The Wonderful World of Disney
Season 5
Walt Disney, one of Hollywood's most ambitious producers, was first approached to do television in 1950, when The Coca-Cola Company offered him a one-hour special. The one hour special, "One Hour in Wonderland," aired December 25, 1950 on NBC and garnered 90% of the television viewing audience. A second special, "The Walt Disney Christmas Special," aired December 25, 1951 on CBS. When Walt had drawn up plans for a theme park, known as Disneyland, he found a hard time obtaining funding; critics, including Walt's brother Roy, thought that it was unfeasible and that it would be a fiasco. At the same time, the ABC television network offered him a deal for a television anthology series. Walt wouldn't agree to it unless they put up partial financing for Disneyland (a term that had kept CBS and NBC from signing with him). ABC agreed, and also paid him $50,000 per program, an exorbitant sum for the time. The show, titled Disneyland, premiered on October 27, 1954 and was an immediate success. The program showcased original works from the Disney Studios. Cartoons, documentaries, educational shorts, all were shown to a captive worldwide audience. Variety was the key to its success, as it kept most of what it did fresh, multi-cultural and constantly changing its entertainment.
Where to Watch The Wonderful World of Disney • Season 5
26 Episodes
- The Pigeon That Worked a MiracleE2
The Pigeon That Worked a MiracleThis is a story of a young boy who raises pigeons. This boy can't walk and is in a wheelchair. One day, the life of one of the pigeons was in jeopardy from a cat and the boy shows his courage and loyalty by getting up from his wheelchair and walking to save the pigeon's life. - From All of Us to All of YouE12
From All of Us to All of YouJiminy Cricket, the show's special Christmas guest, tells viewers that he has arranged a visit to the North Pole to see Santa's Workshop (as seen in a classic short cartoon). The show continues with clips from various short cartoons and features. - The Wetback HoundE25
The Wetback HoundOriginally released as a 20-minute short subject in 1957, Disney's Oscar-winning The Wetback Hound was expanded to 48 minutes for this Walt Disney Presents TV presentation. The titular hound is Paco, descended from a long and distinguished line of lion-hunting dogs. But much to the dismay of his master, a Mexican barber, Paco is all too easily distracted by other animals whenever he goes out on a hunt. Cowboy star Rex Allen provides the folksy narration for this gentle, laid-back nature study. The ""new"" footage of The Wetback Hound was trimmed for its 1962 rebroadcast to accommodate a lenghty promo for the upcoming Disney theatrical feature Big Red; 4 years later, the same thing happened so that Disney could advertise its new release Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N