Movie Review: ****Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

This is a classic Disney with a shipwrecked family and pirates.  It lead to a creation of a tree house at Disneyland.  It featured adult actors as well as child stars.  Father (John Mills) and Mother (Dorothy McGuire) with there three sons, Fritz (James MacArthur), Ernst (Tommy Kirk) and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) make life as best as they can on a deserted island.   They find all they need, and a wide assortment of wild animals from several different continents.  They also rescue a girl from pirates, Roberta (Janet Munro).  This creates jealousy between Fritz and Ernst as they both vie for her attention.  Then there is the issue of

those pesky pirates, so the family prepares for them, but almost find themselves unprepared, as they had let their guard down for a day of recreation.

Disney Movie Review: **** Old Yeller

This is the classic movie of a boy and his dog.  Travis (Tommy Kirk) is the man of the house, as his father (Fess Parker) goes on a cattle drive.  A stray dog comes on the scene causing a heap of trouble the first day his father is gone.  His younger brother (Kevin Corcoran) insists the dog is his.  At first Travis doesn't like the dog; but mother (Dorothy McGuire) insists that the keep the dog for his younger brother, Arliss.  Travis learns to love the dog, as he is a true cattle dog and saves Arliss from a bear, Travis from a from a new mother cow, and from the hogs.  Trouble brews the the dogs rightful owner (Chuck Connor) comes to claim him.  However Arliss is so intent on keeping the dog, the visitor trades the dog for a meal.  However there is "Hypothermy" [rabies] in the country.  In saving the family from a wolf, Old Yeller is infected.  A humorous aside is the character of Bud Searcy (Jeff York).  He instructs his daughter in gathering corn, "Make sure you get ears what is sweet and juicy."

Movie Review: ***^The Absent Minded Professor (1961)

This is an old Disney movie, but still a good one.  The premise is the professor gets so focused on what he is doing, he sometimes forgets things, like his own wedding.  However he does invent something he calls Flubber.  Flubber increases in energy as it bounces.  With this he helps the basketball team win, he impresses on the dance floor, and he makes a car that flies.  He tries to attract the government to buy his invention, so he can save the university from a loan shark.  However they aren't interested, at least not openly.  This is a fun show.  Sure the 1961 special effects aren't great, but Fred MacMurray is.  Also stars Nancy Olson as his girlfriend, Tommy Kirk as the loan shark's son and Ed Wynn in a small role as the fire chief.

Movie Review: **^That Shaggy Dog

  The Shaggy Dog is a fun show, and the switch from man to dog to man is unpredictable which makes for some interesting dilemnas.  My only confusion with the show is with the young woman's father turning out to be a spy, no one really explores her feelings about it--I think she's suppose to just be OK with it.  This movie stars Tommy Kirk as the Shaggy Dog, Fred MacMurray as his father, and Annette Funicello as the girl interest  and Kevin Corcoran as the younger who prefers the dog.