TCM presents the fifth installment of Treasures from the DIsney Vault hosted by film critic Leonard Maltin -- an ongoing showcase of classics from the acclaimed Disney Library that encompasses live action films, animated shorts and features, documentaries, and TV movies and shows.
All except one of the films in this installment are TCM premieres (Never Cry Wolf 1983 is the exception). Films include So Dear to My Heart (1948), a charming blend of live action and animation that tells the story of a young boy (Bobby Driscoll) in 1903 Indiana, who raises a black wool lamb to be a prizewinner at the County Fair. Also being shown are three classic cartoon shorts: The Grasshopper and the Ants (1934), Rescue Dog (1947) and Corn Chips (1951). Babes in Toyland (1961), a feature-length musical based on the Christmas-themed Victor Herbert operetta stars Ray Bolger and Annette Funicello.
Suitable for December, the final three 'treasures' have polar settings. White Wilderness (1958), part of Disney's "True-Life Adventure" documentary series, was filmed on location in the Arctic and features polar bears, walruses, wolves and other creatures. The cartoon Polar Trappers (1938) featuring Donald Duck and Goofy is set at the South Pole, while the feature film The Island at the Top of the World (1974) tells of an expedition to the Arctic where a British aristocrat (Donald Sinden) hopes to find his lost son.