The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics on TCM tonight (1 Viewer)

Richard--W · Dec 14, 2008

Walt Disney's venture into live action films from the early 1950s up through the 1970s is documented in The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics (2008), a new and original documentary that airs for the first time tonight on Turner Classic Movies. Many people associated with Disney's early groundbreaking films are interviewed, including Dean Jones, Glynis Johns, Nancy Olson, director Ken Annakin, Roy Disney, and many others. Leonard Maltin is host. The 90 minutes are written, produced and directed by the very busy film historian Peter Fitzgerald.

Where I live the program airs at 5pm. Check the schedules in your area for exact showtimes and a repeat later in the month.

Richard--W · Dec 14, 2008

Oh yes, of particular interest are the interviews with film makers Don and Leslie Iwerks, the son and granddaughter of early animator Ub Iwerks.

Stan · Dec 14, 2008

Not to be the cynic here, but even with this being shown on TCM I don't trust the Disney connection. Things will probably be edited, scenes altered, other things cropped to full screen and otherwise "Disneyfied" through their propaganda department. I'll pass.

It will probably show up later on the Disney channel, edited down even further.

Richard--W · Dec 14, 2008

So what exactly were you looking for? Turns out to be a widescreen documentary. Sometimes the clips were cropped and sometimes not; sometimes the same widescreen film was clipped both ways. Angela Lansbury narrated. It was fair to Ub Iwerks and it's clear his son and granddaughter have no problem working for the company nor with Ub's association. It's a fair history with many heartfelt interviews, not in the nature of muckraking or an expose, but we all know going in that TCM doesn't do those.

Richard--W · Dec 21, 2008

TCM has been showing Disney family films all day, and it concludes tonight with a repeat of this informative documentary. Don't miss it.

TonyD · Dec 21, 2008

this doc is about to air right now.

too bad they didn't air Song of the South too.

Walter C · Dec 22, 2008

I caught part of the documentary, and seeing some of the films that they talked about, took me back to the days of watching the Disney Sunday Movie in the 80's.

Richard--W · Dec 27, 2008

The documentary repeats bright and early tomorrow (Sunday) morning, for the third and last time.

Jon Martin · Dec 27, 2008

I finished watching this.

It is a good overview, but too basic. They left out so much. And, it is a bit "Disneyfied". Leonard Maltin mentions SONG OF THE SOUTH, but no clips are shown (yet they spend some time on SO DEAR TO MY HEART).

The 70's are rushed through (Kim Richards, who looks even more like her niece, appears for literally five seconds). No mention of the late 70's and early 80's when, pre-Touchstone, the studio released PG rated films without their name on it.

It is a good film if you know nothing about the studio. But for most of us, there is nothing new.

Richard--W · Dec 28, 2008

I'm well-versed in Disney films but not well-read in Disney history, so some of it was new to me. To be fair, the documentary only has 90 minutes. Not enough time to write a book. To cover Disney's entire live-action output in the 1950s and 1960s alone would require the length of an epic. The goal seems to be to acquaint audiences with "the age of believing" by providing an overview of Disney's live-action family films. Fitzgerald does a good job in the time he has. Instead of criticizing what's missing, I commend what's there.

We may have reached the point, however, when general audiences are so well-informed about film history and technology that only a more detailed approach will satisfy them.

Paul D G · Dec 30, 2008

Damn. I wish I had known about this sooner. My 6 yr old and I just watched The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes this afternoon. He loved it.

Rob P S · Dec 31, 2008

Why did TCM show THE SHAGGY D.A. in full-frame the other day?

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The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics on TCM tonight (1 Viewer)

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