{"id":51166,"date":"2017-01-10T08:32:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T13:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=51166"},"modified":"2022-02-05T23:24:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T04:24:52","slug":"movie-review-summer-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-summer-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Summer Magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"summer-magic-dvd-cover\"DVD Cover Copyright Disney<\/em><\/p>\n

A musical drama and comedy based on Kate Douglas Wiggin\u2019s 1911 novel Mother Carey’s Chickens<\/em>, Summer Magic<\/em> was theatrically released on July 7, 1963. The live action film is 110 minutes in length.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Boston, the Carey family, which consists of a mother named Margaret (Dorothy McGuire), a teenage daughter named Nancy (Hayley Mills), a teenage son named Gilly (Eddie Hodges), and a younger son named Peter (Jimmy Mathers), is in dire straits after the loss of the family patriarch. The Careys, a wealthy clan with multiple maids, are now forced to sell many of their belongings and plan to move to a less luxurious house elsewhere in Boston. The family\u2019s downward trajectory seemingly intensifies when Mrs. Carey is informed that the mining investments made by her late husband are worthless and that she cannot afford the new home she was planning on purchasing. Where will the family live now?<\/p>\n

Well, it is always a good idea to have a backup plan, and through the telling of a deceitful story about her family\u2019s makeup, Nancy has successfully secured a new house for the Careys in Beulah, Maine. While vacationing in that rural town several years back, the family had noticed an attractive vacant yellow house. Remembering this house, Nancy wrote to a local magistrate and general store proprietor, Osh Popham (Burl Ives), who is touched by Nancy\u2019s fabricated story and agrees to allow, with the supposed concurrence of the dwelling\u2019s absentee owner, Tom Hamilton (Peter Brown), the Careys to live there. Despite Nancy\u2019s lie, Mr. Popham proves to be a genuinely nice man, and he and the Careys become close friends.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for all involved, Mr. Popham has himself told a lie to, or at least withheld some key information from, Mr. Hamilton. The absentee owner has no idea that Mr. Popham has given his property to a family with no money, and, if he returns, he will likely be less accommodating than Mr. Popham. How will this story end?<\/p>\n

Plot Comment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Summer Magic<\/em>\u2019s plot is often superficial and forced\u2014for example, I found the almost immediate change in the relationship between Nancy and her cousin Julia Carey (Deborah Walley) awkward, and the antagonistic vibe of Mr. Popham\u2019s wife, Mariah Popham (Una Merkel), unfulfilling\u2014but the film\u2019s evolving journey mitigates the importance of a strong plot.<\/p>\n

\"summer-magic-pinterest\"<\/p>\n

Photo Copyright The Mouse For Less<\/em><\/p>\n

Symbolism<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sky shown over Summer Magic<\/em>\u2019s opening credits symbolizes the battle between hope and despair that is fought over the course of the film. This particular sky features sunlight attempting to battle through dark storm clouds.<\/p>\n

Coming Together<\/strong><\/p>\n

The various inhabitants of Beulah are in some respects vastly different. The Careys are used to a cosmopolitan urban lifestyle, the Pophams are accustomed to a more secluded and tight-knit rural vibe, and the animals go along with the flow. Furthermore, Mr. Popham is an optimist, Mrs. Popham is a pessimist, and Gilly\u2019s treasures are Nancy\u2019s junk. Nonetheless, the town\u2019s occupants unite into homeostasis.<\/p>\n

Especially during the first half of the film, a debate occurs over the respective merits of rural life and urban life. Seeing from Mr. Hamilton\u2019s arguments with Thomas Jefferson that the former prefers cities to rural areas, it is no surprise that Hamilton has vacated his home in Beulah\u2026err, never mind; the movie features Tom Hamilton, not Alexander Hamilton.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

Richard and Robert Sherman, the brothers who were named Disney Legends in 1990, composed seven lyrical numbers for Summer Magic<\/em>: \u201cFlitterin’,\u201d \u201cBeautiful Beulah,\u201d \u201cSummer Magic,\u201d \u201cPink of Perfection,\u201d \u201cUgly Bug Ball,\u201d \u201cOn the Front Porch,\u201d and \u201cFemininity.\u201d<\/p>\n

At worst, all of the songs adequately complement the moods of their corresponding scenes, and, at best, you will have them stuck in your head for a while after the movie. \u201cOn the Front Porch\u201d and especially \u201cSummer Magic\u201d are beautiful songs, the former sung while the characters unwind on the porch after a day of celebration and the latter brilliantly juxtaposed with images of natural settings. My favorite number, however, is \u201cUgly Bug Ball\u201d; this tune is fun and extraordinarily catchy. Almost as catchy, though pessimistic in nature, is \u201cPink of Perfection,\u201d which uses short beats to highlight Julia Carey\u2019s haughty attitude.<\/p>\n

The Sherman Brothers: Reminiscences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reflecting on Robert Sherman\u2019s role in Summer Magic <\/em>years later with Robert\u2019s son Robbie Sherman, Disney historian Jim Korkis said: \u201cI think it is especially significant that Robert Sherman always said that his favorite song that he wrote for Disney was \u2018On the Front Porch\u2019 from the 1963 live-action Hayley Mills musical film Summer Magic<\/em>. The film is filled with some wonderful tunes by the Sherman Brothers, including \u2018Flitterin\u2019 and \u2018Beautiful Beulah,\u2019 as well as the hit \u2018The Ugly Bug Ball\u2019 sung by Burl Ives.<\/p>\n

\u2018Walt didn\u2019t like the negative connotation of the word \u2018ugly\u2019 so we had to work hard to convince him that one bug doesn\u2019t think of another bug as ugly,\u2019 Robert said.<\/p>\n

Yet, Robert chose \u2018On the Front Porch\u2019 as his favorite. It is a soothing song hidden in the film with no choreography or special effects or animation. The song simply says that after a long hard day, it is nice to sit on the front porch with friends and family and sing a little and maybe share a story or two.<\/p>\n

\u2018Of the hundreds of songs we wrote for Walt Disney, I really love that one,\u2019 wrote Robert in his autobiography.<\/p>\n

The first copy of the published sheet music was sent to the Sherman Brothers\u2019 mom and dad with the inscription: \u2018To Mom & Dad\u2014This is the 1st copy and it\u2019s for you, with all our love, for all the years of magic\u2014summer & winter\u2014that you performed on us\u2014because at times, only magic would work! Love Bob & Dick\u2019<\/p>\n

While they referred to themselves as Bob and Dick, professionally they were always known by their more formal names.<\/p>\n

\u2018In our early published music, we were credited as \u2018Bob Sherman and Dick Sherman.\u2019 Walt took us aside one day and suggested we become Robert and Richard. \u2018It’s got more dignity\u2019 he assured us. We added the middle initial, and on our bylines that\u2019s who we\u2019ve been ever since,\u2019 Richard told the authors of Walt\u2019s Time<\/em>.\u201d (1)<\/p>\n

Considering that the Sherman Brothers wrote music for such classic films as The Parent Trap <\/em>(1961); The Sword in the Stone <\/em>(1963); Mary Poppins <\/em>(1964); The Jungle Book <\/em>(1967); Bedknobs and Broomsticks <\/em>(1971); and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh <\/em>(1977), not to mention soundtracks for such classic theme park attractions as \u201cIt\u2019s a Small World\u201d and \u201cWalt Disney\u2019s Carousel of Progress,\u201d it is interesting that Robert Sherman\u2019s favorite song from his long Disney career was an effort from the more-overlooked Summer Magic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Humorous moments occur throughout Summer Magic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Speaking to her family\u2019s two maids in the film\u2019s opening moments, Nancy relays a story where another family enduring a financial crisis keeps its maid despite moving out of a grand castle, because said maid elects to serve for free. Unfortunately for Nancy and the Careys, their maids have already secured another job, which will pay them five dollars more each month than the Careys are currently paying them. Oh well; it was worth a try!<\/p>\n

Mr. Popham has written Mr. Hamilton about the arrival of the Careys; he just does not plan on mailing the letters.<\/p>\n

Mr. Popham concocts a story about the importance of a non-existent painting of Mr. Hamilton\u2019s mother. This tall tale takes on a life of its own during the film\u2019s concluding scenes.<\/p>\n

Peter Carey agrees to board an extremely shaggy dog named Sam.<\/p>\n

Nancy really likes college football! She describes a play that Beulah\u2019s new schoolteacher, Charles Bryant (James Stacy), made for Brown University in a game against Dartmouth University as \u201ca glorious moment in the great American scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Summer Magic <\/em>features a Mariah and several Careys, songs such as \u201cFantasy,\u201d \u201cI Still Believe,\u201d and \u201cMy All\u201d are not included in the film.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

Summer Magic <\/em>marked the fourth of Hayley Mills\u2019s six Disney films in as many years, following Pollyanna <\/em>(1960), The Parent Trap<\/em>, and In Search of the Castaways <\/em>(1962); and preceding The Moon-Spinners <\/em>(1964) and That Darn Cat! <\/em>(1965).<\/p>\n

Dorothy McGuire had previously starred in Old Yeller <\/em>(1957) and Swiss Family Robinson <\/em>(1960) for Disney. In the latter effort, McGuire played the wife of a character, Mr. Robinson, who was portrayed by Hayley Mills\u2019s father, John Mills.<\/p>\n

Shaggy dogs were also featured in The Shaggy Dog <\/em>(1959), The Shaggy D.A. <\/em>(1976), and The Shaggy Dog <\/em>(2006).<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Osh Popham\u2019s name is inscribed on the windows at the southwest entrance to the Emporium store on Main Street U.S.A. at Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom. Popham serves as the store\u2019s \u201cproprietor,\u201d though you probably will not see him inside. In this regard, Mr. Popham is to the Emporium what Mr. Hamilton was to the yellow house in Summer Magic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the plot of Summer Magic <\/em>is somewhat disjointed, the film is a fun ride with great music and some good laughs.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Korkis, J. (2015, April 22). Robert B. Sherman Through the Eyes of His Son Robbie. Retrieved December 25, 2016, from https:\/\/www.mouseplanet.com\/10999\/Robert_B_Sherman_Through_the_Eyes_of_His_Son_Robbie<\/a><\/p>\n

What do you think of Summer Magic? Let me know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sponsored Ad:<\/strong>\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing Summer Magic<\/em><\/a> from our Affiliate Link through Amazon. Thanks so much for your support!<\/p>\n

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