Disney Films on TCM

[Escapay]

Found some information on "The Age of Believing: The Disney Live-Action Classics"

TCM Presents: The Family Classics With All-New Original Special and Nostalgic Holiday Festival

• Turner Classic Movies is set to conjure up some pure movie magic this December, when the network debuts TCM PRESENTS: THE FAMILY CLASSICS. The festivities will include Sunday movie showcases featuring more than 25 Disney live-action classics, plus an all-new original documentary entitled THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS, to be narrated by Tony winner and three-time Oscar® nominee Angela Lansbury. The showcases will begin each Sunday at noon and feature such films as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Freaky Friday (1976), The Parent Trap (1961), The Love Bug (1968), Treasure Island (1950), The Shaggy Dog (1959) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960), as well as Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), which stars Lansbury.
  
  “With Walt Disney Pictures’ legacy of groundbreaking animated films, it can sometimes be easy to forget that since the 1950s, the studio has also produced an extensive collection of lovingly made live-action films perfect for the entire family,” said Charles Tabesh, senior vice president of programming for TCM. “So it is with great pride that we will present them in all their glory in the tradition of TCM ─ uncut and commercial free. With more than 25 outstanding movies and an insightful documentary special narrated by Angela Lansbury, TCM’s salute to these live-action films is a perfect family programming event for the holiday season.”
  
  THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS, which comes to TCM from FitzFilm, Inc. and writer/producer/director Peter Fitzgerald, will follow the studio’s history as it ventured beyond its animation legacy to develop non-animated family fare. It is slated to premiere at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.
  
  The special will feature interviews with a number of people who have contributed to the studio’s live-action oeuvre, including Kurt Russell, Dick Van Dyke, Dean Jones, Tim Conway, Lesley Ann Warren and Michele Lee; former child stars Karen Dotrice and Kim Richards; director Ken Annakin; and songwriter Richard M. Sherman. The special will also feature interviews with Walt Disney Company Board Director Emeritus Roy E. Disney, film critic and film expert Leonard Maltin, film historian Les Perkins, film writer Richard Schickel, author and film expert Paula Sigman-Lowery and author Bill Cotter.

Peter Fitzgerald, the producer/writer/director, has done many of the featurettes/documentaries on WB's classic films on DVD. Some notable examples include the making-of documentaries for North By Northwest, Singin' in the Rain, The Band Wagon, and Easter Parade. If those documentaries are any indication of this new one, then I'm looking forward to it even more!

Also, I've corrected the name "Paula Sigman-Lowery", as TCM erroneously reports her as Paul Sigman-Lowery.

Based on the timeslot (6-8 pm) and previous broadcasts on the channel, Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be presented in its theatrical 117-minute form (eh...) and in its proper matted widescreen (yay!).

Finally, of the 25 movies being broadcast, I've listed the seven that are all in the wrong 1.33:1 aspect on Disney DVD (the 1.33:1 is usually either open-matte or pan&scan). Given that TCM is known for providing OAR, it'd be interesting to see which versions of the films Disney supplied them with: matted theatrical, open-matte, or pan&scan.

Son of Flubber (1963)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1970)
The Barefoot Executive (1971)
The Strongest Man in the World (1975)
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)

In addition, here are a couple films which Disney *does* have on widescreen on DVD, but TCM aired in open-matte...

The Shaggy Dog (1959) - 1.75:1 on DVD
Freaky Friday (1976) - 1.85:1 on DVD

albert

[goofystitch]

Very cool! I am most excited for the documentary. I love classic Disney live action films.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Well TCM may claim to show 26 films, but in Canada they will only show 18. The following films will not be shown:

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Treasure Island (1950)
Pollyanna (1960)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Old Yeller (1957)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
The Shaggy Dog (1959) [the Shaggy D.A. will be though]
Freaky Friday (1976)

I have all but the last two on DVD but even still I call this bad show since these are among, if not the best, of the ones that were meant to be shown.

At least I can see the new special which I must see one way or another.

[Escapay]

When I first heard of The Age of Believing, I went to tcm.com to sign up for the e-mail reminder, which they send a week before broadcast and a day before broadcast. I subsequently forget about it, then got it in my inbox today. They said the airing's been canceled or rescheduled. I initially was shocked and hoped it wasn't true, so I went to the site.

Thankfully, the premiere date hasn't been canceled (7 pm on December 14). Just the repeats for December 29 (8:00 and 11:00 pm). So instead of airing five times in December, it's only airing three times:

December 14 at 7:00 pm
December 21 at 11:45 pm
December 28 at 10:30 am

Anyway, I know I probably said it before, but if someone could DVR this for me, I'd be eternally grateful. Also, the 117-minute theatrical version of Bedknobs and Broomsticks is on December 21 at 6 pm, and I've only got that on VHS.

albert

[Chernabog_Rocks]

Well TCM may claim to show 26 films, but in Canada they will only show 18. The following films will not be shown:

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Treasure Island (1950)
Pollyanna (1960)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Old Yeller (1957)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
The Shaggy Dog (1959) [the Shaggy D.A. will be though]
Freaky Friday (1976)

Well this sucks Why don't we Canadians get these ones as well? I don't mind missing out on Old Yeller and Bedknobs and Broomsticks too much since I have both on dvd, but missing out on the others isn't good.

[Flanger-Hanger]

The Black Hole will also not be shown in Canada either.

[Escapay]

Finally, of the 25 movies being broadcast, I've listed the seven that are all in the wrong 1.33:1 aspect on Disney DVD (the 1.33:1 is usually either open-matte or pan&scan). Given that TCM is known for providing OAR, it'd be interesting to see which versions of the films Disney supplied them with: matted theatrical, open-matte, or pan&scan.

Son of Flubber (1963)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1970)
The Barefoot Executive (1971)
The Strongest Man in the World (1975)
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)

In addition, here are a couple films which Disney *does* have on widescreen on DVD, but TCM aired in open-matte...

The Shaggy Dog (1959) - 1.75:1 on DVD
Freaky Friday (1976) - 1.85:1 on DVD

albert

Well, The Barefoot Executive is on (near the end of the film, actually). And it's in horrid 4:3 just like the DVD. Ugh. I have a lot of respect for TCM, and while a part of me wants to blame Disney 100%, I also blame TCM. For a channel that prides itself in commercial-free, unedited, and OAR presentations, they should have ensured that Disney send them the right version to broadcast. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time TCM aired a Disney film in the wrong aspect ratio (The Shaggy Dog, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Freaky Friday all were open-matte)

albert

[Chernabog_Rocks]

Treasure Island (1950)

This movie is actually listed in my t.v guide's article on the movies. So perhaps it is being shown in Canada?

[chadhobbick]

I wish they would have included Babes in Toyland on the list of Disney movies to play for this event. It would have fit in w/the season and hopefully they could have presented it in the proper widescreen format.

[Escapay]

Just a reminder that the new documentary The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics is on tonight, Sunday December 14, at 7 pm Eastern Time. It will be rerun Sunday December 21 at 11:45 pm and Sunday December 28 at 10:30 am.

albert

[Flanger-Hanger]

In case anyone case The Absent Minded Professor will be shown on January 9th. It's the only Disney films for the month.

[Escapay]

Just a reminder that the new documentary The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics is on tonight, Sunday December 14, at 7 pm Eastern Time. It will be rerun Sunday December 21 at 11:45 pm and Sunday December 28 at 10:30 am.

albert

IT IS ON RIGHT NOW.





albert

[Neal]

I be DVRing it.

[Escapay]

I be DVRing it.

Think you could send me a DVD-R of your DVR? I'll pay ya for your troubles.

(I'm still stuck using oldschool VCR. )

albert

[Neal]

Being as I don't have a standalone DVD recorder, the only way to do this would be to first tape it onto VHS, then upload it to my computer to make the DVD - which I could do.

The only problem is potential quality loss. Would that be an issue for you?

[Escapay]

The only problem is potential quality loss. Would that be an issue for you?

Not really. I just would like having it on a digital format (until it ever gets released by Disney, which I hope) instead of just on VHS. Just remember to dub it to VHS in SP, it'll lessen the quality loss!

albert

[Neal]

I'll even buy a new tape so it's absolutely as good as possible. I'll let you know when it's done - shouldn't take too long.

[Escapay]

I'll even buy a new tape so it's absolutely as good as possible. I'll let you know when it's done - shouldn't take too long.

Cool, thanks!

Let me know when you have it done so I can PM you my e-mail and give you my address.

albert

[Flanger-Hanger]

I LOVED the new special! Great job TCM!

They even brought up stuff like The Sword and the Rose, The Three Lives of Thomasina, In Search of the Castaways and most importantly The Happiest Millionaire.

My only complaint is how they mentioned Tron but not The Black Hole, The Watcher in the Woods etc. and they could ave explained that time period better. if I had my way the special would have been like 5 hours long or something though .

Well it doesn't matter is was wonderful, too bad Disney will never release it.

[Disneykid]

I just finished watching this and really liked it...but it was too dang short. There's really only so much you can cover in an hour and a half. Because of that, the documentary did exactly what I was afraid it was going to do: it gave the early films lots of nice detail, and as it progressed, each film was relegated to a blip. The 70s was essentially one big montage, and the lack of sufficient coverage for both Bedknobs and Broomsticks and especially Pete's Dragon was disheartening. I also would've liked more on Babes in Toyland besides the usual, "This movie bombed" stuff. This documentary should've been three hours so that time could be given to not only the 70s, but the 80s and 90s, as well. Ending it with the 90s would've made sense since the 2000s was where film documentaries really took off thanks to DVD, so we don't need to see reflections on things like Pirates or Narnia. Still, what was in this special was very good, especially the stuff up to Mary Poppins.