20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Release Date: June 29, 1954

This movie was one of Walt's most ambitious film projects up to that time. For this epic movie, Walt wanted to make sure he had the right director, and so he reached out to Richard Fleischer, who was the son of Walt's biggest competitor. Richard talked to his father before accepting the offer, and his father, Max Fleischer, told him to take the job and tell Walt he had good taste in directors. Richard Fleischer was able to carry out Walt's vision for the film and made it a huge success!

As a child, I loved the more exciting scenes, like when the Nautilus attacks other ships, but most especially the giant squid scene. This scene actually had to be shot twice. The first time the setting for the scene was a sunset on a calm sea, but the puppet strings were easily visible. Someone (possibly Walt) suggested the scene be re-shot with a stormy night as the setting. This worked out perfectly, and became the classic scene the movie is perhaps most famous for!

As an adult, I continue to love the action scenes, but I also love the deeper psychological elements to the movie. James Mason's performance as Captain Nemo is nothing short of outstanding! He portrays his character's brilliance countered with madness in a manner that is so cool and calm that it is eerie. Kirk Douglas brings Ned Land to life in a perfect foil to Captain Nemo. Where Nemo appears calm and collected, but is absolutely mad inside, Ned is brash and loud, but still strongly tethered to his own humanity. The actors for these roles were perfect choices!

The scenery for this movie is absolutely stunning! The submarine set is beautiful! For a few years after the movie's release, you could walk through parts of the set at Disneyland, with many original props as part of the exhibit. The only surviving set piece at the park is Captain Nemo's organ, which now resides in the Haunted Mansion. The undersea footage in the movie is also gorgeous, and was shot in the Bahamas. Peter Ellenshaw's incredible matte paintings also play a major role in this movie when the crew visits Captain Nemo's secret island.

All in all, this movie is extremely well done and it is one of my favorites. There are so many great quotes from the movie--not witty one-liners, but thought-provoking statements that linger in the mind long after the movie is over. I love movies that make me think, and this one balances this aspect with fantastic storytelling. I highly recommend this movie to everyone!

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue

Release Date: October 26, 1953

The setting for this movie is the early 18th century in Scotland. Several clans rose up against King George I, wanting to replace him with James Stuart. Eventually all clans gave in, except for the MacGregors, led by Rob Roy. After a battle at the beginning of the movie, Rob Roy is arrested, but he escapes and makes his way home. He marries the girl he loves, but on their wedding night a small army is sent by the Duke of Montrose to arrest him. 

Rob Roy escapes by going over a waterfall, and sneaks back home. The MacGregor clan has been forbidden to use its name and Killearn threatens to tax them for every last penny and piece of land. Rob Roy threatens to retaliate for anything done to his clan. He carries out this threat until the Duke of Montrose sends Killearn to arrest Rob's mother to set a trap. A battle ensues, and his mother is killed.

Blinded by rage, hatred, and vengeance, Rob Roy leads his clan against Killearn and the "red coats" stationed with him. The MacGregor clan lays siege to their fortress. Meanwhile, in London, Rob Roy is already becoming a legend. The Duke of Montrose requests an army of 6,000 men to attack the MacGregor clan and kill Rob and his followers. At the same time, the Duke of Argyll, one who is sympathetic towards Rob, goes before the king to beg for a pardon. He believes truth and diplomacy are better than violence.

In a movie full of action and that could have glorified violence in the name of honor, I loved the message about violence not being the answer. As Rob pursued revenge against his enemies, he was becoming just as brutal as they were. After taking a fort and killing Killearn, Rob Roy and his clan vow to fight to the last man. At this point, Rob's wife Helen Mary steps in and scolds them.

"Ay, you're brave men! And when the English armies come and set the whole Highlands aflame and bravely you'll die to the last man. And then nothing will be left of the clan MacGregor, nothing but the women and the burned houses and the fatherless bern to tell of your glorious deeds. You think I'll sing your praises then, Robert MacGregor? No. I'll say that once you were a man that wanted to save your people... I honored you then, but I do not honor you now."

What a great reminder of the senselessness of violence, hatred, and vengeance!

The movie doesn't have a lot of humor, but there is a fun scene where Rob goes to the MacPherson home to ask Helen to marry him. Helen's father decides that moment is a perfect time to clean and practice his bagpipes. It's obvious that he is doing it on purpose and it made me laugh. The humor in this scene is immediately contrasted in the next when the wedding celebration is interrupted by Rob's arrest.

In his autobiography, Richard Todd talks about the adventures they had while filming this movie. Hundreds of "actors" used for the soldiers were actually part of a real battalion that had just returned from Korea. In his own words, Todd said, "That they entered into the fray with a will would be an understatement. I was soon to see why the medical unit and ambulances had been provided." Over a hundred injuries were treated after the first day due to the overzealous soldiers!

Richard Todd did not go without an injury himself! In the opening sequence, shortly after charging on the redcoats, he stepped in a rabbit hole and suffered an injury that incapacitated him for a short while! Filming on location in Scotland certainly had its excitement! Another funny story is while in Scotland, they toured places owned by descendants of the characters they were portraying. At one point, they visited a farm and when a woman opened the door, Richard Todd's companion introduced him as Rob Roy. The woman lost it, thinking it was the ghost of the real Rob Roy!

This is the final movie that Richard Todd made with Disney, and his acting in it is excellent! I also love that he got to act alongside Glynis Johns and James Robertson Justice again! Everyone played their part so perfectly. It's a shame that Richard Todd didn't do more films with Disney, because all three movies he starred in were wonderful and well worth watching!

The Sword and the Rose

Release Date: July 23, 1953

Richard Todd had many positive things to say about working on this film. These lines come from his autobiography, Richard Todd In Camera: "It now seemed that I would be working for Walt Disney for the next year or more, and I could not have wished for a pleasanter prospect... I soon found that working again on a Disney film, as with Robin Hood, had a special quality about it quite unlike the atmosphere on any other production. There was very much a family ambiance, a feeling of harmony... I look back on those Disney days with great warmth - they were such fun! Although we all worked hard and well together, we also laughed a lot - especially Glynis and myself, the two worst gigglers in the business."

I imagine this must have been a very fun movie to make. Glynis Johns is absolutely hysterical in her role as Mary Tudor. The banter between her and her brother Henry the VIII (played by James Robertson Justice) is such a delight! Henry may be the king, but Mary Tudor is not someone who will be bossed around. Her tricks had me laughing out loud several times during the film.

Richard Todd plays the role of Charles Brandon. He is a commoner, but Mary Tudor falls in love with him. The king wants his sister to marry the aged king of France. Determined to make her own destiny, the princess decides to sneak away with Charles Brandon on a ship bound for America. When plans don't work out, the princess is forced back to the castle and Charles Brandon is arrested and thrown in the Tower of London.

Mary finally agrees to wed the King of France, as long as her brother will allow her to select her second husband once the king dies. She confides in her friend the Duke of Buckingham and asks for his help to release Charles Brandon from prison and to wait for her. Unbeknownst to her, the Duke of Buckingham has long loved the princess and despises his rival. He arranges to have Charles Brandon killed, and wrongly believes he is successful.

Later, while retrieving Mary Tudor from France after the king's death, the duke tries to force the princess to marry him. Charles Brandon arrives in time to fight the duke and defend the woman he loves. The climax of the movie is a swordfight on the beach, where a wounded Brandon must prove himself to be superior to his opponent in order for love to prevail.

I could watch this movie over and over. It is a delightful film and the actors do such a tremendous job! If you haven't seen this gem, I highly recommend watching it!

Peter Pan

Release Date: February 5, 1953

This was one of my most favorite childhood movies! I remember getting the Disney Sing-Along video for my 4th birthday, thinking it was the actual Peter Pan movie. There is a picture of me with the biggest surprised smile on my face because I LOVED Peter Pan! Walt Disney loved the story as well. In fact, Peter Pan was the first stage production he saw as a young boy and it made a lifelong impact on him.

Originally, the plan was for Peter Pan to be Walt's second animated feature. But first there was a delay acquiring the rights to the story, and then World War II delayed it even more. After the war, production started again in earnest. After going through multiple drafts it was finally ready and it achieved instant commercial success.

A few things made Walt's version of Peter Pan different from other productions. On the stage, Tinkerbell is usually nothing more than a flickering light. Disney animators gave her defined features and a personality that has endeared fans for generations. She became a mascot for the Disneyland television show, and today she continues to delight audiences as she flies above the Disney castle during fireworks shows. Her enduring legacy today exists because of the decision to make her a more defined character in the 1953 film.

Other changes were made for the Disney film, such as Peter Pan being played by a boy instead of a girl, which had been the standard for the play. Yet other standard features of the plays were kept in the film, such as having Mr. Darling and Captain Hook played by the same voice actor. But at the end of the day, there is something uniquely Disney about this particular adaptation of the play by J. M. Barrie.

The most magical scene in the movie for me is when Peter Pan teaches the Darling children how to fly. Their flight through the nursery first and then through London is so iconic, especially when they lift off from the clock tower and head to Neverland. I love the reprise at the end of the movie when Tinkerbell spreads her pixie dust onto the pirate ship and it lifts into the sky for the return trip to London.

Captain Hook is a fantastic villain and earns his place in the ranks of iconic Disney villains. The way he ruthlessly kills his own crew by shooting them or throwing them overboard shows how high the stakes are as he threatens Tiger Lily and Peter Pan. It also makes it that much more delightful when Peter Pan taunts and outwits him.

I love the comedy in this film. The slapstick comedy between Captain Hook and Mr. Smee is delightful. Some examples include Smee thinking he shaved off Captain Hook's head, smacking the Captain instead of the crocodile with an oar, and hitting the Captain's head with a hammer. Why Hook keeps Smee around is a mystery, but the two together on screen always makes for great comedy!

The movie has its tender moments as well, especially when Wendy sings Your Mother and Mine. Fun fact--this is the song I danced to with my own mother at my wedding. As Wendy sings about how special mothers are, all of the boys long for their mothers. Above ground, as the pirates listen, all pirates except Captain Hook are crying as they remember mothers of their own.

This movie has been criticized for its portrayal of Native Americans. They are stereotyped and exaggerated in the movie. I won't excuse this, but as I've said before about other films, the movie is a product of its time. For that matter, so is the play it was based on. I am grateful we know better now and can learn from mistakes of the past.

At the end of the day, this is a movie that I love! I loved it in my childhood, and I still love to watch it to this day. This movie holds all the charm and magic of a Disney classic, and it continues to enchant audiences of every generation. This movie continues to prove that with faith, trust, and a little pixie dust, anything is possible!

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

Release Date: March 13, 1952

I have loved the story of Robin Hood as long as I can remember. The multiple stories that have been written and movies that have been made are a testament to the timeless appeal to this story. It was a perfect choice for Walt Disney's second live action film. As with Treasure Island, this movie was made using the funds that were frozen during World War II. Walt wanted to make the film as authentic as possible by actually filming it in Sherwood Forest.

The movie is a delight to watch and holds its own decades later. Richard Todd plays the titular character perfectly and is easy to cheer for. He portrays Robin Hood with wonderful confidence and a charismatic smile that makes him instantly likeable. It's no wonder that he went on to star in two other films by Disney. Walt hand picked Joan Rice to play Maid Marian, and although certain members of the cast were not fans of her acting, I think she is wonderful in her role and her chemistry with Richard Todd is great in my opinion. Hubert Gregg does an excellent job portraying the evil and conniving Prince John, with Peter Finch playing his henchman, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Everything to love about Robin Hood is in this movie--the battle with Little John on the bridge, the fight with Friar Tuck, the capture of the Sheriff and his "invitation to dine" with the merry men. My favorite scene is probably when Robin and his men "help" the sheriff make a large donation for the king's ransom. It is so fun to watch Robin and his men outsmart the traitorous prince and his sheriff, and to see them do so with laughter and wit.

I personally find the poster for this movie hysterical. It portrays a shirtless Robin Hood in the stance of shooting an arrow from his bow, with Maid Marian hanging onto him. It makes the movie look sensual, when in reality the movie is very family friendly. It isn't the only Disney movie that featured the actor shirtless on the movie poster, so clearly someone thought seeing the actor shirtless would help draw in audiences to see the movie. It is funny to me!

Alice in Wonderland

Release Date: July 26, 1951

Walt Disney was inspired by Lewis Carroll's stories about Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass from very early on in his career. His first big breakthrough in animation was his Alice comedies, where a young live actress found herself in the animated world. When he began making feature length animated films, Walt wanted to do Alice in Wonderland. Many attempts were made to get started, but the style wasn't quite what Walt was looking for, and soon World War II put everything on hold.

After the war, animated projects that were put on hold were taken off the shelf. This time, Mary Blair was put in charge of the art style. Her use of colors and whimsy were exactly what Walt was looking for in his film. The animators and artists in the studio brought Mary Blair's vision to life and created the Wonderland that we know today.

The voice cast for this movie was golden. Walt wanted an English actress to play Alice, but also wanted someone whose accent wouldn't be too jarring for American audiences. He found the perfect voice in Kathryn Beaumont. Sterling Holloway, a familiar voice in the Disney studio, voiced the Cheshire Cat. Comedians such as Ed Wynn and Jerry Colonna were brought on to voice characters such as the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.

There is a fun story about Ed Wynn in this movie. The actors who supplied the voices were also used as models for the animators. They would set up a simple set and record the actors saying their lines and interacting with props to guide the animators in bringing the movie to life. While Ed Wynn's parts were recorded, he had everybody laughing. When they did the official voice recording for the movie, Ed Wynn's humor didn't come across as strong. So they decided to use the recorded audio from the live action reference instead--and that is what we hear when we watch the movie! This might be why the unbirthday sequence is one of the most memorable scenes in the film!

Another interesting fact about this movie is that it holds the record for the most songs in a Disney movie. Most of the songs are very brief and perhaps forgettable, but other songs have become timeless classics in the Disney catalog. There are other songs that didn't even make it into the movie! The music and songs are an important part of this movie because they add to the quirky atmosphere in Alice's Wonderland.

Although the movie was not a huge success when it was first released, today it is beloved by Disney fans all over the world. I admit that this movie has grown on me over the years. I watched it as a child, and there were parts of the movie I really liked, but there were other parts of the movie that I found to be dull. As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate the movie a lot more, and I especially appreciate all the work that went into making it and bringing the story to life. Some of the humor that went over my head as a child is very funny to me now!

My favorite scene in the movie is probably the tea party sequence with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. This is easily the scene I quote the most, especially the Mad Hatter's lines! But I also love the scene where Alice gets stuck inside the White Rabbit's house and poor Bill the lizard is tasked with getting her out. My third favorite scene is probably when the cards are painting the roses red. I also love that at the end of the movie we see all the characters we've met throughout the film.

Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland has, in a way, come full circle. It began with Walt's Alice Comedies, where a live young actress entered the world of cartoons. Then a full-length animated feature was created. Then Walt created, not just one, but two attractions at Disneyland based on the animated film. Now guests from around the world can have their own adventures in Walt's Wonderland!

Cinderella

Release Date: February 15, 1950

Walt's animation team had grown leaps and bounds since their first full animated feature. But whenever a new movie was released, the press always seemed to compare it to Snow White, and the new movies just didn't seem to compare. Walt, who was focused on the progress and improvement of the art of animation, grew frustrated that the progress seemed to be ignored. That all changed with his second princess movie: Cinderella.

The Cinderella story is a story that never gets old. I personally have no idea how many movies, plays, books and more have been done based on the Cinderella story, but Walt found a way to make it his own and to make it stand out among all other versions. Now when most people in America think of Cinderella, this is the movie they think of!

One cannot think of Disney's Cinderella without thinking of the supporting cast of characters--especially the mice Jaq and Gus. Ward Kimball, drawing inspiration from his own cat, brought the mischievous Lucifer to life in a way that simultaneously makes him a villain and a comedic character. He makes the best faces in the film and they make me laugh every time I watch the movie.

The voice cast for this film is also legendary. Ilene Woods knew the two composers who wrote the songs for the movie, and they asked her to sing the demos for the song. Walt listened to everyone who auditioned for the role of Cinderella, but he didn't like anybody as much as he liked Ilene Woods, and she ended up getting the part. She brought such a beautiful quality to Cinderella's character. My personal favorite moment is during the song Sing, Sweet Nightingale, which she sings in harmony with herself. My other favorite voice actress in the film is Eleanor Audley, who was a perfect choice for the Wicked Stepmother. She brought such richness to the character and made her a truly terrifying villain.

This movie also contains Walt Disney's favorite piece of animation--the transformation from Cinderella's rags to her beautiful ball gown. As I mentioned previously, Walt was irked when brilliant advancements in the art of animation went unrecognized. It must have been very satisfying to have the audience fall in love with a film that also showed so much progress in animation.

This movie proved that the Disney studio would have some of its greatest success with movies depicting fairy tales. Unfortunately, many years later (in my lifetime), the "Disney Princess trope" would be disparaged. People have spoken out about the danger Disney princess movies pose to a rising generation of girls, who feel that they need a man to whisk them away from all their problems. Such an idea is even made fun of in recent Disney films.

First of all, I think it's incredibly unfair to act like Disney is the only studio to use a "damsel in distress" trope. Most Hollywood movies of the early 1900's depict women being inferior to men. In fact, the most "helpless" and "dependent" women I've seen depicted in film weren't in movies done by Disney at all! So I personally really don't like that Disney has gotten a bad rap for that.

Second of all, one who says that Cinderella is just another Disney princess waiting for a prince to solve all her problems is missing a huge part of the story. Cinderella is trapped in an abusive household. Anyone in an abusive relationship understands how hard it can be to escape. At no point in the movie is she expecting to be rescued by a prince. In fact, when she's at the ball she doesn't even realize she is dancing with the prince! In her mind, she gets to escape her abusive situation and truly enjoy just one night of her life. When she discovers that the man she was dancing with was the prince and that he is looking for her, she is so shocked that she drops the tray of dishes and has a glimmer of hope to leave her awful life behind forever.

The fact that Cinderella marries a prince and becomes a princess is not what makes her such a timeless heroine. It is her fortitude to keep trying to be her best self when everyone around her treats her like dirt. As she sings, "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true." At a particularly low point, a soft choir is singing these words to Cinderella, and she responds through sobs, "It's just no use. No use at all. I can't believe. Not anymore. There's nothing left to believe in. Nothing." At this moment, after years and years of abuse, she feels like she has finally broken. And at that moment, her fairy godmother appears and everything begins to change for her.

Cinderella's fairy godmother appeared because of who Cinderella was. Cinderella was rescued by Jaq and Gus at the end because she was kind to them. It was not the prince who saved Cinderella; it was her own faith and goodness that brought her a happy ending. I feel like this is made even more apparent in the 2015 live action remake, but it is all right there in the original animated film.

Cinderella deserves its place as a timeless Disney classic. It rightfully serves as a reminder that happy endings are possible to those who never stop believing in their dreams, and that find strength in kindness.