Peter Pan (1953) - 77 minutes

We are thrilled to have our first guest blogger today, the incomparable Jeff!  He joins us for Peter Pan, the classic tale of the boy who won't grow up, his crocodile-phobic nemesis Captain Hook, and of course Wendy Darling, who isn't quite ready to be anyone's mother yet.


Jeff

Rating: 9/10

Reaction: It being one of my very favorite movies from childhood, I just couldn't resist accepting the invitation to join the party for Peter Pan. We all know the story, so I won't go into details, but what a fun trip back in time to watch this movie again after many years. The innocence of childhood, the power of imagination, the good old-fashioned racism...pure bliss! I will always be more a fan of that era of Disney classics than any other. I love the picture quality, the occasional inconsistencies from frame to frame, and the very basic abandon with which social issues are addressed (or, more commonly, skirted), and I miss the time when truly professional voice actors were used, rather than just celebrities of the day. Not to say that all celebrity voice work is sub-par, but in the era when radio was still so common an entertainment medium, we got more thorough and imaginative performances, rather than just voices we recognize and can put a face to. For example, in Peter Pan, Hans Conried, a veteran radio performer who then also had an extensive film and television career, delivers what might be my all-time favorite voice performance as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. What I wouldn't give to have been in the studio when he was recording that character. Long story short, I just love this movie and it will always hold a very special place in my heart.


Eli

Rating: 9/10

Reaction: Ah, this is another of the Disney classics that I would watch over and over as a youngster. It seems to hold up pretty well for me still, except for the kind of terrible Indian scene and song. But it was made in a time when these things weren't as politically incorrect as they are now a-days. Peter is one of the coolest Disney characters. He's charming, fun, can fly, and will never grow up! Imagine! How fun. I mean, he does have to battle the occasional pirate, but that can be overlooked for the wonderful things he does do. I mean, who wouldn't want to be fawned over by a bunch of girl-drowning mermaids? Now, if they were mermen...that might be even better. But one must make do with what one has on Neverland. I'd just be excited to fly. The tale of adventure that the Darling family goes on is one that is so fun. I wouldn't want to return. And they almost don't. But Wendy, being the sensible older child she is (and realizing that she isn't gonna have as much fun as the boys in the island) convinces them to go home. And all is well.


Regan

Rating: 9/10

Reaction: Second star on the right and straight on 'til morning!  How many of us wished growing up that we could think happy thoughts and fly, or that we could have a dog nanny to pick up after us?  Nana was probably my favorite part, but overall this is such an effective presentation of the Peter Pan story.  Hook and his crocodile nemesis are terrific, especially all the scenes of the crocodile eagerly waiting for Hook to fall into its jaws.  The scenes with the Indians are fun, the prissy mermaids and wicked little Tinkerbell are amusing, and the Lost Boys and Peter are delightfully brash and raucous.  Wendy is a great character, although her decision that she's ready to grow up seems a little at odds with the wonderful adventure she's just had.  Overall this movie is a great romp from start to finish, with fun songs and a generally carefree feeling that leaves you smiling at the end.

Alice in Wonderland (1951) - 75 minutes

Who can help but love that sleeping/high little girl with her vivid, crazy hallucinations?  Lewis Caroll's classic story comes to life in this charming film.

Eli

Rating: 10/10

Reaction: I must say that this is one of (if not) my favorite Disney movies! It is completely brilliant. All of the songs are lovely, and have some of the smartest lyrics in any movie. "All In A Golden Afternoon" is one of my favorite songs, and I want to learn the chorus part of it. So as ridiculous as this film seems to be, everything just works. All the characters sometimes act as villains, and yet they are quite likable. The Queen of Hearts is one of the most fabulous villains, even though she doesn't appear until the last 20 minutes of the film. Alice has to encounter other trials and tribulations before then. I always wonder how she is able to have such an extensive dream while her sister just sits there, reading her boring history book (with no pictures). Anyway - there isn't much I can think of right now to say about this movie except that it's amazing. Everyone should go out and watch it now. I'm serious. Go. I'm not kidding. Umm.....go.


Regan

Rating: 10/10

Reaction:  Here's another one I haven't seen in forever, and what a crazy, fun ride it was!  Alice is such a fun little girl to follow on her adventures as she blithely goes from one weird situation to the next.  I think my favorite is the Cheshire Cat (voiced by Winnie the Pooh), but the hookah-smoking caterpillar is priceless as well.  And of course we can't forget the Queen of Hearts and her delicious heart-covered petticoats?  I loved the songs in this one, especially the one sung by the flowers (who then immediately expel Alice when they conclude she must be a weed).  I also loved the awesome birds and the random walrus and carpenter segment (which is quite tragic for the mother oyster!).  Overall it's a fun romp through imagination with no slow moments.  No complaints!

So Dear to My Heart and others cover

Cinderella (1950) - 74 minutes

Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it's Cinderelly! Finally, we have returned to some classic Disney faire. This is a favorite of many young girls (yes, and boys) around the world. The story of a petite-footed scullery girl who dreams big, and with the help of magic and determination, snags a prince and a life of Happily-Ever-After!

Eli

Rating: 9/10

Reaction: While growing up, my mother always told me that this was her favorite movie. I can see why. It has everything that one remembers from the Classic Disney formula - a Princess, a Prince, some magic, some animal sidekicks, and a villianess so evil she should head the Hall of Fame. There are so lovely songs, like "Sing Sweet Nightingale" where her stepsisters start the song terribly, and then Cinderella sings in 4-part harmony with her bubbly reflection. And who can forget the song that the critters sing while making Cinderella's pink dress? "Leave the sewin' to the women! You go get the trimmin'!" This movie still makes me laugh, even though I know the story backwords and forwards. It also makes me wish I had a fairy godmother. There isn't much else to say about this movie except for the fact that it's one of the best Disney films, everyone should love it, and if you don't, you'll be turned back into a horse or dog at the stroke of midnight.


Regan

Rating: 8/10

Reaction:  I haven't seen this one in ages, and boy was I glad to rewatch it!  Cinderella is by far the favorite of my fairytale princess stories.  There are so many great adaptations of the story--the musical with Julie Andrews and Ever After being prime among them.  This one shouldn't be overlooked though.  Cinderella's gown is truly stunning and her animal friends are far more interesting than the ones in Snow White.  Who can forget GusGus (Gus is, naturally, short for Octavius) and Jaq and their misadventures in their good-natured attempts to help Cinderella?  The evil stepmother is terrifying, the prince is gorgeous (if completely lacking in character).  It's such a pleasure to finally reach the full-length films, and this one is a great starting point.  You feel for Cinderella's plight throughout.  The songs are great, too.  Usually squeaky voices like the mice's annoy me, but they're absolutely charming in this movie.  Ultimately I don't know that this is really a love story, even though that's what it pretends to be--hence the 8 instead of 10 rating--but it is a story about perseverance and friendship overcoming all obstacles, and that is more than enough to make a great movie.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) - 68 minutes

Here we have two short films, both narrated by Bing Crosby.  The first is the tale of Mr. Toad, a rich toad whose obsession with shiny vehicles leads him and his friends into a great deal of trouble.  The second is the tale of Ichabod Crane, which leaves the viewer with two mysteries: 1) what happened to Ichabod, and 2) more importantly, how does he manage to eat so much yet stay so darn thin?!


Eli

Rating: 7/10

Reaction: So these two stories, while not Disney classics, are still pretty fun to watch. The first of the bunch is "The Adventures of Mr. Toad", who's story was the basis of the Disneyland (and old Disney World) ride! At least we can enjoy it in California. Although, in the ride, Mr. Toad is killed by a train and goes to Hell with a bunch of demons and stuff running around. Scary. This however does not happen in the film. All ends well, and he regains Toad Hall (and an airplane) for his pleasure. It reminds me a bit of Real Housewives of Toad Hall, with Mr. Toad being one of the wealthy ladies who just runs around in a dress spending money and doing ridiculous things. I mean, he was able to run really fast in heels. And has a nice butt. (Wait...that was his ball and chain.)
Nextly (a new word) we have The Adventures of Ichabod. This is scary. He's a kinda-fugly school teacher who arrives at a new town, and is immediately wooed by the sexy rich girl of town (who may work at the bakery?) Anyway, Gaston - eh, I mean, Brom - doesn't like this much, so tells the tale of the headless horseman. Scary! And then Ichabod meets him. I felt bad for the fat girl in green, cause nobody wanted to dance with her at the party. I was afraid she may pull a Carrie on everyone. But all in all, these two stories were pretty fun to watch.


Regan

Rating: 6/10

Reaction: Both of these were enjoyable, I guess, but the writing wasn't very good (despite being based on two classic stories).  The main problem was that because the tales were entirely narrated, with the narrator also voicing the various characters, the characters themselves were not very distinctive and weren't all that likeable.  Mr. Toad's insanity leaves you wondering why anyone would care if he wound up behind bars--that would probably be safer for the world.  I did like the evil Mr. Winky, though, whose hair and mustache were identical.  The Ichabod segment was very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast--there was a Gaston figure, a wild flight through a forest at night atop a less than reliable horse, a "bonjour bonjour bonjour!" moment (practically), and the evil asylum owner from Beauty and the Beast actually made an appearance as a ghost figure!  They're both strange stories with protagonists who are so farfetched it's impossible to care much what happens to them.

So Dear to My Heart (1948) - 82 minutes

The story of a little boy who raises an ugly black lamb rejected by its mother and brings it to a local fair where it wins a prize for being "special."

Eli

Rating: 5/10

Reaction: For this film, I must say, I did not care about any of the characters. Too much praising Jesus, too many ugly farm animals, too many annoying girls. (Okay - there was only one annoying girl, and only one ugly farm animal. But it felt like many...) This little boy gets a black lamb, and wants to make him a champion. Um. Okay. His granny is kinda awful. She's always like "believe in God, follow him, blah blah blah." Then there's a storm. And they go into a swamp for bee honey. Um. Okay. Then they want to go to the fair. A pretty typical "then this happened, then this, then this" story. The animated segments were pretty cute though. They had the lamb and owl going in and out of a pop-up book, and we got a history lesson. There was a song called "Stick-To-It-Ivity" which was pretty ridiculous and took us half the song to figure out what they were saying. Um. Okay. All in all, I probably wouldn't watch this again. I think we added it because it included live action and animation. I don't think it was ever in the theaters. Go  figure.

Regan:

Rating: 6/10

Reaction: I'm definitely looking forward to starting on the more well-known Disney films.  While this was a nice change of pace because it's a feature length film, it wasn't nearly as well done as all of the other books/movies in genres like this (Where the Red Fern Grows, Old Yeller, The Yearling, Babe, Anne of Green Gables...).  I never cared about that black lamb (it was cute when it was born, then grew up and got ugly), and the two kids were really annoying.  There were some cute songs.  I really kept waiting for someone to die, partly because that always happens in other similar movies, and the fact that no one did definitely left me with a feeling of "who cares?" at the end.  At the end of the year I doubt I'll remember much of anything about this movie, and that will be just fine.  As a side note, this is the last of the Disney movies on our list with live action appearances from Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten, Disney's first contract actor children.  Apparently Luana retired for ten years after this, while Bobby would eventually hit puberty, get horrible acne, and die at the age of 31 (though not before being the voice of Peter Pan).

Melody Time (1948) - 72 Minutes

Melody Time is our (hopefully) last installment of the musical-clip-by-clip Disney film. It involves several shorter songs/stories of various themes. We begin with "Once Upon a Wintertime", followed by "Bumble Boogies", "Johnny Appleseed", "Trees", "Little Toot", "Blame it on the Samba", and finally "Pecos Bill".

Eli

Rating: 5/10

Reaction: Well here we go again. Another Fantasia-esq Disney film. I'm glad we've had a bit of a break between our last post and now (wow, a whole month!) or I may have gouged my eyes out and stuffed cotton in my ears. Not that this was a terrible film - but seeing the same sort of genre over and over again can get tedious. (Wait...are we the ones watching all the Disney films? Ha.) Anyway - you know what I mean. There were some cute sketches in this Melody Time. My favorites were probably the Winter Wonderland one, and also Little Toot. (Haha...toot...) Winter Wonderland was about a couple who go ice skating - but they are apparently miles up on top of a river with a waterfall. Stupid skaters. The woman almost dies - but doesn't, thanks to the forest critters. Then they happily ride home in their sleigh. Little Toot was cute, and made a lot of mischeif. He even destroyed half of NYC by having a cruise ship crash into a ton of buildings. We're talking 1000s of casualties here, people!!! No wonder he got exiled to the middle of the ocean. But then he saves the day. Duh. It's Disney.

Other clips included a cute bumble bee one, one boring one about trees, and a Pecos Bill story. We skipped Johnny Appleseed as we had watched it. And the intro involved these scary lips and masks that had no eyes and reminded me of Sleep No More. Yikes! Oh yeah - and I forgot our return to The Three Caballeros. I must say that the 10 or so minute clip involved in this movie was much better than those other 2 combined. Yikes. Those were some boring movies. But oh well, this was cute. Probably not one I'd re-watch time and again - but it was cute. And who doesn't love the Andrews Sisters? Nobody, that's who.


Regan

Rating: 5/10

Reaction: Gotta admit, I felt like they really phoned this one in.  Most of the songs were fine, but the attached cartoons left something to be desired.  What was going on in the winter wonderland?  First they go ice skating on some raging, godforsaken river with a mile-long plunge at the end, then when the girls fall in they have to be rescued, not by the boys or themselves, but by random forest animals.  Not cool.  The one with the fly being chased by instrument-themed...plants?...was just weird.

We also saw the reappearance of two of the three caballeros, Donald and random Amazon parrot, plus an impressively talented organist-slash-samba-dancer.  The cutest was probably Little Toot, the tugboat who massacred half of New York by directing the Titanic into it.  Still, anything sung by the Andrews Sisters has a leg up.  I also enjoyed the Roy Rogers Wild West segment at the end, although those Indians' war paint flying off was pretty horrific(ly hilariously un-PC).  Overall, not a very good or coherent series of clips.