The Happiest Millionaire (Disney) (1967)

Mat HAP 2-0 (Available in standard 2 col. width and coarse screen) © 1967 Walt Disney Productions Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson meet for the first time and sing and waltz to the tune of “Are We Dancing?” in this scene from Walt Disney’s “The Happiest Millionaire.” Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, the film stars Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson and Geraldine Page, co-stars Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley, and introduces Miss Warren and Davidson. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, whose work on “Mary Poppins” brought them two Academy Awards, have written eleven new songs for the musical comedy. Antics Of Eccentric Millionaire Spark Humor In New Walt Disney Movie “When a man is rich he can darn well do just about anything that strikes his fancy.” That was one credo among many of the late Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, whose colorful biography provides the basis for Walt Disney’s latest musical comedy, “The Happiest Millionaire.” Fred MacMurray stars in the title role, sharing billing with Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, Geraldine Page, Gladys Cooper, Hermione Baddeley, Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson. Biddle, who dedicated his life to disproving the old adage that money and happiness don’t mix, filled his Philadelphia mansion with fisticuffs and jujitsu matches in the parlor, alligators splashing in the conservatory, and physical fitness drills to the steppedup rhythms of church hymns in the gymnasium. His financial freedom and individualistic attitude led to the far-fetched predicaments which made his domestic life exciting, funny and dramatically happy-go-lucky. Actually, Biddle was an expert pugilist who often sparred with the likes of Gene Tunney, Jack O’Brien and Bob Fitzsimmons. To the distress of his social peers, he became amateur heavyweight boxing champion of the country and did much to promote the fighting game. He later excelled in practically every existing form of hand-to-hand combat sharing his unique talents with the Philadelphia Police Department, the FBI, and, during both World Wars, the U.S. Marine Corps. As late as 1944, when he was 69 years old, a bald and paunchy yet strong Colonel Biddle personally grappled with class after class of Marine trainees, teaching them bayonet fighting techniques and how to beat the Japanese enemy at his own game, jujitsu. But it was Biddle’s more domestic eccentricities that outraged and baffled the upper crust of his day, for his wild antics and adventures frequently brought mayhem to his very doorstep on Walnut Street in Philadelphia. One time, for instance, he slogged and paddled through the swamps of Florida’s Everglades with Seminole Indians to catch a dozen alligators which he brought home for house pets. A religious man, sometimes to extremes, Biddle organized the famed Biddle Bible Classes which took a militant stand against all enemies of God, country and motherhood. At the beginning of World War I, over 200,000 men worldwide were enrolled with Biddle to sing the praises of physical fitness, self-defense and spiritual nourishment. “The Happiest Millionaire’ was based upon the book and Broadway play, “My Philadelphia Father,” coauthored by Cordelia Drexel Biddle and Kyle Crichton. In the film story, Lesley Ann Warren portrays young Cordelia, whose romance with Angier Buchanan Duke, played by John Davidson, is almost wrecked by the high spirited and comical rigors of the Biddle household. Eleven new songs were penned by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman for the production which Norman Tokar directed from a screenplay by A J Carothers. Bill Anderson co-produced the Buena Vista release with Walt Disney. Disney’s Luxurious Biddle Mansion Set Worth Half A Million Dollars The elaborate Biddle Mansion featured in “The Happiest Millionaire” is one of the most expensive interior sets ever constructed by Walt Disney Productions. Besides cost of building the set designed by Carroll Clark and John B. Mansbridge, close to $500,000 worth of silken wallpaper, crystal chandeliers, walnut paneling and priceless Georgian and early Victorian antiques were used by Disney decorators Emile Kuri and Frank McKelvy to furnish the eight-room spread of sets. In the 1916 film story, the house belongs to Philadelphia’s rich eccentric Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, portrayed by Fred MacMurray. It had to show elegance while lending itself to Biddle’s offbeat customs, such as keeping live alligators in the conservatory and holding judo demonstrations in the parlor. The antique furnishings include a hand-painted field desk used by Napoleon, a rare French piano featuring designs inlaid with every kind of fruitwood in the world, hand-painted Venetian cabinets, priceless handcarved Georgian chairs, an original Singer sewing machine and one of the original gas-electric kitchen ranges. So carefully were the sets fitted to the story that an important time change was made, although few who see the film can spot the difference. “The original Biddle home was built during the latter years of the Nineteenth century, and was furnished in the dark and heavy fashion of the early Twentieth century,” says Kuri, Mat HAP 2-P (Available in standard 2 col. width and coarse screen) chief set decorator at Disney’s. “Walt Disney, in his planning for the film, felt that this period was not in keeping with the light and airy feeling of our production. “Thus, we went back to the Georgian and early Victorian periods for our settings. Asa result, we kept faith with another day, while keeping faith, too, with our light-hearted story. “The entire set was decorated with the performers in mind?’ he continues. “We took into consideration the color of Greer Garson’s hair, the roughand-ready personality of Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, played by Fred MacMurray in the story, and the costumes of Geraldine Page and Gladys Cooper. In one room we even changed the color of a lamp shade so it would compliment the dress worn by Miss Cooper. “Set decorating is an exacting business. That’s why we use priceless antiques. And with the high quality of Technicolor filming these days, we have to be very careful that our colors blend and accent perfectly.” Emile Kuri has been nominated for an Academy Award nine times and has received two Oscars, one for his work on Disney’s ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” the other for William Wyler’s “The Heiress.” In addition to film work, he is also in charge of all decorating at Disneyland. “The Happiest Millionaire” was directed by Norman Tokar from a screenplay by A J Carothers based on the book and Broadway play by Cordelia Drexel Biddle and Kyle Crichton. Bill Anderson co-produced the Buena Vista release with Walt Disney. © 1967 Walt Disney Productions Smelling salts are applied to Charlie Taylor (Larry Merrill) by eccentric millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray ), in this scene from Walt Disney’s musical comedy, “The Happiest Millionaire.” Cordy Drexel Biddle (Lesley Ann Warren), Biddle’s daughter and Taylor’s girl friend, looks on in dismay. Taylor has been knocked out by her two boxing-minded brothers while waiting to take Cordy on a date. Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, “The Happiest Millionaire” stars MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson and Geraldine Page, co-stars Gladys Cooper and Hermione Baddeley, and introduces Miss Warren and John Davidson. Page 11