Follow Me, Boys! (DVD, 2004)

It seems that Disney just can't get consistent with the quality of their DVD releases.

While the film stands on its own as an American treasure, the opportunity to optimize the DVD format for "Follow Me Boys" has been completely squandered.

While the Bonus Features give us a gallery of photos (which are much too small to even appreciate), only "Looking Back at Lem's Boys" is offered in our bonus package (that is, if you don't count the opportunities to "Register Your DVD" or return to "Main Menu."

"Looking Back at Lem's Boys" bonus is nice, in that it's the reflection of several of the young actors in the film who are now grown men in their 50's. Even so, if this piece cost more than a thousand bucks for Disney to produce, someone got robbed. Most amateur videographers could match the quality of this presentation.

During the "Looking Back" presentation, some politically correct genius chose to digitally remove all traces of the cigarette that Walt Disney was smoking while talking with Fred McMurray on the set of this film. Such an assault on historical integrity is absurd... particularly in that Disney died of lung cancer only weeks after the film was released.

Sadly, DisneyDVD has missed the opportunity to provide a QUALITY release (one worth of the name "Disney"), which should have included:

- a documentary on the magnificent career of one of Hollywood's most beloved actors: Fred McMurray

- a film commentary by Kurt Russell

- biographies of a stellar cast, including screen legend Lillian Gish; Vera Miles; Luana Patten ("Song of the South" and "So Dear to My Heart"); Charlie Ruggles (namesake of the early Disneyland Main Street U.S.A. shop "Ruggles China and Gift House"). A "where are they now" feature on the cast of boys from the film would have been a great addition.

- A feature on set decorator Emile Kuri and Special effects man, Eustace Lycett. The importance of their work on Disney films is incalculable, and yet is commonly overlooked by today's audiences.

- A feature on Walt Disney's significant contribution as story man on this feature film would have been an appropriate tribute. His personal contribution directly shaped the film that would finally be made.

- Walt's personal filmed introduction for "Follow Me Boys" should have been included. Even A&E included this on their recent salute to Kurt Russell; yet somehow DisneyDVD saw it as unnecessary. Unbelievable! Ironically, as the select "premieres" for "Follow Me Boys" were taking place throughout the country in December of 1966, this filmed introduction was played even newspaper headlines revealed that Walt Disney had succumbed to cancer. The high significance of Walt's own words was a magnificent affirmation of Kurt Russell's talent and of Walt's high hopes for Russell's career. Sadly, a generation of new Disney viewers may never hear this touching final story from the master storyteller himself.

We'll just call it... "opportunity lost".