Wednesday, October 31, 2007

A Look Back: 1959 Family Films


I tried to find something Disney related that went with Halloween, but alas, I found nothing unusual enough to post. So I look to tomorrow, November 1st. I'm sure I'm not the only person out there who finds it insane that there are only two more months left of 2007. Craziness!! I don't know what 2008 holds for the Disney company, but one thing I do know... the films will not be as sweet as they were in 1959.
This beautiful, colorful, highly charming ad is from the December 1958 issue of Life magazine. It gives you a happy look ahead to what the Disney company had in store for everyone in the coming year. Does it get more fun than Sleeping Beauty and Darby O'Gill? I'm inclined to think not. The storytelling in the films from this general time period in Disney history is so spot on. It's rare to find anything of its kind in our modern times. And when I say storytelling, I mean it's as it is in a storybook. I'm not talking brilliant cinematic film writing here. I'm talking about that feeling you had as a kid reading your favorite tales. The charming, unforgettable, warm, inviting kind of storytelling. And who doesn't like a good shaggy man-dog story?!
Don't even get me started on the art, either. Eyvind Earle's fantastic and inspired background art in Sleeping Beauty is something in itself. Absolutely beautiful. Everything is so realism-driven now, even in animation. You don't see anything like this anymore.
And actors. Sean Connery in Darby O'Gill. Can I get an Amen, ladies out there?!?! (Do I even have female readers? If you're out there, yell. Sometimes I think men are the only ones who comment on my blog.) Okay, perhaps that's more eye candy than his most brilliant piece of acting, but it will do, and I will not complain.
Yeep, yep, yep. 1959 was a good year.
Happy November, everyone!

2 comments:

Matterhorn1959 said...

What no shout out to Sal Mineo? He was a rising star in Hollywood and Tonka is one great film!

Tinker Bell said...

I am ashamed to say that I have not seen Tonka before. Nor am I too familiar with Sal Mineo. I have always heard nice things about that film, however. So, snaps to Sal!