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WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR: CHICO, THE MISUNDERSTOOD COYOTE (TV)

Summary

One in this series of family programs, presented under the umbrella title of "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," hosted by Walt Disney. This episode presents "Chico, the Misunderstood Coyote," a story about the life and hardships of the eponymous coyote in the American southwest.

As the program opens, a mother coyote finds her mate killed and soon is chased down by ranchers, irritated at the coyotes for killing their chickens. They eventually find the mother and her four pups and kill all of them except one: a rambunctious youngster named Chico. Chico is sold to a man named Frank Miller, who runs a sideshow exhibit displaying desert wildlife. Chico goes into shock at being held captive, but soon learns to adjust. As he grows up, he learns to hate and fear humanity. Chico eats a dead gopher he finds on Frank's property, unaware that Frank poisoned it with strychnine. Frank finds Chico and manages to restore him to health. While recovering he makes several attempts to escape, and finally does so, returning to the wilderness from whence he came.

After celebrating for a time, Chico decides to put distance between himself and human civilization by journeying into the nearby mountains. His search for food gets him in all manner of scenarios, such as being forced to swim ashore after stranding himself in the middle of a creek on a floating log. He decides to accompany an ornery badger and eat field mice driven to the surface by the badger's advance. A month later winter comes and the badger hibernates, so Chico is left on his own once again. After a few more unsuccessful attempts to get food, including a confrontation with a bobcat, Chico decides to come down from the mountains and finds plentiful game. Soon he feels the urge to mate and does so with a female coyote named Tula.

Tula and Chico give birth to pups, Chiquito and Chulita. They are safe for several months until both Chico and Tula leave their den and Chulita is killed by an eagle. Chiquito survives but finds himself totally lost. He eventually makes his way to the same badger his father befriended, but the badger is not as amenable to Chiquito's company. Eventually Chico finds Chiquito and the family is reunited. They hunt around the rancher's alfalfa fields for rabbits and establish a new den for themselves. That night, Chico encounters a trio of passing coyotes and howls with them for a time. The other coyotes raid the rancher's chicken coop. The ranchers decide to hunt down the coyotes once and for all, but only Chico and his family are left as the other coyotes have moved on.

Chico, remembering the lessons he learned during his time in captivity, manages to outsmart the ranchers, disarming their traps and preventing his family from being poisoned by strychnine. Tula raids the chicken coop and the ranchers decide to hunt the coyotes from a rented plane. They drive the coyotes out of hiding and Chico decides to act as a decoy to prevent them from shooting his family. The ranchers manage to hit Chico and leave, but Chico is actually unharmed and was merely playing dead. He and his family travel back into the mountains, now safe from the ranchers. Includes commercials.

(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: NBC
  • DATE: October 15, 1961 Sunday 7:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:54:27
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:00396
  • GENRE: Drama
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Animals; Coyotes; Children's programs
  • SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1961-1969
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV – Commercials – "Dumbo" motion picture
    • TV – Commercials – "Ride a Wild Pony" motion picture
    • TV – Commercials – American Cancer Society
    • TV – Commercials – Coca-Cola soft drink
    • TV – Commercials – Dairy Queen restaurants
    • TV – Commercials – Keds footwear
    • TV – Commercials – Kodak film
    • TV – Promos – "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color"

CREDITS

  • Winston Hibler … Producer
  • Walter Perkins … Director
  • Albert Aley … Writer
  • Roy Edward Disney … Writer
  • Ernest Thompson Seton … Based on a story by
  • Paul Smith … Music by
  • Walt Disney … Host
  • Winston Hibler … Narrator
  • Joy Hale … Cast
  • Bill Page … Cast
  • Slim Sanford … Cast