- Summer Magic
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This article is about the 1963 film. For the misprinted run of cards from Magic: The Gathering, see Revised Edition (Magic: The Gathering).
Summer Magic
Original theatrical posterDirected by James Neilson Produced by Walt Disney Written by Sally Benson
Kate Douglas Wiggin (Novel)Starring Hayley Mills
Burl Ives
Dorothy McGuire
Deborah Walley
Eddie Hodges
Jimmy Mathers
Michael J. Pollard
Wendy Turner
Una MerkelMusic by Songs:
Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Score:
Buddy BakerStudio Walt Disney Productions Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Release date(s) July 7, 1963 Running time 110 minutes Country United States Language English Summer Magic is a 1963 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Hayley Mills, Burl Ives, and Dorothy McGuire in a story about a Boston widow and her children taking up residence in a small town in Maine. The film was based on the book "Mother Carey's Chickens" by Kate Douglas Wiggin and was directed by James Neilson. The film was Mills' fourth of six films for Disney, and the young actress received a Golden Globe nomination for her work.
Contents
Plot and cast
Widowed Margaret Carey (Dorothy McGuire) prepares to move her family into a depressing apartment, but her eldest daughter Nancy Carey (Hayley Mills) writes to Osh Popham (Burl Ives), the caretaker of a millionaire's country home they saw while on vacation in Maine. Popham lets the Careys have the house for a pittance and contributes major labor and materials to make it liveable, much to the consternation of his wife Mariah (Una Merkel). Nancy is grieved when her snooty cousin Julia (Deborah Walley) shows up, especially when the self-styled debutante steals the attention of the handsome new teacher Charles Bryant (James Stacy). Nancy gets unexpected compensation in the form of the even more desirable Tom Hamilton (Peter Brown), not realizing he is the owner of the house that his factor Popham has basically given away.
Songs
- "Flitterin'"
- "Beautiful Beulah"
- "Summer Magic"
- "Pink of Perfection"
- "Ugly Bug Ball"
- "On the Front Porch"
- "Femininity"
Production notes
At first, Walt Disney did not care for the "Ugly Bug Ball." Songwriter Robert Sherman explained to Disney that to bugs, other bugs were not ugly, even if they looked ugly to us, beauty being in the eye of the beholder. Disney liked the idea and the song went on to become one of the popular songs of the year. It was sung by Burl Ives.
"On the Front Porch" is songwriter Robert Sherman's personal favorite song from his own work.
Literary sources
- Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyond. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.
External links
Categories:- English-language films
- 1963 films
- Disney films
- Films directed by James Neilson
- Sherman Brothers
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