Fred MacMurray is Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle I (1874-1948), the real-life scion of the banking family who practiced "Athletic Christianity", collected alligators and insisted that the Marine Corps box. The movie, the last live-action film that Walt Disney worked on personally, has a stellar cast (Greer Garson, Gladys Cooper, Lesley Ann Warren, Geraldine Page), a score by the Shermans, and was clearly intended to be as big a hit as MARY POPPINS. Unfortunately, the songs are not as good (although that may be a result of having MacMurray sing) and at more than 140 minutes, it seems ramshackle. Miss Warren as the daughter of the house, is cute as a button and her musical numbers are sweet and cute, but Tommy Steele as the butler, intended as the point-of-view character, is utterly muddled in this faux-LIFE WITH FATHER story.
Like many of the musicals of the 1960s, it was thought that the way to make a successful musical was to make it a roadshow production. Unfortunately, most of them were bloated.
Like many of the musicals of the 1960s, it was thought that the way to make a successful musical was to make it a roadshow production. Unfortunately, most of them were bloated.