The Happiest Millionaire
Background Information: The Happiest Millionaire [Top] The Happiest Millionaire is a 1967 musical film, based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J Drexel Biddle. It is said to be the last live-action film Walt Disney personally supervised before his death. Biddle is played by Fred MacMurray. His wife is played by Greer Garson, his daughter by Lesley Ann Warren & his daughters beau by John Davidson. Also featured are Tommy Steele in a prominent role as his butler, Gladys Cooper as his mother & Geraldine Page as Mrs. Duke, the Davidson characters mother. The film was made by The Walt Disney Company, directed by Norman Tokar & songs are by Richard M Sherman & Robert B Sherman. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Art Direction. The film was not a box-office success & the studio was prompted to re-edit it to no avail. The complete version of the film has since been restored & released on DVD.
Biography: Fred MacMurray [Top] Frederick Martin MacMurray was a Hollywood actor who appeared in over one hundred movies, during a career that lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s. His most famous role was that of the father on the 1960s TV series My Three Sons. He was typecast for decades as a lovable, friendly fellow & he capitalized on this by starring in a number of live-action comedies for Walt Disney during the later part of his career, with his biggest hits being The Shaggy Dog & The Absent-Minded Professor. In spite of his nice guy image, MacMurray often stated that the best film roles he ever played were ones where he was cast against type in two films for Billy Wilder. He played the role of Walter Neff, an insurance salesman who plots with a wealthy heiress to murder her husband in the film noir classic Double Indemnity. In 1960, he played a slimy, two-timing corporate executive in Wilders Oscar -winning comedy The Apartment. On his passing in 1991, Fred MacMurray was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California & was survived by his wife, June Haver.
Posters Of Fred MacMurrayEditors Choice: Follow Me Boys, The Shaggy Dog, Son Of Flubber, The Absent Minded Professor, Dive Bomber, Double Indemnity, The Happiest Millionaire, Borderline, View DVDology Biography: Tommy Steele [Top] Tommy Steele is a British entertainer. Steele was regarded as Britains first pop star. Born Thomas Hicks in London, his cheeky Cockney image, combined with boy-next-door looks, won him success as a singer after starting out as an actor & variety entertainer. Most of Steeles 1950s recordings were covers of American hits, such as Singin the Blues. The increase in home-grown musical talent during the 1960s allowed him to progress to a career in stage & film musicals. In the West End he appeared as Hans Christian Andersen. On film, he recreated his stage role in Half A Sixpence & played character roles in Disney s The Happiest Millionaire & Finians Rainbow with Petula Clark & Fred Astaire, although many critics found his manic personality to be somewhat overwhelming for the screen. He also starred in the movie musical Tommy the Toreador, which yielded the hit single Little White Bull. In 1983 he directed & starred in the West End stage production of Singin in the Rain at the famed London Palladium.
Editors Choice: The Happiest Millionaire, View DVDology Additional Articles & Resources: [Top] Tommy Steele: | Wikipedia Article * |
Fred MacMurray: | Wikipedia Article * | The Happiest Millionaire: | IMDB Entry | Wikipedia Article * | Link To This Article: [Top] ©2004-2008 DVDArk.co.uk * Some data on DVD Ark is derived from this GNU FDL article.
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