York, Jeff

Johnny Tremain

Looking for a way to make the American Revolution come alive for your child? Based on Esther Forbes's book of the same name, Johnny Tremain takes place in Boston from July 1773 through April 1775, and tells the story of a young apprentice silversmith drawn into a fight for human rights. When an accident cripples Johnny Tremain's hand and ends his hopes of becoming a great silversmith, Tremain finds himself without work and accused of a crime he did not commit. Sons of Liberty members Paul Revere and Josiah Quincy are outraged by the circumstantial case against Tremain, agree to represent him free of charge, and win his acquittal in court. Through association with his new friends, Tremain begins to better understand the current political climate, and eventually joins them in the battle for freedom. Tremain's involvement in the emptying of British tea into Boston Harbor, the arrival of the Redcoats in Boston, and the beginnings of the American Revolution at Concord is powerful and moving. The costuming is splendid, the music patriotic, and the dialogue well crafted. The film stars Hal Stalmaster as Johnny Tremain, costars Luana Patten and Jeff York, and runs 80 minutes. This classic Disney film is wonderful entertainment and a fairly faithful representation of a crucial period in American history. (Ages 8 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Return to the days that sparked the American Revolution, now on Disney DVD for the first time! Meet young Johnny Tremain, a silversmith's apprentice with dreams of learning the trade and making his own way. When a terrible injury ends his hopes, he joins the emerging Sons Of Liberty. The Redcoats are coming as you journey back to the Boston Tea Party, the midnight ride of Paul Revere, and Lexington Green, where tyranny was vanquished by an idea -- freedom for all! Based on the classic novel by Esther Forbes, you won't want to miss one historic moment of Disney's classic adventure and liberty's rising light.

Old Yeller 2-Movie Collection (Old Yeller/Savage Sam)

OLD YELLER: Walt Disney's first and quintessential film about a boy's love for his dog is now an American original as much as it is a Disney classic. No film better portrays the powerful emotions of hope, courage, and friendship. When his younger brother adopts a frisky lop-eared stray, 15-year-old Travis (Tommy Kirk), acting "man-of-the-house," tries to shoo him away. But Old Yeller soon proves he is anything but "yellow" when he protects the family farm and saves Travis' life. From its charming simplicity to its gripping conclusion, the drama, humor and heart of OLD YELLER belong in everyone's collection. SAVAGE SAM: Now discover what happens next in SAVAGE SAM, the sequel to Walt Disney's classic adventure OLD YELLER, where adopting a new pup sets the stage for more thrills in the untamed West. With his two young masters Travis and Arliss Coates (Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran), gentle and true-blue Sam faces even greater dangers than Yeller. From the ferocious attacks of wolves and wildcats to tracking renegade wrongdoers, our four-legged hero proves his pedigree. SAVAGE SAM is a compelling story of love, devotion, and trust that is sure to win your heart.

The Yearling

Child actor Claude Jarman Jr. won a Special Oscar for his lead performance as the boy hero of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel, which concerns a lad's love of a fawn in the post-Civil War era. Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman are memorable as his parents, their emotions divided in the aftermath of so much tragedy and their lives affected by the boy's passion for his yearling. Clarence Brown (National Velvet) directed this 1946 heartbreaker, which will not leave a dry eye in the room. A handsome, leisurely drama at more than two hours, shorter versions simply don't cut it. --Tom Keogh

Life abounds in the 1870s Florida scrubland that's home to young Jody Baxter. There are bears to hunt, cash crops to plant, evenings of storytelling with Pa and Ma... and there are timeless lessons of love and letting go that Jody learns from Flag, the orphaned pet fawn that follows him around with devotion.

The Postman Always Rings Twice

Even under the heavy censorship of 1946 Hollywood, Lana Turner and John Garfield's libidinous desires burn up the screen in Tay Garnett's adaptation of James M. Cain's torrid crime melodrama. Platinum blond Turner is Cora, a restless sexpot stuck in a roadside diner married to mundane middle-aged fry cook Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway) when handsome drifter Frank (Garfield) blows her way. It's lust at first sight, a rapacious desire that neither can break off, and before long they're plotting his demise--but in the wicked world of Cain nothing is that easy. Garnett's visual approach is subdued compared to the more expressionistic film noir of the period, but he's at no loss when he films the luminous Turner in her milky-white wardrobe. She radiates repressed sexuality and uncontrollable passion while Garfield's smart-talking loner Frank mixes street-smart swagger and scrappy toughness with vulnerability and sincere intensity. Costar Hume Cronyn cuts a cold, calculating figure as their conniving lawyer, a chilly character that only increases our feelings for the murderous couple, victims of an all consuming amour fou that drives their passions to extremes. --Sean Axmaker

A hitchiker falls in love with a cafe waitress. Together they murder her husband and then their troubles begin.
Genre: Suspense
Rating: NR
Release Date: 6-JAN-2004
Media Type: DVD

The Great Locomotive Chase

Disney's Great Locomotive Chase relates a true Civil War story about the Andrews Raiders, a team of 22 Union spies. In 1862 they snatched a train out from under the normally watchful eyes of Confederate troops based near Atlanta in a daredevil attempt to wreck the track and bridges of the Western & Atlantic Railroad. It was a high-stakes operation with a huge payoff. If they succeeded, they would effectively win the war; if they were caught, they were sure to be hanged. This 1956 feature shores up the suspense of the scheme masterfully. We watch, transfixed, as the relentless Confederate train conductor, William Fuller (played by the all-business Jeffrey Hunter) roars through a bevy of Southern stations hot on the heels of his hijacked locomotive. Will James Andrews (Fess Parker), leader of the Raiders, outrun him? History buffs won't need to keep watching for long, but they'll want to anyway--the portrayal of the Raiders' gumption and against-all-odds heroics pushes the basest, most human of audience buttons. It's not that The Great Locomotive Chase is a simple but well-done film about good vs. evil. Instead, it explores both sides' motives and draws gentle conclusions about honor, and it does so at an invigoratingly high clip. In that way, it's a movie worth sharing with kids 8 and older--there's no blood and only a sprinkling of violence here, but as with all war stories, tragedy plays a prominent role. --Tammy La Gorce

After commandeering a Confederate locomotive, heroic Yankee soldiers known as the Andrews Raiders try to bring about an early end to the Civil War by crippling the Southern railroad network. But their efforts are hampered by the unrelenting bravery of a single Rebel patriot.

The Paleface

Bob Hope brings his own brand of laughing gas to the Wild West as a would-be "painless" dentist lassoed into marrying Jane Russell. She's a shapely outlaw turned undercover agent on the trail of some varmints selling guns to a hostile Indian tribe, and he's her unwitting cover. Hope cowers and cracks self-effacing jokes while bodies fall around him ("Brave men run in my family," he quips, then runs), but he's even funnier swaggering and sneering like a kid playing cowboy in a flamboyant costume apparently stolen from the Oklahoma! road show. The Paleface is one of his best films, and the unflappable Russell is a great match. Theme song "Buttons and Bows" (which Hope delivers with a clowning mock twang) won an Oscar^®, and the 1948 film spawned a sequel (Son of Paleface, costarring Roy Rogers and Trigger) and a remake (The Shakiest Gun in the West with Don Knotts). --Sean Axmaker

Old Yeller (Vault Disney Collection)

There's nothing hip about this vintage Disney film that begins and ends with a corny song about the "best doggone dog in the West." But that's the beauty of Old Yeller, originally released in 1957. The simple, heart-warming story of a boy who bonds with a feisty stray dog in 1860s Texas is full of 1950s sensibilities: A Donna Reed-style perfect "Momma" (Dorothy McGuire) who knows best, a couple of brothers who quarrel in the best sitcom tradition, and a father (Fess Parker, in a small role) who goes off to provide for his family, leaving his older boy (Tommy Kirk) in charge and his incredibly cute younger one (Kevin Corcoran) to steal as many scenes in the movie as he possibly can. With Old Yeller at his side, Kirk becomes a little man, who in the end must make a decision so heart-breaking that it's one of filmdom's most memorable moments. --Valerie J. Nelson

No film better captures the powerful emotions of hope, courage, and friendship than this treasured and much beloved classic, OLD YELLER. The quintessential tale of a boy's love for his dog has touched the hearts of millions, its enduring legacy growing with each new generation and it's "still one of the best!" (Leonard Maltin) Set amidst the landscape of 1860s Texas, a young boy named Travis (Tommy Kirk) wants nothing to do with the lop-eared stray. But Old Yeller quickly proves himself a loyal friend, protecting the family and saving Travis' life. Soon they become inseparable pals, sharing joyous experiences and learning valuable lessons about growing up.

Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Davy Crockett Televised Series

Available uncut for the first time, the five episodes of Davy Crockett that aired on Walt Disney's "Disneyland" show (1954-55) launched one of the great pop culture crazes of the '50s. An estimated $300 million worth of Crockett merchandise was sold during the first eight months of the craze, including 10 million "coonskin" caps. Disney didn't spend a lot on the original episodes, but as host Leonard Maltin observes, the colorful location and matte shots distinguished Davy Crockett from the cheesy-looking westerns of the 1950s. The three original episodes were later recut into the theatrical feature Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955); the more comic adventures from the second season that introduced the flamboyant riverman Mike Fink (Jeffrey York) became Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956). Tall and ruggedly handsome, if somewhat limited as an actor, Fess Parker was effective as the laconic frontiersman. The more experienced Buddy Ebsen (playing sidekick Georgie Russel) carried many of their scenes. Fifty years later, Davy Crockett remains an engaging example of national myth making. Younger viewers may be surprised to find this straightforward hero retains much of his appeal in an uncertain time. --Charles Solomon

All 5 episodes of Walt Disney's Davy Crockett series chronicling the adventures of the King of the Wild Frontier. Beginning with Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter and featuring Davy's adventures all the way up to the Alamo, these classic adventures are fun for the whole family. Introduction by Leonard Maltin.
Episodes: Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter; Davy Crockett Goes to Congress; Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race; Davy Crockett and the River Pirates; Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

The Duel At Silver Creek

Savage Sam

Sam is no ordinary dog. He is the son of Yeller, the four-legged hero who won your heart in Walt Disney's classic adventure, OLD YELLER. With his two young masters Travis and Arliss Coates (Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran), gentle Sam faces even greater dangers than Yeller did. From the ferocious attacks of wolves and wildcats to the hostile actions of renegade Indians, Savage Sam presents a heartwarming story of love, devotion, and trust set in the sprawling pioneering days of the untamed West.