Each viewing of this movie becomes a little more enjoyable, I'd say. There are a number of "adult" issues in the film that I never understood as a child. The death of Trusty disturbed me the first time I saw it. I think it was one of the first times I ever saw someone die in a movie, dog or otherwise. Funny how I always think he dies each time I watch it. Spoiler: he doesn't die, and I'm always glad to see Trusty alive!
The "Making Of" documentary on the DVD is just as enjoyable as the film. It features: interviews with Disney experts explaining how the story originated in the 1930s with an idea from Disney animator Joe Grant; original TV footage with Walt Disney himself talking about the movie; Frank Thomas' son and wife enjoying home video footage of Frank studying dogs in the backyard; Ollie Johnson's thoughts about the film; footage and photos of Peggy Lee rehearsing and recording the songs, featuring Peggy Lee's daughter.
Motion picture and television actor Fess Parker has passed away at the age of 85.
After WWII (and serving in the Marines) he studied history and drama and eventually made his way into films, with small roles in Island in the Sky (1953), The Bounty Hunter (1954), and Battle Cry (1955).
His big break came after he appeared in the Sci-Fi classic Them! (1954). Rumor has it that Walt Disney was impressed with his performance and cast him as the character of Davy Crockett for a new tv adventure set in 1800s America. The series and main character of coonskin-cap-wearing outdoorsman Crockett became an American pop cultural craze in 1955.
There were only a total of five episodes, which were scheduled over the course of a year; a new episode appeared on the "Disneyland" TV series (AKA "Walt Disney Presents") every few months or so during 1955.
The first three episodes were edited together for a feature-length film which was released during the summer of '55.
Parker made other films for Disney including the classic Old Yeller.
His other films of the 1960s include Alias Jesse James (1959), The Jayhawkers (1959), and Hell is for Heroes (1962). On television, he had another huge hit with "Daniel Boone" which was on the air for 6 years.
After retiring from film and tv he devoted time to operating a winery in California. (I didn't know this - sounds nice!) He was married for over 50 years and had two children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.
Below: 6-foot, 5 inch Fess Parker standing next to his much shorter co-stars (Arnold Stang and Peter Lorre) from an episode of the TV series "Playhouse 90" from 1958.
Below: At a Disneyland ceremony in 2004, Mr. Parker receives a window on Main Street. (source: the "Disney parks blog") At the theme park, receiving a "window" somewhere in the park is the equivalent of being honored with a "star" on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. I just learned about all this from Laura's blog. Next time I go back to Disneyland I'll have to take a closer look at these; I was there last year but I didn't notice the windows.
Another classic cartoon short featuring caricatures of Hollywood celebrities of the day.
I just discovered this classic Disney cartoon, and had fun trying to recognize all the celebrities. Couldn't recognize some of them, though. Here's a good little synopsis of the cartoon, written by Jon Reeves (imdb.com): Mickey's film is having a premiere, and all the stars turn out at the Chinese Theatre. Among those shown: Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jimmy Durante, Clark Gable, Sid Grauman, Mae West. The picture, Galloping Romance (Pegleg Pete kidnaps Minnie, and Mickey gives chase on a variety of animals), starts, and everyone in the audience sways along to the music, then rolls in the aisles with laughter. After, everyone comes on stage to congratulate Mickey; Garbo smothers him with kisses.
Celebrities, in order of appearance:
1. Keystone Cops (L-R: Ben Turpin, Ford Sterling, Mack Swain, Harry Langdon, Chester Conklin) Getting out of limo: 2a. Wallace Beery & Marie Dressler
2b. Lionel Barrymore (in beard as Rasputin), John Barrymore (as Prince Paul Chegodioff), Ethel Barrymore (as Czarina Alexandra) all in costume from the film they were in "Rasputin and the Empress". (Read the Wikipedia post on the film) And more trivia: John Barrymore is the grandfather of Drew Barrymore.
2c. Laurel and Hardy 2d. Marx Brothers 3. Maurice Chevalier 4. Eddie Cantor
5. Jimmy Durante 6. (L-R) Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Constance Bennett
7. Clockwise: Harold Llyod, Clark Gable, Adolph Menjou, Edward G. Robinson
8. Ticket Taker: Sid Grauman (of Grauman's Chinese Theater fame)
People entering the theater:
9a. George Arliss 9b. Joe E Brown 9c. (crawling on floor) Charlie Chaplin
9d. William Powell 9e. Marx Brothers (over-stuffed coat) 9f. Mae West ("Come up and see me some time!")
9g. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Clarabell Cow
10 Seated in theater, front row: Chester Morris, Gloria Swanson, George Arliss
Back Row: Helen Hayes, Edward G. Robinson, William Powell
11 Jimmy Durante 12. Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery
13. Caricature of "censorship czar" Will H. Hays (of the "Hays code")
14. Eddie Cantor with Joan Crawford
15. Greta Garbo
16. Front: Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, and Will Rogers
Back: Groucho, Charlie Chaplin, Lionel Barrymore
17. Ed Wynn 18 Bert Wheeler & Robert Woolsey ("Wheeler & Woolsey" comedy duo) 19. Laurel and Hardy 20. Dracula (Bela Lugosi), Mr. Hyde (Frederic March), Frankenstien monster (Boris Karloff)
21. Buster Keaton and Joe E. Brown
22: Falling out of seats: Douglas Fairbanks and Jimmy Durante
23. Rolling in isles: Oliver Hardy, Chaplin, Groucho, Joe E. Brown, Marie Dressler
24. On stage: Will Rogers (pulling Mickey by rope)
25. Shaking hands: Marie Dressler, Joe E Brown, Jimmy Durante, Laurel and Hardy, Edward G, Eddie Cantor, Chaplin, Wallace Beery, George Arliss, William Powell, Douglas Fairbanks, Clark Gable, Fatty Arbuckle, Harold Lloyd, Lionel Barrymore.
26. Getting onstage: Greta Garbo
27. Walt Disney and 2 other men (one of them Warner Baxter-dont' know who the other guy is supposed to be), with Groucho.
28. Pluto the dog
Source: 2719hyperion.com a post about classic Disney animation.
