Magic Show: "The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World" Television Special

A 1971 TV Guide ad for The Grand Opening of

Walt Disney World TV Special.

By Michael Lyons

On September 30, 1971, The New York Times reported: "Disney World opens tomorrow, and the atmosphere among Florida business interests is as thick with tension as a Cape Kennedy countdown."

The Walt Disney World Resort would open on the next day, October 1, 1971, and was rightfully a big deal. When Walt opened Disneyland in California in 1955, he and his company changed entertainment and vacations forever.  Now, in 1971, just five years after Mr. Disney's passing, a second, new Disney theme park was about to debut in Florida, satisfying a need for another half of a country, during a time when air travel wasn't the seemingly commuter-like regularity of our lives that it is today.

And with this big deal came the need to promote the new Resort on television, a medium that Walt Disney had used brilliantly in the 1950s, to let everyone know about Disneyland.  The same would be done for this new Disney realm.

On October 29, 1971, NBC aired the 90-minute special, The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World, which featured an array of stars, introducing audiences to "The Vacation Kingdom of the World."  Watching it today, it is a fascinating historical document of Walt Disney World in its nascent days and the excitement around the opening of the Resort that's become a vacation tradition and ritual for so many.

As Walt Disney World celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, it's the ideal time to look back on the Grand Opening TV special and how it is now a time capsule of the Resort's innocent, early days.

The show opens with 70s icon Glen Campbell strolling through untouched Disney property, strumming his guitar, and singing the song "Today is Mine," when he happens upon the Walt Disney World monorail soaring by, high above him.

And, in the monorail?  None other than Julie Andrews (the beloved star, connected forever to Disney, thanks to her star-making turn as Mary Poppins).  She welcomes all of us at home to the special, as stunning ariel shots of the Resort are shown.

Ms. Andrews opens the special in a well, "practically perfect" way, performing a lovely medley of Disney anthems, "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," as she makes her way through The Magic Kingdom (while the park is open and very fortunate guests get to watch!).  Additionally, backup dancers in some oh-so-70s costumes and colors join in.

Julie Andrews performing at The Magic Kingdom

Some of the other segments include Bob Hope arriving at the then-new Contemporary Resort, where he does some of his trademark monologuing (introducing himself as "Bob ex-Mouseketeer Hope").  The legendary comedian also returns later in the special to deliver a heartfelt tribute to Walt Disney.

Bob Hope monologuing at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Jonathan Winters plays a variety of characters vacationing at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground Resort, in which he does some of the most off-the-cuff and off-the-wall improvisations you've ever seen.

Comedian Buddy Hackett, who appeared in Disney's The Love Bug, joins "Herbie" the Volkswagon at the Speedway attraction for some shtick.

Throughout the special, there are also glimpses of such attractions as The Country Bear Jamboree, and It's a Small World, no doubt whetting the appetite of eager kids watching at home, who would soon be begging their parents to change their next vacation plans to Florida.

In a taste of "what once was," the show also provides a look at, now defunct, Walt Disney World attractions, such as The Skyway and The Mickey Mouse Review.

In a glimpse into another time, we see the original parade along Main Street, USA, and how much the characters who appear in the park have changed (you've gotta love those groovy, "Day-Glo" Aristocats).

The Grand Opening special culminates in an emotional moment as a tremendous chorus, and marching band, surround Cinderella Castle performing "When You Wish Upon a Star," as balloons are released and flood the sky.

In the fifty years since Walt Disney World opened and this special aired, the Resort, like the world itself, has grown and changed immensely.  It's been featured innumerable times after on television, from the opening of its other three theme parks, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the backdrop for many shows, including Full House and Black-ish.

 With countless pop-culture and personal memories connected to Walt Disney World, one can't help reflecting on the words of Bob Hope in The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World Special:

"The entire world owes Walt Disney a great debt.  He achieved much, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment is that he made children of us all."

The finale of the Grand Opening special

Sources:

Nordheimer, Jon "New Florida Countdown: Disney World is Opening," The New York Times, September 30, 1971, p.26.

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All Hail the Grail: The 30th Anniversary of "The Fisher King"

 

By Michael Lyons    

The Fisher King is a true original.  If you've never seen it, stop reading and watch it - it's a film unlike any other.  If it's been a while since you've seen it, well, it celebrates its 30th anniversary this month, so it's a perfect time.

Watching The Fisher King today, in our era of remakes and reboots, it's easy to forget that, at one time, films like this, with their unique perspective and meaningful messages, were commonplace among big studio releases.

However, even when it was made in 1991, The Fisher King was looked at as an anomaly, as the film's screenwriter Richard LaGravenese remembered in a 1995 interview.  "I wrote The Fisher King during a Writer’s Guild Strike," recalled LaGravenese. "So I had to wait until after that for someone to read it.  Then, two weeks after the strike ended, it was bought.  And I remember the executive of the studio telling me, ‘It's so amazing.  We all thought that during the writers’ strike, when every writer had this time to work on their own, that they would have written a lot of personal, original work. But then we were all amazed that after the writers’ strike, we got flooded with cop-buddy movies.’  They were so surprised when Fisher King came along. It kind of stood out."

And stand out, it does.  The Fisher King tells the story of a spoiled, self-absorbed, popular radio DJ "shock jock," named Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges), who makes a flippant remark on the air that leads a listener, who has called into his show, to commit a mass-murder/suicide at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.

The film flash-forwards several years later. We find Jack, his career presumably ended due to the event, now despondent and drowning himself in alcohol, working at a video store owned by his girlfriend, Anne (Mercedes Ruehl, in her Academy-Award winning role).

One night, a desperate Jack sets out to commit suicide and is attacked by a group of thugs.  However, Jack is rescued by a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams).  Jack learns that Parry is somewhat delusional, believing that he is on a quest to find the Holy Grail.

Parry relays the tale of The Fisher King to Jack.  It seems the King was charged with claiming the Holy Grail but could not obtain it.  Living out his life, wounded and depressed, the King would be visited one day by a Fool, who brought the King some water.  The King discovers that he is drinking the water out of the Holy Grail he has been seeking, brought to him by a Fool, who simply did so out of kindness.

The story is a beautiful metaphor for what is at the heart of the film The Fisher King, as Jack hopes that by helping Parry, he can redeem himself.

"I was fascinated by this height of narcissism that hit in the 80s," recalled LaGravenese of his inspiration for The Fisher King.  "I wanted to write a story about a narcissistic man who, by the end of the movie, commits a selfless act.  That's really all I had, and it took three or four drafts of completely different stories, completely different movies with different plots, but the same characters.  With each draft, I got closer and closer to what ultimately became The Fisher King." 

The film unfurls more like a novel than a film.  The characters have depth, and as an audience, there is a sense of their background and personality before it's even revealed.  Additionally, The Fisher King also employs foreshadowing and symbolism to tell this compelling story of unselfish acts and kindness changing lives.

The film's director, Terry Gilliam, who started with the famed comedy troupe Monty Python, had primarily directed off-beat fantasy films, such as 1981's Time Bandits and 1988's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, but brought this "otherworldly" tone to The Fisher King.  It works perfectly in the film, balancing Parry's hallucinatory life and mission for the Grail with the contemporary setting of New York City (a scene with a knight on horseback charging through the city street is a wonder to behold). 

At times, Gillian can make Manhattan look ethereal, almost medieval, which provides The Fisher King with a fable-esque tone, particularly a dream sequence involving waltzing commuters in Grand Central Station. 

Gilliam also understood the power of the film's story and wanted LaGravenese to be on the set during filming (a rarity for screenwriters).  "He comes from a background where you protect the writing," said LaGravenese of Gilliam. "That's what he knows, and that's what makes sense to him.  He doesn't really understand how anyone could do it any other way. So, we had a close relationship throughout the film."

Also buoying this story are memorable performances.  As Jack, Bridges slowly melts away the shallow nature of the character and makes him sympathetic.  Williams (who earned an Oscar nomination) delivers one of his best performances, balancing manic with tragic.

Ruehl deserved her Oscar for an authentic, heartbreaking role, and Amanda Plummer, as the shy woman who falls for Parry, delivers a heartfelt, subtle performance.   Also, as a homeless man obsessed with Ethel Merman, Michael Jeter, steals every one of his brief scenes.

And all of this comes together with a tremendous amount of sharp and quirky comedy.  "There are three things in this world that you need," declares Jack.  "Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement, and a navy blazer."

Released on September 27, 1991, the original poster for The Fisher King stated that the movie was: "A modern-day tale about the search for love, sanity, Ethel Merman and The Holy Grail."  And, at the center of it all was heart, as the film dares to be a parable of how we can all live our lives just a little bit better.

Three decades later, The Fisher King is still a true original, indeed.

 

Sources:

IMDb

Interview with Richard LaGravenese, December 21, 1995

 

 

Alienated: The 35th Anniversary of "ALF"

By Michael Lyons

In the fall of 1986, when ALF debuted, no one knew what to expect about a family sitcom that featured a puppet that was supposed to be an alien from another planet (an "Alien Life Form" - ALF).  But no one could have also expected positive reviews from The New York Times and The Washington Post.

This was probably an early indication of why ALF would become a surprise hit, not just with younger audiences but all demographics, and would go on for another four years.

The show's thirty-fifth anniversary this month provides an ideal opportunity to celebrate ALF, which, for multiple generations, provides comforting nostalgia of an '80's childhood.

The brainchild of puppeteer Paul Fusco, who operated ALF and provided the voice.  He had even used the puppet to pitch the idea for the show to then-NBC President Brandon Tartikoff.

The show's premise is that ALF, whose real name is Gordon Shumway, is a smart-aleck alien from the planet Melmac.  He crashes in the garage of the average American home of the Tanners, led by put-upon Dad (played to exhausted perfection by the underrated Max Wright).  The Tanners take ALF in to keep him hidden from a government agency that may be searching for him.  Meanwhile, ALF attempts to work on his spacecraft, hopes to return home, and learns about the earth.

The premise of an alien studying our planet was nothing new to prime-time TV sitcoms, with shows like My Favorite Martian and Mork & Mindy coming before ALF. Still, the concept does allow for social commentary disguised as harmless comedy.

This is what else was unique about ALF and connected with audiences. The series featured sharp writing that, while going for easy laughs, was also a quick jab that humorously held a mirror up to the world.  "Some people are so blinded by the thirst for money that it causes them to lose their values and do things they shouldn't do," explained Willie in one episode.  To which ALF replies, "Well, that explains Ghostbusters II."

In addition to such sharp one-liners, ALF also tackled such complex topics as nuclear war, alcoholism, consumerism, and family, without ever forgetting it was a comedy.

Debuting on September 22, 1986, on NBC, ALF was a hit, running through March of 1990.  The title character was ubiquitous on merchandise throughout its run.  ALF plush dolls, lunch boxes, and trading cards were just some of the many products.

There were also Saturday morning cartoon spin-offs, ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales.  The original show, however, never got its series finale.  The show's last episode, "Consider Me Gone," ended on a cliffhanger, as the creators didn't realize that NBC would cancel the show.  

To provide closure for fans, a made-for-TV movie, Project: ALF, aired in 1996 on ABC to tie up loose ends.

The character also returned for the short-lived ALF's Hit Talk Show, which aired on TV Land in 2004.

For fans of ALF, the original show lives on in fond memories of another time in TV history.  It provided laughs and escape, and while the felt and fur title character was, in no way, a role model, he was still beloved by many viewers who will never forget him.

Or, as ALF himself once said: "If you love something, let it go.  If it comes back to you, it's yours.  if it's run over by a car, you don't want it."

Sources:

FilmFax Magazine, July-September, 2021

IMDb

Wikipedia

 

 

Film School: Movie Quote Tributes to Teachers

 By Michael Lyons

I still think about my sixth-grade teacher—Mr. Simola, Ralph J. Osgood Elementary School in Kings Park, NY.

I was in his class forty-two years ago.  But, the influence and inspiration he provided are still with me to this day.  That's what teachers do.  They provide life lessons that shape us and remain guideposts, no matter how many years pass by.

As a new school year starts, once again, under extremely challenging conditions for so many, it's good to pause and reflect on the crucial role teachers play in our lives.

And where better to celebrate that than in movies that have celebrated teaching.  What follows are some memorable quotes from and about some remarkable movie teachers:

"In my classroom, poetry is its own reward."

-Teacher Louanne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer) in Dangerous Minds (1995).

"Yeah, I've been beaten up, but I'm not beaten.  I'm not beaten and I'm not a quitter."

- Teacher Richard Dadier (Glenn Ford) in The Blackboard Jungle (1955).

"It will test your head, and your mind, and your brain, too."

 - Teacher Dewey Finn (Jack Black) in School of Rock (2003).

"I think I'm attracted to teachers.  Yeah, I took out an English teacher.  That didn't work out at all.  I sent her a love letter...she corrected it!"

- Student Thornton Melon (Rodney Dangerfield) in Back to School (1986).

"...I teach truths.  My truths. Yeah, and it's kind of scary dealing with the truth.  Scary and dangerous..."

- Teacher Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) in To Sir with Love (1967).

"And when you write that book of yours, remember that in addition to all those boys you taught, you managed to teach something to at least one headmaster."

 - Headmaster Ralston (Austin Trevor) to Teacher Charles Chipping (Robert Donat) in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939).

"Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life."

 - A former student discussing Teacher Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

“... you ask, how do we get the students in on Saturdays for remedial reading? So, I'll tell you how: We’ll go to their homes. We’ll talk to their folks. If their folks can't read - as some of them indeed cannot - then they can come in, too. The only way we're going to get anything done around here is to get everyone involved! That goes for all of you: it's time to get involved!”

 - Principal Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) to Teachers in Lean on Me (1989).

“We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.  To quote from Whitman:  ‘Oh me! Oh life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with a foolish; what good amid these, O me oh life?’ Answer.  That you are here - that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

-Teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) in Dead Poets Society (1989)

And so, to all the "Mr. Simolas" out there - the teachers making lives better, as we start this new school year - here is one more quote:

"Thank you!"

Sources:

IMDb