The Incredible Journey

History and Review Written by Michael J. Ruhland










Year Released :1963
Michael's Movie Grade: A+

                                                             History
For the making of The Incredible Journey, Walt hired Calgary Ltd, a Candian film company to help him film this movie. This wasn't the first time the studio worked with Calgary, as they also worked with them on Nikki Wild Dog of the North, Big Red, and The Legend of Lobo. The Incredible Journey marked the last time Walt would hire Calgary.

The movie's director would be Fletcher Markle. This was the only Disney film he directed. Markle made most of his career by directing episodes of TV shows. Some of these TV shows include Life With Father, Front Row Center, The George Sanders Mystery Theater and Thriller. This is one of only four theatrical feature films he directed were Jigsaw (1949 starring Franchot Tone), Night Into Morning (1951 with Ray Milland) and The Man With the Cloak (1951 starring Joseph Cotton and Barbara Stanwyck). He also worked as an uncredited writer on Orson Welles' The Lady From Shanghai. The Incredible Journey was his last film for theaters and his last feature film.

Critics were extremely positive with this film calling it one of Disney's best live action animal films. The film was also a modest success at the box office. In 1993 the studio remade the film as Homeward Bound: An Incredible Journey, and in 1996 that movie got a sequel entitled Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco.

                                                                 

                                                            Review

       Maybe Disney's best live action animal movie, and simply an incredible movie by any standards.

What makes this film work so well is just how engaging the main characters are. Even though they never speak a word, these three characters all have extremely well defined personalities. By the end of this movie we feel like we know these characters inside and out. However even some of the minor characters are very memorable. The hermit provides us with a scene that is great fun and surprisingly moving. Similarly moving is a scene with a little girl who finds Tao.

Like all Disney films of this time the film is visually top notch. However it goes beyond even the usual Disney lovey to look at feeling, and shows just how beautiful Canada really is. This captures all the beauty that can be seen in Disney's best nature documentaries, and sometimes even is on par with the look of the studio's animated output. Adding to the beauty of this film is Oliver Wallace's great music score, and Rex Allen's comforting narration.

This movie is Disney magic at its best.

                                                           Film Credits
Director: Fletcher Markle
Writer: James Algar
Based off a book by Sheila Burnford
Narrator: Rex Allan
Cast: Muffy (Bodger), Syn Cat (Tao), Rink (Luath), Émile Genest (John Longridge), John Drainie (Professor Jim Hunter), Tommy Tweed (The Hermit), Sandra Scott (Mrs. Hunter), Syme Jago (Helvi Numi), Marion Finlayson (Elizabeth Hunter), Ronald Coohon (Peter Hunter), Robert Christie (James MacKenzie), Beth Lockerbie (Nell MacKenzie), Jan Rubes (Carl Nurmi), Iréna Mayeska (Mrs. Nurmi), Beth Amos (Mrs. Oakes), Eric Clavering (Bert Oakes)
Producers: Walt Disney, James Algar, Jack Couffer
Music: Oliver Wallace
Cinematographer: Kenneth Peach
Editor: Norman Palmer
Art Directors: Carroll Clarke, John S. Mansbridge
Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Charles S. Thomason
Costume Designer: Chuck Keehne
Makeup Artist: Pat McNally
Assistant Director: Mickey McCardle
Sound Artist: Robert O.Cook
Production Manager: Erwin L. Veity
Unit Manager: William J. O'Sullivan
Photographers: Lloyd Bebe, Jack Couffer
Animal Trainers: Halleck H. Driscoll, William R. Koehler, Al Neimela

                                                              Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Incredible%20Journey%20%28The%29
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057180/

-Michael J. Ruhland

Summer Magic

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland











Michael's Movie Grade:A-
Year Released:1963

                                                               History
Walt Disney was not one to let a little thing like a box office failure get in the way of him doing what he wanted to do. His first live action musical feature Babes in Toyland did very poorly at the box office, but that did not stop him from making another live action musical. This second live action musical would star Annette Funicello and be based off of the Kate Douglas Smith novel, Mother Carey's Chickens. However for unknown reasons Annette was dropped and the film would instead star another Disney star actress, Hayley Mills.

This was the third Disney film from director James Neilson, who had previously directed Moon Pilot and Bon Voyage. The screenplay was written by Sally Benson, who wrote the book that one of the most popular movie musicals of all time was based on, Meet Me in Saint Louis. She may also be known by my fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans for being one of the writers on Hitch's Shadow of a Doubt.

The critics were very harsh towards this movie. A review in the New York Times stated "Six year olds may love it". Judith Crist described the movie's characters as "One of those obnoxious families who are perpetually gathered around the piano and singing their hearts out in times of crisis". However audiences definitely went to see this movie, and the movie made over $4,000,000 at the box office.   

Richard Sherman would later refer to the song from this film, On the Front Porch as his favorite song he ever wrote. In fact many of the songs from this movie may sound familiar to Disney fans as instrumental versions play in Main Street at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  

                                                          

Review

Many reviews complained that this film was lacking in terms of plot. If it is that is all this delightful film is lacking in. The film is extremely charming from beginning to end. Nearly everything works about this movie the characters are well thought out, the songs are fantastic, the movie has a great look to it, the acting is fantastic (especially from Hayley), and the pace is nice leisurely and relaxed. This film though may not appeal to everyone as it is one of those films, that really isn't about a big story but simply characters living their lives. However I love these type of movies and I think that others who enjoy these as well will also love this movie, like I do. While if done poorly these films can be a little boring, if done well, as it is here, these films are almost as fascinating as any big budget action movie and sometimes even more. As well as all this the movie has a great sense of small town Americana. However that is not much of a surprise in a movie that combines the talents of Walt Disney and Sally Benson. If you are simply in the mood for it, as I was, this is a fantastic movie, that is full of a simple, but very effective type of magic.

Film Credits   

Director: James Neilson

Writer: Sally Benson

Based on a book by Kate Douglas Wiggins

Cast: Hayley Mills (Nancy Carey), Dorothy McGuire (Margaret Carey), Deborah Walley (Julia Carey), Eddie Hodges (Gilly Carey), Burl Ives (Osh Popham), Jimmy Mathers (Peter Carey), Una Merkel (Mariah Popham), Michael J. Pollard (Digby Popham), Peter Brown (Tom Hamilton), James Stacy (Charles Bryant), O.Z. Whitehead (Mr. Perkins), Wendy Turner (Lallie Joy Popham), Harry Holcombe (Henry Lord), Hilda Plowright (Mary), Paul E. Burns (Drinker), Norman Leavitt (Barber), Eddie Quillian (Mailman), Jan Stine (Mr. Perkins' Son)

Producers: Walt Disney, Ron Miller

Music: Buddy Baker

Songwriters: Richard and Robert Sherman

Cinematographer: William Snyder

Editor: Robert Stafford

Art Director: Carrol Clarke, Robert Clatworthy

Set Decorators: Emile Kuri, Frank R. McKelvy

Special Effects Artists: Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett

Costume Designer: Bill Thomas

Makeup Artist: Pat McNally

Hair Stylist: Ruth Sandifer

Assistant Director: Austin Jewell

Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Dean Thomas

Costumers: Chuck Keehne, Gertrude Casey

Resources Used

The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin

http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Summer%20Magic

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057542/?ref_=rvi_tt

-Michael J. Ruhland