The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

Some of the best movies I've seen I watched growing up. I don't know why that is- maybe the simple appreciation of seeing wondrous things through the eyes of a child? Maybe movie's really WERE better back in the day? Or well.. here's my favorite.. because anything retro triggers with it a deluge of warm and fuzzy feelings and memories?


I blogged first about watching an old favorite here. I recently decided to watch on youtube "The One and Only, Genuine, Original, Family Band" - another personal oldie but goodie.


The movie apparently didn't do so well, but I love it regardless. I think it maybe the first movie I watched with choreographed song & dance numbers. Plus for the longest time, I was very much into stories of the American Midwest that took place in the late 19th century, thanks to things like Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books (love love love this - should purchase these books and read them again!) and "Oregon Trail", an old Macintosh computer game we used to play in school.


I must have been 8 the last time I saw this movie- that's a helluva long time ago! Yet I found myself singing along with ALL the songs as I watched it on youtube! I think i was smiling throughout the entire thing.


Here's one of my favorite scenes- looks like dancing show downs in movies have been around for some time! Love the song & dance number (calling JONELSKI), and the costumes of the girls with their petticoats, long undies and slim boots (for a lack of anything better to call them, lol). Plus John Davidson's so dashing with his dimples. I don't think you see Kurt Russel in this clip, but look for Goldie Hawn - she plays a giggly dancing girl with a pretty major dance role towards the end of the dance off.


The movie also stars Walter Brennan who plays a grandpa both in this movie and in another old favorite, The Gnome-Mobile with the two kids from Mary Poppins; Disney seems to love recycling their tried and tested stars. Lol.


I haven't watched too many old movies come to think of it. But I love the very few I've seen. Maybe I ought to spend some time catching up on classics. Any suggestions?

(photo credits: http://www.ultimatedisney.com & http://moviegoods.com)

jack & odette

it's amazing how much the brain can retain as well as forget. what's even cooler is seeing, hearing or possibly even smelling triggers that lead back to a flood of so many memories.

i completely forgot what prompted me to look for this, but was beside myself in giddiness when i found it: SWAN LAKE. it was originally released in 1978 and later re-released twice if i'm not mistaken, with an English version and another version afterward with celebrity voices playing the part of Princess Odette and Prince Siegfried.

i watched this betamax version over and over again at my best friend's house in the earlier years of my childhood. i remember the beautiful music, the dark version of Odette (rothbarth's daughter odille) and scenes of a distrought white swan trying to get the attention of the tricked prince at the ball where he was to announce the girl he was going to marry. seeing the movie in full again on youtube brought back a flood of other memories and of course, newly formed opinions about the whole movie which i won't even get into.

the discovery of this prompted me to look for another cartoon i used to watch as well with my best friend which i had forgotten all about until i saw swan lake. jack and the beanstalk from 1974, another anime classic. i have yet to piece together some time to rewatch it in full but seeing the first few minutes and hearing the music again brought back and flood of memories.

it was interesting as well to google the two and read people's opinions about the two cartoon movies. a lot of comments out there that i agree with and made me giggle actually! writing about it now is making me want to watch it now instead of focus on the work i'm supposed to be doing! scrolling through the comments on the youtube link made me smile again. looks like i wasn't alone in my giddiness and that these two almost-forgotten classics brought a lot of great memories back to a lot of people. it's great when you realize that your memories are shared by so many others around the world. i don't know too many people in my immediate circle who actually know these movies.

i wonder if there are dvds out of these guys? would love to purchase me some copies. makes me want to go look for some of the other movies from my childhood, ie: last unicorn, jim henson's frog prince, the gnome-mobile (with the kids from mary poppins), pete's dragon & the one and only, genuine, original family band (loved the music here; with a young goldie hawn & kurt russel).

here are the first links for each movie on youtube:
jack & the beanstalk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FO52WQd4iI
swan lake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XOqC9KZnz8&feature=related

pictures attached are from the following websites:
jack & the beanstalk: http://salomesays.com/blog/2009/03/fe-fi-fo-huh/
swan lake: http://nostalgiajunkie.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/retro-anime-theatre-swan-lake/