Walt Disney Treasures: The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette - 1957-1958 Season (Collector's Tin)
Annette. To legions of Mickey Mouse Club fans she was magic. Chosen by Walt himself as an original cast member, Annette soon became the most popular Mousketeer and was given a daily series of her own. Showcased here is the entire fish-out-of-water series, about an innocent girl from the country who moves to the suburbs to live with her well-to-do aunt and uncle. Airing during the third and final season of The Mickey Mouse Club, the 20-episode series was unlike earlier series -- it featured original music including the song that helped launch Annette's music career. Enriching this celebration of Annette are the two complete Mickey Mouse Club episodes that introduced and concluded the series, plus a new tribute to her remarkable career and more. Featuring exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is a timeless collection from generations past for generations to come. Customer Review: Utterly Charming, Classic '50's Disney TV!
Disney Legend Annette Funicello stars as Annette McCleod, a teenage, country orphan who surprises her wealthy aunt and uncle (a pair of aging siblings played by Sylvia Field and Richard Deacon) by showing up on their doorstep one evening with instructions to move right in. Uncle Archie and Aunt Lila didn't even know they had a niece from their estranged, late brother, and they aren't too keen on having a teenager around to disrupt their increasingly dull lifestyle. However, Annette is so sweet, innocent, agreeable, and happy to be there that they soon change their tune. Housekeeper Katie (Mary Wickes) helps in this area as well. Surprisingly more quickly accepting of Annette are the upper-crust local teens, a set of clean-cut and overly pampered yet shockingly genial and well-mannered rich kids who rule the school and the suburbs and do tend to keep to their own crowd for the most part, but in a friendly sort of way. There's Steve Abernathy (Tim Considine of Spin and Marty fame), the dreamy guy all the girls want for some reason, Mike Martin (David Stollery, the other half of Spin and Marty), the senior who spends most of his time as a soda jerk, the girl who throws the parties, Val Abernathy (the Mickey Mouse Club's lovely Doreen Tracey), and her best-friend Moselle Corey (then-on Annette's real-life best-friend, Shelley Fabares), and of course, the wacky mascot of the gang, short-stacked "Steady" (Rudy Lee), the life of the party, and his hanger-on, equally diminutive Kitty (Sharon Baird). Also on hand are Madge (my own Mickey Mouse Club crush, Cheryl Holdridge), Pat (cutie Bonnie Lynn Fields), Jimmy (Tommy Cole), Tony (Chuck Hicks), Court (Barry Curtis), and Drew (Steve Stevens). On the outside of the main group is a country girl named Jet (Judy Nugent) who becomes Annette's best friend, despite not being invited to the same gatherings Annette's family standing immediately includes her in. It would seem that Annette's integration into the in-crowd of her new hometown should be quite smooth, but there's one loose cog that throws the whole thing out of whack: Laura Rogan (the Shaggy Dog's Roberta Shore). Laura feels that newcomer Annette threatens her status as the prettiest, most sophisticated girl in school, so every chance she gets, she points out Annette's country bumpkin nature (which is really only evident in her arrival clothes and naivety) and keeps her feeling like an outsider. Things really get heated when Annette attends her first fancy party and Laura's expensive necklace goes missing. Laura immediately blames Annette, and this sets the tone for the whole serial. It is mostly about Annette trying to fit in but having to deal with Laura's jealousy the whole time until a final confrontation. "Annette" is a simple yet highly enjoyable little program, a Mickey Mouse Club serial that aired in 20 12-minute parts in 1958 based on the 1950 teen novel "Margaret", by Janette Sebring Lowrey, and showcasing the only Mouseketeer hand-picked by Walt Disney himself, Annette Funicello. "Annette" is one of the latest titles (as of January '09) in the popular and long-running (and mostly excellent) Walt Disney Treasures DVD line, and the 3rd to feature a Mickey Mouse Club serial. The "Annette" serial episodes are presented here with the option of a play-all feature and taken out of the context of the Mickey Mouse Club television series in which they originally were played. Thankfully however, we are given the full episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club that premiered and closed the Annette serial as bonus features. Of course, all this wonderful material is not enough for a Disney Treasures collection, so we also get two featurettes about Annette and the usual Leonard Maltin introductions throughout the 2 discs. However, even all that is a bit light for a Disney Treasures collection, but they do seem to get lighter every year. Now, personally, like most fans, I find Annette's sweetness and innocence to be endearing and love and respect her as a Disney legend, though I have to admit that my heart always belonged to Cheryl Holdridge when it came to Mouseketeers (of the '50's version at least; born in '75, I grew up with all three versions of the show thanks to the Disney Channel). Annette was an unusual face for TV at the time, standing out among the other cast members on the Mickey Mouse Club due to her Italian heritage, but I lived my whole life in a place where many girls looked like Annette, so I was never really bowled over and never really understood the obsession so many people apparently had with her in the 50's and 60's. I still don't, but as a Disney fanatic I naturally hold a different kind of fondness and appreciation for her. But, of course, a real treat for me was to see that Cheryl had a role (very minor as it was) as part of the gang on "Annette", along with a few other girls I always thought were cuties. Plus, there are those two Mickey Mouse Club episode bonus features to enjoy Cheryl on. Unfortunately, by this time the Mickey Mouse Club had been cut down to a half hour program, so the "Annette" episodes were a large part of it, meaning the extra material really isn't that much. The episode presented on the first disc features some cute musical numbers and the episode on disc two features Talent Round-Up Day, both with a song from Jimmie Dodd as well (the second has Jimmie joined by Lonnie). All this classic material is in black and white, of course. Disc One's featurette, "Musically Yours, Annette" is a 1993 promotional video made to coincide with a Walt Disney Records release of Annette's recordings. It is a featurette mostly about Annette's musical career with some great interviews, including with Annette herself. Disc Two's featurette, "To Annette With Love", is a tear-jerking reflection on Annette's career at Disney that combines old interviews with new and provides a nice, celebratory look at Annette's life to this point. Both featurettes are excellent inclusions in this set, though, as was said before, more could have been included, like galleries or audio recordings. The packaging is classic "Disney Treasures", as the set is housed in the expected silver tin and comes with a certificate of authenticity, photo card, and booklet. They did make the odd choice in this case of using a Mickey Mouse Club photo of Annette on the cover instead of one from the "Annette" serial though, but it makes no difference to me because I knew what I was getting beforehand. "Annette" is a wonderful piece of nostalgia for anyone with Disney, '50's, or Funicello interests, or who would like to introduce a younger generation to much more wholesome, amiable viewing material from an arguably more innocent time. The story is an easy and relaxing one, highly entertaining due to the time-capsule quality, charming personalities, and delightful music (yes, these kids entertain each other at parties with preplanned musical performances). Despite how dated one might find it, you watch "Annette" always eager for the next episode and a bit sad when you know you're watching the last. It's a feeling the other Mickey Mouse Club serials will give you as well, so give "Annette" a try and locate the Disney Treasures "Hardy Boys" and "Spin and Marty" releases too if you can find them. This is truly wonderful classic Disney!
Customer Review: ANNETTE
I'VE ENJOYED WATCHING WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE CLUB PRESENTS ANNETTE. IT BROUGHT BACK SO MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES.IF ANY BODY IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING THIS DVD PLEASE DO. YOU WILL LOVE WATCHING IT. IM SO GLAD I DID.WALT DISNEY IS THE BEST.
Classic Disney, Vol. 5: 60 Years of Musical Magic
The fifth volume of classic songs from Disney features from Lady & the Tramp, Dumbo, Newsies, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan and many many more! Customer Review: wonderful collection of Disney
This si a wonderful collection of some of the best Disney songs out there. It offers a wide variety too. I strongly recomend this CD to anyone who loves Disney music.
Customer Review: Not for Humphrey fans.
If you buy this because the label led you to believe that you were getting the Humphrey the Bear trash collecting song from "In The Bag". You are going to be disappointed. The song entitled "The Humphrey Hop" that is listed as being from that cartoon actually appears here as a choral piece with the same toon, but none of the same lyrics that were in the short, no vocals by Bill Thompson, the voice of The Ranger.
Disney's Lullaby Album: Gentle Instrumental Favorites for Babies
Customer Review: excellent as a baby giftThis is one of my all time favorite lullably CD's (along with the Disney Princess lullaby). We played it for both of our newborns when sleeping. It's beautiful, peaceful, easy to listen to music. I still play it and our children are now 3 1/2 and 5 1/2. Highly recommended. Makes an excellent baby shower gift too! - signed, a happy mom!
No comments:
Post a Comment