does later in the film. The climax of this film (despite some good gags and clever ideas) suffers from a hammy and kind of annoying performance by Akim Tamiroff as the villain and some incredibly dated special effects. 

I doubt this will be anybody's favorite of the live action Disney comedies, bur it is still an enjoyable watch. 

Film Credits

Director: Bryon Paul.

Story: Walt Disney. 
Screenplay: Don DaGradi, Bill Walsh.
Based on a book by Daniel Dafoe.

Cast: Dick Van Dyke (Lt. Robin Crusoe), Nancy Kwan (Wednesday), Akim Tamiroff (Tanamashu), Arthur Malet (Umbrella Man), Tyler McVey (Captain), Peter Renaday (Pilot), Peter Duryea (Co-Pilot), John Dennis (Crew Chief), Nancy Hsueh (Native Girl), Victoria Young (Native Girl), Yvonne Ribuca (Native Girl), Bebe Louie (Native Girl), Lucia Valero (Native Girl)

Producers: Walt Disney, Ron Miller, Bill Walsh.

Music: Robert F. Brunner, Evelyn Kennedy, Cecil A. Crandall

Cinematographer: William E. Snyder.
Camera Operator: Robert King Baggot.

Editor: Cotton Warburto

Art Directors: Carroll Clark, Carl Anderson.

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Frank R. McKelvy.

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas.

Makeup Artist: Pat McNally.
Hair Stylist:  La Rue Matherson.

Assistant Director: Tom Leetch.

Second Unit Director: Joseph L. McEveety.

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Larry Jost.

Special Effects Artists: Eustace Lycett, Robert A. Mattey, Peter Ellenshaw, Jack Boyd.
Animal Supervisor: Stewart Raffill

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
Travels With Walt Disney by Jeff Kurti
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Lt.%20Robin%20Crusoe%20U.S.N.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060640/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt