WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY, THE: ELOISE AT THE PLAZA (TV)

Summary

One of this series of Disney movies presented under the umbrella title “The Wonderful World of Disney.” This made-for-television production, based on the 1958 children’s book by Kay Thompson, is about the mischievous six-year-old Eloise, who lives in the penthouse of New York City’s Plaza hotel.

The movie begins as Mr. Salomone, the desk manager, welcomes returning guests Mrs. Daniels and her daughter Molly. Mrs. Daniels is planning a debutante ball to be held at the Plaza. Mr. Salomone is quickly called away by Mr. Peabody, the hotel manager, who informs him that the Prince of Kushin will be arriving to inspect the hotel as a possible venue for the Kushin trade conference. Mr. Peabody makes it clear that he wants no one to interfere, especially Eloise.

Eloise then introduces herself: She’s six years old and is a permanent resident of the hotel. Eloise loudly awakens her caretaker, Nanny, and orders breakfast from room service. As she tells Nanny of her anticipation at attending the debutante ball, Nanny reminds her that she hasn’t been invited. They then go through their morning routine, singing about the “Loverly Morning.” Bill, a waiter trying to become an actor, arrives to bring Eloise her breakfast. She tells how her mother is in Paris to see the fall fashions. In the hallway, Nanny runs into Sir Wilkes; Eloise explains that Nanny has a crush on the elderly gentleman, unbeknownst to him. Eloise resolves to get Nanny to tell him the truth.

Eloise has a talk with Mr. Nye, her mother’s lawyer, on the phone. He wants to meet with her but she brushes him off, busying herself with her “morning rounds,” such as running through the hallways making a racket. She goes to the front desk and asks Mr. Salomone about her invitation to the ball, but he brushes her off. In the elevator, Eloise encounters Mrs. Daniels and Molly as Mrs. Daniels tries to convince her daughter to attend the ball with Randall, a Yale graduate who Molly dismisses as selfish and stuck-up.

In the afternoon, Eloise returns to her suite and encounters Philip, her tutor from Princeton. Eloise indicates that she finds Philip dull, and soon drives him away with her antics. Nanny remarks on how Philip’s girlfriend broke up with him. Eloise tries to cheer her up by watching a boxing match, which Nanny enjoys. Eloise’s mother calls, telling of a surprise in store for Eloise. Later, Nanny tucks the girl into bed, but Eloise does not go to sleep, remarking that there’s “still so much to do.” As Mrs. Daniels and Mr. Salomone prepare for the ball, Mr. Salomone receives a call from the prince’s attaché. Mrs. Daniels discovers that the prince will be staying at the hotel, and she starts scheming on how he'll become a guest at her gala. Eloise overhears, and she plots to have the prince as her date.

The next morning, Eloise tries to get Nanny to chat with Sir Wilkes, to no avail. Eloise’s dog finds a book that Philip left behind, and Nanny resolves to give it back. When Bill brings Eloise her breakfast, she asks about the prince's arrival, but Bill refers Eloise to Mrs. Daniels. Eloise spots a pair of hotel workers carrying the prince's ceremonial garb; she tries to get more information but they ignore her. When Eloise tries to talk to Mr. Salomone about it, he is crestfallen and implores her to keep out of the way. As she ignores Mr. Salomone’s pleas, she runs into a boy introducing himself as Leon, aged nine, who has just arrived at the Plaza. Eloise drags him away before he can check in, leading him to the laundry room to look for “clues” about the prince via his laundry. In the process, the prince’s special sheets are accidentally discolored in the wash.

Eloise then takes Leon to her room and introduces him to her pets. She finds disguises for them both but is stopped by Nanny. Eloise is told that Philip will be coming by to pick up the book he left, and Nanny wants Eloise to give it back and apologize to him. Meanwhile, Molly tries on the dress her mother picked out, voicing her dissatisfaction with Randall to her friends. She laments that she wants to see Paris instead of going to college next year, against the wishes of her mother. Eloise and Leon barge in as Mrs. Daniels returns; Eloise asks for an invitation to the ball before abruptly exiting, leaving Philip’s book behind.

Eloise and Leon see if the prince has ordered room service, but with no success. A fire breaks out in the kitchen, and Eloise takes it upon herself to “save the day.” Eloise and Leon use a fire hose to douse the blaze, but it wreaks havoc. The children escape before being caught. As Eloise and Leon sit down to lunch, Leon bemoans life in boarding school, revealing that his mother died two years ago and his father sent him away. Eloise expresses sympathy, but suddenly leaps up before they can eat, sending her meal to Maggie, the carriage-driver outside. Eloise inspects the city with her binoculars in search of the prince, but finds nothing. When Leon reveals that he’s never seen the city, Eloise immediately insists on showing him around. As Mr. Salomone hears complaints from the head chef and the head of housekeeping about Eloise’s pranks, he is visited by Mr. Toyama, the prince’s attaché. Mr. Toyama quickly discovers that Leon is the prince’s son, and that no one at the hotel is aware of his arrival.

Eloise asks Maggie to give Leon a tour of New York. Meanwhile, Molly comes down to the lobby to give Eloise back the book she left behind, and runs into Philip. The two of them hit it off. As Nanny goes looking for Eloise, she runs into Sir Wilkes in the elevator and gets flustered. Mrs. Daniels, also in the elevator, introduces herself and asks Sir Wilkes to attend the ball. Elsewhere, on their tour, Leon remarks that Eloise reminds him of his mother, reminiscing about how they used to stargaze together. He laments that he cannot explain how he feels to his father, but Eloise urges him to speak his mind.

Mrs. Daniels discovers that Molly never arrived at her hair appointment. At the same time, Molly and Philip discuss their dream of travelling the world. Eloise leaves Leon with Maggie as she returns to the hotel, running into Mr. Salomone. She promises that after her meeting with Mr. Nye, her mother’s lawyer, she’ll aid him in finding the prince, to Mr. Salomone’s dismay. Mr. Nye admonishes Eloise for her irresponsible hotel charges. As he continues to lecture about the importance of responsible spending, Eloise ignores him and overhears Mrs. Daniels sending a messenger to invite Sir Wilkes for tea. This gives her an idea and she convinces Philip to write a letter pretending to be Sir Wilkes, inviting Nanny to tea.

Eloise goes back to her suite to unwrap a present from her mother: a pink dress. Nanny receives the invitation from “Sir Wilkes" and rushes to get ready. Meanwhile, Mrs. Daniels catches up with her daughter and tells her to get ready for her date with Randall; a disillusioned Philip leaves upon hearing the news. Worse, Leon's father, the prince, arrives and tells Mr. Salomone of his worries about his errant son. He's unaware that, at that moment, Leon has found a pamphlet for the Hayden Planetarium, and is headed there to "see the stars." While Molly is getting her hair done, she thinks aloud about how she chafes under her mother's influence. Fed up, she races out of the salon, curlers still in her hair. She confronts her mother, but can’t get through to her.

Nanny arrives to tea, and Sir Wilkes, despite not expecting her, appears glad that she came. Nanny quickly determines that Eloise set her up. Mrs. Daniels soon arrives and Sir Wilkes invites both of them to stay. Mrs. Daniels quickly bores the other two with her thoughts on what college Molly might attend. Nanny asks where Molly wants to go and Mrs. Daniels cannot provide an answer. Nanny notes how difficult it is for people to “say what’s in their hearts,” after which Mrs. Daniels screams and jumps up; Eloise’s pet turtle has just crawled across her foot. Nanny hastily conceals him as Mrs. Daniels runs off in a huff.

Meanwhile, Eloise runs into the police looking for Leon and identifies his picture; the policeman refers to him as Kintaro, son of the prince. Eloise realizes that she’s found him and speaks to Maggie, but she hasn’t seen him in an hour. Dejected, Eloise returns to her suite. Idly gazing about her room, she notices the stars that she doodled on her wall, which gives her a bout of inspiration.

Eloise goes to the hotel’s bar in disguise and runs into a depressed Philip. Philip translates a French phrase that Leon said earlier; it comes from the book Philip left behind, “The Little Prince.” Eloise realizes that Kintaro's alias, Leon, is derived from the book’s dedication page and runs off, meeting up with Leon at the planetarium. Leon confesses his true identity and talks about his loneliness and how he would tell his father about it. Suddenly his father appears, as Eloise brought him with her. The prince admits that Leon is right, and they reconcile, sharing a familial hug.

Eloise brings them back to the hotel and they straighten things out with Mr. Salomone. He laments about the laundry mix-up and the kitchen fire, and Eloise goes to the kitchen workers, housekeepers, and other staffers to help correct the various crises she caused. In the end, the prince agrees to hold his trade conference at the Plaza. When Leon agrees to take her to the ball, Eloise leaves to get dressed. Eloise stops off at Molly's room to give her a present: a new dress. Molly takes the opportunity to talk to her mother, finally getting the woman to listen to her desires. Mrs. Daniels finally comprehends, and they reach an understanding.

The debutante ball begins, and everyone has paired up, except for Nanny. She notices Sir Wilkes as he enters and Eloise prods her to talk to him. When he approaches, Nanny hesitantly asks him to dance, which he heartily accepts. Elsewhere in the hotel, Mr. Salomone hires an imperious events coordinator, Prunella Stickler. On a lark, Eloise pours a pitcher of water down the mail chute, which drenches Prunella. Finally, Eloise returns to her room to find her mother back from Paris, leading to a big embrace. Includes commercials.

(Network varies; this series was also telecast on NBC from 1961 to 1981 and on CBS from 1981 to 1983.)

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: April 27, 2003 7:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:55:49
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:77683
• GENRE: Children's programs
• SUBJECT HEADING: Children's programs; Hotels
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1997-2008
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - "Treasure Planet" home video
  • TV - Commercials - Dove shampoo
  • TV - Commercials - Mazda automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Neutrogena moisturizer
  • TV - Commercials - Quaker Toastables fruit strudel
  • TV - Commercials - Ritz crackers
  • TV - Commercials - Swiffer mops
  • TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Wal-Mart stores
  • TV - Promos - "The Bachelor"
  • TV – Commercials – "Daddy Day Care" motion picture
  • TV – Commercials – "Finding Nemo" motion picture
  • TV – Commercials – "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" motion picture
  • TV – Commercials – Band-Aid cleaning foam
  • TV – Commercials – Bissell vacuum cleaners
  • TV – Commercials – Chips Ahoy! cookies
  • TV – Commercials – Clorox bleach
  • TV – Commercials – Crest electric toothbrush
  • TV – Commercials – Elidel eczema cream
  • TV – Commercials – Fresh Step cat litter
  • TV – Commercials – Hershey's chocolate bars
  • TV – Commercials – Huggies diapers
  • TV – Commercials – Johnson's Bedtime lotion
  • TV – Commercials – K-9 Advantix canine flea control
  • TV – Commercials – K-Mart stores
  • TV – Commercials – Kodak photo-editing kiosk
  • TV – Commercials – Liquid-Plumr drain cleaner
  • TV – Commercials – Listerine oral care strips
  • TV – Commercials – Lowe's stores
  • TV – Commercials – Maybelline mascara
  • TV – Commercials – Olay Regenerist skin cream
  • TV – Commercials – Pop'ables candy
  • TV – Commercials – Red Lobster restaurants
  • TV – Commercials – Rolaids stomach relief
  • TV – Commercials – Saran cutting sheets
  • TV – Commercials – Skippy Squeezd It peanut butter
  • TV – Commercials – Snuggle fabric softener
  • TV – Commercials – Suave shampoo
  • TV – Commercials – Target stores
  • TV – Commercials – Tylenol headache medicine
  • TV – Commercials – Wendy's restaurants
  • TV – Commercials – Yoplait Nouriche smoothies
  • TV – Promos – "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter"
  • TV – Promos – "ABC's 50th Anniversary Bloopers Celebration"
  • TV – Promos – "ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration"
  • TV – Promos – "According to Jim"
  • TV – Promos – "Alias"
  • TV – Promos – "Charlie's Angels"
  • TV – Promos – "Dragnet"
  • TV – Promos – "E.T.: The Extraterrestrial"
  • TV – Promos – "ESPN's Blunderful World of Sports"
  • TV – Promos – "George Lopez"
  • TV – Promos – "Home Improvement: A User's Guide"
  • TV – Promos – "Less Than Perfect"
  • TV – Promos – "My Wife & Kids"
  • TV – Promos – "The Wonderful World of Disney: Eloise at Christmastime"
  • TV – Promos – "The Wonderful World of Disney: Toy Story"

CREDITS

• Patrick Meehan … Executive Producer
• Denise Di Novi … Executive Producer
• Christine Sacani … Producer
• Thomas D. Adelman … Executive Producer
• Kevin Lima … Co-Producer, Director
• Janet Brownell … Co-Producer, Writer
• Janelle Ramaker … Co-Producer
• Charlie Myers … Co-Producer
• Elizabeth Chandler … Co-Producer
• Alison Greenspan … Co-Producer
• Kay Thompson … Based on the book "Eloise" by
• Bruce Broughton … Music by
• Donna Feore … Choreographer
• Julie Andrews … Cast, Nanny
• Jeffrey Tambor … Cast, Mr. Salomone
• Kenneth Welsh … Cast, Sir Wilkes
• Debra Monk … Cast, Maggie
• Gavin Creel … Cast, Bill
• Jonas Chernick … Cast, Philip
• Stephanie Anne Mills … Cast, Molly Daniels
• Eve Crawford … Cast, Mrs. Daniels
• Victor Young … Cast, Mr. Peabody
• Corinne Conley … Cast, Mrs. Thornton
• Christine Baranski … Cast, Prunella Stickler
• Sofia Vassilieva … Cast, Eloise
• Dennis Akiyama … Cast, Prince of Kushin
• Kintaro Akiyama … Cast, Leon
• Araxi Arslanian … Cast, Head of Housekeeping
• Tannis Burnett … Cast, Miss Thompson
• Peter Keleghan … Cast, Mr. Nye
• Debra McGrath … Cast, Cornelia
• Julian Richings … Cast, Patrice
• Cliff Saunders … Cast, Max
• Thomas D. Adelman … Cast, Pamphlet Guy
• Jessica Beitchman … Cast, Debutante Linda
• Belynda Blyth … Cast, Nanny Photo Double
• George Chiang … Cast, Mr. Toyama
• Sergio Di Zio … Cast, Lou the Bellhop
• Sarah Dort … Cast, Eloise Photo Double
• Greg Farkas … Cast, Ruth's Date
• Donna Feore … Cast, Eloise's Mother
• Rothaford Grey … Cast, Security Guard
• Graham Harley … Cast, Walter the Concierge
• Fionnuala Jamison … Cast, Guest
• Jason Jones … Cast, Bartender
• Hilary Knight … Cast, Street Artist
• Colm Magner … Cast, Thomas the Maitre d'
• Patrick Meehan Jr. … Cast, Male Tourist
• Gerry Quigley … Cast, Room Service Operator
• Sol Rosenthal … Cast, Palm Court Waiter
• Cara Rubenstein … Cast, Female Tourist
• Barneita Runnings … Cast, Lobby Guest
• Tony Sciara … Cast, Assistant Chef Marco
• Sheree Smith … Cast, Laundry Supervisor
• Rob Smith … Cast, NYPD Officer #1
• David Sparrow … Cast, Charlie the Doorman
• Sam Strasfield … Cast, Linda's Date
• Janet van de Graaff … Cast, Beautician
• Genelle Williams … Cast, Debutante Ruth
• Jonathan Wilson … Cast, Frederic the Bellhop