An Adventure in Color/Mathmagicland (1961)

2 months ago
42

This episode, which is split into two segments, is called "Color"/"Mathmagicland". This was the first episode of the Disneyland series broadcast on NBC after seven years on ABC. This was because NBC could broadcast the program in color, while ABC could not, at that particular time.

In the first half of the program, Walt Disney gives a brief history of animation, from silent film-era, to sound cartoons, which brought on the Silly Symphonies, to the first color catroon, "Flowers and Trees". He then turns the program over to Ludwig Von Drake, who instructs viewers about colors and how they work. Part of Walt's host segment in this part of the program features stuff seen in "The Story of the Animated Drawing".

In the second half of the program, we learn that mathmetics is not only the process of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers, but can be seen just about anywhere, and in just about anything. Math's role in music, buildings, and games are noted with Donald Duck being guided throughout the adventure by the spirit of Mathmagicland.

Of note, not only is this episode noted for being the first of the series done by NBC, it also features the voice acting talents of Paul Frees, who voices Ludwig Von Drake, as well as the spirit of Mathmagicland. In later years, Frees also voiced over the Jay Ward cartoons and had a major role in the 1967 H-B Fantastic Four series, voicing both Ben Grimm/The Thing and the Watcher, among other things. Frees also was also the voice for two of the most popular Disney theme park attractions, "The Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Haunted Mansion" for many years, even after his death in 1986.

All rights and credits go to the Walt Disney Company and those that created the video and audio, including the music used in the program. That includes the Disney Channel, as this came from the Vault Disney block they had until 2002.

If there are any others who I'm forgetting, please let me know so I can add them to the list of those to credit.

There's a chance that this will be taken down, not allowed up, or I'l be asked to take it down. If I'm asked to, I will take it down.

Loading comments...