The Walt Disney Christmas Show was a television special that aired on December 25, 1951. It served as an advertisement for Disney's 1953 film Peter Pan as well as the 1952 rerelease of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and aired on CBS.
Contents
Synopsis
After a short salute to doctors, nurses and other in the healthcare industry from Johnson and Johnson, the credits roll on printed pages and then the Magic Mirror greets the audience and segues to a Christmas party at Walt Disney Studios. Walt Disney is shown displaying sketches for the upcoming Peter Pan film. Then Kathryn Beaumont and Bobby Driscoll are introduced as Wendy Darling and Peter Pan, respectively. Wendy then asks the Magic Mirror to play a Mickey Mouse cartoon. He obliges, playing the 1935 short The Band Concert. Then the Mirror is requested to play a clip of Snow White by children in different languages. After some goading by Wendy and Peter, doubting his ability, the Mirror plays a clip of Snow White in 10 languages - English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. The Mirror then announces that the audience will be able to watch the whole film in English and in Technicolor after the turn of the year.
An Indian girl asks the mirror for something in the Hindustani language. After some hesitation, the mirror obliges with an excerpt of Bambi in Hindustani, accompanied with Indian music. After this the Mirror introduces his wife's nephew, Willoughby, who is trying to break into the "magic mirror business" and introduces a Donald Duck cartoon. Finally, Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan requests a segment from Song of the South.
Segments
The Band Concert - 1935 Mick Mouse short
Seven Dwarves' Party for Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 10 languages - 1937
An excerpt from Bambi in Hindustani with Indian music - 1942
Donald and Pluto - 1935 Donald Duck short
Br'er Rabbit Runs Away from Song of the South - 1946
Cast
Walt Disney - himself, Mickey
Bobby Driscoll - himself, Peter Pan
Kathryn Beaumont - herself, Wendy Darlin
Hans Conried - Magic Mirror
Bill Thompson - Willoughby
Don Barclay - Dr. Miller, Santa Claus
Tommy Luske - Michael Darling
Paul Collins - John Darling