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Disney has produced plenty of timeless classics, but some of its older films still deserve way more love. Join us as we revisit a magical mix of animated and live-action favorites that flew under the radar for years. From spooky folktales to musical package films and charming fantasy adventures, these vintage gems are ready for a fresh spotlight.
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00:00Igatus, figatus, somber, kazing!
00:04I want your attention to everything!
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today, we're looking at vintage Disney movies that don't get as much recognition as they should.
00:13We're considering anything made before the 80s to be vintage.
00:17Substitutiary locomotion, the lost miracle of the ancients, and so on and so forth.
00:24Ah, here we are.
00:26Number 10. Make Mine Music.
00:29With World War II taking a toll on the studio's staff, budget, and intake,
00:33Disney produced a series of package films.
00:36While not on par with what came before, each has a few gems.
00:51We want to shine a spotlight on 1946's Make Mine Music.
00:55Part of that's because it's currently the studio's only animated feature not on Disney+.
01:00Even if you haven't seen the film in its entirety, chances are you've caught a segment or two.
01:05Most notably, Peter and the Wolf.
01:18Blue Bayou derived from an unused Fantasia segment, while Casey at the Bat is a home run of humor.
01:24The standout is The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, a bittersweet balance of comedy, tragedy, and operatic
01:31music.
01:44Number 9. Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
01:47We feel more people would watch this 1959 fantasy every St. Patrick's Day if only they knew it existed.
01:53Even more than 60 years later, Darby O'Gill is rich with special effects that'll leave viewers asking,
01:59how did they do that, especially in a pre-CGI era?
02:13Some of the effects are whimsical, such as those used to create the titular Little People.
02:18Others are surprisingly creepy.
02:20The Banshee still haunts our nightmares.
02:22Keep away! Keep away!
02:32Keep away from the work!
02:34The effects don't overshadow the charming characters, which include Albert Sharp as Darby,
02:38Janet Monroe as his daughter Katie, and even a pre-bond Sean Connery.
02:43Like a leprechaun, this one might have eluded you,
02:45but those who catch up with it will find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
02:49Drop the lid, man!
02:51It's only an old chest full of jewels.
02:53We took it from the Spanish ships when the Armada was wrecked on our coast.
02:58Is that so?
02:59The ship's gone too.
03:02Oh, that's a fine piece.
03:05Number 8.
03:05The Reluctant Dragon
03:07The Reluctant Dragon is arguably Disney's first live-action feature,
03:10and arguably their first documentary.
03:12We stress arguably because it includes about 40 minutes of animation,
03:17and despite providing a behind-the-scenes look at the studio,
03:20it's all heavily romanticized.
03:22Ironic, since this came out during the infamous Disney animators' strike.
03:25Get the idea?
03:26Yeah, but he still doesn't move.
03:28Just a minute, big boy!
03:30Give me time! Give me time!
03:34Rose-tinted glasses aside,
03:36it's still a fun and educational exploration of how animated films were made at the time,
03:40from the audio process,
03:41to the use of the multi-plane camera,
03:43to the ink and paint department.
03:45It all builds to the finished product of The Reluctant Dragon,
03:48which is a delight.
03:50I do make up poetry.
03:52Poetry?
03:54Versus, you know.
03:56Can't hear my baby's sonnet?
03:57Well, I...
03:58Oh, you love this!
04:00The film is reminiscent of what the Disneyland TV show would become,
04:03as well as future theme park attractions like Back to Neverland.
04:06This is where animation begins,
04:08with a good story,
04:10adventure,
04:12romance,
04:13humor,
04:14suspense.
04:16Boy,
04:17you get a paper cut here, Walter,
04:18or you could lose a hand.
04:20Number 7.
04:21Treasure Island.
04:22After multiple films that combined live action and animation,
04:25Treasure Island would be Disney's first feature without any toons.
04:29You won't find any Muppets or spaceships, either,
04:31which might be why this version doesn't get as much attention from modern audiences.
04:36You don't know?
04:37Pirate Treasure Man!
04:39Fintz Gold!
04:40Why, everybody knows where the ship's flint plundered.
04:43That fellow must have been the only one who knew where the treasure was hid.
04:47So that's what those scoundrels wanted,
04:50the map of Flint's treasure island!
04:52If you're looking for a more straightforward adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic,
04:57Disney captured the spirit of the source material.
04:59This is largely thanks to the spot-on casting,
05:02which includes Disney regular Bobby Driscoll as Jim Hawkins,
05:05and especially Robert Newton as Long John Silver.
05:08I see you did it, Silva!
05:09Like I said, Mr. Trilani,
05:11they paint pretty,
05:12but they knows the sea.
05:14Picked up Orc's old elmsman we did,
05:17and a bosun what pipes man-o-war fashions!
05:21You can certainly see how Newton's performance might have inspired future generations,
05:25including the Pirates of the Caribbean cast.
05:27In fact,
05:28some credit Newton for innovating the pirate dialect
05:31and mannerisms we associate with the archetype in media.
05:34Right, Ben.
05:34Stand by ear while I parlays with him,
05:37and keep a sharp lookout at all say.
05:40Number 6.
05:41The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
05:43If you were asked to choose the most fabulous character in English literature,
05:48who would it be?
05:49When many think of The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,
05:52their minds immediately go to the Disney versions.
05:55This package film, nevertheless,
05:57doesn't get as much love as some other Disney features.
05:59It's two adaptations of literary classics for the price of one,
06:03While these tales take place across the pond from each other,
06:06they pair quite well.
06:07Mania.
06:08That's it.
06:09That's what it was.
06:11A positive mania.
06:12No telling where it would end, either.
06:14Animation lends itself to the chaotic misadventures of Mr. Toad.
06:18The story of Ichabod Crane is another wild ride
06:20that cranks up the freak factor in its climax.
06:23Both segments stand on their own,
06:25but as a double featurette,
06:26the film will have you jumping for joy in the beginning,
06:29and leaping out of your seat in dread by the end.
06:32Next morning, Ichabod's hat was found.
06:36And close beside it,
06:38a shattered pumpkin.
06:40But there was no trace of the schoolmaster.
06:43Number 5.
06:44Freaky Friday.
06:45I wish I could switch places with her.
06:47For just one day.
06:59As great as the 2003 remake is,
07:02it has somewhat overshadowed the 1976 original,
07:06which is equally worthy of praise.
07:07While the film shares the same body-swapping premise
07:10as the Mary Rogers novel that inspired it,
07:12there's a notable difference.
07:14The book is mainly told from the daughter's perspective.
07:16The film, which Rogers also wrote the screenplay for,
07:19expands upon the idea as we watch the daughter
07:22and mother spend a day in each other's shoes.
07:24I want you to do something for me
07:25for the ceremony this afternoon.
07:27Besides water ski?
07:29What?
07:29What?
07:30You've never been on water skis in your life.
07:32Oh, I was only kidding, Daddy.
07:34Daddy?
07:35You've never called me Daddy before.
07:37No, I never will again, Bill dear.
07:38At the center of these hijinks
07:40are two top-tier comedic performances
07:42from a young Jodie Foster,
07:43who you might have heard of,
07:45and Barbara Harris,
07:46one of the most underappreciated talents of her time.
07:49Both are convincing as a parent and child
07:51who have switched places,
07:53finding relatability amid the absurdity.
07:56There's something wrong with my machine.
07:59Oh, turn it on.
08:02What do you mean, turn it on?
08:03It's a typewriter, not a television set.
08:06An electric typewriter needs electricity?
08:09Dummy?
08:09Number 4.
08:11That Darn Cat
08:12DC's wearing a wristwatch.
08:14Well, well.
08:15What will that dear sweet innocent cat
08:17be bringing home next?
08:18The Hope Diamond I imagine.
08:21Where do you suppose he got it?
08:22Hayley Mills is best known for her work
08:24in the original Parent Trap,
08:26which has also been eclipsed by a remake
08:27starring Lindsay Lohan.
08:29That Darn Cat is another collaboration
08:31between Disney and Mills
08:32that deserves another life.
08:34Miss Randall, I wonder if you could wait here
08:35for just a few moments?
08:36Of course not, Mr. Kelso.
08:38My entire day is at your disposal.
08:41Mills is effortlessly wonderful as Patty,
08:43a suburban girl who gets roped into a farce
08:46involving bank robbers,
08:47a kidnapped woman,
08:48an FBI agent,
08:49a slacker boyfriend named Canoe,
08:51and of course,
08:52a cat who may hold the key to everything.
08:54It contains some of the funniest writing,
08:56direction,
08:57and performances of any Disney comedy
08:59from this era.
09:00The crime caper can be genuinely exciting as well,
09:03finding an unlikely balance
09:04between Disney's signature goofiness
09:06and the suspense of a Hitchcockian thriller.
09:09Oh, you poor darling,
09:11frightened to death.
09:14That cat!
09:16Number 3.
09:17Robin Hood
09:18It boggles our minds
09:20that this movie currently has
09:21a negative Rotten Tomatoes critic score.
09:23Granted, you can see
09:24where the filmmakers cut corners.
09:26The recycled animation
09:27in the phony King of England number
09:29still makes the rounds on social media.
09:30That shouldn't take away
09:32from the numerous commendable aspects, however.
09:34Are we good guys or bad guys?
09:36You know, I mean,
09:38are robbing the rich to feed the poor?
09:40Rob?
09:42That's a naughty word.
09:43We never rob.
09:44We just sort of borrow a bit
09:47from those who can afford it.
09:48The songs remain hummable decades later,
09:51conveying the light-hearted charm
09:52of the Robin Hood legend.
09:53The characters are immensely likable,
09:56with Prince John and Sir Hiss
09:57being two of Disney's funniest villains.
09:59Silly serpent.
10:01Silly serpent?
10:02Look here.
10:03One more, one more hiss out of you.
10:06Uh, uh, uh, hiss.
10:07And you are walking to Nottingham.
10:11Snakes don't walk, they slither.
10:15So there.
10:16The film also contains
10:17some of the best chases
10:18in any Disney movie.
10:20The climax in particular
10:21building tension with every frame.
10:23Even if it isn't a perfect bullseye,
10:25this one hits the spot
10:26every time we revisit it.
10:34Ha ha, that kid's got class.
10:37Ain't he P.J.?
10:38Indeed he has, Richie.
10:41Bravo!
10:43Bravo!
10:45Number 2.
10:46The Sword in the Stone.
10:48Uh, Archimedes,
10:49where, where, where are we?
10:50In a tumble-down old tower
10:52in the most miserable old castle
10:54in all Christendom,
10:56that's where.
10:57Uh, c-castle?
10:59Castle?
11:00Don't you even remember the boy?
11:02Uh, the boy?
11:03The Sword in the Stone
11:04sometimes gets lost
11:05in the shuffle
11:06of other Arthurian adaptations,
11:08perhaps because it's more
11:09laid-back and comedic,
11:10with an emphasis
11:11on Arthur's earlier years.
11:13That's part of what makes
11:14this version unique,
11:15with much of its appeal
11:16stemming from the interactions
11:17between the characters.
11:18Merlin and Archimedes
11:20are always a hoot
11:21to listen to.
11:22The Wizard's duel
11:23between Merlin and Madame Mim
11:24is also endlessly rewatchable.
11:26Mim?
11:27Mim?
11:28I, I, I, you...
11:29Now, what, what, what,
11:30what, what's going on here?
11:31You, you, you big limp!
11:35Ah!
11:37While the plot
11:38is fairly low stakes,
11:39this reflects
11:40Arthur's humble beginnings,
11:41showing that greatness
11:42can be found
11:43in unlikely places.
11:44The same can be said
11:45about the film itself,
11:47which Disney has never
11:48treated as a crowning achievement.
11:50Yet, its little life lessons
11:51are heavier than you may remember.
11:53You know, lad,
11:54that love business
11:55is a powerful thing.
11:59Oh...
12:00Greater than gravity?
12:03Well, yes, boy,
12:05in its way, I'd, uh...
12:07Yes, I'd say
12:08it's the greatest force on Earth.
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12:26Number 1.
12:27Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
12:29In case their adaptation
12:30of Mary Poppins
12:31never got off the ground,
12:33Disney had the rights
12:33to Mary Norton's novel
12:34as a potential alternative.
12:36Of course,
12:37Mary Poppins
12:37eventually took flight,
12:38with Bedknobs and Broomsticks
12:40following several years later.
12:42Cool.
12:42What's the matter?
12:46How did she do that?
12:48Because she's a witch.
12:49That's the sort of thing
12:50witches do.
12:51Oh.
12:52While Poppins
12:52was a tough act to follow,
12:54the spiritual successor
12:55of sorts has many
12:56of the same elements
12:57that made that film
12:58a classic.
12:59That includes
12:59director Robert Stevenson,
13:01actor David Tomlinson,
13:03toe-tapping musical numbers,
13:04an animated side quest,
13:06and dazzling special effects.
13:08Victory for England
13:10and St. George!
13:14Not the Lord may shout.
13:16Angela Lansbury's
13:17lead performance
13:17as Eglantine Price
13:18puts a fresh spin
13:19on the familiar setup,
13:21making for a truly
13:22magical screen presence.
13:23It's a spellbinding fantasy
13:25that,
13:25while not as culturally
13:26significant as Mary Poppins,
13:28should be placed
13:29alongside it nonetheless.
13:30You see?
13:31Things may not be
13:33so easy for you
13:34after all.
13:35Which vintage Disney movie
13:36do you think
13:37needs more love?
13:38Let us know
13:38in the comments.
13:39it's a custom tell you
13:39that we're going to keep
13:39your friends.
13:40Question
13:41byeab
13:43and wait a bit
13:45back to your
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