The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

I happened not to be able to sleep one night a few years ago so I flipped on the t.v. There was a movie beginning so I decided to watch it since it's star was Buddy Ebsen, one of my favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed it with the oh so young John Davidson, Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell. A couple of years I was talking with the woman who had become the best friend I ever had. We were talking about old movies which we both loved. I mentioned Family Band and told her that I could never remember the full title and asked if she had ever seen it. A sly smile came over her still beautiful face. Her Name was Debbie Smith, or better known to FAMILY BAND fans as Lulu Bower. It is with great sadness and a full heart that I would like the fans to know that Debbie passed away on May 22,2003 at the age of 49 from a long time bout with heart problems. I write this for the fans of the movie and of beautiful little Lulu. I hope the owners of this site allow this to remain on line for a while. Debbie sang and had a beautiful voice. That voice is now stilled. I hope that we may be allowed to keep Debbie with us a while longer. The world of music has lost a lot. So have I and anyone who was lucky enough to know Debbie.

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.

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.

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.