The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

Based on the memoirs of Laura Bower Van Nuys, the 1888 presidential election serves as the backdrop for this lovestory between Laura's older sister, Alice (Leslie Ann Warren) - a teacher and the eldest daughter in the Bower family's musical act, and Joe (John Davidson) - a spin doctor at odds with the families' political views.

The hostilities between Democrats and Republicans over the hotly contested Cleveland/Harrison race and state's rights are more relevant today than ever in light of the 2000 Presidential Election night debaucle. And when Democrat Grandpa Bower, the patriarch of the family, substitute teaches for Alice at the local school, his decision to teach the children his views about the Civil War - very different from the views of the primarily Republican Dakotans - causes an uproar among the settlers and threatens to divide the young lovers forever.

The romantic moments are sweet. The show-stopping numbers which make perfect sense in a musical about a musical act are quite impressive, especially the rousing "Ten Feet Off the Ground" high-kick routine by Warren and Janet Blair, and "West O' The Wide Missouri" featuring a young blonde dancer named Goldie Jean Hawn. Other standout performers are the incomparable Buddy Ebsen, comedian Wally Cox, a very young Kurt Russell and "Walton"/rock guitarist Jon Wamsley, and, as Grandpa, the great Walter Brennan.

As both a musician and political analyst, this movie strikes a "chord" with me (that and the fact that I remember my parents taking me to see it in the theatre and owning both versions of the soundtrack!) An overlooked gem, this is family entertainment that doesn't insult your intelligence. It teaches alot about tolerance without being preachy, and, of course, it all works out in the end.

For purposes of abbreviation I'll just refer to this one of the longest titled films around as Family Band. It was one of the last attempts at an original musical from Hollywood, I can only think those two Julie Andrews films Star and Darling Lili that are both later and fall in that category.

The film refers to the Bower Family who have music in their blood as everyone plays an instrument and sings and dances. They are also opinionated politically, but their opinions do differ. Buddy Ebsen father of the clan is a Republican, but usually keeps it to himself as to not get into arguments with his father Walter Brennan who lives with them and is a dyed in the wool Democrat. Mother Janet Blair has a hard and fast rule, no politics be discussed when they enter the house. It's all saved for the barn where the kids also practice. In fact Brennan has whipped up a campaign song for Grover Cleveland in his re-election bid in 1888.

Listening to the pleas of John Davidson talking about the wonders of Dakota Territory, the Bowers move and eldest daughter Lesley Ann Warren is moved by Davidson as well romantically. But politics and the election of 1888 between Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison threaten everybody's happiness.

Family Band holds up well today as a fine family film and one gets a little history lesson thrown in for the bargain. The score written by the Sherman team of Richard M. and Robert B. contains no song hits, but its serviceable and the numbers are nicely staged. I'd highly recommend it for today's audience.

Ever since I was little I got a kick out of this movie. I always loved the lyrics the actors, and especially the movie. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a copy before it went out of print, and became so hard to find. And I suggest it to anyone who wants a good musical.

Back in the 60's two films from the Disney Studios featured newcomers John Davidson and Leslie-Ann Warren : The Happiest Millionaire and this one. When Milionare was released it didn't do well and only recently has been restored to it's full Roadshow version. That put a damper on other films to follow and this is one. It's too bad this one didn't come out first as in my opinion it's a better film. The story is more believable and human. Even though you have splendid sets and costumes in Millionaire you have the splendid exteriors here. The only real names in this are Buddy Ebsen and Walter Brennen, although Janet Blair is a name to some. They bring humanity to the roles they play and you don't have them mugging for the cameras like Fred MacMuray and Tommy Steele in the other.

Being a family of musicians there are more entertaining large numbers in this film, especially the one at the end that can be said to be the first time Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn appeared in a film together.

This film as also cut before the release but the VHS copy I have is 130 minutes, so I am hoping it is the full one. (This database lists it as 110 minutes)The only DVD I have seen is in full screen, so let's hope that the Disney vaults are opened again and a proper release of the original version is available to us.

When Walt Disney died, he had various projects in the works and at various stages. After the success of Mary Poppins he wanted to make more big budget Roadshow musicals. A year after his death the Disney company released "The Happiest Millionaire", a wonderful film that originally ran 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the LA premiere the company afraid of a huge loss kept cutting the film down till it lost one whole number and parts of other ones and finally was cut by a whole half an hour on his general release, which was done with minimal publicity, and didn't do much at the box office.

A year later they had another Roadshow musical to release, "The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. But after the failure of "The Happiest Millionaire", the company that Walt let behind were running scared. They decided to premiere the 2 hour and 15 minute film At Radio City Musical Hall for it's Christmas Show. But because of their stage show among other concessions, they told Disney that they will only show the film as their Christmas Attraction if they cut the film to under 2 hours. So for the Music Hall premiere they cut the film to 1 hour and 50 minutes, but still were going to release the long version as a Roadshow attraction. But the shortened film didn't do well, plus other Roadshow attractions that did have a Roadshow release failed at the box office. So Disney decided to release the shortened version of the film in general release the following spring, without much fanfare. The film died at the box office and was then shown as a two parter, cut even more, on the Wonderful World of Disney the following year.

This film didn't deserve it's fate. At it's current state it's still a fun musical about Grandpa (Walter Brennan) a devout Democrat who organised his family into a band to play at the Democratic Presidential convention for the current US President, Grover Cleavland. But his granddaughter (Lesley Ann Warren) has a teaching job off in the Dakota territory for a man(John Davidson)that she's fallen in love with. So Grandpa made the ultimate sacrifice and instead of going to the democratic convention they went to Dakota, a primary Republican area. Grandpa stirs up trouble and the two loves fight, then on the eve of election, everything comes to a head to a great climax. One interesting trivia in the film is that one of Warren's bothers is played by young Kurt Russell and a girl that Davison uses to get Warren jealous is a young dancer named Goldie Jeanne Hawn, yes Goldie Hawn.

In the wake of the release of the DVDs of the restored Roadshow version of "The Happiest Millionaire" and the restored version of "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", maybe Disney will dust this film off and restore it as well for a future DVD release. I can only hope.