Sunday, December 26, 2010

Disneyland Dream - 1956



Who Killed the Disneyland Dream?

3 comments:

Uncle Al said...

OK, at the risk of coming across as the world's densest hayseed, what's the point? How was the "Disneyland Dream" killed? I watched the entire show, including the last 2-1/2 minutes of black screen, waiting for some biting commentary, to the effect that those kids grew up to have had an average of three spouses (and untold "relationships") among them, that Mary has 4 kids by 4 different fathers, that Danny has been in and out of drug rehab, and so on and so forth.

Having ranted, I can honestly say I enjoyed it for what it was. My parents took us to Disneyland the following year (1957) when I was 8 years old. There were still orange trees in the parking lot, and I remember how good the orange tasted. (I also remember seeing several episodes of corporal punishment being applied in broad daylight by 1950s parents.)

I still don't "get it," however....

Nudiarist said...

You need to click on the link to the Frank Rich column http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26rich.html

Even if you don't agree with Rich, the film stands alone as a wonderful real-life record of family life in the 1950s. The film is in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

Alonzo said...

OK I understand now, and didn't see the link before. Yes, definitely something Frank Rich would write. Don't always agree with him, but he makes me think.

Years ago, I read a rather maudlin Rich column about the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," how it was the "ultimate New Deal movie." Soon after, I read a contrarian review in which the author stated how he would have MUCH rather have lived in Pottertown than Bedford Falls. Put another way, there could have been a Fantasy Fest in Pottertown but never in Bedford Falls.

And FYI, I use a number of Google identities depending on the website. Earlier I screwed up and signed on as Uncle Al instead of Alonzo, the latter being the name I've used here before (and in private e-mails to the moderator).