"M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E." Before the theme song's memorable spelling became an audio icon, before the series even aired, the Mickey Mouse Club was the most anticipated children's programming ever. This volume features the five episodes of week one of the black-and-white series that launched a television revolution. Also showcased in this volume is a wonderful tribute to the unforgettable Jimmie Dodd, the singer-actor who hosted the show. You'll also see recently discovered, never-before-seen color archival footage of the Mousketeers' very first appearance at the grand opening celebration of Disneyland. And you'll meet six original Mouseketeers in a reunion on the soundstage where they first got together in 1955. So, sit back and enjoy -- and you don't have to wait until 5:00.
1 More!
This is a very nice set to have, but I do have some gripes. While it's cool to see the show's very first episode or two, the novelty wears off and we slowly realize that the show hadn't yet hit it's stride, so what we get are five OK episodes, while hundreds of far superior ones lie waiting in dusty Disney storerooms.
A glassy-eyed and downright giddy Leonard Maltin hosts once again. I really wish Disney would find someone else to do this. Actually the "hosting" isn't even really neccessary. After all, we are not just the casual Disney fans buying these Disney Treasures DVDs, and often the commentary seems aimed at the total Disney novice.
The Mouseketeer reunion on Disc Two is nice, as several of the originals discuss their lifes during and after The Club. It doesn't offer much information not easily available elsewhere, but their obvious affection for the Club and each other is appealing.
The "Mouseketeer Roll Call" listed as a bonus feature on this set is unfortunately nothing more than just a list of the names of the original Mouseketeers. My favorite bonus feature is the fuzzy but interesting "The Mouseketeers Debut at Disneyland" a color sequence of the original group performing live. The menu design is very nice, but I found no Easter Eggs.
All in all, this is a nice addition to the Disney Treasures Collection, I only wish they had included some more various 50's episodes so we could see the other (far better) opening sequences and talent portions. Also, with many of the classic cartoons now available in color, it's almost tragic to have to watch them in black and white.
Speaking of color, I would like to vote for the release of some episodes of the New Mickey Mouse Club from the 70's. Besides being in color (Walt had always intended to bring the Club to audiences in color and I think the 70's team did him more than proud) these shows boast another terrific (and refreshingly multi-ethnic) batch of kids, great production numbers and classic Disney serials and cartoons in COLOR. This was head and shoulders better than the 90's club in that the Disney spirit really came through.
2 More bones. Less meat!
I just received the two DVDs. To my surprise, 85% of the video are real people. Where are the real cartoon series? Cartoon seriers only count for 15% of the content and scattered. My kid dislikes it!!! My kid wants the cartoon!!!
3 Mickey Mouse Club Is the Leader Of DVD
I love this dvd set, the episodes that they chose for the set were awesome. I especially love the dedication they did to the leader of the gangt. They don't make kids tv programming like this anymore, the show had education "news reel", and it showed serials of little shows that your kids would be able to watch without learning anything bad, or bad influences. And they mixed education and learning with the fun of watching this great show. This great treasure, is a dvd set I highly suggest that you all buy. It is full with movie stars that grew up to become great actors and actoresses, like Annette Funicello who grew up to be remembered as that sweet little star, with good morals, who now is sadly very ill. And Bobby Burgess, who was on Lawrence Welk. And many others. I also loved the Mickey Mouse Club reuniting, where they talk to Leonard Maltin about their fondest memories of the show. Great Set. A+A+
4 GREAT FROM THE BEGINNING
These two CDs demonstrate how great The Mickey Mouse Club was from the very first week. The hourlong shows are the only way to properly evaluate how far ahead of its time this program was, in respects beyond just the participation of the Mouseketeers. "What I Want to Be" may be criticized for some as hokey and sexist, but it was crisply written by none other than Stirling Silliphant, who rose quickly from being a mere publicist at Disney to writing this and other serial material for MMC. The great Alvy Moore is the correspondent who recruits little Pat Morrow and Duncan Richardson for job training at TWA in Kansas City. Pat Morrow was roughly 10 at the time of this production. She went on to become highly visible as a campaign groupie for John F. Kennedy in 1960, and later became a suffering slut on Peyton Place. But in this series, she looks as if she had been conceived from a Norman Rockwell painting, or from the mind of Disney animator Ward Kimball. She was an incredibly gifted little actress, and Richardson also looks as if he were straight out of a Rockwell cover.
Disney was obligated to produce 39 weeks of these one hour shows for two years, after ABC advanced $1 million to him to finish the construction of Disneyland. He was not stupid. He used MMC as a vehicle to sell the new amusement park, as evidencde in the very first newsreels. He also got a big assist from TWA in the making of the serial, "What I Want to Be." Out of such audacity, the art of cross promotion and product placement was truly born. Disney also furnished many if not most of the commercials aired within the original hour shows. The sped up voice of Jimmie Dodd, for example, was used as the voice of Bucky Beaver, the character selling Ipana toothpaste. The Mouseketeers were also seen in some commercials, i.e. a long series of spots for One-A-Day vitamins.
Jimmie Dodd's brilliance is on complete display within the set. There is a great bonus tribute to the head Mouseketeer, but it is marred by the misspelling of his name at the end of the special bonus feature. How this could have happened speaks volumes for the lack of quality control under the current Disney regime. I still hope for additions to this series. At least some evidence of the "Spin and Marty" serials should be made available to those who truly loved watching these original shows.
One thought on the Mouseketeers. It is remarkable how many ethnic groups were represented during the first season. Annette's exotic ap;peal is very evident from the first moment she appears. The dancing abilities of Sharon Baird and Bobby Burgess are also obvious. These are pros at work, not just kids. But the original Mouseketeers also included one other Italian, Mary Sartori, at least two Jewish Americans, Doreen Tracey and Judy Harriet Spiegelman, and a Mexican Ameican, Mary Espinosa. Though not seen on this set, Disney also included a Japanese American boy, Georga Nagata, to narrate a serial called "Children of the world." African American acts were common on Talent roundup Day.
This new set is also noteworthy in that it includes several Mouseketeers who became early casualties, such as Nancy Abbate, Johnny Crawford, and Mickey Rooney's two young sons. Even Paul Petersen demonstrates why he was fired after just three weeks. He is seen twice, and both times appears hyper beyond control.
I always had the biggest crush on Cheryl Holdridge, who was not added to the roster until the second season. I am hoping to see a DVD release based on season two, for that reason alone. But this set is remarkable, and I never tire of watching it.
5 It's About the Bonus Content
Don't expect to be glued to your chair watching the five original one-hour episodes: the opening sequences, as somebody else said, are slick and polished; but the remaining portions of the shows are mostly, well, boring.
It's the bonus material where you'll find the gold. The opening animation in color is shocking to see, it is so vibrant! And seeing some of the original Mouseketeers today was intriguing. I was struck by how sober-faced "Cubby" has become; maybe he was having a bad day? Bobby and Karen and Darlene: they are just too cool. And then there is Lonnie, who is looking a bit like Uncle Fester (I hated to say that, as he seems like a totally nice person).
The cast was sitting in front of the original curtains used in the series, but this time, we get to see those curtains in color.
And the opening day at Disneyland, when the Mouseketeers were introduced to the world for the first time (nobody really knew who they were, because they had not yet been on television)...that, too is a treat, especially the color sequences.
An era long gone, but not forgotten. As for these particular shows being treasures...I don't think so.
6 A Club of Fools....
I saw this when I was a kid, and I totally did not care for it. The theme song sounded like it was for kids who had a voice problem and all the short films that they showed made Lassie look like fine art by contrast. This was a show that came from the Red Scare days of the 1950's and is about as interesting as watching a ham sandwitch go bad on the plate.
7 Certainly NOT the best of the Mickey Mouse Club!!!
Like several of the other reviews, I was expecting much more from a 2-disk DVD collection. The large title on the front cover is "Walt Disney Treasures - The Mickey Mouse Club." Only in small print does it mention that this set is week one of the show. Even after reading that,I figured there would be numerous bonus material from the other years. NOPE!!!!!
My fondest memory of the show was the mouseketeers opening dance number and roll call. This was the main reason I bought the collection. But again, they limited the DVDs to only week one where the opening skits and roll calls were nowhere near as good.
8 An Enjoyable Christmas Afternoon
What an enjoyable Christmas afternoon to be wisked back to childhood days with all of the first 5 episodes of the Mickey Mouse Club.All I can say is get this DVD while you can. And to the Walt Disney Company, you must release more.
9 A baby boomer's delight!!!
Thank you, Walt Disney Company, for FINALLY bringing the Mickey Mouse Club to DVD!!!
I'm old enough to remember the show when it aired as a half-hour version, but to see the original hour-long shows from 1955 was fascinating to say the least!
Of particular interest were the superb bonus features, including the wonderful insights of six of the Mouseketeers (including my faves, Bobby and Cubby), the delightful tribute to Jimmie Dodd, who embraced the morals that are sorely lacking in our current society, AND...(drum roll please)...the opening sequence shot in glorious LIVING COLOR!!!
Let's see more MMC DVDs in the future!!!
10 More Shows Please!
I first watched the original MMC when it was reborn in the 70s, alongside the Disco Mouse series. I literally ran home to watch Annette, Bobby, and the rest!
This DVD set is better than the sad VHS releases of recent years, the latter containing only chopped up shows and the same "We're the Mouseketeers..." opening.
Here are the first five shows, complete with everything, including the kids out of apron-dresses and into their sweaters and ears. It's quite fun looking at Mouseketeers like Mike, Bonnie, Nancy, and others who wouldn't last past the season, and/or were relegated to second string.
Jimmy is here with his words of wisdom at the end, I always loved Jimmie Dodd too. We actually see Roy drawing pictures, something else left out of the tapes.
My only beef is that 5 shows isn't enough! Will Disney please release more?!
The shows seem a bit cheesy, but, if I had kids, I'd rather them watch this than the garbage and filth of today.
Watch for Alvy Moore (Hank Kimball from Green Acres), hanging around an airport, flashing a secret Disney ID, looking for kids to talk into airline careers!
11 FANTASTIC SET!!!!!!!!!
Here's a breakdown of the five episodes
Monday, October 3, 1955
The first ever "Mickey Mouse Club" kicks off with a Newsreel that, for some odd reason, promotes several Disney projects. Isn't it odd that the news would be promotional pieces? (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.) I got a particular kick out of the airboat piece about a Native American who holds a grudge against the white man, yet drives two kids through the swamps of Florida. You'd think they'd like a chaperone on board. For Fun with Music Day, a musical bit called "The Friendly Farmers" kills time, but is one of the least impressive bits in this set. It felt too simple for a show that didn't do that very often. The "Show Song" is more impressive, as it combines the kids' ability to sing and dance, and Roy's ability to draw, as he sketches out their songs.
"What I Want to Be" kicks off here with noble intentions about helping children discover what kinds of futures are available, only to then lock them in based on their gender. Pat, a little girl with a dream to travel the world, is chosen by a representative of the Mickey Mouse Club to learn about being an airline hostess. She knows a certain boy who she thinks can be a pilot, but he doesn't believe in himself. But that has to wait until tomorrow, because it's Mousekartoon time. "Pueblo Pluto" features Mickey and Pluto in the Southwest. Highly detailed and well-painted, this is trademark Disney. Jimmie Dodd takes his spot as the closer, telling what's in store over the next week.
Tuesday, October 4, 1955
Guest Star Day introduces a British friend named Sooty, a mute bear hand-puppet, and his puppeteer. Though it looks stupid to start, whenever they close-in on him, it's cute as hell. I'll admit, I laughed a few times. The Guest Star happens to be Wally Boag. I don't think I need to say anymore considering how famous Wally Boag is. Oh that Wally Boag. Seriously, he was apparently a "stand-up entertainer" at Disneyland. Guests don't get any bigger than him and his talk-show act, which must have gone over every kid's head.
"What I Want to Be" continues with part two, where the object of Pat's affections, Duncan, has to show he has the goods with a gas-propelled plane. Pat stands by her man, even when things look glum, and in a moment of emotion that wouldn't fly today, threatens his foe with death. For her efforts, she's being sent to Hostess School, whether she likes it or not. With the drama over, it's Mousekartoon time, which is a Mickey and Pluto show, titled "Mickey's Kangaroo." Oddly, Pluto speaks (or rather thinks out loud) a first in my Pluto experience. This has the effect of making him the creepiest Disney character ever. Jimmie is back with a "final" word, this time about the importance of perseverance. He also slips in a Disney plug, for good measure.
Wednesday, October 5, 1955
Anything Can Happen Day lives up to its name with the Newsreel, which is a winner. The narrator seems upset when one child doesn't die in a boat crash, then we watch an African tribe burn their children's possessions in a manhood ritual. It only gets better from there, with swimming babies and junior rodeos. A gadget band performance by the Mouseketeers, using only items like bottles and cans, increases the weirdness, thanks to a bizarre Hawaiian-themes monologue by a "park cleaner."
"What I Want to Be," part four gets off to a great start with a sign on the door that says "Hostess School - Women Only." Once Pat gets ditched at Girl School, Duncan gets to have some fun, heading up to the control tower. Unlike later installments, Pat is completely forgotten about this time. That's just as well, as the Mousekartoon, "Mickey's Service Station," is waiting to go. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are all in on this one, a rather old episode, based on the guys' character models. This one is as silly as the Mickey cartoons get, going as far as having Goofy goose himself. Jimmie follows it up with a plea for kids to help their parents out around the house. Can't argue with that one.
Thursday, October 6, 1955
"No Fool," a musical Jiminy Cricket cartoon about bicycle safety, kicks things off, with dire warnings that would probably be cut in today's kid-safe environment. It's Circus Day, which means the show features a performance by a troupe of acrobats. By today's standards, it's nothing special, but back then, it must have been something else. The segment that stands out the most though has to be part four of "What I Want to Be," which focuses on the airline industry. Pat learns about the ridiculous career available for women at airlines, as she sees women go through a "makeup analysis," making sure her hair is the right length, he height and weight fall into the right standard and that she knows how to bend over correctly. I'm not kidding. Duncan, on the other hand, finds out about becoming a pilot, and all the interesting tools involved in making sure a flight goes just right. If I was a girl in 1955, I can imagine I would be a bit depressed.
Annette handles the hosting duties for the Mousekartoon, "The Wise Little Hen," a story about what being lazy will get you, featuring an old-style Donald Duck. The level of detail is amazing when compared to the bargain-basement animation seen in modern cartoons. Just before the show wraps up with the familiar refrain, Jimmie gives a message about paying your own way. At least he was speaking the truth. If only kids heard this stuff today.
Friday, October 7, 1955
Talent Round-Up Day starts with a Mickey Mouse Club Newsreel, which shows what kind of freakiness was going on back in 1955. A twisted boxing match between 8-year-olds leads into a series of odd news bites. At least this one isn't quite as self-promoting as Monday's. As part of the Talent Round-Up, a young trumpeter plays two songs (though he looks to be faking it) and Cubby himself brings his dad and brother on-stage to deliver a pretty impressive drum performance. Part five of "What I Want to Be" has Pat nearing Stepford Wife status in her air hostess training, while Duncan is supposedly ready to handle a flight. These segments are one of the few parts of the series that really was troublesome. It's back to fun though as Bobby introduces the Mousekartoon, "Two-Gun Mickey," an early western starring Mickey and Minnie. A kid's cartoon featuring cigarette rolling and gunfighting is unheard of today, which makes this such an interesting artifact. Jimmie's back to deliver his message of the day, this time about being friendly.
The DVDs
Disney's split the first week of the "Mickey Mouse Club" between two DVDs, with Monday through Wednesday on disc one, and the rest on the second DVD. Each disc features an introduction by Leonard Maltin, shot at the Disney studios. The episodes are in their original full-frame black-and-white, while the menus are static and full-screen, with music from the show. Each episode has scene selections, and optional English captions to go with the Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. The discs come packed in a double-thick white keepcase, inside the now signature collectible tin case. Inside the case is a "collectible art" card, which is a reprouction of the cover of the original sheet music to Dodd's "Mickey Mouse March," a numbered (out of 130,000) certificate of authenticity and a high-quality 6-page booklet that features the text version of Maltin's first-disc introduction, a content listing (with incorrect second-disc info) and some photos and art. Attached (by a thread of glue) to the back of the tin case is the rear art, which repeats the back cover of the keepcase.
The Quality
Considering the majority of the source materials found in his set are nearly 50 years old, the final product is very impressive. The shows do have some visible grain and dirt and scratches, but overall, the footage is very crisp. Obviously, there's not really any color (except in the bonus materials) but the tones in the old footage looks very good. I don't remember this video looking even close to this good when it was on TV. The new video in the bonus features is crisp and without any problems. The audio, presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, is as good as can be expected, with the songs and dialogue sounding as good as any TV show made today. It's so good that I could hear the words spoken clearer than the caption writer, who got several words wrong.
The Extras
The first disc has two special features, including a touching featurette on Dodd, "The Leader of the Club" (9:00). The musical talent behind the show and the adult presence on-screen, Dodd was apparently one of those "good people" who gave freely of himself and lived his life by the "Good Book." As Maltin says, he was perfect for this show, and that if he didn't exist, Disney would have had to invent him. Amazingly, unlike with most children's show hosts, none of the Mousketeers has a bad word to say about him. I was surprised to see the topic of religion is actually broached in the conversation, but it seems only appropriate for him. The ending of the segment, with a clip from the show, is spot-on and beautifully positioned as a tribute to Dodd.
Far less emotional is a set of three Still Galleries, broken up into "Inside the Clubhouse" (on the set), "Spreading the Word: Mouseke-Promotion" (marketing materials) and "Sketching the Ideas" (design concepts.) In all, there are 90 pieces to look at (54, 17 and 9 respectively in their categories), including black and white and color photos, interesting promotional items and concept sketches for props and sets. These are worth at least one spin through. Looking at the "Clubhouse" photos, they are so good, it almost seems like they were taken on the set of a modern movie about the Club. There's an instruction screen included in the galleries that explains how to navigate through it.
Disc Two has a trio of bonus features, starting with "Mouseke-Memories," (14:30) a reunion of six of the original Mousketeers (Sharon, Lonnie, Cubby, Bobby, Karen and Doreen), hosted by Leonard Maltin. (It will look familiar, as the footage for "The Leader of the Club" was shot at the same time.) The sit-down chat takes place on the original soundstage, in front of the original curtain backdrop. They talk about how they got on the show, their favorite memories and their castmates, including the late Roy and Jimmie, as well as Annette, who couldn't make it to the interview. This is light and fluffy material, but it's interesting to see the Mousketeers all grown up and to hear their stories.
Introduced by Maltin, "The Mouseketeers Debut at Disneyland" is a newly-constructed bit of footage using the original live black-and-white TV introduction of the Mouseketeers at the theme park and recently discovered color film of the event. A much larger group than the one that later appeared on TV, this cast performed the opening later used for the first Talent Round-Up. The color footage is so vibrant that it's hard to imagine that it's almost 50 years old.
Maltin returns to introduce another new rarity, in the form of a color version of the "Mickey Mouse Club" animated open. Disney did the into theme in color and black-and-white, and the color version, which never aired, is outstanding. The quality and creativity is simply incredible. The coloring adds another dimension to what was already an outstanding piece of animation, making it just that much better. Truly a terrific find for animation buffs.
The Bottom Line
For any fan of television history, Disney or just the Mickey Mouse Club, this is a fascinating DVD set; a trip back to a very different time. In a way, it's sad to know this kind of show just wouldn't work today, because for all the politically incorrect things it incorporated, it was a wholesome and entertaining way for kids to learn and have fun. Thankfully, Disney doesn't seem to feel the need to deny history (at least for these discs) and gives us the original shows, no matter what they say. Though the extras seem a bit light for the cost of the set, the material is quite good, and should satisfy anyone who's ever wanted to put on the ears.
This really is a special set and its so wonderful it is now on DVD!!
ENJOY!!
12 Good show, disappointing DVD
Although I'm glad the MM Club is finally on DVD, this release could have been so much more. With numerous TV shows being issued in complete seasons, there's no excuse to only release just one week of MM club episodes, except perhaps greed. Even the 5 days a week soap, "Dark Shadows", has several 4 disc/$40 sets that each cover months of shows. I believe with black and white episodes, you can squeeze more on a disc than color? A better idea would be to craft multi-disc sets around the serials, with a box set for each serial storyline. I believe there were several Spin & Marty stories, as well as Hardy Boys, Annette, etc. If those come out- I'm buying 'em! Are you listening Disney?
13 You can't go wrong!!!
I fondly remember watching reruns of the MMC on our ABC affiliate when I was only five. I was so inspired by the singing and dancing of the young cast, and cried after each
episode. Viewing the episodes as an adult was fascinating. Both of these disks represent a 1950's America--a time capsule of sorts. It's wonderful to see Jimmy Dodd espousing virtue and morals. And, it's refreshing to see a simpler less sophistaced way of life. There is a great introduction by Leonard Malten. In it, he mentions that these original episodes may be considered quaint by today's children. To test this theory, I sat my three year old in front of the screen. He smiled, and tried to sing along with the mouseketeers!! He also enjoyed the mouse cartoons! Fortunately, here's one child who didn't find the material quaint, but very entertaining. I loved the bonus material, which included interviews with some of the mouseketeers conducted by Leonard Malten. Both DVD's are very well done, formatted with an easy to use menu.
This was truly taking a trip back in time for me. I can only hope that Disney will release more of these original MMC shows. This DVD does indeed live up to the "Disney Treasures" label.
14 Every afternoon, Babyboomers!
This show was every afternoon after school so many years ago. Doesn't seem so long ago. Annette went on to big things like Walt Disney's Zorro. When it was on I looked forward most to the cartoon. I wonder if it is economically and/or physically possible to put the whole series on DVD. It was every weekday afternoon. More Disney Treasures that I am looking forward to would be the True Life Adventures such as: The Living Desert; The Secrets of Life; The Vanishing Prairie; White Wilderness; also a second volume of Silly Symphonies, please.
15 Excellent Treasure for Babyboomers
Intend to buy on release date plus others from same circa 1950's. Would be nice to see 2 others released from the vault: The Pigeon That Worked a Miracle (1958), and Perri: 1957 - Disney's finest true-life adventure documentary.
16 Glad it's releasing
I'm glad to be getting it too, but,Man! You people gotta relax! It's just a TV show.
17 THRU THE YEARS WE'LL ALL BE FRIENDS.
Thank You Walt Disney Company. You have finally answered my prayers. I have been counting down the days untill December when the Beloved MICKEY MOUSE CLUB wil be released on DVD. I have ordered 6 copies now. 2 for myself and 4 for Christmas gifts.
I hope that the Walt Disney Company puts out MANY MORE DVD'S of the MMC including all 3 series of SPIN AND MARTY, CORKY AND THE WHITE SHADOW, and THE HARDY BOYS.
The Mickey Mouse Club is my all time favourite TV show and I highly reccomend this Boxed set to all who value EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT.
Also I am purchasing MARY POPPINS the 40 th anniversary edition.
Once again THANK YOU WALT DISNEY for the MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. Long live Karen, Cubby, Bobby, Annette, Doreen, Darlene, Sharon, Jimmy, Roy and all the Mouseketters.
God bless the Walt Disney Company.
18 Finally! The Original Mickey Mouse Club on DVD!
Thank Goodness this DVD of the Mickey Mouse Club is finally being released. I hope Disney continues to add more MMC to the Disney Treasures list. There is much, much more to see! I can't wait to see the show in it's entirety, the intro, newsreels, mouseketeers, serial segment, "words to grow by" by Jimmie Dodd, cartoons, alma mater, drawings by mooseketeer Roy Williams, who designed the mouseketeer ears! ALL OF IT! Hurry, December.
19 It Will Appeal To Baby Boomers, Their Kids, and Grand Kids!!
*************GOD BLESS THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY***************
LET'S BE HONEST HERE: ONCE THE KIDS KNOW THAT THIS IS OUT, THEY'LL BE BEGGING THEIR PARENTS TO GET IT FOR THEM FOR CHRISTMAS! KIDS WILL CLAMOR OVER IT ON CHRISTMAS MORNING! THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PRESENT THAT KIDS WILL WANT TO OPEN UP ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. THIS SHOW IS CROSS GENERATIONAL! KIDS WILL CLAMOR FOR THIS ALONG WITH US BABY BOOMERS.THIS IS THE EXACT THING THAT ALL BABY BOOMERS,THEIR KIDS, AND THEIR GRAND KIDS WILL WANT! I TRULY MEAN THAT!!This dvd set will include the first five hour long shows(October 3-7, 1955)of this break through children's television program. We'll see Jimmie Dodd, Roy Williams, Bronson (first year mouseketeer), Darlene, Karen, Cubby, Nancy (first year mouseketeer), Johnny Crawford (first year mouseketeer who went on to play Mark Mc Caine in the tv show, "The Rifleman), Annette, Doreen, Bobby, Tommy, and so many others. We'll see the introductions to various theme days, the special introductions to the daily "mousecartoon", the first episodes of the serial "What I Want to Be", the alma mater, and so very much more! Besides the shows themselves,the dvd set will also include interviews with several of the mouseketeers, footage of the mouseketers at Disneyland, a tribute to Jimmie Dodd and more. This dvd should be presented in stores along with all of the other Disney dvd's. Kids will clamor for it once they see it right next to the Princess dvd's, Mulon, and all of the other more current dvd's by Disney!! Kids will brush aside the more current Disney dvd's and buy "The Mickey Mouse Club"! THIS WILL BE "THE WALT DISNEY TREASURES" THAT ALL OF US WILL WATCH MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS! THIS WILL BE "THE CROWN JEWEL" OF ALL OF "THE WALT DISNEY TREASURES" THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN THE PAST AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM THAT WILL BE PRODUCED IN THE FUTURE! It is a certainty that this will be the best dvd that ever has been or ever will be released for all of us baby boomers, our kids, and our grand kids.IN FACT,THIS WILL BE A GREAT GIFT FOR KIDS,GRAND KIDS, AND US BABY BOOMERS! Disney, please get all of the shows out on dvd and then we'll consider wanting you to release the serials. DISNEY, YOU GOT IT RIGHT IN PUTTING THE SHOWS OUT FIRST AND,PERHAPS, PUTTING OUT THE SERIALS IN A FEW YEARS! None of us want the serials released on dvd yet! The shows are the priority in all of our minds and then we'll consider the serials. We just think that the serials are seconday to the shows, that's all. Thank you, Disney, for listening to our requests for putting the shows on dvd. To put out a dvd set that will appeal to baby boomers, their kids and their grand kids is a great idea! ALL of us baby boomers and all of our entire families thank you!!! We want this dvd set of the shows and MANY MORE!!! It is WONDERFUL that Disney is FINALLY putting "The Mickey Mouse Club" on DVD. Thank you, Disney, for doing this! Disney, you got it right from baby boomers through grand kids. ALL of us thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
20 We want the serials !!!
I'm with the first reviewer. I started to buy this dvd set thinking that it would have the serials such as Spin and Marty, etc. on it. How stupid of Disney not to release the serials the best part of the MMC. I watched these serials many years ago on The Mickey Mouse Club and then again a few years back when they had them on Vault Disney late at night on the Disney Channel. But as usual Disney or Hollywood doesn't listen to their fans but release what they think people will want and buy. I'm not going to bother purchasing this but wait for the serials.
21 Please Uncle Walt, we need more of the same!!!!!!!!!!!
I have given this a 5 star rating, based on others in the series. I am sure this will be of the same high quality. What many of us want, however are the serials from the MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, such as my all time favorite "Spin and Marty", (there were three seasons of them), The "Annette" serial, "Corky and White Shadow", and of course, the wonderful "Hardy Boys" serials. This is what the baby boomers who grew up wearing the ears want!!!!!! I have contacted the Disney Company with my requests and although they answered my emails and letters, as of late, there are no plans to release these. Also, darling Kevin Corcoran as "Moochie" was in "Moochie of the Little League" and "Moochie of Pop Warner Football", how about getting those on DVD?
22 First of a long series-- I hope...
It is my sincere hope that this is only the first volume of a large procession of such sets of the classic show-- and unlike one of the other reviewers, while I certainly love (and will buy, given the chance) the later shows, I wouldn't trade them for the earlier ones that really show its development. The whole experience I get out of these shows is the charm, innocence and nostalgia of an earlier, simpler time. I've had the 10 volume VHS set for some time, and love them dearly. Sign me up for a complete subscription of as many of these DVDs they're willing to produce...
23 Original shows - more history than entertainment
The contents of this set has been released.
This set will contain the first week of the Mickey Mouse Club - 5 one-hour shows shown 10/3 thru 10/7, 1955.
Disc 1 Program
Show #1 10/3/55 Monday
Newsreel #1
Fun With Music Day: The Friendly Farmers (and) The Shoe Song
Serial: What I Want To Be - Episode #1
Cartoon: Pueblo Pluto
Show #2 10/4/55 Tuesday
Sooty #8: TV Set
Guest Star Day: Wally Boag (comedian)
Serial: What I Want To Be - Episode #2
Cartoon: Mickey's Kangaroo
Show #3 10/5/55 Wednesday
Newsreel #3
Anything Can Happen Day: Gadget Band #1
Serial: What I Want To Be - Episode #3
Cartoon: Mickey's Service Station
Disc 1 Bonus
Leonard Maltin Introduction
The Leader of the Club (The Jimmie Dodd Tribute)
Disc 2 Program
Show #4 10/6/55 Thursday
Jiminy Cricket: I'm No Fool With A Bicycle (educational cartoon)
Circus Day: The DeWaynes (acrobats)
Serial: What I Want To Be - Episode #4
Cartoon: The Wise Little Hen
Show #5 10/7/55 Friday
Talent Roundup Day: Larry Ashurst (trumpeter) and Cubby O'Brien (Mouseketeer and drummer)
Serial: What I Want To Be - Episode #5
Cartoon: Two Gun Mickey
Disc 2 Bonus
Mouska-Memories (6 of the original Mouseketeers share their memories of the club - Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Lonnie Burr, Doreen Tracey, Cubby O'Brien, and Karen Pendleton - I guess Annette was too ill to contribute to this)
The Mouseketeers Debut at Disneyland
Opening Sequences in Color (the original animated openings)
Still Frame Galleries
Sooty was an ill-tempered puppet from England.
The "What I Want To Be" serial was about a Mickey Mouse Club newsreel reporter (Alvy Moore) who picks two 10-year olds and takes them to the headquarters of Trans World Airlines in Kansas City, Missouri, where they learn how TWA trains its flight crews. These five episodes are part of a total of 10 episodes.
I like the idea of the first 5 shows being released as this set. However, being the very early shows, the entertainment value will be less than some of the better later shows. I have never seen the hourly shows - most of the shows I have seen have been the half-hour repeats shown on the Disney Channel in the mid to late 1980s.
But at the very minimum, these first five shows are very interesting to me historically - since they are the very first shows.
I will be glad to have this treasure set but would have preferred a set of the Mickey Mouse serials - such as Spin And Marty, The Hardy Boys, or Annette. Maybe these serials will be released in future treasure sets.
