I Am Writing A Book & I Need Your Help

1/3/2017

Today, it started............

I began writing a book called Sunday Nights With Walt which is to be published by Theme Park Press. It is a celebration of the classic TV shows Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and The Wonderful of World of Disney. How they colored and changed my generation.

Here is where I need your help --

What episodes from this series stand out in your memory?

Which were they and why have they stuck in your mind?

Please reply in the comment section below or on Facebook.

Thanks your help!

10 Comments

Amy Hempel

1/3/2017 11:29:19 am

I don't remember specific episodes, but this was Sunday night appointment television. I can hear the theme song and see the opening in my mind now. My mom, dad, and I sat around the TV and watched every week. This was truly the last family TV show.

Richard Rothrock

1/3/2017 12:12:04 pm

Thank you, Amy. We felt the same way. And I have had the theme song in my head for weeks now! I suspect that will be the case until I turn the book in.

Ronnie Seals link

1/3/2017 11:59:48 am

Most of the following is from the early-mid fifties, before I had to start going to church on Sunday night.

Moochie. Staring the young boy in Old Yeller. Cockron (sp) was his last name. He was about my age at the time so I guess I related to him.

Spin and Marty. Two teenagers on a ranch out west. Horses, dogs, adventure. What's not to like?

Davy Crockett, of course.

Texas John Slaughter with Robert Culp.

Johnny Trumain, about a teenager in the Revolutionary War. Disney had a way of making kids feel like they were part of the adventure.

Richard Rothrock

1/3/2017 12:14:15 pm

Thanks, Ronnie! The episodes may be from the 1950s but most of them were rerun in the 1960s and even the 1970s so they are still valid.

Patricia Banina

1/4/2017 04:43:09 pm

Spin & Marty was part of THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB serials.

Terry Hagerty

1/3/2017 09:29:42 pm

The ones that first came to my mind were "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh", where I first encountered the great Patrick McGoohan. Also "The Swamp Fox" with Leslie Nielson as Francis Marion, Robert Loggia as Elfego Baca, and Guy Williams as "Zorro". I also remember some of the great character actors that were used over and over again, like Henry Colvin and Gene Sheldon. And, of course, the great Disney animation, especially the episodes featuring Professor Ludwig von Drake, voiced by the brilliant Paul Frees. And I must confess to having a crush on the animated Tinker Bell, who appeared on every episode to add a bit of splash in the opening credits. I always felt sorry for poor Tink and her unrequited love for Peter Pan.

Richard Rothrock

1/4/2017 09:12:35 pm

Thanks, Terry. It is funny how the same episodes keep popping up in peoples' responses.

Kam Waryas

1/4/2017 10:29:01 am

I am like Amy. I don't remember specific episodes but it was "must see TV" on Sunday nights 7pm I think on NBC. Everyone in the family sat together and watched whatever Walt dished up for the week. Such great memories of a joyous family time. My sister and I sprawled out on the floor with pillows and blankets if needed, my parents on the couch. I remember the opening and waiting for Tink to put her mark on it so the event would start!!

Richard Rothrock

1/4/2017 09:14:48 pm

Thanks for the memories, Kam. What the show meant to you and your family is just as important as what was on the show.

Jahn Ghalt

4/26/2017 05:48:50 pm

I was born NOV 1958, and lived in Anchorage, Alaska which only had two TV stations, a CBS affiliate and one which selected between ABC and NBC for primetime programming.

I do remember the Sunday Night Disney Show but little about the actual programming.

I'm sure you're aware of the wikipedia entry that has an exhaustive episode list. I skimmed it and came away with an impression of mediocrity (of course to my curmudgeonly grown-up self).

(just in case)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Walt_Disney_anthology_television_series_episodes

On the hunch that Disney used feature-length films from its extensive catalog (and aware that Disney was often loathe to "over-expose" their occasionally re-released blockbusters), I'll throw out Disney titles.

Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett - as subjects, not film titles. Oddly, all of these seem to have been reprised before and after my time with the show (ca. 1965-early 70s).

Alice in Wonderland, Love Bug, (various films with young Kurt Russell).

Donald, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, and 'supporting cast'. But it seems these were mostly from the comics I read.

Jungle Book (the early 60s animated version, of course - hard to believe this has been remade twice, harder to believe I'll ever have to watch any of the remakes)

I'm almost sure vignettes from Fanstasia were shown - i.e. Mickey as "apprentice".

Cinderella, Snow White, Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp - did any of those get used for the weekly show? ("We are Siamese" from the latter would have been perfect as a stand-alone, some of the other 'musical numbers' from Snow White and Cinderella would have worked, too)

Bambi? "Twitterpated" Thumper and Bambi would have worked - unlike the thematic human self-loathing stuff.

(I begin to see how deeply enmeshed Disney was into American pop culture).

(the very first "classical" music I remember - before taking up the violin - was a Chopin piece on a Disney LP)

Was Mary Poppins a Disney production? I remember that from a drive-in movie showing near midnight on 4JULY along with fireworks, of course (we have nearly 19 hours daylight on that date).

That's all for now - have a great time with the book.

I Am Writing A Book & I Need Your Help

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