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Director (Parent Trap): David Swift Cast (Parent Trap): Hayley Mills (Sharon McKendrick, Susan Evers), Maureen O'Hara (Maggie McKendrick), Brian Keith (Mitch Evers), Charlie Ruggles (Charles McKendrick), Una Merkel (Verbena), Leo G. Carroll (Rev. Dr. Mosby), Joanna Barnes (Vicky Robinson) Director (Parent Trap II): Ronald F. Maxwell Cast (Parent Trap II): Hayley Mills (Sharon Ferris, Susan Corey), Tom Skerritt (Bill Grand), Carrie Kei Heim (Nikki Ferris), Bridgette Andersen (Mary Grand) The MoviesThe Parent Trap is one of the most highly praised and well-remembered live action films ever made by the Disney studio. Most of the praise for the film is directed towards the adorable and deserving Hayley Mills, who, fresh off a hit and an honorary Academy Award with Pollyanna in 1960, turned around and made another smash in The Parent Trap. The story is fairly simple, adapted from the German book Das Doppelte Lottchen by director David Swift. Mills portrays twins who are separated at birth by their parents, played by the (incredibly beautiful) Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith, and taken to opposite ends of the country and raised without any knowledge of each other until one fateful summer at camp, where the two girls meet for the first time, fight like cats and dogs until they discover their true relationship to each other, then conspire to bring their parents back together. The girls get new matching hairdos and go home with opposite parents to put the trap in action. With some obstacles, most notably the pouffy-haired Joanna Barnes as the new girlfriend in dad's life, the twins Susan and Sharon triumph in the end and reunite their family. It's a charming, timeless movie, carefully and lovingly made with a perfect cast, engaging songs (most notably Let's Get Together), and groundbreaking photography. The theme of divorced parents was ahead of its time, and the sequels and remake that followed it did not need to alter or change very much to keep the storylines consistent. The Parent Trap II is obviously not the main attraction for buying this set. Made in 1986 as a feature for the Disney Channel, it features Hayley Mills once again playing the duel roles of Sharon and Susan, this time all grown up. Sharon is a divorcee living with her daughter Nikki (Carrie Kei Heim) in Florida, while Susan is happily married and living in California. Nikki meets a new friend, Mary Grand (Bridgette Andersen) in summer school, who also lives with a single parent. Bill (Tom Skerritt) is handsome and widowed so the two girls decide to play matchmakers. The trap sets in when Nikki enlists her Aunt Susan to come help hook Bill, since she is supposedly cooler and more experienced in sweeping men off their feet. Of course, by the end of the movie, Bill and Sharon fall in love happily ever after, but not with out the standard twin confusions and muddles. The Parent Trap II is mainly interesting to people who are either big fans of Hayley Mills or Disney Channel movies made in the 1980s. The movie is pretty dated, with references to heartthrobs Rob Lowe and Ralph Macchio, interesting fashion choices and that cheap video tape look of 1980s made-for-TV movies. If none of these aspects appeal to you, do yourself a favor and skip right to the wonderful bonus materials on the second disc. The GoodiesThe second disc of The Parent Trap set is devoted to the original film, with many interesting and in-depth featurettes; curiously, not one of the bonus features are connected to The Parent Trap II. It's not a huge loss, since the original film is far more significant in many ways. Some of the more notable featurettes include: The Parent Trap: Caught in the Act (18:43) is a making of featurette that is notable for including so many recent interviews with the cast and crew. Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara, director David Swift (who was interviewed shortly before his death) and the Sherman Brothers contribute. Most interesting are the anecdotes of Walt Disney keeping a close eye on production and how he endeared himself to everyone on the set as Uncle Walt. Lost Treasures: Who's the Twin? (6:00) is a fun interview with Hayley Mill's body double and unseen actress Susan Henning-Schutte. The actress was only seen from the back or the side in the final cut of the film, and was not credited at all for her contributions. Schutte is one of those rare personalities who just enjoyed her time on the set with the famous cast and did not worry that she didn't get any public recognition. She was presented with a Duckster (Donald Duck's version of the Oscar) by Walt Disney at the conclusion of filming to thank her personally. Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers (14:42) This dynamic duo reflect on their long career with Disney, and how The Parent Trap marked their first feature length film for the studio. It was interesting to note that they attracted the attention of Walt Disney through their work with Annette Funicello and the hits they were writing for her before they came on board at Disney. Seeing Double (9:17) is a tribute to Ub Iwerks' groundbreaking use of film techniques developing split-screen filming and uses of body doubles to create the illusion of twins. His pioneering work holds up amazingly well years later, especially compared to the more recent Parent Trap II. Kimball & Swift: The Disney Years (17:32) is a humorous and touching featurette with Ward Kimball and David Swift reminiscing about their years at the Disney Studio as friends and coworkers, filmed against the background of Kimball's jaw-dropping model train collection. It includes some wonderful footage of Kimball in the Firehouse Five, stories of the young animators in their first studio financed party, and anecdotes about Walt and his relationship to the writers and artists at the studio. Audio and VideoThe Parent Trap has never looked or sounded better. The music blends seamlessly with the dialogue, everyone sounds as they should, and there are no scratches on the soundtrack. The picture is clean and detailed. The colors are bright. One disadvantage to such a beautiful detailed picture is how it magnifies the few but noticeable studio shots compared to the on location sets. Otherwise, no complaints; it looks better than many movies playing on the Disney Channel this month. Speaking of which, The Parent Trap II did not wear as well despite being a few decades younger. Part of the problem is that the film appears to have been made on a much smaller scale than the original; it's cursed with the look of a made for TV movie. The sound is fine, however; with no scratches or pops. InterfaceThe interface is organized around Susan and Sharon's camp bulletin board, and blends perfectly with the look and theming of the film. Short animated clips add to the charm and detailing of the interface. The menus are easy to navigate, but some titles on the main page contain a whole new menu behind them, so be sure to search through all the titles to find the goodies. The Final EvaluationThis is a wonderful set for many reasons. Fans who remember when the original Parent Trap was released in 1961 will be happy to see how well the story and look of the film has held up for over 40 years. The bonus features are detailed and will appeal to those interested in technical aspects of the film, as well as those who just like to hear interesting anecdotes by some of the all-time Disney greats who were associated with The Parent Trap, such as the Sherman Brothers, Ward Kimball, David Swift, Hayley Mills, and Walt Disney himself. While The Parent Trap II has a very limited appeal, it does nothing to detract from the care and detailing gone into this set. Most people will enjoy the original film and head straight to the extras. It's exciting to see The Parent Trap in its original glory and know a whole new generation of children will be able to enjoy it. DVD Details
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