Swiss Family Robinson

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland










Michael's Movie Grade:A
Year Released:1960


                                        History
This was not the first time Swiss Family Robinson had been adapted to film. It had been done before in 1940 (interestingly that film was released by RKO, which had previously distributed Disney films). Walt and Director Ken Annakin screened this film before embarking on their own version (something unusual in the making of a Disney film). After watching this they decided to make the Disney version very different from that previous version. One way to go about this was to use more location shooting. The movie would be shot on the island of Tobago. Actor John Mills would later state this was the most beautiful place any movie he was in was ever shot.

Most of the cast consisted of Disney Veterans. Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran had previously played brothers in both Old Yeller and The Shaggy Dog. Dorothy McGuire also appeared in The Shaggy Dog. Janet Murno had previously been in Darby O' Gill and the Little People and Third Man on the Mountain. This would be her last theatrical film for Disney. James McDonald had also been in The Light in the Forest and Third Man on the Mountain. Also appearing in Swiss Family Robinson was British actor John Mills. When John Mills was suggested to be in this movie, Walt watched him in a film called Tiger Bay. Walt was not only impressed by John Mills but his daugther Hayley Mills (Tiger Bay was her film debut) as well. So because of Tiger Bay, not only did John Mills get to star in Swiss Family Robinson, but Hayley Mills got to star in Pollyanna as well.

The crew themselves built the sets including the famous treehouse from materials sent from Trinidad. Many animals were also sent from over the world including 100 flamingos, 40 monkeys, 8 dogs, 6 ostriches, 6 hyenas, 4 zebras, 2 anaconda, 2 elephants and one tiger.  Due to problems with weather, disease and animals the shooting took 22 weeks. To make matters worse while the cast got along great, the crew did not get along so well. On top of this the film came back with audio problems, and all the dialogue had to be rerecorded.

This film received mixed reviews from Critics, however it was one of the biggest box office success of 1960, out grossing both Psycho and Spartacus.  

In 1962, the Swiss Family Treehouse, an attraction based off the treehouse in the movie was added to Disneyland. In 1999 it would be renamed Tarzan's Treehouse.

 

                                                                           Review
Fantastic adventure film is just pure fun from beginning to end.

This film's story is very far fetched, but that is exactly what makes it so good. This far fetched-ness is treated with such sincerity, that it is hard not to get caught up in the movie's charm.

Charming really is the best word to describe this film. Everything in this movie is simply charming, including the story, the characters, the beautiful photographer, and the setting. Almost all of this film is coated in an incredible sense of atmosphere as well. This movie in a way does leave the feeling that the viewer, just enjoyed a great island vacation. The film has a very relaxed feel to it that is simply additive. To see such a relaxed feel work so well is rare in the history of film, but here it is done amazingly well.

Overall a fantastic movie and a must watch for all Disney fans,

                                                            Film Credits
Director: Ken Annakin
Writer: Lowell S. Hawley
Based off a novel by Johann David Wyss
Cast: John Mills (Father), Dorothy McGuire (Mother), James McArthur (Fritz), Tommy Kirk (Ernst), Kevin Corcoran (Francis), Janet Murno (Roberta), Sessue Hayakawa (Pirate Leader), Cecil Parker (Captain Moreland), Milton Reid (Pirate), Larry Taylor (Pirate)
Producers: Walt Disney, Bill Anderson
Associate Producer: Basil Keys
Music: William Alwyn, Muir Mathieson, Buddy Baker
Cinematographers: Harry Waxman, Paul Beeson
Editor: Peter Boita
Production Designer: John Howell
Set Decorator: Jack Stephens
Costume Designer: Julie Harris
Hair Stylist: Eileen Bates
Makeup Artists: Charles Nash, Bill Lodge
Production Manager: Bill Hill
Assistant Director: René Dupont
Second Unit Director: Yakima Canutt
Assistant Art Directors: Peter Murton, John Hoesli
Sketch Artist: John L. Jenson
Dressing Props: Dickie Bamber
Sound Artists: Les Wiggens, John Dennis, Gordon K. McCallum
Special Effects Artists: Denny Lee, Walter Stones
Matte Artist: Peter Ellenshaw
Stunt Artists: Ken Buckle, Chuck Courtney, Evelyn Finley, Loren James, Fez Reynolds, Paul Stader, Armin Tardieu
Second Unit Focus Puller: James Devis
Animal Trainer: Fez Reynolds
Animal Supervisor: Ralph Helfer

Resources Used
  http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/203349%7C0/Swiss-Family-Robinson.html
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/2011/06/swiss-family-robinson-1960.html
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland by The Imagineers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054357/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Ten Who Dared

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland













Michael's Movie Grade:D
Year Released:1960

                                                        History
The Disney studio had already had big hits with various westerns in the past, so it seemed natural for the studio to do another western. For the subject of the film the journals of John Wesley Powell (the first man to cross the Colorado River) was chosen. Because of this the film would feature some location shooting at the Grand Canyon. To direct this film Walt choose William Beuadine, who had previously directed the Disney western, Westward Ho The Wagons! as well as the Disney TV shows The Adventures of Spin and Marty and The Mickey Mouse Club. Beuadine had been directing since the silent era and some of his non-Disney films included Sparrows, Little Annie Rooney and Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklynn Gorilla.

Ten Who Dared marked the first time Disney legend James Algar produced a Disney movie. James Algar began his Disney career as an animator on the classic cartoon short Broken Toys and the great Disney animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. He would then direct The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia. He would follow this by directing many of the studios nature documentaries.

This film also marked the Disney debut of actor Brain Keith, who would later be in the Disney films The Parent Trap, Moon Pilot, Savage Sam, A Tiger Walks and Those Callaways.

The story goes that after a preview screening Roy Disney said to his brother Walt that everybody has his misses. Roy wasn't the only one to feel this way. Ten Who Dared was a huge disappointment with both critics and audiences. Critics hated the movie and audiences didn't go to see it. Today many Disney buffs consider it the worst film Walt Disney ever worked on.

Review

This should have been a really good movie. It had everything going for it, a very talented cast and crew, a good idea for a story, and a beautiful location for shooting. This is why it is sad that this simply is not a good film.

The biggest problem with this film is the characters, who are mostly just bland stereotypes instead of actual personalities. There is depth to these characters. They simply seem to exist simply for the plot. Considering they were based off of real people, this is a huge fault. On top of this the story is not very well written. There is little suspense or involvement. Unlike most of Disney's live action films, the difference between the scenes shot on location and those shot on a set is very distracting. The scenes shot on a set are simply poorly done.

There are a few good things about this movie as well. The location shooting is excellent. Some of the dialogue about the civil war is quite well written. Also the actors are doing their best despite not having much to work with.  However the bad very much overshadowed the good in this movie.

Luckily a misfire was very rare for the Disney studio at this time. They made so many great films and brought us so much happiness, that we can easily forgive a bad movie this, because it is a very rare exception.

                                                                    Film Credits
Director: William Beaudine
Writer: Lawrence Edward Watkins
Based on the Journals of John Wesley Powell
Cast: John Beal (Maj. John Wesley Powell), Brain Keith (William Dunn), James Drury (Walter Powell), R.G. Armstrong (Oramel Howland), Ben Johnson (George Bradley), L.Q. Jones (Billy 'Missouri' Hawkins), Dan Sheridan (Jack Sumner), David Stollery (Andrew Hall), Stan Jones (Seneca Howland), David Frankham (Frank Goodman), Roy Barcroft (Jim Baker), Jack Big Head (Ashtishkel), Pat Hogan (Indian Chief), Dawn Little Sky (Indian), Ray Walker (McSpadden)
Producers: Walt Disney, James Algar
Music: Oliver Wallace
Songwriter: Lawrence Edward Watkins
Cinematographer: Gordon Avil
Editors: Norman R. Palmer, Cotton Warburton
Art Directors: Hilyard Brown, Carroll Clark
Set Decorator: Emile Kuri
Costume Design: Chuck Keehne
Makeup Artist: Pat McNally
Assistant Director: Russ Haverick
Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Harry Lindgren
Special Effects: Ub Iwerks
Matte Artist: Albert Whilock
Technical Advisor: Otis Marson

Recourses Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
Building a Company : Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire By Bob Thomas
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Ten%20Who%20Dared
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054372/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

-Michael J. Ruhland

Jungle Cat

Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland











Michael's Movie Grade:B+
Year Released:1960

                                                      History
Jungle Cat would be the last feature length nature documentary that Walt Disney would work on. The reason for this was that Walt felt that television was a better outlet for nature documentaries. Because of this many nature documentary sequences would appear on the TV show Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

Three photographers were used for this film. They were Lloyd Beebe, James R. Simon and Hugh A. Wilmar. Unlike in previous nature documentaries, none of these photographers were new in working for Disney. They had all previously worked on past Disney nature documentaries. They spent two years in Brazil getting enough footage for this film. Some footage they got couldn't be used in the final film, because it was damaged by the humidity.

The rest of the crew were also Disney veterans. The director, James Algar (for instance) had been an animator at the Disney studio since the 1930's. He would go on to direct the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia, and many of the previous nature documentaries.

The film was a big hit with both critics and audiences. 

                                                              Review
Possibly the best Disney nature documentary.

The photography in this film is once again incredible. The whole film looks beautiful and awe-inspiring. Many scenes just take your breath away. The scenes where the jaguars hunt their prey are very exciting to watch and a bit scary as well. This movie does not hide the darkness and cruelty of nature. Many scenes are quite intense. This is especially true of the scene where the jaguars fight a snake. That scene can keep you on the edge of your seat as well as many great suspense movies can.

I have stated that I don't like the humor in this series, but there is not much of it here. This film plays it pretty straight. Shockingly the few funny scenes in this movie actually work. This is because the humor comes not from camera tricks, or narration, and there is nothing forced about these scenes. They come from the animals acting naturally as they should have since the beginning of the series. There is still on the other hand too much narration and it can be a bit distracting. I don't need a narrator tell me directly what I can easily see on screen.

Overall an excellent film and possibly the best Disney nature documentary.

                                                     Film Credits
Director: James Algar
Writer: James Algar
Narrator: Winston Hibler
Producer: Walt Disney
Music: Oliver Wallace
Photographers: Lloyd Beebe, James R. Simon, Hugh A. Wilmar
Editor: Norman R. Palmer
Production Manager: Erwin L. Verity
Sound Artist: Robert O. Cook
Special Effects: Ub Iwerks, Joshua Meador, Art Reily

Recourses Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053977/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Jungle%20Cat

-Michael J. Ruhland