I said it was released in 1966, it was 1967 so its 50 years old. Which is why i find the critical drubbing its taken. Drexel biddle, but walt disney awarded the role to his favorite actor, fred macmurray. As a result, unlike mary poppins the success of which inspired this film s creation, the happiest millionaire is not a fantasy musical.
With fred macmurray, tommy steele, greer garson, gladys cooper. The happiest millionaire 1967 tommy steele as john lawless. Jun 21, 2014 the happiest millionaire 1967 after having completed mary poppins in 1965, walt disneys enthusiasm for musical films was at an alltime high, and with the recently purchased rights to cordelia drexel biddles bookplay the happiest millionaire in his hands he couldnt resist turning the story into a musical in the vein of poppins. Sep 19, 20 the film ends with ending credits and exit music. The happiest millionaire 1967 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Dec 28, 2011 pet alligators roaming the conservatory, a bibleandboxing school in the stables, and a delightfully eccentric millionaire make for unrestrained pandemonium in this musical extravaganza. The film was adapted from a shortlived play, which itself was based on cordelias reallife memoirs. Lesley ann warren and joyce bulifant bring happiest. Happiest millionaire, the the year was 1916 and the european continent was embroiled in world war i. Wouldnt you fear a fatherinlaw that keeps alligators for pets and teaches boxing at his daily bible classes. The happiest millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring fred macmurray, based upon the true story of philadelphia millionaire anthony j. Disneys dvd of the happiest millionaire is a plainwrap affair. The score was by the poppins boys, the milieu was populated by servants and their employees, and the cast included talented, appealing performers, both freshfaced and veteran. Clever yet hapless new butler john lawless tommy steele manages a philadelphia household for quirky and joyful millionaire anthony drexel biddle fred macmurray, his unflappable wife, cordelia greer garson, and their spitfire daughter, cordy lesley ann warren. Mcmurrays character teaches boxing and keeps a gang of alligators as pets.
Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Sep 14, 2016 shooting was completed on the happiest millionaire when walt disney died in december 1966, but the editing dragged on as you can imagine from all the different versions. Oct 12, 2017 the stars of the classic 1967 disney film will reprise their roles in a december 3 benefit concert at joes pub. Brooke shields will help lesley ann warren bring happiest. Feb 02, 20 i do not own the rights to this film and no infringement is intended. Based on a true story fred mcmurray plays the role of an outrageously eccentric millionaire. If, however, he was the right person to play the largerthanlife biddle, he never demonstrated it in the happiest millionaire.
The best songs are it wont be long till christmas and are we dancing. It is too much of a smile even for a walt disney movie. It is an attempt to portray real characters and real issues with largerthanlife musical numbers and a. The happiest millionaire 1967 after having completed mary poppins in 1965, walt disneys enthusiasm for musical films was at an alltime high, and with the recently purchased rights to cordelia drexel biddles bookplay the happiest millionaire in his hands he couldnt resist turning the story into a musical in the vein of poppins. The happiest millionaire 1967 silver scenes a blog. The happiest millionaire 1967 norman tokar synopsis. The happiest millionaire was released a year after walt disneys death, and it looks like a personal disney production that lacks his finesse and judgment. The happiest millionaire soundtrack from 1967, composed by richard m. His daughter, cordelia drexel biddle, tires of the unusual antics of her fatherespecially since the nice young men around town all fear him.
The happiest millionaire complete title count basie captures walt disneys the happiest millionaire is an album by pianist and bandleader count basie and his orchestra featuring performances of tunes featured in walt disneys motion picture the happiest millionaire recorded in 1967 and released on the coliseum label. The happiest millionaire didnt perform as well at the box office as was hoped. Greer garson as his cool and understanding wife and lesley ann warren and john davidson as a pair of beautiful and handsome young lovers. The last liveaction film that walt disney worked on.
The stars of the classic 1967 disney film will reprise their roles in a december 3 benefit concert at joes pub. Uk 5 april 1968 london premiere denmark 9 august 1968. Along toward the third hour of the happiest millionaire, you begin to suspect its a fully automated smile that pops open and snaps shut in response to a transistor concealed somewhere in greer garsons hair. Read the full synopsis of the happiest millionaire, 1967, directed by norman tokar, with fred macmurray, tommy steele, greer garson, at turner classic movies. Happiest millionaire, the on dvd 786936233810 from disney buena vista. Terms of activation by activating, you agree that you want to enable cloud technology to access your xfinity stream subscription on additional supported devices like computers and tablets, as well as the tv connected to your settop dvr via comcasts network. Fred macmurray presides over a philadelphia mansion where just about anything can happen. The biddle mansion is the gathering place for a pugilistic boxing class, pet alligators and wouldbe. Watch the happiest millionaire online stream full movie. The happiest millionaire 1967 the blonde at the film. On paper, the happiest millionaire must have seemed like a surefire musical hit in the profitable mary poppins vein. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Unfortunately, millionaire onscreen lacks the charm and more importantly the focus.
The happiest millionaire, the last film walt disney oversaw, is a grandscale production in the style of the classic musicals of the day. The film was finally released in june, 1967, though it hit some major cities in december for christmas. It took her two nights to get through, but she thoroughly enjoyed the film and has now watched it countless times. Pet alligators roaming the conservatory, a bibleandboxing school in the stables, and a delightfully eccentric millionaire make for unrestrained pandemonium in this musical extravaganza.
Here at home, philadelphias fashionable and socially prominent walnut street was involved daily in another kind of turmoil, but of a hilarious nature and caused by one of the most colorful and exciting personalities our nation has ever known. The movie starred fred macmurry and the premiere was held at the boyd theater located at 1908 chestnut street on october 20,1967. Sure,its not up to their splendid mary poppins music,but it is lovely and enjoyable on its own terms. I had these pictures from an outing of the band to help kick off the premier showing of the happiest millionaire in philadelphia.
In the happiest millionaire, on the other hand, you get the definite feeling that the movie was put together with every piece pretested for audience appeal. The biddle mansion is the gathering place for a pugilistic boxing class, pet alligators and wouldbe opera singers. The entire film is here with overture, entracte and exit music and comes in at a sorebottom length of just under three hours. This was the full 172 minute cut of the film, which included an overture, intermission, and exit music. Shooting was completed on the happiest millionaire when walt disney died in december 1966, but the editing dragged on as you can imagine from all the different versions. Happiest millionaire, the film in words and music, this is the story of the happiest millionaire, nonconformist anthony j. It was with this film that the studios trend of subjecting its liveaction musicals wholesale cuts began. The actormodel will join the original star of the classic 1967 disney film in a december 3 benefit concert at joes pub. Tommy steele has just about the widest, toothiest smile ive ever seen. Its an intolerably long movie about a disneylike paterfamilias dealing with family problems. Yup, this is a movie that is real and exists, much to my dismay.
Lesley ann warren and joyce bulifant bring happiest millionaire to life onstage news. The happiest millionaire 1967 approved 2h 21min comedy, family, musical 7 december 1967 australia a happy and unbelievably lucky young irish immigrant, john lawless, lands a job as the butler of an unconventional millionaire, biddle. Perhaps it was the writing, but macmurray was always better in more loveable, understated roles. In fact she rates the happiest millionaire as high as her all time fave calamity jane, hence our 5 rating. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of the happiest millionaire with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. Adapted from the book and play of the same name, the happiest millionaire is the mostly true story of eccentric philadelphia millionaire anthony j. This was the last liveaction film to personally supervised by walt disney. Staring john davidson, greer garson, tommy steele and hermione baddeley. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Released in 1967, a watershed year for youth culture and social upheaval, the happiest millionaire romanticizes philadelphias upper crust circa 1916. At the time of his death, the crew had completed principal photography, but postproduction had not begun.
Fred was known to be a sax player and the picture is of him holding my sax. When cordy goes to boarding school and becomes engaged to handsome heir angier duke john davidson, its. I do not own the rights to this film and no infringement is intended. We are first introduced to this family through john lawless tommy steele, a slick, optimistic irish immigrant seeking the position of butler. The film, featuring music by the sherman brothers, was nominated for an academy award for best costume design by. Drexel biddle macmurray, is a militant industrialist urging americas mobilization against germany, and noteworthy for an eccentric lifestyle that includes his. The film s star was a disney favorite fred macmurray who had done well by the studio with the absentminded professor and the shaggy dog.
The happiest millionaire is a 1967 musical film starring fred macmurray and based upon the true story of philadelphia millionaire anthony j. The happiest millionaire complete title count basie captures walt disneys the happiest millionaire is an album by pianist and bandleader count basie and his orchestra featuring performances of tunes featured in walt disneys motion picture the happiest millionaire recorded in 1967 and released on the coliseum label track listing. In an attempt to broaden its appeal, the disney studio shortened the feature from 159 minutes to 144, then trimmed it down even more, to 1 minutes. The film shows a title card that states the play is based off a.
The film received an academy award nomination for costume design by bill thomas and the musical song score is by the sherman brothers. Brooke shields will help lesley ann warren bring happiest millionaire to. That may be the real key to the happiest millionaire wound up being such a bore. The movie starred fred macmurry and the premiere was held at the boyd theater located at 1908 chestnut street on october 20, 1967. When cordy goes to boarding school and becomes engaged to handsome heir angier duke john davidson, its up to john the butler.
Released by walt disney records in 2002 607817 containing music from the happiest millionaire 1967. One of the last liveaction films personally nurtured by walt disney, this musical romp about an eccentric alligators in the study. A happy and unbelievably lucky young irish immigrant, john lawless, lands a job as the butler of an unconventional millionaire, biddle. Spain 28 october 1968 madrid finland 22 november 1968.
The setting is the early years of the 20th century, prior to the debut of television and modern day electronics. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. Its 1916, and the wealthy drexelbiddle family is prominent in philadelphia. Its easy to see some of the charm in it, but there are bigger reasons on why it was so hard to enjoy.
Watch the happiest millionaire online 1967 movie yidio. The happiest millionaire 1967 directed by norman tokar. The happiest millionaire premiered on june 23rd, 1967 in hollywood. The film, featuring music by the sherman brothers, was nominated for an academy award for best costume design by bill thomas. If you like the happiest millionaire you are looking for humorous, sentimental and touching movies about with family, romance, school, martial arts, cinderella story, family relations and rich and poor themes of comedy, family and musical genre shot in usa. Very near the end of his life, walt watched a rough cut of the happiest millionaire, and conferred with staff on how to edit into something below three hours in length. The happiest millionaire milionarul excentric 1967 film.
Drexel biddle, and his unusual philadephia family, seen through the eyes of their new to the u. The happiest millionaire 1967 a blog for classic film. His daughter, cordelia drexel biddle, tires of the. The happiest millionaire contains one of richard and robert shermans best scores. The happiest millionaire 1967 tommy steele as john. This article is within the scope of wikiproject film.
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