samsteele
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2014
- Messages
- 3,769
I'm just getting around to watching the TCM Treasures from the Disney Vault shows. The latest round was released earlier this month and I recorded a number of them on PVR. The Liberty Story show was particularly interesting. According to TCM & Leonard Maltin's bookend commentary, this show narrated by Walt Disney was originally an installment in the series called "Disney Land" (which later became Walt Disney Presents then Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color). In the show, Walt Disney links the Johnny Tremain movie to his plans to build a Boston-inspired Liberty Street in Disney Land complete with a Liberty Tree and replica of the Liberty Bell. At the conclusion of the show, Leonard Maltin explains that Liberty Square ended up in Disney World instead. Like other Disers, I have spent many hours in MK's Liberty Square and found it absolutely fascinating to hear about this back story and the link to the movie. While Johnny Tremain isn't (at least now) a well-known film, I hadn't known about the film link and like so many others I suppose I had some vague notion that Liberty Square was simply inspired by the War of Independence. If there is more to this story (and I suspect there must be since only so much can be squeezed into a brief commentary), I hope someone can add more info below. If you haven't watched the TCM Treasures from the Disney Vault, definitely make it a priority the next time they air. When I first heard about the Disney Vault shows, I suspected they would by and large be second-run B-list half-shows and clips. I've been pleasantly surprised by what's been let out. The titles can be deceiving and sometimes you just have to put in a little time actually watching the show to find out its true value. If you enjoy a little back story and some hidden gems, keep your eyes open for the next slate of shows.