Dalbert Pringle
Because "The Mickey Mouse Club" TV show is now 60 years old - I (out of respect) really did try to cut it some slack. But, unfortunately - As an adult - I found that its limited entertainment-value to be about on par with the likes of "Howdy Doody" (which I couldn't get at all excited about).Merrily hosted by the youthful, ever-smiling "Mouseketeers" - ("Golly! Gee!") - These 5, half-hour episodes of music, dance, comedy, and cartoons really pushed the whole image of naive, squeaky-clean wholesomeness a little too far for my liking.Yes. From a strictly nostalgic point of view - I did think that the contents of this DVD was, at least, worth a view. But, about the only aspect of "The Mickey Mouse Club" that I enjoyed to any degree was "The Hardy Boys" mystery show.*Note* - This popular, after-school television series for kids was regularly aired from 1955-1964.
John T. Ryan
AS THE STORY goes, when Mr. Walt Disney need some cold ca$h, with which to help in paying for the completion of his then pet project, his Disneyland theme park in sunny, Southern California, he negotiated with ABC for a deal to bring a second Disney Production to the airwaves. Inasmuich as he already had his weekly DISNEYLAND being telecast for an hour, every Wednesday, another approach would be in order.INSTEAD OF PRIMETIME, Walt's attention turned to the mid to late afternoon time period; being the province of the kids. Rather than one hour at a crack, Mr. Disney opted for 5 daily shows of an hour each.IN ORDER THAT the voracious programming appetite of such an ambitious an undertaking would be constantly satiated, it was decided that this show would be of the variety nature. Because music, song and dance would be an important element of this package, singer/dancer/actor Jimmy Dodd was hired to put that part of the show together.STAFFING THE PROGRAM with young the youthful performers that would be Dodd's charges was accomplished with tryouts (aka "cattle call" on Broadway). A chosen few made he cut; all destined to answer that command of: "Mousketeer Roll Call, count off now!"* IN ADDITION TO the musical aspect of the show, the running time was filled by other features, such as: the Mickey Mouse Club Newsreel ("Dedicated to you, the Leaders of the 21st Century@!"), Special Guests, Serials (SPIN & MARTY, CORKY AND WHITE SHADOW, THE BOYS OF THE WESTERN SEA, etc.) and let us not forget Mouse Cartoon Time! ADDITIONALLY, EACH DAY had its own theme. Fun With Music, Guest Star Day, Anmything Can Happen Day (a cheater topic), Circus Day and Talent Round-Up Day. Disney Animator/Cartoonist, Roy Williams was added to the cast to add some gravitas.AS MUCH AS we hate to say it, being that it is surely a mortal sin to criticize anything that is Walt Disney, we hated all of that musical stuff! We mean, just what young boys want to watch is a lot of singing and dancing! (Well, we got past all that to watch the serial, newsreel, cartoon, etc.WHEN THE MONETARY goal was reached, Walt Disney unilaterally ended THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB; which may well be the one and only time when it wasn't the Network giving the ax to a program! And before that event, there was already a third Disney series on ABC, ZORRO starring Guy Williams.NOTE: * After all of the Mouseketeers had been chosen, Mr. Disney himself spotted a young girl at his daughters ballet recital, whom he thought would be a good candidate for the show. The girl was the Late, Miss Annette Funicello!
bkoganbing
For the five years of the run of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club it was the most exclusive club in the world for the cool kids. So what if you had to wear those dorky ears and in front of millions of viewers to be a member. You got to wear those cool cowboy clothes at the end of the week on Talent Roundup Day. And wouldn't you like to leave the world you knew behind just to hang out with everyone from Annette and Bobby to the little ones Karen and Cubby.Kids who grew up watching this show faithfully when they learned the world according to Disney wasn't exactly the truth were the ones that tuned in, turned on and dropped out in the next decade. I wasn't one of them, but I sure knew where they were coming from. These kids in the Disney movies, in the serials on the Mickey Mouse Club and in their singing and dancing and all around talent were the role models of a generation. It seemed like if you put on those Mousekeears you could dance like Bobby Burgess, sing like Darlene Gillespie, or even play the drums like Cubby O'Brien. Millions like me wished they were good enough to join.The show had two big Mooseketeers as they were called, Disney cartoonist Roy Williams who should have gotten a lot more money for looking so ridiculous and singer/actor Jimmy Dodd.In fact Dodd I believe was a big part of the reason for the show's success. As an adult he looked right at home with the kids and I'm not talking about Michael Jackson kind of at home. Dodd had a middling career as a journeyman character actor, mostly in western roles. Mainstream movie fans might remember him for his small bit in Yankee Doodle Dandy calling young George M. Cohan out to greet his public, the public being a group of tough kids who took literally his boast to lick any kid in town in Peck's Bad Boy.Dodd reached real stardom in the Mickey Mouse Club. He set a respectful tone to the show, told the kids at home to mind their parents and lead an upright life. Dodd according to contemporaries was a religious man, but never overtly proselytized. According to many of the now grownup Mouseketeers Jimmy Dodd was the real deal, exactly as you saw him on television In the hour you saw Disney cartoons, true life adventure films, good kid's serials like Spin and Marty and Corky and the White Shadow and the singing and dancing of the coolest kids on the planet. Those good enough to be members of the Mickey Mouse Club.
Seth Nelson
Disney goes to people's living rooms throughout the world in 1955 through their television sets with "The Mickey Mouse Club," a show for kids that was not only just entertaining, but in fact, so great that two more versions have been spawned: one in the late 70s, and, of course, one in the early 90s for the then-good Disney Channel (they also showed the other two versions as well on "Vault Disney").What I like about this show: I haven't seen the 1955 version, although the old Disney Channel used to show it, but it was too late at night. However, I've heard about how great this show is and I know the theme song to it:M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-e!!!!!Also, remember those Mickey Mouse ear hats that you now can buy at Disney World? Those were worn, too!"The Mickey Mouse Club" - No longer on the tube, except for DVD!!!!!10 stars! 10 stars! 10 stars!!!!!
