David Stollery Movies

The first half of this Walt Disney Presents episode, "Rapids Ahead," is ostensibly a salute to John Wesley Powell, the first man to explore the Colorado River. The presence of such actors as Brian Keith and John Beal tips us off that this segment is actually a promo for the upcoming Disney theatrical feature Ten Who Dared, concentrating on the special photographic techniques required to complete the picture. The remainder of the episode is a full-length presentation of the Oscar-winning "True Life Adventure" short subject Bear Country (1953), filmed on location in Yellowstone National Park. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Union army major Drango (Jeff Chandler) is assigned to rebuild a ruined Georgian town in the aftermath of the Civil War. Despite his best intentions, Drango has trouble combatting the hatred and resentment of the townsfolk. In particular, Clay Allen (Ronald Howard), the hotheaded son of Judge Allen (Donald Crisp), does his utmost to sabotage Drango's efforts and foment a Confederate insurrection. It takes the conscience-stricken intervention of the Judge himself to prevent wholesale bloodshed. The film's low-key romantic interest is handled by Joanne Dru and Julie London, cast respectively as the daughter of a despised Union sympathizer and an "unreconstructed" female plantation owner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Disneyland episode served to promote the upcoming theatrical feature Westward Ho the Wagons, with that film's star, Fess Parker, acting as narrator. After a brief segment in which host Walt Disney relates the history of the Oregon Trail (the pioneer route from Kansas City to the Pacific Coast), the episode segues into a dramatized sequence, combining footage from the feature film as well as some freshly-shot vignettes. Several of the actors appearing in Westward Ho the Wagons repeat their roles in this portion of the program, in which the preparations made by settlers to undertake the 2000-mile westard trek along the Oregon Trail are meticulously detailed. Also heard are two songs from the film, the title number and "Pioneer's Prayer" (the film's popular ditty "Wringle Wrangle" was reserved for a special presentation of Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club. Ironically, while one of the stars of the Westward Ho the Wagons, George Reeves of Superman fame, does not appear in "The Oregon Trail", Phyllis Coates, who'd previously played Lois Lane to Reeves' Clark Kent, shows up in an important supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Much of this gripping crime drama takes place in a remote New England farm house owned by the brother of a bank robber. The crook is mortally wounded during his last heist and suddenly shows up seeking shelter. The brother reluctantly harbors the fugitive and his henchmen. Time passes and the henchmen are anxious to move on; unfortunately, their leader is healing. He is also still in love with his brother's wife with whom he had an affair. More trouble ensues when it is revealed that the woman's son was fathered by the crook, not her husband. Meanwhile, a farmhand manages to escape. He tries to alert the cops and this causes the criminals to flee. To help them through the woods the robber takes the boy to guide him. The boy is devastated when his heretofore "decent" uncle shoots his father. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In 1952, the comedy team of Abbott and Costello entered into a joint agreement with producer Alex Gottlieb and Warner Brothers, whereby two color musical comedies would be produced: Bud Abbott would serve as producer--owner of one of the films, while Lou Costello would do same for the other. Costello's contribution to this agreement was Jack and the Beanstalk, a kiddie-matinee adaptation of the famed fairy tale. Constructed along the lines of The Wizard of Oz, the film begins in black and white. Jack (Costello) is a professional baby-sitter, while Dink (Abbott) is Jack's "agent." After a run-in with a gargantuan cop (Buddy Baer) and a statuesque waitress (Dorothy Ford), Jack and Dink show up at the home of Eloise Larkin (Shaye Cogan), there to look after Eloise's troublesome nephew Donald (David Stollery) while the girl and her boyfriend Arthur Royal (James Alexander) rehearse at their community theatre. While reading the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to the bratty Donald, Jack falls asleep, and begins dreaming himself, and his cohorts, into the story as the impoverished boy sent out to sell the family cow. While en route to town with his cow, he encounters a shady butcher (Abbott) who bilks him out of his broken-down bovine for the price of a few 'magic' beans. In keeping with the traditional tale, Jack plants the beans and from them a magnificent vine grows and reaches into the clouds. Along with the butcher, Jack climbs into a fantastic world inhabited by a terrifying giant (Baer) and other magical creatures, including a gold egg-laying hen, a singing harp, and a distressed prince and princess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In order to raise enough money to purchase a new dress, Lucy (Lucille Ball) goes into the babysitting business. Alas, her first charges are a pair of precocious twins (David Stollery, Sammy Ogg), who not only throw Lucy into a state of confusion, but very nearly burn her at the stake (with an apple in her mouth!). Things turn out for the best when Lucy and the twins perform a prize-winning act at the Blue Bird Club Amateur Contest. ~ All Movie Guide

Darling, How Could You is an amiable adaptation of James M. Barrie's stage perennial Alice-Sit- By-the-Fire. Joan Fontaine and John Lund head the cast as Alice and Robert Grey, who return to London from a five-year sojourn at the Panama canal, where Robert, a doctor, has tended to the sick. Upon arriving home, Mr. and Mrs. Grey must become reacquainted with their ever-growing children, especially precocious teenager Amy (Mona Freeman). Having just seen a play about an errant wife, Amy misinterprets the attentions paid to her mother by young physician Steve Clark (Peter Hanson), leading to a bottomless reserve of whimsically comic complications. Long unavailable to TV due to legal hassles with the Barrie estate, Darling, How Could You has since lapsed into public domain, and is now more available than ever. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peggy Brookfield (Diana Lynn) is one of many aspirants for the position of Queen of the annual Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, Calfornia. Also competing is Peggy's sister Susan (Barbara Lawrence). Both girls make the trek from Ohio to Pasadena in the company of their father (Charles Coburn), a retired professor. Peggy would seem to have the advantage in the contest, save for one small drawback: she is secretly married to Johnny Higgins (Rock Hudson), and the rules clearly stipulate that the Rose Queen must be single. And that's just one of the many comic complications packed into Peggy's chucklesome 77 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide