DVD Review: Walt Disney Treausres Wave VIII: Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1964)

Walt Disney Treasures: Wave VIII
Dr. Syn:
The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
(1964)

Available on DVD
(For a Limited Time)

“Books of adventure, suspense and mystery always have a special appeal for me when they're about real people—or based on a real person.”

-- Walt Disney

Inspired by the true events surrounding bands of smugglers who staged minor battles raiding supplies at night to combat their existence being taxed to death by King George and most likely equally influenced by The Scarlet Pimpernel-- author Russell Thorndike created the Robin Hood-like vicar Dr. Syn (played by Patrick McGoohan) who runs a parish by day and becomes a daring smuggler by night.

Donning a mask to become "The Scarecrow"and hiding his true identity from a vast majority of the community aside from his most-trusted sidekick Mipps (George Cole), Thorndike's character has become one of the most enduring in popular culture, inspiring Zorro and numerous other masked men, including possibly Batman or at least his villain also named The Scarecrow.

Originally conceived during a sleepless night where Thorndike and his sister comforted themselves following a murder in their hotel by telling stories to pass the time, his educated and polished Dr. Syn first appeared in print in 1915 and later caught the attention of book lover and adventure enthusiast Walt Disney. Utilizing the London satellite studio that Disney completed in the 195os-- viewers were first treated to a riveting and far more politically correct retelling in a three-part miniseries on his Wonderful World of Color program in 1964.

One of the most requested titles in the entire Disney catalog, fans have been longing for a DVD set for years but as Walt Disney Treasures co-creator and host, the Disney expert Leonard Maltin notes, due to the studio's reputation and demand for the highest of standards, they wanted to wait until they could present a version that is not only technologically awe-inspiring but also could recapture the way that the show looked both when it first aired and also when it was trimmed down into a popular feature-length film.

Taking great pains to remaster the film-- it's now presented in its widescreen glory and using the same original negatives and recorded master tapes so that the 2-disc set offers audiences the opportunity to relish in the 5.1 surround sound or stick with the monaural audio track for purists. And because of the film's emphasis on numerous night scenes and dark color schemes, the technical efforts put into the film were of the utmost importance to manage and recreate exactly what Disney filmmakers were going for at the time without brightening it or changing the exposure.

Also containing both the cropped and widescreen introductions to each episode by Walt Disney himself in a series of promos that manage to capture his enthusiasm for the project and convey his ambition to offer viewers a grand tale of escapism and adventure, history buffs and those who want to look deeper into Syn will also want to seek out some of the bonus features including a great sixteen minute mini-documentary on the history of the Scarecrow/Syn legend. With historians and literary experts arguing about the multi-faceted layers of a tale that “on the suface...[seems to be] a story of high adventure,” but love and compassion run throughout as well as the intriguing presentation of a hero unafraid to serve up his dark side, they also note that he has “all the elements of a villain." Yet, interestingly for a hero, he is on the side of justice and the common man, urging them to rise up against oppressors like King George and join forces with Americans also seeking sedition.

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Boasting a wonderful performance by its leading actor and with all of the Disney departments working in tandem to bring audiences a rich and literary work of excitement and drama-- admittedly the three part series may best amuse the die-hard devotees but the feature-length film (named Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow) on Disc 2 is just as riveting and exciting as Zorro and Robin Hood. A Disney creation of which I was unfamiliar and one with a theme song destined to stick in your head-- the release of Romney is also coming at a time that would no doubt intrigue its fictitious character as again we as a people are struggling to feed and clothe our families.

While of course, it's not recommended to "Go Scarecrow" or become an avenger, the idea that citizens can stand up for themselves and exercise their first amendment right as well as the right to peaceful assembly is one we're seeing again and again today. And although thankfully, we no longer have to hide behind masks, I'm sure we'd all love to have a theme song half as cool as Dr. Syn's.

DVD Review: Walt Disney Treausres Wave VIII: The Mickey Mouse Club Presents "Annette" (1957-1958 Season)

Walt Disney Treasures: Wave VIII
The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette
(1957-1958 Season)

Available on DVD
(For a Limited Time)

During a Burbank, California ballet recital in 1955 that found the twelve year old Italian-American ballerina Annette Funicello performing Swan Lake, Walt Disney became enchanted by the young girl and global history was made. "I'd like to meet the little dark-haired girl. Bring her to the studio," Walt requested following the show and thus began the adorable Annette's induction as one of the original members of his popular television series, The Mickey Mouse Club.

The only Mouseketeer handpicked by the studio head himself and undoubtedly the most popular cast member in the history of the long running show, the sweet yet incredibly shy Annette Funicello soon skyrocketed to the status of a young teen idol. Ultimately receiving 6,000 fan letters per month and later going on to star in numerous Mouseketeer serials, Annette Funicello also appeared in this twenty-episode classic named after its star that is captured in this wonderfully nostalgic, collectible tin as part of the latest wave of Walt Disney Treasures. In the series, Funicello further made Disney history by singing "How Will I Know My Love" which received such a wonderful reception by viewers that Disney later signed the young girl to a musical contract, despite her fear that she wasn't much of a singer.

That number, along with numerous other beloved moments from the 1957-1958 Annette serial are included in the digitally masted vintage monaural track to recreate the show as it aired fifty years ago. Hosted by the Walt Disney Treasures series co-creator and Disney expert Leonard Maltin-- the critic's enthusiasm and knowledge of the material throughout all three Treasures sets is downright scholarly as he breathlessly rattles off endless facts so quickly it's hard to keep up without rewinding it again and again. While there's many intriguing extras such as a lovely ode to Annette's career and life including her private battle with M.S. which compelled the actress to open the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders at the California Community Foundation in 1993 called "To Anette With Love," for fans of Disney history and those who fondly recall the show like my very own mother, there's no substitute for the episodes themselves.

Although, admittedly they're a bit overly simplistic by today's standards, it's a tailor-made special crafted completely to appeal to Annette's fans and showcase the darling girl that captured Walt's heart. Described as both a "mentor... [and] almost... second father," by her good friend and fellow Mouseketeer Sharon Baird, Disney's relationship with Annette flourished throughout their work together, whether it was helping encourage her to keep her "virginal image" in the numerous popular beach movies she made with Frankie Avalon in the '60s or giving her a sweet sixteen birthday present of a three-episode story arc in Zorro because of her hopeless crush on the show's star Guy Williams.

Encouraging Annette to believe in herself whether it was discouraging her from changing her ethnic last name to something more "American" sounding and easier to pronounce as he showed his appreciation for her heritage by allowing her to "narrate the 5-part travel serial Italian Correspondent on the first season of The Mickey Mouse Club," or telling her not to try and combat her shyness with therapy, Walt's endless refrain was to stay true to herself since otherwise "Then you wouldn't be Annette; that wouldn't be you."

In staying true to Annette or Walt Disney's idealized version of the young girl loved by millions, in this Mickey Mouse Club serial spin-off, The Pokey Little Puppy children's book author Janette Sebring Lowrey's novel Margaret was adapted specifically for its young star. However, initially it was to co-star Annette along with Spin and Marty Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie but soon rewrites and shakeups found Annette and Darlene turning instead to Annette's solo vehicle.

Ultimately, renamed Annette, the easily relatable and still identifiable plot-line centers on a young country girl named Annette MacLeod (Funicello) who goes to live with her estranged aunt and uncle in the city. Finding it hard to adapt to her new surroundings following rural life as the fast-living and cliquish city kids including the insecure, rude, popular and wealthy Laura (played in what couldn't have been an easy role by Roberta "Jymme" Shore) tries to discourage others to befriend her.

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And soon Annette's transition is further complicated when Laura's necklace goes missing and she tries to finger Annette as the thief. Of course, viewers know that sweet Annette would never do such a thing and the story evolves into a mystery until the aptly named concluding twentieth episode "The Mystery is Solved" which aired on March 7, 1958 completing the plot arc and finding everything tied up nicely. Along the way, of course, there are some terrific musical numbers and Mouseketeer enthusiasts will want to look for favorites like Funicello's good friend Sharon Baird, also Spin and Marty stars Tim Considine and David Stollery along with Doreen Tracy, and Shelley Fabares.

While it's a bit dated and some will find it a bit too corny to live up to today's standards, for devotees, it's a wonderfully wholesome set, complete with the added bonus of including the first and last episodes of The Mickey Mouse Club and another special called "Musically Yours, Annette" which was derived from Funicello's '92 interview as she fondly recalls her recording career in a mini-documentary which manages to work in great candid interviews by her "fellow teen idols Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon and Fabian."

An earnest, sentimental and feel-good salute to the woman who brought smiles to everyone who encountered her onscreen or in real life, however it's also one that makes for sometimes emotional viewing considering concern about her health today. Still, it's vintage, excellent Disney with a lovable Mouse Club of kids who gleefully wished upon a star and did much more with their lives than some of my generation's Mouseketeers and former Disney idols who instead have found arrests and child custody battles clouding their legacy instead of the charm and grace possessed by Annette who humbly notes on the DVD that she owes everything to those Mouseketeer ears.

However, I think it's safe to argue that any child of the baby-boomer generation would say that the ears would've been nothing had they not been worn by Annette Funicello, the young Italian-American girl with a great big heart.

DVD Review: Walt Disney Treausres Wave VIII: The Chronological Donald, Volume 4 (1951-1961)

Walt Disney Treasures: Wave VIII
The Chronological Donald, Volume 4
(1951-1961)

Available on DVD 11/11/08
(For a Limited Time)

View Donald Duck Shorts in Our Video Screening Room

In the most recent wave of releases from the extraordinarily popular collectible DVD series that unlocks the Disney vaults to bring fans the rarest footage and most in-depth coverage of the studio's diverse history, co-creator and DVD host Leonard Maltin wraps up the fourth and final volume of the critically acclaimed and award winning Donald Duck shorts. Featuring thirty-one works that were crafted in what I feel was arguably his most artistically adventurous decade as Disney studios embraced widescreen, CinemaScope (in Grand Canyonscope), 3-D (with Working for Peanuts), blending live action and animation (Donald in Mathmagic Land), and other camera trickery to deliver their trademark superlative quality, The Chronological Donald, Volume Four is loaded with some of the most familiar shorts in the series.

Including such beloved characters as Donald's endearing nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie along with my personal favorites-- the adorable Chip and Dale-- that span the two-disc set with a running time of nearly six hours, viewers have the opportunity to watch them chronologically or alphabetically, searching out their favorites at will. Thankfully including subtitles which go a long way in understanding the nearly indecipherable Donald, each disc opens with a fact-filled, research heavy introduction by critic and Disney scholar Leonard Maltin who provides commentary throughout along with other animation experts.

With the boom of television threatening the survival of the motion picture industry, Maltin explains that the cost of the short in the '50s made theatre owners have to pay more to run them before Disney features, as was Walt Disney's wish. Vowing not to sacrifice the quality of their creative works, Walt closed down production on shorts starring Mickey, Pluto and Goofy, but kept the mischievous Clarence Nash voiced Donald running throughout a decade that saw many changes in the evolution of cinema. Due to the now restrained output, Donald's shorts became far more impressive, garnering a gorgeous one-sheet artistic poster for each film (which appear behind Maltin on the DVD; making me wish there would have been a poster gallery feature in the set) and sometimes additional music written in lieu of the famous Donald theme song.

In a special menu on each DVD called "From the Vault," Maltin introduces shorts that may be a bit politically incorrect by today's standards, urging audiences to watch with the frame-of-reference that they were a product of that era in mind and also encouraging parents to discuss what may make them uncomfortable or something that they felt was inappropriate with their children. Also including some great behind-the-scenes clips including "The Unseen Donald Duck: Trouble Shooters," which contain unproduced storyboards for the character's shorts that were pitched by Eric Goldberg, one of the studio's most acclaimed animators, it also features a fascinating mini-documentary called "Donald Goes To Press," which chronicles Donald's history from his first introduction to becoming a smash success in comic books and newspaper cartoon strips.

However, as someone who still fondly remembers the words to Donald's theme song and has unforgettable childhood memories of watching the shorts, the true gem is the gorgeous presentation of the shorts themselves in their original widescreen format. While there's no replacing Donald in Mathmagic Land--the epic educational short film that was used in public schools as far as sheer quality goes-- entertainment reigns supreme irregardless if it's in making us laugh or think and there were no greater foils for Donald than Chip and Dale.

Whether they were trying to steal Donald's popcorn in Corn Chips, moving into a tiny home in Donald's backyard electric railroad where the duck has a bit too much fun controlling the weather in Out of Scale, tampering with his apple crop in Donald Applecore, going sailing in a miniature boat in Chips Ahoy, or dealing with their tree getting chopped down in Up a Tree, you won't do much better than the shorts included in this set. Additionally working in some great shorts with his nephews in Don's Fountain of Youth or Lucky Numbers when the boys surprise their uncle with his recently won automobile, or seeing Donald take a memorable trip to Brownstone National Park in Grin and Bear It, there's a few that still feel timely today whether it's Donald having to deal with a very rude man in The New Neighbor or in the "you can never be too careful" hilarious cartoon meets public service ad, How to Have an Accident in the Home.

A wonderful pre-holiday release that made me wish I could find the earlier offerings in the limited edition series and one of three new Walt Disney Treasures to be released today in commemorative tins (stay tuned for reviews of the other two right here coming soon on Film Intuition), The Chronological Donald, Volume Four is so good that it makes you wish that more animated shorts were released to public audiences each year, in addition to the ones sometimes tacked onto the latest Hollywood films for children. Of course, if this were to happen, it would make this reviewer quote Donald enthusiastically in response-- "Oh yeah? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Until then, there's no denying that Donald was the alpha-duck of them all.