On this day in 1955, Man in Space took to the air as an episode on the Disneyland TV series. This episode offered viewers a realistic look at the possibilities and challenges of space travel. With the help of the world’s top scientists, this program was met with great praise. In fact, President Eisenhower requested …
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Pictured above Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke In the 1955 episode of the Disneyland TV series, “Cavalcade of Songs,” viewers learned what goes into the creation of some of Disney’s best-loved songs. Although footage from story meetings and composing sessions are hokey reenactments, it doesn’t detract from the entertainment or informational value. There’s a sense …
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On this day in 1950, Cinderella made a bibbidi, bobbidi de-boo in theaters. In the ads to market the film, Cinderella promised to “Put a smile in your heart…and laughter in your dreams.” The ad continued, “A story written in stardust…six years in the making…Walt Disney’s Cinderella will give a new gleam to your hopes, …
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Fess Parker was a tall, handsome actor appearing in the science fiction film Them! when Walt first spotted him and considered him for the upcoming part of the king of the wild frontier, Davy Crockett. The choice proved to be quintessential, giving Fess instant popularity and lifetime recognition for the role. It was on this …
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The 1950 Academy Award® winning film Beaver Valley told the whole “tooth” about critters, including their lives in ponds and their interactions with other animals such as moose, deer, raccoons, and frogs. The 32 minute featurette made its debut on the Disneyland TV show on this day in 1954, paired up with Camera in Africa, …
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, based on the 1869 story by French science-fiction author Jules Verne, dove onto screens on this day in 1954. With Verne’s great story in place, Walt Disney went to great depths to ensure that the movie would be equally as compelling. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is possibly the most elaborate live-action production …
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A Present for Donald debuted on this day in 1954 on the Disneyland TV show, bringing viewers a bit of Christmas from south of the border. Your host, Walt Disney, in his festively decorated office, kicked off the festivities by pointing out that Donald Duck has received a package. From there the episode is mostly …
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Davy Crockett was a real-life American folk hero. Born in Tennessee, the “greenest state in the land of the free,” he became a renowned bear hunter, using his favorite rifle, “Old Betsy,” and eventually went on to have a career in politics, initially becoming a member of the Tennessee legislature in 1821 and later joining …
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The seventh episode of the Disneyland TV series set sail on this day in 1954, featuring the documentary Operation Undersea. In what was really a glorified commercial for the upcoming 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, your host Walt Disney made this hour-long program so exciting that it reeled in the Emmy® Award for Best Individual …
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On this day in 1954, “A Story of Dogs” first aired on the Disneyland TV series. On camera, Walt took “paws“ . . . to talk about the stars of his latest film, Lady and the Tramp. He explained that it was a particularly fun film to make because “it was an original story to …
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