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My experience has been that Disney takes whatever is the path of least resistance in their releases. There seems to be little to no quality control over these releases and absolutely no attempt to make these "archive" editions. The quality of "Almost Angels" and "Westward, Ho, the Wagons" would make other labels cringe. I have a better dub of a VHS of "Almost Angels" that this, the "official" release. "Westward, Ho" is cropped so unsympathetically and unnecessarily. When you see the uncropped opening credits, you realize how much information in missing in this hachet job. I think that they see the writing on the wall...namely that the generation for whom these films MEAN something is aging...and that the company's resources are better spent on newer product. I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

Where I wouldn't understand -- is that prior to the last decade or so, the very fact that these older titles had continued, readily available exposure on television, cable and home video renewed their meaning to at least a portion of the new generations.

When the company stopped widely showing vast parts of the Walt Disney library, they devalued the assets for the future, sort of a planned obsolesence. That is a shame because not all of the titles are equal due to age - - some more obscure titles still deserve classic status (Dr. Syn, Prince and the Pauper, etc.) but have had zero exposure in recent decades (at least since Disney Channel went all-tween). So demand has not been re-created by the owner as it always was before.

A lot of these movies were very old when I fell in love with them as a kid -- and that tradition should have been (and still should) be continued.

IMHO, there is also a cultural obligation on the part of corporate rights holders to maintain and preserve historic creative works of past generations that fall into their ownership (I"m talking all major studios here). I fear many of these have not been properly preserved, and rather arbitrarily chosen.

I think you're absolutely right about Disney dropping the ball in terms of propagating new audiences for old material. While they seem to understand it for their animated productions, the thinking seems to be that any worthwhile live action property has to be remade rather than reinvigorated...and even some unworthy properties like The Black Hole.

While is it not always the case, I'm amazed in watching some of these movies for the first time, or the first time since I saw them on the anthology series, how many of them hold up rather well.

Boomers might only be a niche market for Disney, and perhaps small in comparison to their youth market, but many a company has gotten rich catering to a smaller (and wealthier) population. And the ancillary benefit from the company would be that their kids would likely watch too.

Now that most of the pre-1980 list of Disney live action films has seen the light of day. I'm curious what films or tv episodes everyone hopes to see released as Disney Exclusives in the future.

To start the ball rolling:

Guns in the Heather (3 part anthology series known as Spybusters and Secret of Boyne Castle)
Prince and the Pauper
Horsemasters
Little League Moochie

Since you asked... ; )

The Prince and the Pauper (Guy Williams)
The Light in the Forest (James MacArthur)
Escapade in Florence (Annette, Tommy Kirk)
The Horsemasters (Annette, Tommy Kirk)
Sammy, The Way Out Seal (Billy Mumy, Robert Culp)
The Sign of Zorro (Guy Williams)
Zorro the Avenger (Guy Williams)
Dr. Syn Alias the Scarecrow (movie only edition - still demand out there)
Moseby's Marauders (Willie and the Yank) (Kurt Russell)
Secret of Boyne Castle (Guns in the Heather) (Kurt Russell)
Moochie of the Little League (Kevin Corcoran)
Moochie of Pop Warner Football (Kevin Corcoran)
Spin & Marty 2 and 3
Hardy Boys 2
Corky and White Shadow
Secrets of the Pirates Inn
Child of Glass
The Magnificent Rebel
The Waltz King
A Taste of Melon/For the Love of Willadean (Billy Mumy)

All the Ludwig VonDrake, Magic Mirror, Ranger Woodlore, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Chip n Dale, et al hosted animated hours containing original wraparaound animation
An Adventure in Color -- etc.
Disneyland Showtime (Kurt Russell, Osmonds)
It's Tough to Be a Bird
Dad Can I Borrow the Car? (Kurt Russell)
Scrooge McDuck and Money
From the Pirates of the Caribbean to the World of Tomorrow
Pacifically Peeking
Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life (Hayley Mills)
Etc.

America the Beautiful

All of Swamp Fox
All of Disney Family Album

Uncut Melody Time and Make Mine Music

...and of course:

Song of the South (Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett)

One that sometimes misses the radar is Escapade in Florence. Just a mild romp tailor made for Annette, but 1962 fun in that it-can-only-be-a-Walt-Disney-movie way.

Who can resist Annette and Tommy Kirk on location in Florence racing around on a Vespa after art thieves? Or Annette singing Sherman Bros songs in an Italian restaurant? Like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, pure baby boomer comfort food.

GREAT list!

Bella Bella Florence! Firenze!

It always seems kind of arbitrary to me what is considered a live action feature and what is not. So much of the TV fare, like Escapade in Florence, Guns in the Heather, and the Horsemasters seemed worthy of theater releases in the States...they feature well-known casts...exotic locations...Sherman Bros music. It seems like a lot of money for them to have spent for a television show. I wonder if they recouped their budgets in either the domestic advertising or the foreign distribution.

I would add:

Gallegher
The 2 Whiz Kid movies (Mystery at Riverton and Carnival Caper)
Mystery in Dracula's Castle
Michael O'Hara the Fourth

I like those too, Dexter!

Well, in the spirit of sharing our wish list, here's my 2,ooo cents:

I would love to see the following movies and television programs released as DMC Exclusives:

The Light in the Forest (it is currently available for sale via Disney Educational Products for $29.99, but a DMC Exclusive release for a cheaper price would be preferable)

The Prince​ and the Pauper (starring Sean Scully​ and Guy Williams​)

The Sign of Zorro (a theatrical film culled from episodes from the Zorro television show)

Zorro the Avenger (a theatrical film culled from episodes from the Zorro television show)

Plus I would love to see the various series from the Disneyland anthology show (in its various incarnations) such as:

The Tales of Texas John Slaughter (the complete series of 17 episodes; starring Tom Tryon​)
•Texas John Slaughter
•Ambush at Laredo
•Killers from Kansas
•Showdown at Sandoval
•The Man from Bitter Creek
•The Slaughter Trail
•The Robber Stallion
•Wild Horse Revenge
•Range War at Tombstone
•Desperado from Tombstone
•Apache Friendship
•Kentucky Gunslick
•Geronimo’s Revenge
•End of the Trail
•A Holster Full of Law
•A Trip to Tucson
•Frank Clell’s in Town

Daniel Boone (the complete series of 4 episodes; starring Dewey Martin)
•The Warrior’s Path
•And Chase the Buffalo
•The Wilderness Road
•The Promised Land

The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca (the complete series of 10 episodes (3 episodes were released on Walt Disney Treasures: Legendary Heroes); starring Robert Loggia)
•The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca
•Four Down and Five Lives to Go
•Lawman or Gunman
•Law and Order, Incorporated
•Attorney-at-Law
•The Griswold Murder
•Move Along Mustangers
•Mustang Man, Mustang Maid
•Friendly Enemies at Law
•Gus Tomlin is Dead

The Swamp Fox (the complete series of 8 episodes (3 episodes were released on Walt Disney Treasures: Legendary Heroes); starring Leslie Nielsen)
•The Birth of the Swamp Fox
•Brother Against Brother
•Tory Vengeance
•Day of Reckoning
•Redcoat Strategy
•A Case of Treason
•A Woman’s Courage
•Horses for Greene

The Saga of Andy Burnett (the complete series of 6 episodes; starring Jerome Courtland)
•Andy’s Initiation
•Andy’s First Chore
•Andy’s Love Affair
•The Land of Enemies
•White Man’s Medicine
•The Big Council

The New Adventures of Davy Crockett (the complete series of 5 episodes; starring Tim Dunigan)
•Davy Crockett: Rainbow in the Thunder
•Davy Crockett: A Natural Man
•Davy Crockett: Guardian Spirit
•Davy Crockett: A Letter to Polly
•Davy Crockett: Warrior’s Farewell

Gallegher (the complete series of 3 episodes; starring Roger Mobley)
•Part 1
•Part 2
•Part 3

The Further Adventures of Gallegher (the complete series of 3 episodes)
•A Case of Murder
•The Big Swindle
•The Daily Press vs. City Hall

Gallegher Goes West (the complete series of 4 episodes)
•Showdown with the Sundown Kid
•Crusading Reporter
•Tragedy on the Trail
•Trial by Terror

The Mystery of Edward Sims (the complete series of 2 episodes)
•Part 1
•Part 2

Zorro and Son (the complete series of 5 episodes; starring Henry Darrow as Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro, Sr. and Paul Regina as Don Carlos de la Vega/Zorro, Jr.)
•Zorro and Son (Pilot)
•Beauty and the Mask
•A Fistful of Pesos
•Wash Day
•The Butcher of Barcelona

Darby

And since we haven't seen this list in a while -- the Walt era TV animation:

"Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" animation related episodes (broadcast in color)

Ludwig VonDrake:

An Adventure in Color
The Hunting Instinct
Inside Donald Duck
Kids is Kids
Man is His Own Worst Enemy
The Truth About Mother Goose
In Shape with Von Drake
Music for Everybody
A Symposium on Popular Songs
Carnival Time
Spy in the Sky
Von Drake in Spain
Three Tall Tales
Inside Outer Space
A Square Peg in a Round Hole
Fly With Von Drake
Holiday for Henpecked Husbands
A Salute to Alaska
Mediterranean Cruise
A Rag a Bone a Box of Junk

Ranger Woodlore:

A Ranger's Guide to Nature
Ranger of Brownstone
Nature's Better Built Homes
Nature's Charter Tours

Other animated episodes in color:

Pacifically Peeking
It's Tough to Be A Bird
Dad, Can I Borrow the Car
At Home With Donald Duck
The Great Cat Family
The Adventures of Chip 'n Dale (needs Walt voiceover restored)
Donald's Award
Cavalcade of Songs
Magic and Music
A Salute to Father
The Truth About Mother Goose
From All of Us to All of You
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
Four Fabulous Characters
Ben and Me and Peter and the Wolf
The Wind in the Willows
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
A Present for Donald
From Aesop to Hans Christian Andersen
The Coyote's Lament
Man on Wheels
This is Your Life Donald Duck
Duck for Hire
On Vacation (needs Walt voiceover restored)
The Goofy Sports Story
Disney's Greatest Villains
Adventure in Fantasy
Scrooge McDuck and Money

Also: Mickey Mouse Club Jiminy Cricket educational series shorts in color: "I'm No Fool" "Encyclopedia" "You the Human Animal" etc.

and I thought I was a completist.

These lists are only the tip of the iceberg, really -- there are tons more shows and shorts from the Walt era we haven't even brought up. All the animal adventures and one shots (like The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle) -- the People and Places featurettes, commercial films, park films, educational and military films, holiday and park specials (Walt Disney Christmas Show 1952) - - etc.

But there is no excuse for classic era animation (Ludwig et al) not being available -- or TV movies with the sentimental Disney favorite stars (Annette et al), at least. (...and nice masters of those).

A lot of these to me are just the basics of a vastly underutilized and undervalued set of assets.

I really have to say that I enjoy seeing that the 3 of you are truly dedicated fans of the anthology series like I am....so many people on this board are just....either not interested...or dont care. But the three of you always comment when I post things about certain movies/episodes from that long-forgotten series.

The only complaint I have with some of the recent releases of the "anthology" movies..is that they lack the intros with Walt Disney. Now, call me a purist, but, I personally enjoy these sometimes as much as the movie itself. Johnny Shiloh was released earlier this year and it's the "edited" movie version..not the two episodes individual episodes. The same is the case with Hans Brinker and Horse without a Head. This just looses something in my opinion. Not much in terms of footage is lost in the 2 part/episode movies, but, what worries me is the missing footage from the 3 part movies. It has been stated before that the Prince and the Pauper has about 3 different edited versions...if they ever release it to dvd, unless, it is the 3 part episodes...we will surely be missing some of the movie. The Tenderfoot is another 3 part movie that was edited into a continuous movie and about 15 minutes of footage was left out. Same is the case for Willie and the Yank, Diamonds on Wheels and The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance.

Yes. It would be nice if they included Walt's openings -- as a bonus at least -- on anything he did an intro for. Trailers too.

I'll certainly take the foreign theatrical feature (or 16mm release) cuts rather than none at all -- but of course if would be nice to have it all.

justcuttinhair:

Thank you for your kind words and for your support of the Anthology series. Sometimes it seems that there are so few of us out there, it feels more like a support group than a movement!

The bottom line is that shows of the quality of the Anthology series deserve better recognition and a chance to be at least introduced to the younger generations. Zorro and The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh were originally brodcast before I was born but via rebroadcast on the Anthology series and good old Vault Disney on the Disney Channel I was explosed to such shows and fell in love with them. And thanks to the Treasures line I have been able to introduce them to my children.

It's truly a mixed bag: I, too, share your frustration with the tendency of the company to release unrestored foreign theatrical versions of the shows rather than the original multi-part episodes with Walt's introductions (and I always prefer the most complete version of any television shows or film). The Tresures releases of Zorro and Dr. Syn, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh are textbook examples of how to release such content properly and make fans (and completists!) happy, but of course that's a costly method. So, on the other hand, I am very thankful that at least there is such as place as DMC that releases gems such as The Sword and the Rose, The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, and Johnny Shiloh in some manner and I hope they don't stop any time soon.

Darby

Several of you have mentioned the idea of their being little support among other members for these titles being released. However, I wonder if there is more support out there than you realize from reading this board. For example, I purchase almost all of the DMC Exclusives and the Generation Collection titles, but I don't post here much about it because there isn't much to say. Other than listing the same titles that you guys list in multiple posts, I don't feel I have much to add. I simply exclaim my thanks here on occasion to Disney for releasing a title. There isn't much to discuss other than to repeat the desire to see these titles released. Perhaps there are lots of people like myself who buy the titles but don't have reason to talk about it much.

Here is one more of those people

And if you read the many posts on individual titles at Amazon (VHS, DVD and download), it's clear that there are a lot of baby boomers in the general public who remember and want many of these Walt era titles but don't have a clue where to look (save their local big box store, which rarely even carried Treasures).

It was so great to see Johnny Shiloh again - - what a nice production - - brought a tear to this eye.

While it's nice to know that there are others out there, I think we are an aging breed, if not a dying one. It's a shame in many ways that Disney doesn't have the confidence to float some of this older material as a way of preserving the legacy and finding a new audience.

The problem is that marketers and accountants see a collective group of old products for an old demo -- instead of seeing individual films and shows, some of which remain timeless and still have value for new generations. To do that they would have to look at these works from a filmmakers and film buffs perspective, as creative content and historic assets -- not just as old stuff in storage to sell or toss.