The Happiest Millionaire
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.64 You Save: $9.31 (62%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.97 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Happiest Millionaire
Movie Review: The Last of an Era
Summary: 3 Stars
It has been told that film was the last live action Disney film which supervised by Walt himself(The last animated film Walt had his stamp on was the Jungle Book). This forty year old film was and still is a weak musical Disney vehicle. You could see that there were Disney touches in this production. However, in this film, touches would help only slightly...like a bandade does not help a gaping bleeding wound
This musical with songs and score from Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, the studio's resident songwriting team seems forced into this film. This motion picture could have worked better without being a musical. One of the problems is the film fall flat with the off key and out of tune singing of Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson. British import Tommy Steele as the wise-alec butler John showcases his British song and dance reputation. the two vocal duets of Leslie Anne Warren (who was hand picked for this role by Disney himself ) and John Davidson is sweet, but too few.
One would assume this movie would be in genre of Mary Poppins, Disney's other live action musical hit...but it misses in many ways including its casting. Fred MacMurray may have been a great actor for the studio, but he is the weak link as the Biddle father figure. The characters of the Biddle boys (Paul Peterson & Eddie Hodges) vanish after one scene
In hinesight, this stylized musical seems like a dinosaur in the Disney Backlist compare to other films. Norman Tokar's direction, which is usually fast paced, focus on odd long shots, focusing on MacMurray's close ups and Tommy Steele's smiling mug, rather than moving this film to any pacing.
As classic family entertainment, It is okay. but rather long timewise and tonewise. For those parents who want to share this film with their kids, note this DVD is the Roadshow edition which has an intermission. so I suggest ,you can show this film to the kids in two parts
With all the talent involved, I rate it three stars for all that is jammed into this movie.
Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD
Movie Review: Good fun
Summary: 3 Stars
"The Happiest Millionaire" was Walt Disney's follow-up to his classic
"Mary Poppins".While the movie is not on that level,it is a lively,entertaining musical comedy that's much better than it's given credit for.And it's certainly more fun than some other late '60s
musicals like "Camelot","Star!",and "Sweet Charity".It has a lavish
production,an amusing A.J.Carothers script,a spirited cast,and a lovely Sherman brothers score.The best songs are the lovely "It Won't Be Long
'Till Christmas" and "Are We Dancing?".Fred MacMurray,Greer Garson,Lesley
Ann Warren,and Geraldine Page are very good.John Davidson is OK.But it's
Tommy Steele and Gladys Cooper who steal the show.All in all,this is an
enjoyable film that provides the audience with an evening of good fun.
Movie Review: The Roadshow Edition...not anamorphic widescreen
Summary: 3 Stars
This film is not one of Disney's best, but if, like my wife, you were raised on musicals, it will not disappoint.
What did disappoint was Disney's failure to enhance the Roadshow Edition for 16 x 9 televisions. I recently bought my first HDTV, and in going through my DVD collection to determine which discs were enhanced, this was one of the few issued since 2000 which was not. A bit odd, but buyer beware.
Movie Review: Second tier Disney
Summary: 3 Stars
This is just as goofy as I remembered it from when it was first released. It is from a different era and not to be taken to seriously so it can be enjoyed. Thank goodness for Tommy Steele he helps bring this up to a better film than it should be.Movie Review: Easily an hour too long
Summary: 2 Stars
I wanted to enjoy this, as I remember liking the song "Fortuosity" on a Disney compilation LP I had as a child. However, seeing the movie itself for the first time as an adult, the movie is fairly tedious, with little of great interest going on. (I didn't even like "Fortuosity" as much as I remember.) It could have been trimmed by a full hour without losing much -- in fact, maybe it would have had more punch. As for the acting, I did enjoy Leslie Ann Warren, John Davidson, and Fred MacMurray, but Tommy Steele's mugging was pretty grating after a while.
Surprisingly, my sons, ages 6 and 8, seemed to enjoy it more than I did, even though it didn't contain any of the magic of, say, "Mary Poppins." So maybe you just need to see it for the first time when you're young...