Publisher: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Ages: five and up
Parental
Advisory:
None
For baby boomers who loved the series in their youth, Disney's Walt Disney Treasures: The Mickey Mouse Club brings back the famous, original Mickey Mouse Club. It's no surprise that boomers will experience a fond walk down memory lane with the oh so familiar Mouseketeers. A bigger surprise, however, is that while the shows come from a different period in television history and are thoroughly dated, segments of the show can still entertain today's kids.
Of course, The Mickey Mouse Club was a television phenomenon that became a daily ritual for millions of kids for decades to come, and launched the show-biz careers of some very talented youngsters. The DVD volume features the very first five episodes of the black-and-white series, the initial week's shows in 1955, which have been restored. Older boomers will recall that the original shows were a full hour in length. Later boomers grew-up watching equally compelling half-hour versions.
It's all here from the famous mouse-ear hats, to the entertaining music, skits and dance segments, and memorable role call and closing song. As many will remember, Monday was "Fun With Music Day," Tuesday was "Guest Star Day," Wednesday was "Anything Can Happen Day," and Friday was "Talent Round-Up Day."
The dated newsreels and ongoing serial productions are interesting from a historical perspective. The big surprise is that the shows feature some entertaining gems: a segment that features Sooty, a hand puppet, and hilarious balloon and bag pipe bits performed by Wally Boag, the entertainer who starred at Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe. Regardless of their age, these segments are lots of fun to watch for grown-ups and kids alike.
Hosted by Leonard Maltin, the set offers extras that include color footage of the Mouseketeers rehearsing for their television debut at the opening day of Disneyland in 1955 and a tribute to head Mouseketeer Jimmie Dodd. Of particular interest are present-day interviews with six of the original performers: Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Lonnie Burr, Doreen Tracey, Cubby O'Brien and Karen Pendleton, who share their memories of being in the cast and working on the Disney studio lot.
If you enjoyed the show as a kid, you'll have a blast watching Walt Disney Treasures: The Mickey Mouse Club. And if you have kids, you'll find that they may find lots to like as well.
12/20/04 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
