Le monde merveilleux de Disney

Disneyland was most likely one of the best variety style shows ever made. Each week there was something different to watch and many of the shows were nominated and/or received Emmy's for their consistent quality and interesting subject matter. My personal favorites include Monsters From the Deep('54) and Operation UnderSea('54). Disneyland can be seen occasionally in the "Vault Disney" timeslot on the Disney Channel which begins at 11:00pm every night. Please note that this show was not specifically about the Disney Theme park and was renamed appropriately following Disneyland's opening in 1955

This is on the Disney Channel frequently, and I find myself still being amuzed by it. I think it's because Walt Disney himself was the host. Walt Disney always seems like he could have been a relative to some people. He always feels like family. Plus, some of the programs are still very interesting. There are several programs about the soon to open theme park, as well as many features about the making of some of the movies.

WHEN THIS ANTHOLOGY came to TV via the ABC Network in the Autumn of 1954, it had a sort of pre-installed reverence that no other program could dream of. Mr. Disney had garnered himself a reputation that was far above any other producer in Hollywood. Approaching, but falling just short of full Canonization, it was one of his true short comings on planet Earth.

AFTER HIS EARLY years in native, Chicago, the Disney family moved to Kansas City, Missouri; where the young Disney became a commercial artist, producing filmed ads for local businesses. These short animations would be the first Disney cartoons to be shown in the movie houses.

FOLLOWING SOME SETBACKS with people such as film producer/distributor Margaret Winkler over OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT, he turned to a Mouse and, well, we all know the rest.

HAVING MADE HIS mark in both the animated and live action productions insured that the new DISNEYLAND Show (original title) would surely embrace a "diversity" of sorts. Various program episodes were assembled from Disney's considerable backlog of cartoons and full length features. Others were live action series (or rather mini series) newly produced just for television. (Ever hear of Davy Crockett?)

TWO OTHER AREAS that comprised the show's rotation of subjects were bold forays into the worlds of science. One was biological; chronicling the life of wild animals and the habitats in which they live. The other brought us reports of what scientific research was bringing us to our daily lives. Being right on the cusp leading to the Space Race, rocketry and future space travel were prominent subject to be investigated, dissected and rendered understandable to even the youngest of viewers.

IN ESTABLISHING A format for the show, it was decided to partition the Kingdom of DISNEYLAND into four separate, smaller components. The separation was accomplished along the line of subject matter as follows:

Fantasyland: Fictional live action, animation.

Frontierland: Historical filmed series.

Tomorrowland: Science and the technological developments.

Adventureland: The True Life Adventures, Animals and Nature.

NOT SO COINCEDENTALLY all of these names were also the designations assigned to the various sections of the newly opened DISNEYLAND Theme Park. In addition to being a talented artist, great judge of talent & the public's tastes, Walt was obviously a $hrewd Promoter and Bu$ine$$ Man!

THE BATTING ORDER (or more properly, the STARTING ROTATION) insured both variety and balance in programing. The interest of the viewer-ship was maintained at a high level; as we were kept on the edge of our figurative chairs, wondering what next week's show would bring us.

WHERE ELSE COULD we travel to so many various lands without leaving the comfort of our living room's TV set?

Certainly the original and the best of the family variety style programs.From the late 'fifties to the late 'sixties this was the high point of many an Australian family's televisual week. Walt himself singing "When You Wish Upon a Star" for the opening credits was a siren call for all the young and not so young.

One quibble however is that, in hindsight it was a rather blatant advertisement for the Disneyland theme park. The opening of each show placed the weeks story in one of the four "lands" that made up Disneyland.

This show was never named "Disneyland". It started as "Walt Disney Presents" and became "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color".

This show was a mainstay of my childhood. Some of the most beautiful, not to mention earliest, color film of natural wonders – flowers, butterflies and national parks – appeared on this show. As did some of the best animation, from Disney's best general release Donald Duck shorts to entirely new productions, including a new character who quickly achieved a place in the Duckville pantheon – Ludvig Von Drake.

Its live action originals literally the stuff of legend into new legends: Davy Crockett, The Swamp Fox and The Scarecrow. These limited episode productions, the first mini-series, launched two major careers and redirected a third.

WDP gave Fess Parker his first real starring role as Davy Crockett in 1955. It created the homespun, always honest, man of the people personna that would endure through Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1962-63) and Daniel Boone (1964-70). It also turned song and dance man Buddy Ebsen, the original choice as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, into a small screen star with the folksy, aw shucks personna continued in The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.

Along with 1956's Forbidden Planet, Leslie Nielsen's 1959-61 role as General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, helped make him an adventure star (until Airplane! accidentally returned him to comedy). Remember his biggest role before this was the romantic comedy lead in Tammy and the Batchelor opposite Debbie Reynolds.

Patrick McGoohan's three episode appearance as The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh in 1964, crystallized and confirmed the dashing, poker-faced, near super-hero personna begun in Danger Man, his 1960-61 British spy series. The Scarecrow also made McGoohan such a hot property that the defunct Danger Man was resurrected and renovated that same year as the commercial and cult hit Secret Agent. This was quickly followed by the truly iconic The Prisoner – with 9.1 ratings, The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption top IMDb's all time favorite movie list, which means that, with a 9.2 score, the Prisoner is the hottest thing ever committed to film.