DISNEYLAND: A TRIBUTE TO KENNETH GRAHAME: "THE RELUCTANT DRAGON" AND "WIND IN THE WILLOWS" (TV)
Summary
One in this series of family programs, presented under the umbrella title of "Disneyland," hosted by Walt Disney. This "Fantasyland" episode is a salute to author Kenneth Grahame, featuring animated adaptations of his most famous works, "The Reluctant Dragon" and "The Wind in the Willows." Disney opens the show by telling about Grahame's contribution to the Bank of England as well as literature.
Next, "The Reluctant Dragon" is shown. As the story opens, a young boy is told by his frantic father that he's seen a dragon. When the boy goes to the creature's cave, he finds the dragon taking a bath in a waterfall. The "monster" then recites poetry for his shocked visitor. Upon returning to the village, the boy sees Sir Giles, aka "the dragon killer" arriving. The boy goes to talk with Sir Giles and tells him that the dragon is friendly. The two then go to see the dragon, who is having a picnic and invites the boy and Sir Giles to join him. Sir Giles and the dragon compare their poetry skills before devising a plan through which they'll stage a fight for the locals' satisfaction. On the day of the "battle," the dragon learns how to breathe fire and create a show, with Giles pretending to gain the advantage over him -- in between cups of tea. Finally, Giles tells the townspeople that he's rehabilitated the dragon, allowing him to give public poetry recitals.
Next, "The Wind in the Willows" is shown. As the story opens, J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq., the spendthrift, devil-may-care owner of the Toad Hall mansion, interacts with his three friends: Angus MacBadger the badger, Ratty the "stuffy" water rat, and the "gentle and kind" Moley the mole. Ratty and Moley are summoned to Toad Hall by MacBadger. There, he tells them how Toad's overspending has gone too far, recently evidenced by Toad's purchase of a canary-yellow gypsy cart pulled by the cheeky horse Cyril Proudbottom. Toad refuses to heed MacBadger's warning to stop being a wastrel. Upon seeing a motor car, Toad contracts "motor mania" and is determined to get an automobile. Rat and Mole attempt to keep J. Thaddeus at Toad Hall by locking him in his bedroom. When Toad sneaks out, he's arrested for stealing a motor car. At Toad's trial, MacBadger, Ratty and Moley reluctantly testify against their friend. Pleading his own defense, Toad gets Cyril to recount what truly happened on the night of the alleged crime. Cyril recalls how he and Toad saw a group of weasels get out of a flashy red car before entering a bar. Inside the bar, Toad tells shady bartender Winky that he'll give Toad Hall to the weasels in return for the car, not realizing that the car was stolen. Back at the trial, Toad calls Winky to the stand, and the barkeep says that Toad tried to sell him a stolen car -- leading to a guilty verdict for Toad. By Christmas, a teary Toad is serving a long sentence in jail. The remorseful J. Thaddeus bemoans his "foolish" acts when Cyril -- disguised as Toad's grandmother -- brings him a disguise which allows him to escape. With police hunting him, Toad commandeers a train and then jumps into a river. Later, Toad goes to see Ratty and Moley, where MacBadger joins them to say that Winky and the weasels have taken possession of Toad Hall. MacBadger reveals his plan for them to get the deed which Toad signed over to Winky, thus proving Toad's innocence. Once inside Toad Hall, the quartet find everyone asleep, and the deed hanging from Winky's pocket. As Moley grabs it, a weasel guard sees him and Winky and the weasels give chase as the paper passes from Toad to Ratty to Moley to MacBadger. The quartet escapes with the deed through an underground passage and Toad is subsequently exonerated. As Toad's friends toast his reformed persona, Toad shocks them as he and Cyril show off their latest purchase: a new bi-plane.
The program is followed by a preview for the following week's Disney show: a progress report on the construction of Disneyland, coupled with the nature film "Nature's Half Acre." Commercials deleted.
(Series title varies: From 1954 to 1958 this series was telecast under the title "Disneyland"; from 1958 to 1961 this series was telecast under the title "Walt Disney Presents"; from 1961 to 1969 this series was telecast under the title "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color"; from 1969 to 1979 this series was telecast under the title "The Wonderful World of Walt Disney"; from 1979 to 1981 this series was telecast under the title, "Disney's Wonderful World"; and from 1997-2005 this series was telecast under the title "The Wonderful World of Disney.")
(Network varies; this series was telecast on ABC from 1954-1961, on NBC from 1961 to 1981; on CBS from 1981 to 1983; and on ABC from 1997-2005.)
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:52
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:17748
- GENRE: Animation
- SUBJECT HEADING: Animation; Children's programs
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1954-1958
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" motion picture
CREDITS
- Walt Disney … Producer
- Hamilton Luske … Director of "The Reluctant Dragon"
- Alfred L. Werker … Director of "The Reluctant Dragon"
- James Algar … Director of "Wind in the Willows"
- Jack Kinney … Director of "Wind in the Willows"
- Kenneth Grahame … Based on works by
- Wilfred Jackson … Adapted by
- Ken Anderson … Adapted by
- Bill Walsh … Adapted by
- Oliver Wallace … Music by
- Frank Churchill … Music by
- Larry Morey … Music by
- Walt Disney … Host
- Basil Rathbone … Narrator
- Eric Blore … Cast, Voice , J. Thaddeus Toad
- Pat O'Malley (See also: J. Pat O'Malley) … Cast, Voice, Cyril Proudbottom
- John Ployardt … Cast, Voice, Prosecutor
- Colin Campbell … Cast, Voice , Moley
- Campbell Grant … Cast, Voice, Angus MacBadger
- Ollie Wallace … Cast, Voice , Winky
- The Rhythmaires … Cast, Voice, Chorus
- Claude Allister … Cast, Voice, Ratty/Sir Giles
- Barnet Parker … Cast, Voice , Dragon
- Billy Lee … Cast, Boy