There's just something about the quality and authenticity of an old family movie that can't be replicated nowadays.

ডিজনি produced a looot of great live-action and hybrid চলচ্চিত্র over the years, but they always seem to get overshadowed দ্বারা the animated ones. (Not to knock the animated movies, I have a তালিকা of those on the way too.) Here are my শীর্ষ 10 live action and hybrid classics, for that good old fashioned ডিজনি feel:


#1 - Candleshoe (1977)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Helen Hayes, David Niven, Leo McKern, and Vivian Pickles
Casey Brown is a parentless delinquent living in Los Angeles with a foster family who sells her to a con man for a few hundred bucks. The con man plans to use her to খুঁজুন an English manor named Candleshoe for hidden treasure, দ্বারা convincing the sweet old lady who lives there that Casey is her long-lost granddaughter.

Candleshoe was part of a two-movie deal that Jodie Foster signed with Disney, and is often overlooked in favor of Freaky Friday. Freaky Friday is also a great movie, but I'll get to that later.

Candleshoe has been in constant competition with Bedknobs and Broomsticks as my #1 পছন্দ ডিজনি movie since I can remember, but at the time of writing, Candleshoe wins. Casey Brown, played দ্বারা a teenage Jodie Foster, is one of my পছন্দ characters ever. She's tough, she's smart, she takes no guff, and even accidentally discovers that she has a হৃদয় in the end. The young actors in the movie all worked incredibly well together, and it was very easy to believe that this odd assortment of people could become a real family. I প্রণয় the butler, Mr. Priory, and his unwavering dedication to Lady St. Edmund. And sorry, action movies, but Candleshoe's big fight scene between three teenage girls is better than yours.



#2 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Starring: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roy Snart, and Cindy O'Callaghan
Eglantine Price is an aspiring witch who is forced to take in three refugee children from London, sent to the safety of the countryside during WWII. The children discover that Miss Price is a witch and attempt to blackmail her, but she ends up striking up a deal with them when she needs them to travel to the city with her (via flying bed) to confront a professor about cancelling her witchcraft course. Once they locate him, the group sets out on a mission to find a spell to give life to inaminate objects, which Miss Price believes will help in the war effort.

Like Candleshoe, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is also overshadowed দ্বারা a similar film - this time, Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks share a number of similarities - a জনপ্রিয় British actress in the lead, David Tomlinson, and they are both live-animation hybrid musicals. B&B even uses a few songs left over from Mary Poppins, but in my humble opinion, B&B is a zillion times better.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is special to me because other than the Wicked Witch of the West, this was one of my first experiences with witches, which turned out to be a lifelong fascination. Witches can be good! (Sorry Glinda, I still find it hard to think of আপনি as a witch with that big পরাকাষ্ঠা bubble-mobile and all.)

B&B features a great cast, good music, out-of-this world অ্যানিমেশন sequences including an underwater dance and a mega-violent ফুটবল game, and the always hateable villain: Nazis. And let's not forget, this was made in 1971 - no easy CGI fixes. That makes it even আরো special, in my ancient mind. Portobello Road is one of my পছন্দ dance scenes ever. The সঙ্গীত is fantastic, although I must admit, I always skip "Nobody's Problems." It was added in the DVD release, but was not featured in the VHS version I memorized as a kid. I've watched the DVD version hundreds of times as a teenager and adult, and the beginning of this song still throws me off every time. আপনি were not part of my childhood, "Nobody's Problems"! Leave me alone!



#3 - Old Yeller (1957)
Starring: Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Dorothy McGuire, and Fess Parker
Travis Coates is a teenager in Texas in the late 1800s who must become the man of the house when his father leaves on a cattle drive. He is left with his mother, wild little brother Arliss, and an unwanted visitor in the form of a big yeller dog who scares their mule, wrecks their place and eats their dinner. Old Yeller is nothing but a thorn in Travis's side until he saves Arliss from a bear, then becomes a best friend to both of the boys... until that whole rabies thing.

I think this is how প্রণয় goes. আপনি resist as long as আপনি can. আপনি give in. আপনি become inseparable. And then one of আপনি dies. A cheery movie for the whole family, this one.

I loved this one as a kid, as I loved all animal movies, but I fell even harder as an adult. As a child, I was invested in the story and the characters, but as an adult I'm আরো appreciative of the the details in the set, the wardrobe, and the way it was filmed. Again, no CGI. This was 1957, and those were expertly trained জন্তু জানোয়ার and very carefully timed camera work. There may be a few above Old Yeller on my personal পছন্দ list, but I do believe this simple story about a boy and his dog is one of the greatest চলচ্চিত্র of all time.



#4 - Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Starring: John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and Janet Munro
A ship bound for New Guinea is chased into a storm দ্বারা pirates, wrecking and leaving a family stranded on an island. They make due with supplies and জন্তু জানোয়ার left on the ship and build a life (and the coolest treehouse ever) on the island. Facing the elements, unfriendly wildlife, and the return of the pirates, the family sticks together and fights for their happy ending.

If আপনি have the chance to watch this with the cast commentary, do it. The movie itself has always been a favorite, because who wouldn't want to get away from everyone and live in a beautiful island treehouse? But the commentary. Oh, man. Prepare for আরো amazement at the way চলচ্চিত্র used to be made. Remember that scene with the giant snake? That was a real snake. If আপনি can see the actor's face, the actor was there. Holding on to an anaconda for dear life. The details in the treehouse are mind-blowing. (The sink with running water has always been my পছন্দ detail.) This family built a dream world and constructed a series of traps for those filthy pirates worthy of a Kevin McAllister dream, all on their own. Self-sufficiency, movie-making, and a loving family at its best.



#5 - The Parent Trap (1961)
Starring: Hayley Mills, Hayley Mills, Maureen O'Hara, and Brian Keith
Two enemy lookalikes at summer camp stop trying to sabotage other long enough to discover they're twins, then become best বন্ধু and use their creative powers to get their parents back together and eliminate Dad's new fiance.

His and Hers kids. In the big picture, that sucks, but how cool would it be to find out আপনি have a twin? And then, of course, do everything in your power to ruin their life before actually realizing that she's your twin. Being a wicked child myself, I always thought the pranks were the best part of the movie. I mean, yeah, yay for Mom & Dad getting back together, but the the PRANKS. (The girls upped their game in the re-make, and it was a dream come true for Young Me.)



#6 - Pollyanna (1960)
Starring: Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, and Kevin Corcoran
After her father dies, an obnoxiously optimistic young girl named Pollyanna is sent to live with her rich aunt in the very unhappy town she basically owns. Pollyanna's sunny outlook on life eventually infects everyone else, and they end up bringing the joy to her when tragedy strikes in the end.

I always kinda thought Pollyanna was an annoying character as a kid, but it was one of my Mom's পছন্দ movies, so I ended up watching it a fair amount of times. Pollyanna has grown on me throughout the years. I'm still a pessimist known to growl "cram it, Pollyanna" at people who try to drag me to the bright side, but it's a good movie to watch when আপনি need a perspective shift. Even if it doesn't stick for আরো than a few hours.



#7 - Freaky Friday (1976)
Starring: Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, and John Astin
On Friday the 13th, a teenage girl and her mother wish to switch and প্রদর্শনী the other that she's the one who has it easy.

Again with the perspective, Disney. Annabelle and her mom Ellen both think the other has it easy - all Annabelle has is school, and what's Ellen have to do, laundry and a little cooking? The switch is funny at first, but দ্বারা the time the characters decide they want their own bodies back, I'm always kind of desperate for it to happen. Both Annabelle and Ellen are in over their heads, and being very familiar with the feeling, I want it to be over for them. That feeling aside, it's still a funny movie with a great cast and a life-swapping plot we've probably all thought about. Just don't say it out loud on Friday the 13th.



#8 - So Dear To My হৃদয় (1948)
Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Beulah Bondi, Burl Ives, and Luana Patten
A boy named Jeremiah dreams of owning a champion racehorse, but settles for a black sheep, much to the dismay of his grandmother. That darn মেষ causes nothing but trouble, but the boy loves him so much, Granny can't bring herself to serve him for dinner.

This is a hybrid film, and contains a fair amount of animated ফ্যান্টাসি sequences. What's interesting about the hybrid element of is that the অ্যানিমেশন doesn't have much interaction with the live-action. It adds an element of fun and lightens the tone of the movie, but if আপনি took out the অ্যানিমেশন completely, the human story would still feel complete.

So Dear to My হৃদয় is dear to my হৃদয় (ha) because I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned hybrid movie, and the characters and setting feel very real. The Kincaid family isn't perfect. They get angry, they get annoyed, but they all pull together for a happy ending - with lots of love, fun, and দিবাস্বপ্ন along the way.



#9 - Run, Appaloosa, Run (1966)
Starring: অ্যাডেলে Palacios, Walter Cloud, Wilbur Plaugher, and Jerry Gatlin
A trick rider named Mary Blackfeather rescues a young অশ্বশাবক named Holy Smoke from a river. She raises him, but is forced to sell him when her tribe needs money. Holy Smoke goes through a few undesirable owners before being reunited with Mary, who continues his training and competes in the Hell's Mountain Relay with him.

Run, Appaloosa, Run was part of the Wonderful World of ডিজনি প্রদর্শনী in the 60s, so it's a TV movie. This is one of my all-time favorites, and one of my first পছন্দ চলচ্চিত্র about a girl kicking ass. Mary rescues Holy Smoke twice - once from a river, and once from a humiliating life in the rodeo. Mary saved her horse's life and his dignity, and worked hard with him to win an epic race and become a champion. আপনি go, Mary and Holy Smoke.



#10 - Escape to Witch Mountain (1975)
Starring: Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards, and Eddie Albert
Tony and Tia, orphans with a shady past and special abilities, are adopted দ্বারা an "uncle" and taken to his boss, who plans to use them for financial gain. Tony and Tia are showered with gifts, but they escape when they figure out what the old jerks wants from them. They follow a map to a place called Witch Mountain, with their cat and a cranky old man they meet along the way.

Hitching a ride in a strange old man's RV is not a good idea, guys. However, since Escape is a ডিজনি movie and it all worked out for the best, it was the right call for these kids. =P It's an epic quest to find where আপনি belong, with awesome powers, unlikely friends, and a happy ending. (But do not watch the sequel.)



Honorable Mention: The Three Caballeros (1945)
Starring: Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito
Donald হাঁস receives a big box of film from his bird বন্ধু down south as a birthday gift.

This is a bunch of shorts mostly about birds in South America, so it's a great movie for the attention-span challenged. I watch this one maybe once a year, and there are a few bits I look অগ্রবর্তী to, and others I'm always surprised by, because I forget they're there. My পছন্দ are the hyper little bird with the obnoxious badapadapadap song that is now stuck in your head (sorry) and the cactus dance, which is just a great piece of animation.