WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY, THE: 40 YEARS OF TELEVISION MAGIC (TV)
Summary
One in this series of Disney movies presented under the umbrella title "The Wonderful World of Disney," hosted by Kirstie Alley. This documentary special celebrates the fortieth anniversary of Disney television programming. Michael Eisner, chief executive officer of Disney, introduces the program, and Alley reports from Disneyland in California, explaining how the number of children in America rose considerably in the so-called baby boom after World War II.
Billy Joel performs "When You Wish Upon a Star," and various celebrities, including George Foreman, Debbie Allen, and Hugh Hefner comment on their early memories of Disney programming. Needing money to build his dream amusement park, Walt Disney teamed up with ABC and created a television show, "Disneyland," airing on Sunday nights and premiering on Oct. 27, 1954, in which he discussed the park's creation, among other things. Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney explains how the program helped to show people that the newly-popular TV was a "genuine form of entertainment," the technology of which is explained by Ludwig Von Drake, Donald Duck's scientist uncle. Walt was displeased with black-and-white, however, and later debuted "The Wonderful World of Color" on Sept. 24, 1961; Tom Hanks reflects on his memories of the groundbreaking program. Mickey Mouse was the most prominent Disney character, and Hefner notes that Disney was unique for giving his characters distinct personalities. Mickey's popularity led to the creation of "The Mickey Mouse Club" in 1955, a variety show featuring "the kids next door," with whom young viewers could identify.
Ed McMahon comments on Donald Duck, the temperamental "sidekick" to the easygoing Mickey, who later enjoyed his own 1956 special, "A Day in the Life of Donald Duck." Mickey's other pal, Goofy, was inspired by vaudeville comedians, and Michael Richards comments on his physical comedy and "great soul." More characters were added over time, recently including Roger Rabbit, who made his debut by causing mischief at Mickey's sixtieth birthday broadcast. The Disney Company soon turned its attention to American history, with "Davy Crockett," starring Fess Parker, becoming the first TV miniseries. His tough-but-fair character represented the ideal of American hard work and morality, and his signature coonskin cap soon became a hotly-desired accessory. "Zorro," starring Guy Williams, premiered in 1957, and Cheech Marin reflects on the masked hero's memorable style. Other programs featured cowboys and legends like Paul Bunyan, and the title character of 1960's "Pollyanna" represented childhood innocence and optimism, as explained by star Hayley Mills. Debbie Allen directed a 1989 version entitled "Polly," focusing on themes of segregation, and Disney addressed real-life stories related to race with "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom" (1986) and "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story" (1989).
Alley discusses Walt's desire for a family-oriented theme park, and Disneyland finally opened on July 17, 1955. The event was broadcast live on television, hosted by Art Linkletter with his friends Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan. However, overcrowding and extreme heat made the day something of a fiasco. Walt continued expanding upon his ideas, however, and many installments of his TV show simply featured him talking from his office about their latest projects. Roy notes that Walt was something of a "technology freak," giving rise to the word "animatronics" with his plans for moving, interactive robots and features, as explained by special effects technician Stan Winston. Disney cameramen also went to great lengths to film scenes of nature, capturing images of animals in their natural habitats and narrating their adventures with personalized stories. Roy notes that the banning of DDT and other harmful pesticides came in part because of the Disney shows' depiction of their dangers. Other movies and shows focused on various childhood fantasies, fears and adventures, like "Toby Tyler" (1960), in which a young boy runs off to join the circus, and "Swiss Family Robinson" (1960), in which a family is shipwrecked on an island and builds a home. Walt was also interested in sharing the behind-the-scenes elements of his programs, and "Operation Undersea" detailed the making of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), which featured many underwater shots and required special technicians and "fish wranglers." More recently, "The Secrets of Toontown" went behind-the-scenes at "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" (1988), featuring commentary by executive producer Steven Spielberg.
Walt also made a point of explaining that many animations were drawn from life, like the 1935 short "Three Orphaned Kittens," inspired by the antics of real-life kittens in the studio. Original animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas comment on their attempts to create realistic imagery. More recent films, like "The Lion King" (1994), used computer animation as well as hand-drawn images, and Elton John comments on his creation of the film's music. Walt's interest in science and progress also influenced Disney programming, featuring robots, aliens, and space travel, as noted by Alan Shepard, the first man in space. Disney's view of the "speed and comfort" of the future included ideas about convenient highway travel and advanced flying machines, in keeping with the overarching theme of fulfilling dreams. The March 9, 1955 episode "Man in Space" featured remarkably near-accurate portrayals of space travel and rocket power, using math and engineering to estimate how space travel would realistically be accomplished; President Dwight D. Eisenhower even borrowed the program to urge the Pentagon toward making it happen in reality. Peggy Fleming then introduces a series of clips of performances and shows celebrating the anniversary, noting that Disney takes care to keep up with the popular music of the day, including that of Billy Ray Cyrus, Gloria Estefan, Celine Dion, and Garth Brooks. Alley details the many celebrations that will occur at Disneyland throughout 1995, and even Statler and Waldorf can find little to complain about as they explore "the happiest place on Earth." Also includes an "ABC News Brief" hosted by Bill Greenwood. Includes commercials and promos.
(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: December 10, 1994 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:54:50
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:35305
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; Television; History
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1997-2008
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 409 household cleaner
- TV - Commercials - Ace hardware stores
- TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers Cheese
- TV - Commercials - American Express credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Aquafresh Flex Direct toothbrush
- TV - Commercials - Braun electric shavers
- TV - Commercials - Brut Actif Blue fragrance
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Elizabeth Arden Red Door fragrance
- TV - Commercials - Elizabeth Taylor's Passion fragrance
- TV - Commercials - Energizer batteries
- TV - Commercials - Fisher-Price Little People Fun Park toys
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Fruit of the Loom underwear
- TV - Commercials - General Mills Cheerios cereal
- TV - Commercials - Hershey's Kisses candies
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's Baby products
- TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Kodak Royal Gold film
- TV - Commercials - Lipton Kettle Creations soups
- TV - Commercials - Nabisco Wheat Thins crackers
- TV - Commercials - Nintendo Game Boy video games
- TV - Commercials - Payless shoe stores
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury chocolate-chip cookies
- TV - Commercials - Radio Shack stores
- TV - Commercials - Secret deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Sudafed Cold & Cough medication
- TV - Commercials - Target stores
- TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Wal-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Walt Disney World
- TV - Commercials - Wendy's restaurants
- TV - Promos - "Christmas At Home With the Stars"
- TV - Promos - "Coach"
- TV - Promos - "Elvis: The Tribute"
- TV - Promos - "Full House"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Grace Under Fire"
- TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
- TV - Promos - "Hook"
- TV - Promos - "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"
- TV - Promos - "Me and the Boys"
- TV - Promos - "On Our Own"
- TV - Promos - "Pete's Dragon"
- TV - Promos - "Sister/Sister"
- TV - Promos - "The Artistry of Torvill and Dean"
- TV - Promos - Diners Club Matches golf games
- TV - Promos - Monday Night Football
CREDITS
- George Zaloom … Executive Producer
- Les Mayfield … Executive Producer
- Jean-Michel Michenaud … Producer
- John Caldwell … Producer
- Olivier Chaudet … Co-Producer
- Frank Martin … Co-Producer, Director
- Daniel Gillett … Associate Producer
- Holly Breaux Schwartz … Field Producer
- Lisa Caruso … Field Producer
- Nicole Dintaman … Line Producer
- Harry Arends … Segment Producer
- Phil Savenick … Segment Producer
- Glenn Berenbaum … Writer
- Charles W. Hayes … Writer
- Laura Karpman … Music by
- Kirstie Alley … Host
- Michael Eisner … Guest
- George Foreman … Interviewee
- Debbie Allen … Interviewee
- Hugh Hefner … Interviewee
- Fess Parker … Interviewee
- Roy E. Disney … Interviewee
- Tom Hanks … Interviewee
- Ed McMahon … Interviewee
- Michael Richards … Interviewee
- Cheech Marin … Interviewee
- Hayley Mills … Interviewee
- Art Linkletter … Interviewee
- Stan Winston … Interviewee
- Steven Spielberg … Interviewee
- Ollie Johnston … Interviewee
- Frank Thomas … Interviewee
- Elton John … Interviewee
- Alan Shepard … Interviewee
- Peggy Fleming … Interviewee
- Garth Brooks
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- Bob Cummings
- Celine Dion
- Walt Disney
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Gloria Estefan
- Billy Joel
- Ronald Reagan
- Guy Williams
- For "ABC News Brief":
- Bill Greenwood … Anchor