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WALT DISNEY PRESENTS: THE PETER TCHAIKOVSKY STORY (TV)

Summary

One in this series of family programs, presented under the umbrella title of "Walt Disney Presents," hosted by Walt Disney. This "Fantasyland" episode details the life and times of the famed composer. Disney opens the show by telling about innovations in animation since 1928, when the Mickey Mouse short "Steamboat Willie" was the first cartoon to be synchronized to sound. After showing clips from the studio's ground-breaking animated features, he tells how the soon-to-be-released animated feature "Sleeping Beauty" will feature wide-screen effects in "Super Technirama 70." Disney then tells how "Sleeping Beauty" was inspired by -- and incorporates -- the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, written for the fairy tale's ballet version. During production for "Sleeping Beauty," the composer's life story came to Disney's attention, inspiring the following program.

As the narrative opens, young Peter grows up Votkinsk in the mid-1800s, idolizing the music of Mozart. His mother hires French governess Fanny Durbach to supervise Peter and his siblings. Soon, renowned pianist Major Mashovsky comes to the house and Peter takes great pleasure in showcasing ith his musical talents. When Peter can't sleep that night, Fanny reads him the story of Sleeping Beauty, inspiring the boy to begin a score for the tale on the piano. Peter is sent away to school in St. Petersburg by his mother, who dies shortly thereafter. Her loss makes Peter abandon his musical leanings. At age twenty-three, Peter finds employment as a copy clerk at the Ministry of Justice in St. Petersburg. When the New Conservatory of Music opens under the auspices of composer Anton Rubinstein, Peter enrolls in composition classes. Anton hears a work that Peter improvises and then helps the student to refine his efforts. Later, Peter is fired from his copy clerk position when he's caught composing music. He brings his latest works to Anton, who is amazed at Peter's abilities. Soon, an Italian opera company arrives featuring singer Desiree Artot. The soprano's voice entrances Peter and he writes a song, "None but the Lonely Heart" for her, which she sings. Following the pair's engagement, Peter begins to write an opera for his beloved. However, Desiree marries another singer in her opera troupe. Peter subsequently put his efforts into scoring ballets, starting with "Swan Lake," which proves a dismal failure. A discouraged Peter tours Europe and finally travels home on a steamer, during which he has a dream about putting the Sleeping Beauty story to music. He goes on to pen the score, which marks his first professional triumph. Disney then returns to preview an extended scene from the animated "Sleeping Beauty," in which the sixteen-year-old Princess Aurora sings "I Wonder" to her animal friends in the forest, while also attracting the attention of Prince Phillip. When the two meet, Aurora and Phillip sing the love song "Once Upon a Dream." Disney then introduces a scene in which good fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather rescue Phillip from evil fairy Maleficent's dungeon so that he can save Aurora from Maleficent's curse. Disney closes the program by hinting at the tale's "happily ever after" conclusion. Commercials deleted. (Series title varies: From 1954 to 1958 this series was telecast under the title "Disneyland"; from 1958 to 1961 this series was telecast under the title "Walt Disney Presents"; from 1961 to 1969 this series was telecast under the title "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color"; from 1969 to 1979 this series was telecast under the title "The Wonderful World of Walt Disney"; from 1979 to 1981 this series was telecast under the title, "Disney's Wonderful World"; and from 1997-2005 this series was telecast under the title "The Wonderful World of Disney.")

(Network varies; this series was telecast on ABC from 1954-1961, on NBC from 1961 to 1981; on CBS from 1981 to 1983; and on ABC from 1997-2005.)

Details

  • NETWORK: ABC
  • DATE: January 30, 1959 Friday 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:49:20
  • COLOR/B&W: B&W
  • CATALOG ID: B:00391
  • GENRE: Children's programs
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Children's programs; Composers; Biography
  • SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1958-1961
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - Hill Bros. Coffee

CREDITS

  • Clyde Geronimi … Producer
  • Charles Barton … Director
  • Otto Englander … Writer
  • Joe Rinaldi … Writer
  • George Bruns … Music by
  • Sammy Fain … Music by
  • Jack Lawrence … Music by
  • Walt Disney … Host
  • Grant Williams … Cast, Peter Tchaikovsky
  • Rex Hill … Cast, Peter Tchaikovsky, Age 6
  • Lilyan Chauvin … Cast, Fanny Durbach
  • Leon Askin … Cast, Anton Rubinstein
  • Narda Onyx … Cast, Desiree Artot
  • Galina Ulanova … Cast, Lead Ballerina
  • Corps de Ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre … Cast, "Swan Lake" Dancers
  • Gregory Gay … Cast, Major Mashovsky
  • John Banner … Cast, Office Supervisor
  • Edith Evanson … Cast, Mrs. Tchaikovsky
  • Alex Gerry … Cast, Mr. Tchaikovsky