It’s no secret that many Disney fans regard “Mary Poppins” as the best feature ever made by the studio. Robert Stevenson, the film’s director who helped bring the fantasy film to life behind the cameras, also brought Disney magic to other classics like “Old Yeller,” “The Love Bug,” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” During the 1960s, Stevenson directed nearly all of Disney’s most successful films, which include some of the best moments in Disney cinema.
Stevenson’s portfolio of films is a testament to his directing talent. His ability to pivot between different genres and hybrid projects helped create the look and feel of Disney’s popular live-action films and unique brand for family entertainment. ”When I’m directing a picture, what I have in mind is a happy audience, enjoying it in a movie house,” Mr. Stevenson once said.
In July 1977, Variety reported that the total of box office receipts for Stevenson’s Disney films made him “the most commercially successful director in the history of films.” At the end of 1976, he had 16 films on Variety’s list of all-time domestic rental films, more than any other director up to that point.
Prior to his tenure with Disney features, Stevenson directed episodes in many television productions, which include ”Gunsmoke,” ”Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and ”General Electric Theater.” In 2002, he was inducted by the Walt Disney Company as a Disney Legend.
Let’s take a look at the brilliant work of Stevenson, beginning with his first film in 1957:
Johnny Tremain (1957)
Based on the 1944 Newbery Medal-winning children’s novel by Esther Forbes, “Johnny Tremain” is a retelling of the story of Boston, Massachusetts prior to the beginning of the American Revolution.
The first film directed by Stevenson for Disney, “Johnny Tremain” was originally made for television, but released to theatres. After its theatrical release, the film was edited into two parts, and aired in 1958 on “The Wonderful World of Disney.”
The film stars Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, Jeff York, Sebastian Cabot, Richard Beymer, Walter Coy, and Ralph Clanton.
Old Yeller (1957)
In Stevenson’s second film, “Old Yeller” went on to become an important cultural film for baby boomers, and featured one of the most tearful scenes in cinematic history. It stars Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, and Beverly Washburn.
The film is based on the 1956 Newbery Honor-winning novel of the same name by Fred Gipson. The success of “Old Yeller” at the box office led to a 1963 sequel, “Savage Sam,” which was based on a 1962 book by Gipson.
In 2019, the film was selected for preservation into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
In the fantasy-adventure, Darby O’Gill (Albert Sharpe) slips through a portal to the land of the little people, where he meets the leprechaun king, Brian (Jimmy O’Dea), and demands that he grants him three wishes, bringing Darby a mixture of results.
Leonard Maltin praises the film in his book “The Disney Films,” calling it “not only one of Disney’s best films, but is certainly one of the best fantasies ever put on film.” The fantasy stars Sharpe alongside Janet Munro and in his feature film debut, Sean Connery.
Munro won the 1960 Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year” for her performance in the film.
Kidnapped (1960)
The fourth of Stevenson’s Disney movies, the live-action film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel “Kidnapped” stars Peter Finch and James MacArthur (the only American to be cast in the film). It was also the feature film debut for Peter O’Toole.
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
Based on the short story “A Situation of Gravity” by Samuel W. Taylor, the film stars Fred MacMurray as Professor Brainard, an absent-minded professor who invents a substance that gains energy when it strikes a hard surface. The film also stars Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, Elliott Reid, and Edward Andrews. The film was a huge success in it’s original run at the box office and in 1997, was remade into a film entitled “Flubber” with Robin Williams.
Stevenson’s directing efforts were recognized by his peers, and was nominated for a DGA Award (Directors Guild of America) for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Motion Picture. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Special Effects, and the film’s “Medfield Fight Song” was written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, their first song for a Disney feature.
In Search of the Castaways (1962)
Mary Grant (Hayley Mills) and her brother (Keith Hamshere) travel to Scotland with Professor Paganel (Maurice Chevalier) to convince Lord Glenarvan (Wilfrid Hyde White) to help find Mary’s missing father, Captain Grant (Jack Gwillim), who vanished somewhere along the Chilean coast. The film’s screenplay was penned by Lowell S. Hawley, and was based upon Jules Verne’s 1868 adventure novel “Captain Grant’s Children.”
“In Search of the Castaways” was Mills’ third film for the Disney Studios. And the Sherman Brothers were again responsible for the catchy tunes. The film was a commercial success, with an estimated $4.9 million earned in the North American box office.
Son of Flubber (1963)
In the sequel to “The Absent-Minded Professor,” professor Ned Brainard (Fred MacMurray) creates a game-winning modification to a football uniform with a substance he calls “Flubbergas,” which helps Medfield College’s football team win an important game, and also creates a series of mishaps. The films also stars Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Ed Wynn, Elliott Reid and Tommy Kirk, most of whom reprise their roles from the original film.
“Son of Flubber” was a critical and commercial success, grossing north of $22 million at the box office. It also has the distinction of being the only film in which Ed Wynn and his son Keenan Wynn appear together.
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
In Stevenson’s eighth feature film for Disney, Tommy Kirk plays college student Merlin Jones who designs a helmet that records mental activity, which leads to run-ins with a local judge who has devious plans for his invention.
Annette Funicello, who plays Kirk’s girlfriend Jennifer, sings the film’s title song with The Yachtsmen, Disneyland’s harmony quartet. The song was written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman.
Mary Poppins (1964)
The film that became the gold standard for Disney’s live-action films, “Mary Poppins” was a huge commercial and box office success. The hybrid musical fantasy, which blended live-action sequences with animation, was nominated for 13 Academy Awards – including Stevenson for Best Director – and won five at the 1965 Oscar celebration: Best Actress for Julie Andrews (in her film debut), Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for the Sherman Brother’s “Chim Chim Cher-ee.”
“Mary Poppins” was the highest grossing film of 1964, bringing in $102 million at the box office, with “My Fair Lady” and “Goldfinger” coming in at second and third respectively.
In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The Monkey’s Uncle (1965)
The sequel to 1964’s “The Misadventures of Merlin Jones,” “The Monkey’s Uncle” stars Tommy Kirk as Merlin Jones who invents a man-powered airplane and a sleep-learning system, and Annette Funicello as his girlfriend, Jennifer. The film would be the final Disney film for both Kirk and Funicello.
Funicello performed the title song “The Monkey’s Uncle,” with the Beach Boys providing background vocals in four-part harmonies, which was written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. Funicello stated that singing with the Beach Boys was the highlight of her film career at Disney.
That Darn Cat! (1965)
The comedy-mystery film features bank robbers, a kidnapping of a bank employee and a mischievous cat nicknamed “DC” that unwittingly plays informant to the F.B.I. “That Darn Cat!” would be Hayley Mills’ final film for the Walt Disney Studios, and Dean Jones’ first film for Disney. The film also stars Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowall, Neville Brand, and Frank Gorshin.
The title song “The Darn Cat!” was written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman and sung by teen idol Bobby Darin.
The Gnome-Mobile (1967)
Lumber tycoon D.J. Mulrooney (Walter Brennan) and his grandchildren Elizabeth and Rodney (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber) stumble across a duo of tiny gnomes. When Mulrooney is committed to an asylum by the lumber company’s head of security (Richard Deacon) after being perceived as insane, the grandchildren plan to free him and also rescue the little gnomes, who have been kidnapped by a side-show promoter (Sean McClory).
The film reunites Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, who appeared as the Banks children in 1964’s “Mary Poppins.” They also appeared together in 1963’s “The Three Lives of Thomasina.”
Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968)
In the comedy-fantasy film, the ghost of the dreaded pirate Blackbeard (Peter Ustinov) is accidentally summoned after track coach Steve Walker (Dean Jones) recites magic words. Together, they help Professor Backer (Suzanne Pleshette) stop a gang of crooks from taking over an inn for the elderly.
During its original theatrical release, the film received mostly positive reviews.
The Love Bug (1969)
Race car driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) and his sidekick mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz (Buddy Hackett), find themselves in the possession of an animated Volkswagen Beetle that seems to have a mind and spirit of its own. Calling the car Herbie, Jim and Tennessee become the talk of the California racing circuit, much to the displeasure of sports-car dealer Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson), who tries to use his assistant (Michele Lee) to come between the duo and Herbie.
“The Love Bug” earned over $51.2 million at the box office, making it the second highest-grossing film of 1969, right behind “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and ahead of “Midnight Cowboy.”
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Based on the books “The Magic Bedknob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons” and “Bonfires and Broomsticks” by English children’s author Mary Norton, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” was produced in the same style as 1964’s blockbuster “Mary Poppins.” The film, which combines live action and animation, stars Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, John Ericson, Ian Wheighill, Cindy O’Callaghan, and Roy Snart.
The film received five Academy Awards nominations: Best Art Direction, Best Scoring, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song, and Best Visual Effects. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Herbie Rides Again (1974)
“Herbie Rides Again” is the sequel to 1968’s “The Love Bug” that features the animated 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie. The movie stars Helen Hayes, Stefanie Powers, and Ken Berry who attempt to save a Victorian firehouse home from the wrecking ball of greedy real estate tycoon (Keenan Wynn).
The film did well at the United States and Canada box office, grossing $38 million, and generating $17 million in theatrical rentals.
The Island at the Top of the World (1974)
Based on the 1961 novel “The Lost Ones” by Ian Cameron, “The Island at the Top of the World” was produced by Winston Hibler, and the film’s soundtrack was composed by the legendary Maurice Jarre. In the film, a British aristocrat, industrialist and millionaire named Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden) arranges an expedition to the Arctic in an airship named The Hyperion to search for his lost son Donald. He is accompanied by archaeologist Professor John Ivarsson (David Hartman) and Captain Brieux (Jacques Marin).
The Hyperion, the airship that is featured in the film, was designed by famed production designer Peter Ellenshaw and his production design team. It was the inspiration for the life-size Hyperion airship that now resides in Disneyland Paris’ Discoveryland.
During it original theatrical run, “The Island at the Top of the World” was released with the animated classic “Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.”
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TExUZKhdb0
Set in the early 1920s, “One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing” is a comedy-mystery about a group of British nannies who are in a frantic race to find a top-secret microfilm hidden in the skeleton of a dinosaur that’s on display in the Natural History Museum. The film stars Peter Ustinov, Helen Hayes, Clive Revill, and Derek Nimmo.
The film’s Diplodocus skeleton model was later used in 1977’s “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” in the opening scenes in Tatooine.
The Shaggy D.A. (1976)
“The Shaggy D.A.,” the sequel to 1959’s “The Shaggy Dog,” pits a grown-up Wilby Daniels (Dean Jones) against the corrupt John Slade (Keenan Wynn) in the upcoming district attorney election. During the campaign, Daniels learns that a ring has the power to turn him temporarily into a sheepdog. Knowing he could transform at any moment, Wilby attempts to win the election.
The comedy reunites Jones and Suzanne Pleshette, who both appeared in 1968’s “Blackbeard’s Ghost,” and stars Tim Conway, Dick Van Patten, Jo Anne Worley and Shane Sinutko. “The Shaggy D.A.” would be Stevenson’s final film.
Let’s Hear From You
That’s quite the string of classic Disney films isn’t it?! Though, I’d bet there are more than a few titles you probably weren’t aware of, or which had slipped your memory. Part of the joy of Disney’s deep catalog is being able to rediscover old treasures, and there’s no time like now to watch them again . . . or for the first time.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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