The Vanishing Prairie - 1954

Walt Disney had been enjoying success with his series of short True-Life Adventures series since 1948. By this point, the series had already won six Academy Awards and critics and audiences couldn't get enough of this new medium that Walt Disney created, the nature documentary. For the second full length feature in the series, Walt drew attention to the prairies of Central America.

Like all of the True-Life Adventure films, The Vanishing Prairie opens with a paintbrush. The introductory animated sequence teaches about the area and how the Native Americans understood the balance that was created by the animals. The film begins with Spring as geese, ducks and other birds return to the region after spending Winter in the South. As the grass returns to the area, the buffalo begin to procreate to ensure the survival of their species. Other animals of interest are big horned sheep, mountain lions, deer, prairie dogs, burrowing owls, rattle snakes, coyotes and falcons. The film is full of humorous and suspenseful interactions between the many inhabitants of the prairie. At the film's climax, a fire starts forces many animals to flee their homes. Then heavy rains cause a flood, causing the burrowing animals to move above ground. The film ends with the arrival of winter.

The Vanishing Prairie premiered on August 16, 1954, in New York City. As usual for the True-Life Adventures, critics and audiences adored the film. Like its predecessor, The Living Desert, The Vanishing Prairie was nominated for Best Documentary at that year's Academy Awards. It won, earning Walt Disney his seventh of eight Oscars for the series.

Walt Disney's second True-Life Adventure feature is wonderful, just like the rest of the series. My family took a trip to the great plains, so the animals featured were no stranger to me, but the film was still interesting and entertaining. A remarkable fact about all of the True-Life Adventure films is that all of the audio is created by foley artists. It would have been too difficult to film and record audio for every shot. This is why music plays such a large role in these films. Once again, the only complaint that I can lodge at the film is that it uses some staged sequences, although less than The Living Desert. The most obvious stages scenes are during the fire, the flood, and in the prairie dog's tunnels.

All of the True-Life Adventures were made available on DVD in 2006 through the Walt Disney Legacy Collection. They have all been fully restored and are accompanied by great features. The Vanishing Prairie is found on volume 2. Unfortunately, the DVDs are currently out of print. It is also available on iTunes in HD.

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue - 1954

Walt Disney's Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue was the fourth and final film made with the money Disney had made in the U.K. during the war which couldn't be exported. Richard Todd had starred in two of those films (The Story of Robin Hood and The Sword and the Rose). Glynis Johns played his love interest in the previous one and James Robertson Justice returns for his second Disney British film as well. In addition to the cast, much of the production crew were the same as the previous films, including producer Perce Pearce and matte artist Peter Ellenshaw. However, Ken Annakin was unable to return as director due to a contract dispute with another studio and Harold French took control of this film, the only one he did for Disney.

Robert Roy MacGregor was a real person who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In real life, he defaulted on a loan when his cattle were stolen. His family was forced out of their homes and he waged a war against his creditors, eventually winning. Fictionalized tales about Rob Roy were written during his lifetime, characterizing him as a Scottish Robin Hood who lead a fight against King George. Sir Walter Scott later wrote a novel called Rob Roy based on those tales. When Ken Annakin was in charge of the film, it was going to be based on Scott's novel. When Harold French took over, he changed it to be closer tied to the original tales and real history.

The film takes place in the early 18th century. The Scottish have been revolting against England's German King George for his heavy taxation policy, but most of the uprisings were crushed by the English army and eventually, only a few rebels were left. Rob Roy emerges as the leader of the rebels and is captured and taken to England to be hung. Rob's mother urges the Duke to send Rob to London for his trial with a plan for the rebels to free him during the journey. After his rescue, he marries Helen Mary and King George gives amnesty to all of the rebels, except for Rob Roy and his family. They arrest Rob, but on the journey back to London he escapes again. They steal his cattle and set his home on fire, which kills his mother. A London publication centered around Rob Roy is started and he becomes a hero amongst the people. Rob Roy travels to London to ask the King for amnesty for his men if he gives himself in. Instead, the King pardons Rob Roy.

Rob Roy had its first public screening on October 26, 1953, as a Royal Command Film Performance in the U.K. However, the film didn't have its official premier until February 3, 1954, in New York City. Critics received it warmly, praising the film for its faithfulness to the tales. However, the complex plot confused audiences and the slow pace bored them. It was not a commercial success. It was the final Disney film released by RKO. Disney had already created the Buena Vista Distribution Company by the time this film was finished, but a distribution agreement with RKO was already in place before its existence.

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue had all of the necessary ingredients to be a great film, but it somehow fails to do so. To be fair, it has quite a few redeeming qualities. The acting is top notch and the sets and costumes are exquisite. The source material is intriguing as well. Where the film falls flat is the pacing. The film is plagued by frequent slow spots that become boring. It suffers from lengthy scenes of straight dialogue with little going on. In addition, the characters go through so much pain and have to fight so hard that the payoff feels small in comparison. The resolution is also handled so quickly that it feels rushed. It's definitely not a satisfying ending. Had Ken Annakin been able to stay on as director, it probably would have been as good as the other British Disney films. I wouldn't say it is bad, but it's not particularly good either.

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue is currently available on DVD as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. It is also available on iTunes.

The Living Desert - 1953

In 1948, Walt Disney released the first in a series of nature documentaries called True-Life Adventures. Walt hired photographers around the world to shoot live footage of animals in their natural habitat and his filmmakers would edit them into films. Most of the True-Life Adventures were short subjects, but a few feature films resulted from the series, the first of which was The Living Desert. Walt Disney's nephew, Roy E. Disney, got his start in Hollywood as a producer on the True Life Adventures. He would later play a major role at the studio after Walt and his father Roy died.

The Living Desert was the first Disney feature film distributed by Disney. Prior to this, Walt had mostly relied on RKO to distribute his films. But RKO had been reluctant about releasing the True-Life Adventures series and Walt was tired of trying to please a distributor. He and his brother Roy, who was in charge of the financial side of the company, created the Buena Vista Distribution Company, named after one of the streets that the Disney Studio was on.

The film opens like all True-Life Adventure films. A paintbrush paints a globe to illustrate wind patterns, which turns into an animated sequence about how natural wind barriers, like mountains, create deserts. The film picks up with live action footage of Death Valley in North America. The phenomenon of moving boulders, mud bubbles, and sand storms are shown to highlight the miracle that creatures actually live in this wasteland. Among the animals featured are roadrunners, tortoises, bobcats, rattlesnakes, kangaroo rats, guila monsters and many insects, including tarantulas and scorpions. Many confrontations are shown between predator and prey, but the film never displays anything graphic or disturbing. The film ends with some beautiful time-lapse photography of desert flowers blooming.

The Living Desert premiered on November 10th, 1953, and was a huge success. The film only cost $300,000 to make, but grossed $4 million at the box office. Critics mostly praised the film, but some had concerns over the way that Disney had edited jokes in, such as scorpions dancing a hoedown, which was done by simply switching the direction of the film repeatedly. At any rate, the Academy took notice of the film and gave it an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. This was the sixth of eight Academy Awards that the True-Life Adventures won.

Walt Disney has been credited with the creation of the nature documentary genre with his True-Life Adventures series. While this may not be true, I can't find anything to contradict that claim. As a nature documentary, The Living Desert is a fine film. The pace is great and it never gets tired. The U.S. government has even deemed the film historically and culturally relevant. Since 1953 many great nature documentaries have been made on the same subject and since camera technology has improved so much, more recent documentaries are able to provide a more thorough and real glimpse of desert life. The main fault of this film, and many other True-Life Adventures, is that many of the sequences were staged. Animals in captivity were shot on a set made to look like the desert and the desired action was forced. However, these scenes are still entertaining. What's really incredible about The Living Desert is the format, which nature documentaries are still using today. If you are a fan of nature documentaries, you are sure to enjoy this film. Disney recently got back into the business of making nature films. They co-funded the Planet Earth series and started up Disney Nature, a film division set to release a new film to theaters every Earth Day for the foreseeable future.

All of the True-Life Adventures were made available on DVD in 2006 through the Walt Disney Legacy Collection. The Living Desert is featured on Volume 2: Lands of Exploration. All of the films have been fully restored and are accompanied by great bonus features. Unfortunately, the DVDs are now out of print. It is available on iTunes where it is available in HD.

The Sword and the Rose - 1953

The Sword and the Rose was the third film made with the locked revenue from Disney films released in the U.K. during the war. Many of the people responsible for making the film also worked on the previous British Disney film, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, including director Ken Annakin, producer Perce Pearce, and star Richard Todd, who played Robin Hood. Glynis Johns was cast as Mary Tudor. The Sword and the Rose was based on a novel called When Knighthood Was in Flower by Charles Major and was the third film adaptation, but the first in color.

The film takes place during the early reign of King Henry VIII. Henry is having Englishmen wrestle Frenchmen to find a suitable captain of the guard, which Mastor Charles Brandon wins. His first task is to deliver a message to the king's sister, princess Mary Tudor, who invites Charles to her ball. This sparks a fury in Duke Buckingham, who has been trying to woo Mary and sees Charles as a threat. Forbidden romance blooms between Mary and Charles as King Louis of France asks for Mary's hand in marriage. After a failed attempt to run away together to America, Charles is locked away and sentenced to death. To save Charles from the gallows, Mary agrees to mary King Louis with the agreement that after King Louis dies, she can marry whomever she chooses. Charles is tricked into attempting to escape, where he is stabbed and thrown into the Tames. Meanwhile, Mary is trying to bring about King Louis' death about sooner by making him do things he shouldn't, such as extensive drinking, dancing and horse back riding, which finally kills him. She calls for Charles to be sent to France and learns of his death. Duke Buckingham corners Mary, forcing her to marry him or the new king of France, but Charles is actually alive and has come to France to rescue Mary. A chase and battle ensues with Charles emerging as the victor. The two are quickly married as the film triumphantly ends on a happy note.

Walt Disney's The Sword and the Rose premiered on July 23, 1953. British critics bashed the film for being historically inaccurate. American critics didn't mind the liberties taken with historical facts, but didn't care much for the film itself. Audiences didn't flock to see it and it was not a success.

It's a shame that The Sword and the Rose failed to find an audience in 1953 because it is a great film. While based on historical figures, it is primarily a work of fiction which might be why people have a hard time enjoying it. But if you can let go of preconceived notions about the real history of the Tudor era, you will find a delightful romantic adventure sure to win your favor. The characters are intriguing and the actors do a first rate job bringing them to life. The costumes and sets are exquisite and while lots of matte paintings were used, they are done so realistically that you hardly notice them. Peter Ellenshaw did the matte paintings for all of Disney's British films from this period before moving to America to work for the studio full time. He painted more than 60 matte paintings for this particular film. The Sword and the Rose plays like a fairy tale, although not one for children. While there aren't any objectionable scenes, the story is simply too boring for kids. It contains no magical elements and is focused more on the romance than anything else. The true audience for this film is adults with an interest in period romance. The film's title is a metaphor for the characters. The sword is Charles and the rose is Mary. It really is a great film and it's sad that so few people have seen it.

The Sword and the Rose was released on DVD in December 2010 as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. It is also available on iTunes.

Peter Pan - 1953

Although Walt Disney's Peter Pan wasn't released until 1953, Walt Disney had been trying to buy the right's to the original book by James M. Barrie since 1935, eighteen years earlier. His desire to adapt it possibly stems back to his own childhood when he played Peter in a school play. He got the rights in 1939 and his team of artists immediately started drawing up storyboards and character designs. They even got as far as making maquettes, clay models of characters for animation reference. These figures were seen by audiences in 1941 in Disney's The Reluctant Dragon. However, production on Peter Pan ended when the U.S. entered World War II. After the war, Walt was back to making full length animated features and among the first put into production was Peter Pan.

For the voice cast, Walt relied heavily on actors he had previously worked with. Peter was voiced by Bobby Driscoll, star of Song of the South, So Dear to My Heart, and Treasure Island. This was his last film for Disney and the end of his contract. Wendy was voiced by Katharine Beaumont, who had previously voiced Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Screen star Hans Conried was cast in the double role of George Darling and Captain Hook, which is a nod to the original play in which the same actor played both roles. Conried went on to star in a few other Disney films as well.

Peter Pan opens with an explanation that "All this has happened before and it will all happen again, but this time it happened in London." Wendy Darling has been telling stories about Peter Pan to her brothers, John and Michael, but when they get in trouble for reenacting the tale, Mr. Darling tells Wendy that this is her last night in the nursery and that she must grow up tomorrow. That night while the parents are out, Peter Pan comes to the house looking for his shadow, which he left while eaves dropping on one of Wendy's stories. Wendy finds him and helps sew it back on. In return, he teaches the Darlings how to fly and takes them to Nerveland with him where they never have to grow up. Peter's Pixie, Tinker Bell, flies ahead to tell the lost boys to shoot down Wendy, who she feels threatened by because another girl is now in Peter's life. Wendy is unharmed, but Peter banishes Tinker Bell for a week. Peter takes Wendy to the mermaid lagoon, where they find that Captain Hook has kidnapped Tiger Lilly, the indian chief's daughter, and is going to drown her if she doesn't tell him where Peter Pan's hideout is. Captain Hook seeks revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to the crocodile. Meanwhile, Michael, John and the lost boys have been kidnapped by the indians, who believe they have Tiger Lilly. Peter returns her safely and all is forgiven, but Captain Hook captures Tinker Bell and tricks her into telling him the location of Pan's hideout. Wendy and the boys are homesick and the lost boys decided to go home with them, but as they plan to leave they are kidnapped by the pirates and a trap is set to kill Peter Pan. He overcomes it, defeats the pirates, and sails the Darling children home in the pirate ship.

Disney's version of Peter Pan was the first time that a male actor had ever played Peter on screen. The role was previously played exclusively by women. This was also the first time that Tinker Bell was more than just a ball of light, but had an actual physical form. The crocodile was in the original play, but was only heard, never seen. The animated medium allowed for the crocodile to have quite a bit of screen time. Another major change from the original story is that Disney shortened "Never Never Land" to simply "Neverland." But perhaps the most monumental changed that Disney made to the story is that in Disney's version, Peter doesn't ask the audience to clap their hands if they believe in fairies.

The film premiered on February 5, 1953. Critics adored it because it stayed true to the original story while still being fresh and new. Audiences responded favorably to it as well and the film was a big success. It was re-released 5 times in theaters and was an event every time. The last release was in 1989, which is when I first saw Peter Pan. I was 4-years old and quickly became obsessed with it.

It may be as a result of my childhood obsession that Peter Pan is my favorite film, but it has all of the quintessential elements that make a great Disney film. The characters are memorable and fun, even the villains. The story is adventurous and magical. In addition, it is everything that a Disney animated film should be, with some of the finest animation in any film. It was the last time that Mary Blaire would have a significant impact on a Disney film, but the design and color schemes are perfect. Peter Pan also features my favorite Disney song, "The Second Star to the Right." That song, along with "You Can Fly, You Can Fly, You Can Fly" and "Following the Leader" have become classic songs that are frequently found on Disney compilations.

Peter Pan was released on Blu-Ray as a Diamond Edition in 2013 and went into the vault in 2014. Bonus features include a documentary on the children of the nine old men, deleted scenes and songs, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and Disney View, which adds artwork to the sides of the screen. The film is presented in its original fullscreen aspect ratio. The Diamond Edition DVD is a single-disc set, but the previous Platinum Edition was a 2-disc set and had much better bonus features, with a similar picture presentation. If DVD is your preferred format, I would recommend the out-of-print Platinum Edition. It is also available on iTunes, where it is available in HD and comes it iTunes Extras bonus features.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men - 1952

Like Treasure Island before it, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men was made using the money Disney made in the U.K. during World War II, which was not allowed to be exported. The film was shot entirely in England, had an entirely British cast, and used a mostly British crew, with the exception of producer Perce Pearce who was Walt's producer for all of his early British films. Walt Disney spent some time in England to supervise production as well.

While this was Disney's first film version of the classic tale of Robin Hood, there had already been more than 20 film versions, one of which was released the previous year. The most famous version starred Errol Flynn, but Walt Disney admits to having never seen that film. However, director Ken Annakin screened it to make sure that this version was different. As a result, the final battle between Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham is very unique and anyone comparing the two versions is sure to notice the differences. The Disney version is notable for expanding the relationship between Robin Hood and Maid Marian, a subplot that had taken a backseat in previous film versions.

The film opens with a minstrel singing about Robin Hood, who reappears several times to help move the story along. Robin and Maid Marian are playing in the forest when a servant comes to find her. King Richard is leaving for war and has put his brother, Prince John, in charge of England. Robin's father is killed for speaking out against the new taxation under Prince John's rule, but Robin escapes, hiding out in the wood. Many men join Robin, who becomes known as Robin Hood and starts robbing the rich and giving the money to the poor and overtaxed citizens of England. Little John quickly joins Robin and his crew and they gain an ally in Friar Tuck. Over time, King Richard is captured and Prince John refuses to pay, claiming he can't afford it because of the money he has spent tracking down Robin Hood. Maid Marian returns and finds that her old friend Robin has become Robin Hood, so she sneaks out of the castle to find him. She collects money from Robin and his men to donate for the King's ransom to prove to the Queen that Robin Hood is good. Robin Hood steals the money that the Sheriff has been hiding and reveals it to the public, forcing him to give it to free the King. Prince John creates another plot to have his soldiers dress as Robin Hood's men and rob the Queen, but Robin puts a stop to it. When he finds out that Maid Marian has been locked up, he sneaks into the castle to free her, but is injured in the process. King Richard returns, makes Robin an Earl and Marian agrees to marry him. The film ends with the minstrel walking into the woods singing.

Walt Disney's The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men premiered on June 26, 1952. Critics praised the film for the most part, delighting in the emphasis on the characters and the rich environment, which previous versions lacked. I have not been able to find any information about how the film did at the box office.

Disney's live action Robin Hood is a wonderful film. It is well written, the acting is great and the locations are beautiful. Richard Todd shines as Robin Hood. He went on to star in two more Disney films shot in England, The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy the Highland Rogue. The elements that make the story better are the ones that are distinctly Disney. The film has some great scenes that are sure to put a smile on any viewers face. In the 1970's, Disney made an animated version of Robin Hood told with animals which has eclipsed this film, rendering it obscure to even big Disney fans. It's a shame that Walt's version is the one that has taken a backseat because it is a great film and is a much more faithful adaptation of the original story.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men is currently available on DVD, but the transfer is poor, using the same source as the previous VHS and laserdisc release and there are no chapter selection options. It is also available on iTunes.

Alice in Wonderland - 1951

Alice in Wonderland has an interesting history at The Walt Disney Studio. The studio actually owes much of its start to Lewis Carrol's inspiration. The first series of shorts that the Disney Studio did were called Alice Comedies, which placed a live action Alice in an animated setting. They ran from 1923 to 1927 and the first in the series was called "Alice's Wonderland." And when Walt had the idea of making an animated feature film, which eventually lead to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of his first ideas was to cast Mary Pickford as a live action Alice in an all animated world. He tried that idea again with Ginger Rogers in the lead. However, over the years Walt grew reluctant about making Alice in Wonderland.

Walt's major problem was that the books lacked a linear plot. Alice goes to Wonderland, meets a lot of crazy characters, and then leaves. He also didn't find Alice to be a sympathetic character and felt that audiences wouldn't be able to relate to her. But his animation team was dying to make it. They had been begging him for years to do it and with feature animation back in full swing, he decided to let them have their chance at it.

Production on the all-animated Disney version began in 1946. When audiences thought of Alice in Wonderland, they thought of the Tenniel illustrations found in the books. So the first attempt would use those drawings as the inspiration for the art direction. The entire film was storyboard and when Walt saw it, he knew it wasn't working. They discarded that version and began storyboarding another version that would be a comedy more than anything. What the film lacked in plot they were going to make up for with gags and music. To make the film as enjoyable as possible, Walt changed thing up by taking the best characters from both books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and combining them into a single film. The Tenniel drawings were abandoned and a more Disney character design was chosen. Ed Wynn was cast as the Mad Hatter, the first time that a famous Hollywood actor was cast as a voice in a Disney film.

To tie the film back to Lewis Carol as much as possible, most of the songs utilized poems from the books as lyrics. Over thirty songs were written, fourteen of which appear in the film, the largest number for any Disney animated feature. However, many of the songs are less than a minute long and are unmemorable. None of the songs became big hits, but a few of them are frequently found on Disney compilation albums, such as "The Unbirthday Song," "In a World of My Own," and "All in the Golden Afternoon." The score was nominated for an Academy Award, which can probably be attributed to the catchy "March of the Cards" sequence.

While the film doesn't start with the opening of a storybook, the title sequence is reminiscent of illustrations in a children's book. Alice is bored during her history lesson, but when she sees a white rabbit with a coat and watch running by, she can't help but follow him. She falls down the rabbit hole and into Wonderland, where nothing is what it seems. In her quest to find the white rabbit, Alice has many unique adventures. She grows and shrinks several times, swims in a river of her own tears, joins a caucus race to get dry, hears a story from Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, is smoked out of a house, sings with flowers, takes advice from a caterpillar, is taunted by the Cheshire Cat, attends a mad tea party with the Mad Hatter and March Hair and gets lost in Tulgey Wood. She gets in trouble with the Queen of Hearts when she helps the cards paint white roses red and is put on trial, during which many of the characters she encountered bear witness against her. In the end, she is chased down and just as she is about to be caught... she wakes up. It was all a dream.

Alice in Wonderland premiered on July 26, 1951, in both London and New York City. Critics hated it, particularly British critics who were upset that Walt Disney had Americanized a British literary classic. Critics in the U.S. weren't kind to it either. The film was not a financial success in its initial release and just three years later, it was edited and shown on TV, the first Disney animated film to do so. However, in the 1970's the film became popular amongst college students, who would rent prints of it because of its "trippy" sequences. Similar to Fantasia, the Disney Studio noticed the trend and gave Alice in Wonderland its first theatrical re-release in 1974. The poster features bright psychedelic colors emitting from the caterpillar's pipe, which formed images of characters from the film. It did so well that it was released again 7 years later in 1981 and was one of the first Disney animated films released to VHS later that same year. Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland had finally found an audience.

I'm a big fan of Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Like many people today, the Disney version was my first introduction to the story. I have never read Lewis Carol's original novels, but I've seen countless film versions that have remained faithful to the book and I have to say that I prefer the Disney version. What it lacks in plot it makes up for with fun and appealing characters. The animation is excellent and Mary Blaire's style dominates the film, making it visually appealing. Even though this film was not successful, it was used as the inspiration for one of the first Disneyland rides, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, which can be found at all five Disney Resorts around the world. It was my favorite ride as a kid. Disneyland added a dark ride based on the attraction in 1958. In 2010, Disney released a live action version directed by Tim Burton that became Disney's most financially successful film of all time.

Alice in Wonderland is available on Blu-Ray and DVD. The film has been fully restored and looks great. Bonus features include a retrospective documentary and the original One Hour in Wonderland TV special, Walt Disney's first television show ever. It is also available on iTunes in HD with bonus features.