Election Day Special - The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band

Disney, 1968
Starring Leslie Ann Warren, Buddy Ebsen, Walter Brennan, and John Davidson
Directed by Michael O'Herlihy
Music and Lyrics by Richard and Robert Sherman

While you wait for the election results to come in, here's an unusual politics-themed musical from Disney to tide you over. Seeing the popularity of big musicals in the 1960's, Walt made four during the decade. We already saw one, Summer Magic, back in September. Family Band had more of an uphill climb to begin with. It's development began just as Walt passed away, and by the time it came out, musicals were beginning to fall out of favor with moviegoers. Let's head to Nebraska to see if this tale of a family getting involved in the infamous contested election of 1888 is worthy of our vote...

The Story: The Bowery family are farmers who double as a brass band in the Midwest in 1888. Grandpa (Brennan), a devoted Democrat, is delighted when they win a trip to the Democratic Convention to nominate Grover Cleveland. Oldest daughter Alice (Warren) is more interested in Joe Carver, the good-looking newspaper publisher (Davidson) she's been exchanging letters with. Joe persuades the family to give up their trip in favor of moving to the Republican-dominated Dakota Territory.

Feisty Grandpa's opinions and his insistence on keeping Dakota one state doesn't go over well with the other citizens of the town. They would prefer to vote for Benjamin Harrison, who would split the territory in two and send four Republican senators to Congress. When Grandpa takes over for Alice for a day in school and teaches the kids about his opinions, the entire town winds up being up in arms. Calvin (Buddy Ebsen), the head of the family, sends Grandpa away until he apologizes. Alice splits with Joe over his feelings on Grandpa and the Democrats as well.

There's surprises galore on the night of the election, which doesn't go as anyone expects. When a riot starts during the town's Election Day party, it's the Family Band who reminds the townspeople that there's a time to fight, and a time to join together, no matter which side of the political divide you're on.

The Song and Dance: Brennan's the stand-out here as the strong-willed old man who is determined to make his opinions be heard and show others that they can have a voice, too. I also like a blustery Wally Cox as the head of the school board and the Republican party in town and Buddy Ebsen and Janet Blair as the Bower parents. The cinematography, especially during the dance numbers and when they're traveling to the Dakota Territory, is also quite lovely.

Favorite Number: There's three really fun chorus dance routines here, the Family Band's "Ten Feet Off the Ground" and "Let's Put It Over With Grover" in the beginning and "West O' the Wide Missouri" performed by the townspeople at the Election Day party near the end. The high spirits in "Ten Feet," coupled with this being the movie's best song, makes it a highlight. Goldie Hawn (in her first film) has a nice dance-off with Warren in "Missouri." Warren and Davidson get one of the Sherman Brothers' rare love songs about mid-way through the movie, the charming "'Bout Time."

Trivia: According to Wikipedia, this was supposed to have been at least a half-hour longer. Two solos for Calvin and Katie, "Westerin'" and "I Couldn't Have Dreamed It Better," were cut for the film's run at Radio City Music Hall. The footage seems to have since been lost, although sheet music does exist.

What I Don't Like: A contested election is a pretty strange subject for a musical, and the music does get lost amid the political wrangling at times, especially during the middle part with Grandpa and the school. Not to mention, you might not get a lot of what's going on if you don't know anything about American history, especially the history of the West and the push to the western states. Despite this being about the family, the other kids besides Alice barely register. Davidson is a bit on the dull side as the supposedly strong-minded newspaper man (although his "Dakota" is appropriately stirring).

The Big Finale: This charming musical has some great numbers and decent performances that (almost) make up for the thin and occasionally dull plot. Look it up if you need something fun and unusual for your own family band to watch on Election Day.

Home Media: The solo DVD for this one that I own is out of print, but can be found for fairly cheap. (And alas, unlike Summer Magic, it's in fullscreen.) You may be better off picking it up as part of a four-movie "Classics" set that also includes the fantasies The Gnome Mobile and Darby O'Gill and the Little People and the previous Warren-Davidson musical The Happiest Millionaire.

DVD
Disney 4-Movie Collection: Classics DVD