Customer Reviews

Atta Girl Kelly Disney Exclusive

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This was originally a three-part film for the TV series Wonderful World of Disney. It tells the story of a dog raised to be a Seeing Eye for the blind. It was filmed on location at the Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ. The movie covers the different chapters in the dog's life: first he is raised as a puppy by a family with a young boy. Then the dog must, sadly, leave the boy, forget him, and get trained to become a Seeing Eye. Finally, the dog becomes a lifelong Seeing Eye for one master. There are complications and drama along the way. This is perhaps the only film ever made about Seeing Eye dogs, much like Disney's Almost Angels is the only film ever made about the Vienna Boys Choir. Both films are masterpieces of their kind. I get a warm feeling from this movie. It is full of lessons about life that apply to anyone, not just the blind or dog owners. Any child and many adults will be enriched by viewing this film.

I loved the way Disney presented this Disney Exclusive edition. It appears as it did on the Wonderful World of Disney in three parts with Walt's intro (maybe the brief intro edited in a minor way but not entirely sure). Still I watched it over three separate weeks as if watching the old show - that was a hard task - as painfully wanted to see what would happen to Kelly.

Do I like the way of presentation as it was? Yes. It might be great to see it edited into a complete movie but as a three-parter and with original Wonderful World of Disney intro & endings, it was good to relive old memories.

I love this film... well I love any Disney... but these films always had a 'feel good' nature. Atta Girl Kelly is no exception and also good to see a special feature included in this edition. It is a heart-warming classic and a Disney must have before it vanishes into the unavailable list.

STORY: A heart-warming story of a young boy in the 4-H Club, who is given a 12 week old German Shepherd puppy to raise until she is old enough to begin training as an aide dog for the blind at the Seeing Eye, the oldest such school in America. After entering training, Kelly escapes from the school and finds her way back to Danny. Matt, (Beau Bridges) Kelly's new trainer gets attached to her. She does not work out with her first blind owner, and the dogs new owner she was trained for does not have much faith in her compared to his previous working dog. Will she succeed as a working dog and prove herself?

TRIVIA & BEHIND THE SCENES: Directed by James Sheldon. Screenplay by Albert Aley.
If you look at the scene where the boy is given a book, the book is by Dr. W.W. Retlaw, a pen name for Walt Disney, Retlaw being Walter spelled backwards. (On occasion he used Yesnid as well). While interiors were shot on Disney Studio soundstages, location shooting occurred in Morristown, New Jersey, t the actual campus of the Seeing Eye school. The film proved so popular that The Seeing Eye established "Kelly's Fan Club" and sent regular newsletters to its members. In the 1966 annual audio holiday message for Seeing Eye graduates from the school, a special surprise was included, being a greeting message from Walt Disney himself. The film was produced as a 3 part movie made for the NBC television show, "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color". The 1st episode was called K for Kelly, 2nd was Dog of Destiny, 3rd was The Seeing Eye. It aired for the first time during season 13, on March 5, 12, and 19, 1967. It re-aired on the show in May, of 1972, with the Disney show itself having a new name, "Wonderful World of Disney". It has been edited from the 3 episodes into an uninterrupted movie for this release. Running time as edited is 139 minutes. It is not in widescreen as its original ratio being made for television was 1:33:1. In 1984 the Disney studio produced another movie about the creation of The Seeing Eye School called, "Love Leads the Way", which has been released on VHS.
DVD Extra: A short featurette "The Wonderful World of Guide Dogs", about The Seeing Eye School, the world's oldest guide dog school. Also has Walt Disney's 1966 Christmas Message to the graduates of the Seeing Eye (Audio Only). A big thank you to Disney for including these extras!

I remember watching this movie on TV's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Disney in the 1970s, and I loved it as a kid. I have tried to find the DVD of this same movie for a while years later, and I am thrilled that Amazon.com has them now, through marketplace sellers! :) This is a wonderful movie for both kids and adults about Seeing Eye Dogs.

This story was originally presented in three parts on NBC's WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR, and chronicles the experiences of a guide dog for the blind, specifically one from the Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ, as she grows from puppyhood to her final mission in life: serving as eyes for her human owner. Kelly is at first raised and trained in the basics by farm boy Danny Richards as a 4H project. It grieves them both when Kelly is returned to the Seeing Eye center to be trained for service by Matt Howell. Finally we find out if Kelly will bond with her new owner, Evan Clayton--or if she still long for Danny's company. A bit staid and stiff by today's standards, even with Kelly's mischievous antics in the first third of the story, but still a favorite of mine as eighteen months in the life of a German Shepherd guide dog. Perfect for everyone in the family.

(A note of trivia: attorney Clayton is played by Arthur Hill, and one of his compatriots at the training center in Morristown is played by James Olson. Four years later they would co-star in the movie thriller THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN.)