The Disney company has continued to mine their studio vaults for more interesting shows to release on DVD.  The latest wave of Walt Disney Treasures tins includes a show that was so popular when it was originally broadcast that it garnered more fan mail than Davy Crockett: Spin and Marty.  This show was a serialized on the Mickey Mouse Club program, five days a week.  Though there aren't cliffhangers like the old movie serials, this serial was able to keep viewers tuning in based on the enticing characters and the interesting stories.  Now that the entire first season is available on DVD, kids of all ages can rediscover this fun show.

The Triple R Ranch is a camp for boys.  Each summer the farm is filled with city kids who get a chance to ride horses and partake in other ranch activities.  The series starts with another group of kids arriving for the summer.  Spin (Tim Considine), the most popular boy the previous year, has worked two paper routes all year in order to afford the camp.  He and the other campers take to the ranch like ducks to water.

The last boy to arrive isn't like everyone else though.  Marty is a rich snob, and as soon as he shows up with his butler you know that things aren't going to be the same at the Triple R.  Marty doesn't like the outdoors calls the camp "a dirty old ranch" earning him the ire of the other campers.  Part of his problem is that Marty has never had the chance to play with other children his own age, and though he's rich, isn't really a happy child.

Spin and Marty don't get along at first, playing pranks on each other (Spin puts a frog in Marty's bed and Marty dresses up as a ghost to scare Spin) which leads to a boxing match between the two rivals.  Eventually, the two boys become the best of friends and have a lot of fun and adventures over the corse of the summer.  The go on a snipe hunt, get chased by a baby bear, and wind up their tenure at the Triple R with a junior rodeo.

This is a charming that manages to hold up pretty well.  Sure the stories are trite and predictable, and the show is more than a little corny, but it has a sense of innocense that makes it easy to overlook those flaws.  The simple plot lines harken back to an earlier time in life when waking up to find a frog in your bunk was the worst thing that could happen to you, and every bully eventually got his comeuppance.

Part of the appeal of the show is that the ranch itself is every kid's dream: a place where you get to take care of your own horse, learn to ride and rope, have cook outs and races, what a paradise.  Even though I'm more than a few summers past the age of the kids in the show, it's easy to remember how much fun something like that would have been.

Another reason for the show's popularity in the 50's was that this was one of the few TV shows that were aimed at young teens.  While most of the programing was either cartoons or shows where adults interacted with puppets as though they were real, Spin and Marty was a light hearted drama that didn't talk down to kids.  The campers had to solve their problems by themselves (for the most part) and handle their problems like the young adults that they are.

This is a nice set, presenting only the Spin and Marty segments from the Micky Mouse Club show (with the exception of the first episode, which has the entire Club episode included as an extra.)  The only gripe I have is that the shows end abruptly.  I seem to remember that there were originally teasers for the next episode after each segment, but I could be mistaken on that point.

These two discs come in a double width keepcase which is housed in a tin case.  The sets are limited to 125,000 copies, and a numbers certificate is enclosed along with an insert reproducing the cover of a Walt Disney Presents comic book which features the show.  There is also an 8-page booklet included.

Audio:

The two channel mono soundtrack has been cleaned up and sounds good.  There is some very minor distortion in one or two places in the set, but this is very rare.  Being a 50's TV show, there isn't a lot of range but the soundtrack fits the show well.  Hiss and background noise are missing, and the dialog if fairly crisp.  A good sounding disc.

Video:

I was very pleased with the video quality of the shows themselves.   The full frame black and white image has been restored and looks great.  There is very good definition and contrast, and the level of detail is excellent.  The blacks are solid and the lines are crisp.  Though the clips from Spin and Marty that are shown in the bonus features don't look as nice, fans will be very pleased with this set.

Extras:

While there weren't a lot of extras included with this set, the bonus material that was included is very good.  I'll take quality over quantity any day.

On the first disc there is the entire episode of the Mickey Mouse Club that introduced Spin and Marty way back on November 4th, 1955.  It was fun to see the full version of this show again, but the Club has never been my favorite Disney show so I'm glad that they only included this single episode.  The Mouseketters are a little too perky for my tastes (even when I was a kid) and their song and dance numbers never really did anything for me.

Tim Considine who played Spin originally tried out (and was cast) for the role of Marty.  His screen test is included, and it was interesting to see him play the other major role in the series.

The first disc wraps up with two photo galleries: one showcasing the merchendise for the show, and the other filled with behind the scenes shots.

Disc two has the most interesting bonus features.  Return to the Triple R has Tim Considine (Spin) and David Stollery (Marty) giving a tour of the ranch where the series was shot and reminiscing about their time with the show.  This was a lot of fun and really enjoyable.

Back in the Saddle with Harry Carey Jr. is an interview with the actor who played Bill Burnett.  He talks about the shooting schedule and how much they had to do each day, as well as revealing some interesting anecdotes about the show.

Overall, I was pleased with these extras, though I really wish they had given  Considine and Stollery the chance to do a commentary to a couple of the episodes.

Final Thoughts:

Spin and Marty is an enjoyable show that really has that 50's Disney feel.  It portrays a simpler world but still has a lot of charm.  The show has actually aged pretty well for the most part.  Yes, some of the dialog is corny to today's ears and the plots are fairly simple, but this show still gives viewers a good ride.  Today's children, raised on Power Rangers and action films, might not get the same sense of adventure out of the show as those who watched it as kids decades ago, but that doesn't mean that this isn't a lot of fun.   The restored image looks very good, and the audio, while not incredibly dynamic, is good for the show.  Disney has done it again putting out another Tresure edition that is Highly Recommneded.