Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

johnstonjames it was nice to see that all the reviews of this film were good, positive, reviews. glad because that means i don't have to heatedly defend it online from a bunch of cynical, sour-puss, stick-in-the-mud, types.you know the way that some people get all worked up and excited over rock stars? or the way recent Disney fans get into 'High School Musical'? that's how i feel about this movie. the very mention of it's title gets me all worked up and jumping. for me this movie is so awesome it's hard to describe the jubilation and excitement it gives me on the inside. when i was a little kid of only 7 yrs, i had the Disney song record to this and every time i would think about it i would go nuts with excitement.i love everything about this film. the charming acting ( i love Walter Brennan), the sense of history, the tuneful and often very funny music, and above all it's sense of romance and dedication to family principles and values.it also seems to mean if you have a true love of America and what it stands for you will see this film and not hesitate. old fashioned Republicans or stubborn Democrats alike will find something to relate or laugh about. Buddy Ebsen has one of the funniest lines when he says the Grover Cleveland song "wouldn't be appreciated at a republican convention" hilarious.everyone visiting IMDb 'Family Band' site should read the review by AllenBlank (his review was sooo intelligent and said it all) and the review of the sweet lady who knew one of the children from the cast.it doesn't matter that Walt Disney himself could be a hard-nosed Republican. this film is for everyone. it certainly doesn't spout the reactionary Republican sentiments of 'Happiest Millionaire' (which i also really like), but a fair consideration of both parties. it also has a deep message of how politics can destroy a family unit and tear it apart.Repub or donkey it doesn't matter with this film. it's all good. i mean i totally HATE politics and don't like political solutions to anything. I am also not nationalistic, which this film is. but i can enjoy the rich history and values this country was founded on. God Bless this little joyful film. it has given me so much happiness.

capricorn9 Back in the 60's two films from the Disney Studios featured newcomers John Davidson and Leslie-Ann Warren : The Happiest Millionaire and this one. When Milionare was released it didn't do well and only recently has been restored to it's full Roadshow version. That put a damper on other films to follow and this is one. It's too bad this one didn't come out first as in my opinion it's a better film. The story is more believable and human. Even though you have splendid sets and costumes in Millionaire you have the splendid exteriors here. The only real names in this are Buddy Ebsen and Walter Brennen, although Janet Blair is a name to some. They bring humanity to the roles they play and you don't have them mugging for the cameras like Fred MacMuray and Tommy Steele in the other.Being a family of musicians there are more entertaining large numbers in this film, especially the one at the end that can be said to be the first time Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn appeared in a film together.This film as also cut before the release but the VHS copy I have is 130 minutes, so I am hoping it is the full one. (This database lists it as 110 minutes)The only DVD I have seen is in full screen, so let's hope that the Disney vaults are opened again and a proper release of the original version is available to us.

Allen Blank When Walt Disney died, he had various projects in the works and at various stages. After the success of Mary Poppins he wanted to make more big budget Roadshow musicals. A year after his death the Disney company released "The Happiest Millionaire", a wonderful film that originally ran 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the LA premiere the company afraid of a huge loss kept cutting the film down till it lost one whole number and parts of other ones and finally was cut by a whole half an hour on his general release, which was done with minimal publicity, and didn't do much at the box office. A year later they had another Roadshow musical to release, "The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. But after the failure of "The Happiest Millionaire", the company that Walt let behind were running scared. They decided to premiere the 2 hour and 15 minute film At Radio City Musical Hall for it's Christmas Show. But because of their stage show among other concessions, they told Disney that they will only show the film as their Christmas Attraction if they cut the film to under 2 hours. So for the Music Hall premiere they cut the film to 1 hour and 50 minutes, but still were going to release the long version as a Roadshow attraction. But the shortened film didn't do well, plus other Roadshow attractions that did have a Roadshow release failed at the box office. So Disney decided to release the shortened version of the film in general release the following spring, without much fanfare. The film died at the box office and was then shown as a two parter, cut even more, on the Wonderful World of Disney the following year.This film didn't deserve it's fate. At it's current state it's still a fun musical about Grandpa (Walter Brennan) a devout Democrat who organised his family into a band to play at the Democratic Presidential convention for the current US President, Grover Cleavland. But his granddaughter (Lesley Ann Warren) has a teaching job off in the Dakota territory for a man(John Davidson)that she's fallen in love with. So Grandpa made the ultimate sacrifice and instead of going to the democratic convention they went to Dakota, a primary Republican area. Grandpa stirs up trouble and the two loves fight, then on the eve of election, everything comes to a head to a great climax. One interesting trivia in the film is that one of Warren's bothers is played by young Kurt Russell and a girl that Davison uses to get Warren jealous is a young dancer named Goldie Jeanne Hawn, yes Goldie Hawn.In the wake of the release of the DVDs of the restored Roadshow version of "The Happiest Millionaire" and the restored version of "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", maybe Disney will dust this film off and restore it as well for a future DVD release. I can only hope.

rlinstrot Everyone in this movie is great! The singing and dancing are the kind that stick in your memory forever. You will find yourself singing one of the songs the next week and even the next week. Walter Brennan is at his best. Buddy Ebsen is fabulous and there is even a great scene that shows what a great dancer he is - soft shoe is the best! Kirk Russell met Goldie Hawn on this movie (her's was a bit part). What do ya know - Kirk can dance pretty well also.I recommend adding this to your library!