The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure

This serial was still airing in reruns about a decade later. "Gold doubloons and pieces of eight / Handed down from Applegate / From buccaneers who fought for years / For gold doubloons and pieces of eight." At least part of that is right, I'm sure. Then there was, "Yo-ho-ho, the wind blows free / Oh, for a life on the roaring sea." The late Thurl Ravenscroft may have been one of the singing voices.

My personal memories of Disney in connection with adventure are primarily confined to comic books rather than television. At the time I saw this serial (when it and I both already were almost 10 years old), I was into Carl Barks's Uncle Scrooge comics, and sometimes the Mickey Mouse comics of the adventure-serial variety, where Mickey wore a red suit. I wouldn't mind seeing this story again to see how it compares against other Disney adventures I loved that were presented to me in another form.

Finally! After 30 some odd years, I finally got the chance to see The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure in its entirety. In the early 70s, one of the local UHF channels ran repeats of the Mickey Mouse Club from the 50s. Included was the daily serial The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure. For whatever reason, I never got to see the whole thing. So for over 30 years I was left wondering about the show and what happened and how the mystery was resolved. And for 30 years, I've had the theme song stuck in my head. I'm very happy Disney released this series.

So was it worth the wait? You betcha! While The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure may not have been as "spooky" as I remembered, it was a lot of fun reliving this moment of my childhood. The story is solid in that innocent, child-friendly, 50s sort of way. Remember, this is a serial designed for kids and made more than 50 years ago. The acting is actually quite good. While neither Tommy Kirk nor Tim Considine is what I would call a world-class actor, both give it their all and are a joy to watch. The supporting players are just as good (if not better in some cases) with Arthur Shields, Florenz Ames, and Carole Ann Campbell really shining. The sets are much better than I remembered. Sure, it's all stage-bound, but the Applegate Tower looked as good as I remembered. The direction is capable at a minimum with the usually dependable Charles Haas at the helm. Overall, it's a good show.

Disney has released The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure as part of their Walt Disney Treasures line. While I didn't really care about seeing the Mickey Mouse Club stuff or some of the other extras, the overall package is very nice. It makes for a very welcome addition to my DVD library.

Even though these good-natured Hardy Boys' episodes (which were regularly featured on TV's "Mickey Mouse Club") are somewhat silly and strictly juvenile in their story-lines, they are still sure to be of some interest to anyone who might be a nostalgia-buff for 1950's television programs, especially light-hearted ones of mystery and comedy.

Set in the small, middle-class town of Bayport, N.Y. - Join 13 year-old Frank Hardy and his gung-ho, 12 year-old bro', Joe, as the suspense and drama unfolds and our 2 amateur detectives (along with their friends and family) search for vital clues that will reveal the truth behind "The Mystery Of The Applegate Treasure". (Wow! It sure sounds exciting, eh!)

So, sit back, relax, and see just why this highly-popular kiddies' show thrilled television's first generation of children and still continues to thrill audiences to this very day.

Filmed in b&w, each of these 19 episodes (dating from 1956-1957) has a running time of approx. 12 minutes. This 2-DVD set also contains some interesting bonus material.

I remember in the mid 1970's in Northern Ohio they showed reruns of the 1950's 'Mickey Mouse Club' tv show. There was a 1950's nostalgia/revival following 'American Grafiti' (1973) and 'Happy Days' (1974) and Disney shrewdly cashed in by presenting this great show to a whole new audience. I remember this particular series from watching those very reruns of MMC. I didn't see all of the serial at the time but I saw enough episodes to appreciate the Hardy Boys and I actually started reading and collecting the series of fine Hardy Boys books by 'Franklin W Dixon'. Re-watching it today,from start to finish (in one sitting to boot!) may not be for everyone but I enjoyed it quite a bit! I read that this was made with a very low budget-but they got a lot for their money,and it is not bad in any major way at all. The two main actors that play the Hardy Boys are Tommy Kirk and Tim Considine. Kirk went on to a long and solid career in other Disney projects,beach movies,and many other lighthearted and fun movies. Mr Tim Considine had a busy career also as an actor in early seasons of 'My 3 sons' and went on to a long successful tv career. The lucky guy Considine was married to the lovely and beautiful 'Meredith MacRae',who played the blonde sweetie on the 'Petticoat Junction' tv show. Both of the 'Hardy Boys' in this series do a good job with their parts I say. Sure,there are always things to pick at in any show but as this show was shown originally,in 15-minute increments,there is not a lot to complain about. If you watch it like I did,all at once,all the overlap between episodes can be a bit much but I must keep in mind that this was not made or intended to be watched all at once. The overlap was necessary to keep long-time viewers focused and also so that people that tuned in to the series in the middle of it could get some idea of at least what happened in the preceding episode. This is a fine serial and well worth seeing.

I never heard of these two individuals, till now and so to me they are still kids. I binge watched Annette and the Hardy Boys. Tim is a beautiful boy - incredibly poised as an actor and I am sure he went on to do great things with his career. I would have guessed he would be leading man in many movies. I was totally wowed by Tommy Kirks ability to hit the role on target , ever time , with flare and precision. His mannerisms in the Hardy Boys were just incredible .That kid is 100% boy. Watching him run around over joyed to see his dad- so excited about the mystery case.. and then being let down was the most amazing acting. The other kids I fell in love with in Annette were that little boy steady and that little girl fawning all over him. What a total ham bone! I would have guessed these 2 got married in real life. I love the entire case of both series and Annette was just darling. The talent, singing and comedy are stunning. They dont make kids like that today. Well, got to go now. Tim and Tommy, just found something in someone's shoe - lets see what they will do next, they seem very excited about this.