Button Willow

The Man From Button Willow [VHS]

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-02-24
Summary: "RARE animated musical westen"

This is a really rare animated western story set in the late 1800's, with a historic group of actors for the voices . It features the voice talents of cowboy star Dale Robertson in the lead as rancher Justin Eagle; Howard Keel who sings the really nice title song; Barbara Jen Wong as voice of Stormy; Other voice actors include singing and ukulele star Cliff Edwards (also the voice of Disney's Jiminy Cricket); Herschel Bernardi (also known for Charlie the Tuna voice) and Pinto Colvig who had a huge voice career, including 10 years as Bozo; at Disney he voiced Goofy, Practical Pig, Pluto, Sleepy and Grumpy; Gabby and Bluto for Fleischer Studios; and a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz. He was also a animator and a writer. Ross Martin plays the voice of Andy, as well as the Senator. Edgar Buchanan stars as Sorry.
In the story, a rancher lives on a racnh called "the Eagles Nest". He goes by the name of Justin Eagle and goes undercover to investigate the kidnapping of a US Senator as part of a larger land grab scheme. The senator was investigating an issue involving the railroads expanse into the West, and how some shady characters are exploiting situation by buying the land in advance of the railroad buying it and jacking up the price. Eagle has an adopted Japanese daughter named Stormy, and a sidekick named Sorry. We get a lot of scenes of his home life with the animals including horses, dog, a skunk, and a carrier pigeon, and even a tussle with a mountain lion. There are a few songs. The music for the title song was written by George Bruns, a studio composer at Disney, and he also wrote the music for "rare but fun western, great for the kids.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-09-07
Summary: "Clever and Funny"

Dale Robertson had a distinctive voice in his many cowboy features, but this animated film of which he is the star beats all. Even with that marvelous Howard Keel with his superior singing voice and superior good looks, this is Dale Robertson's movie all the way animated or not. It was a total surprise to me for such a good "cowboy" actor to sponsor a children's feature. It was a bit before my time so, if it was shown in theaters, somehow I missed it. I think I viewed every cowboy movie worth watching, and my favorites on t.v. If you can get your hands on this unusual video, by all means, it is worth every penny because of its (and his) humor in story telling. The title sounds like something Doris Day would sing her heart out to a phantom lover.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-07-12
Summary: "Speedy delivery"

Is very pleased. Was expecting my delivery in august and received it more than a month before I expected it.

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Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2009-06-06
Summary: "Obscure animated western"

The distributor of "The Man from Button Willow," UNITED SCREEN ARTS was partly-owned by the picture's star, Dale Robertson.

SYNOPSIS--
A live-action Robertson introduces the story.
In 1869, Justin Eagle, an American rancher doubling as an undercover agent is asked to rescue a kidnapped senator and aid local property owners against underhanded RR land speculators. But first comes scenes of his home, "The Eagle's Nest," and life with sidekick Sorry and Justin's Chinese ward, Stormy.


"Button Willow" is available in a slimline-cased DVD.


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 viewer poll rating found at a film resource website.

(5.2) The Man from Button Willow (animated-1965) - voices of: Dale Robertson/Edgar Buchanan/Howard Keel/Barbara Jean Wong/Herschel Bernardi/Pinto Colvig/Ross Martin/Cliff Edwards/Verna Felton/Edward Platt


TRIVIANA:
TV western star DALE ROBERTSON (Justin) served on a tank crew in WWII. He fought in North Africa and Europe and was twice wounded.

EDGAR BUCHANAN (Sorry) practiced dentistry until age 38, when he became an actor.

BARBARA JEAN WONG (Stormy) was a regular on the Amos 'n' Andy radio program.

HERSCHEL BERNARDI portrayed hipster "Charlie the Tuna" in 1960s Chicken of the Sea TV commercials.

Cartoon specialist PINTO COLVIG created the voice of Disney's Goofy and Fleischer's Gabby, the Lilliput town crier. Colvig was also all three voices in the "Mayor of Munchkin City" scene from THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) (VHS) (DVD).

CLIFF EDWARDS won an Oscar as Jiminy Cricket for his rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star," in Disney's PINOCCHIO (1940) (VHS) (DVD). During the 20s, he was a scat-singing Hot Jazzer nicknamed "Ukulele Ike."

Five months after this picture's release, ROSS MARTIN (Senator Freeman) co-starred as Artemis Gordon on the western TV series, THE WILD, WILD WEST<--(DVD).