the adventures of bullwhip griffin

the year: 1967

the genre: adventure


the cast: Roddy McDowall (Bullwhip Griffin); Suzanne Pleshette (Arabella Flagg); Karl Malden (Judge Higgins); Bryan Russell (Jack Flagg); Richard Haydn (Quentin Bartlett)


the plot: Young Jack Flagg from Boston heads west to join the California gold rush with the hopes of restoring his family fortune, but his dedicated butler, Bullwhip Griffin, sets out to find him and bring him home.


don't miss: Grandpa's portrait. Classic Disney.


watch for: Bryan Russell. He played the little brother in Bye Bye Birdie. Too bad there wasn't a tortoise on 'roids in the wild, wild west!


listen for: "Grandpa used to say that people are 98% water and if you don't stir them up once in a while, they stagnate."


extra bonus points: Richard Haydn plays the hapless Mr. Bartlett. In addition to providing the voice of the Caterpillar in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, what is one of his most famous roles?

the fighting prince of donegal

the year: 1966

the genre: adventure


the cast: Peter McEnery (Hugh O'Donnell); Susan Hampshire (Kathleen McSweeney); Tom Adams (Henry O'Neill); Gordon Jackson (Captain Leeds)


the plot: Hugh O'Donnell inherits the title of The O'Donnell, the prince of Donegal, and tries to unite Ireland to make war on England. But then Hugh is kidnapped and imprisoned by the Viceroy of Ireland and held ransom for the Clans' good behavior. Hugh must escape prison and the Viceroy's villainous henchman, Captain Leeds, before he can fight.


don't miss: some good ole Disney adventure. I remember watching this as a kid and loving the dashing Peter McEnery. (sigh) Watch the trailer here.


extra bonus points: if you can name another Disney movie that stars Peter McEnery - and another that stars Susan Hampshire.


listen for: "You spent a lot of time chasing everything in skirts. Now you'll know how it feels."


did you know: The song "O'Donnell Aboo," which is sung at the film's conclusion was not written until the 1840s and refers to events in the Nine Year's War, which took place from 1593 to 1602. The film begins in 1587, prior to the conflict.


also listen for: "The Queen does not bluff. She's a politician, yes, but she's a realist. She'd hang her grandmother if she was a threat to the crown."

hoodwinked

the year: 2005

the genre: comedy


the plot: The candy recipes of the goody shops have been stolen by the Goody Bandit, and many animals are out of business. While the police are chasing the criminal, there is a mess at Granny's house involving Little Red Hiding Hood, The Wolf, The Woodsman and Granny, disturbing the peace in the forest. They are all arrested by the impatient Chief Grizzly, but Detective Nicky Flipper is in charge of the investigation. As each of the accused gives his/her own version of the incident, Flipper uses the information to disclose the identity of the evil Goody Bandit.


listen for: "This looks pretty open and shut. Little miss rosy-capes making covert deliveries to the goodie-tycoon. Wolfie tries to eat 'em both, then crazy flannel-pants with the axe here busts in, swinging vigilante-style. Take 'em downtown boys!"


extra bonus points: if you can name a location on the goat's map.

in search of the castaways

the year: 1962

the genre: adventure


the cast: Maurice Chevalier (Jacques Paganel); Hayley Mills (Mary Grant); George Sanders (Thomas Ayerton)


the plot: The Grant children know their shipwrecked father must still be alive because they received his message in a bottle. With the help of Monsieur Paganel their searches take them from earthquake, fire, flood, to a cannibal tribe.



did you know: Hayley Mills made this film two years after her father, John Mills, starred in Swiss Family Robinson also made by Walt Disney about shipwrecked castaways.



listen for: "Why would a shark swallow a bottle?" "What was in his mind, I don't know. I only know what was in his stomach."



don't miss: Old Bill Gaye - he be smart!

galaxy quest

the year: 1999

the genre: comedy


the cast: Tim Allen (Jason Nesmith); Sigourney Weaver (Gwen DeMarco); Alan Rickman (Alexander Dane); Tony Shalhoub (Fred Kwan); Sam Rockwell (Guy Fleegman); Enrico Colantoni (Mathesar)


the plot: Eighteen years after their sci-fi adventure show "Galaxy Quest" was canceled, actors Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco, Alexander Dane, Tommy Webber, and Fred Kwan are making appearances at sci-fi conventions and store openings in costume and character. They're wallowing in despair and at each other's throats until aliens known as Thermians arrive and, having mistaken the show for fact and consequently modeling their entire culture around it, take them into space to save them from General Sarris and his armada.


count: how many times Alexander Dane says, "By Grapthar's hammer."


listen for: "HEY! Don't open that! It's an alien planet! Is there air out there? You don't know!"


did you know: the scene when Tim Allen is in the men's room and overhears how the cast of Galaxy Quest are nobodies and all his co-stars can't stand him mirrors an actual event in William Shatner's life. He overheard the exact same things about himself when he attended a Star Trek convention.


extra bonus points: if you know what sound the NSEA Protector's automatic doors were given - instead of ripping off the standard Star Trek "Swooosh-thweep" sound.

pirates of the caribbean

the year: 2003

the genre: adventure


the cast: Johnny Depp (Captain Jack Sparrow); Keira Knightly (Elizabeth Swann); Geoffrey Rush (Captain Barbossa); Orlando Bloom (Will Turner); Jack Davenport (Commodore Norrington)


the plot: this swash-buckling tale follows the quest of Captain Jack Sparrow, a savvy pirate, and Will Turner, a resourceful blacksmith, as they search for Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth, the daughter of the governor and the love of Will's life, has been kidnapped by the feared Captain Barbossa. Little do they know that the fierce and clever Barbossa has been cursed. He, along with his large crew, are under an ancient curse, doomed for eternity to neither live, nor die - that is, unless a blood sacrifice is made.


don't miss: the "bonus" scene after the credits - *especially* if you downed a large soda at the beginning of the movie. (insert sarcastic tone here.)


listen for: no, I don't think I'll quote anything - what's YOUR favorite line?


did you know: one of the film's last lines - "Bring me that horizon" - was conceived by Johnny Depp on the morning the scene was filmed. Also improvised by Depp were the various "eunuch" lines, and Jack Sparrow's catch phrase, "Savvy?".


extra bonus points: if you can list one of the similarities between the movie and the ride at Disneyland.

unconquered

the year: 1947

the genre: action/adventure


the cast: Gary Cooper (Captain Christopher Holden); Paulette Goddard (Abby); Howard daSilva (Garth); Boris Karloff (Guyasuta - Chief of the Senecas); Cecil Kellaway (Jeremy Love); Mike Mazurki (Bone)


the plot: In 1763, felon Abby Hale is sentenced to slavery in America. In Virginia, heroic Capt. Holden buys her, intending to free her, but villain Garth foils this plan, and Abby toils at Dave Bone's tavern. Garth is orchestrating an Indian uprising to clear the wilderness of settlers, giving him a monopoly of the fur trade. Holden discovers Garth's treachery, but can't prove anything against him. Can Holden and Abby save Fort Pitt from the Senecas?


listen for: "I don't know what the Good Lord was about when he made a female out of a perfectly good rib."



don't miss: Boris Karloff as the Seneca chief - I had to go back and watch to see if it was really him.



did you know: production was nicknamed "The Perils of Paulette" on the Paramount lot.



disclaimer: this is typical classic Hollywood "settlers are good and Indians are bad" which gets a bit annoying, but you've got to give it to Cecil B. deMille - he sure knew how to make epic adventure movies.