Summer Magic

I absolutely love this movie. I saw it for the first time when I was about 5 or 6 and I am 27 now. It has some great songs and it is quite funny in some parts. Kids will especially love "The Ugly Bug Ball." It is entertaining enough to keep adults interested, but not too adult for young children. There are lots of actors that appear in other Disney movies from the same era, so most of the people are pretty recognizable. My husband is not a big fan of most "kid's" movies, but he really enjoyed Summer Magic when I made him watch it. I highly recommend this movie to anyone that likes old Disney movies or has children.

I have just watched Summer Magic again,it has been many years since I first saw the film. I enjoyed the film when it first came out and I still enjoyed it again today. It was one of those enjoyable films with a story and sheer entertainment, no swearing and a delight to watch. Great names like Burl Ives, Hayley Mills, Peter Brown etc, well do I need to go on, they all made the film. I was much younger when the first came out and my friend and I thought how wonderful it would be to walk down some stairs and have the lovely Peter Brown waiting for you. As I said I was younger then, but when I saw Summer Magic again today, I still had not changed my mind about Peter Brown waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me! I would recommend this film to everyone to watch.

Men, you will not like the same films that we girls do. Accept that before you accept my critique of Summer Magic. I have always loved this movie. I love the innocence of the Carey family. I love the stinging rivalry between our heroine, Nancy, and her uppity cousin. I love how different it is from our own time- "be demure, sweet and pure, hide the real you!" Oh yeah, and Hayley Mills is my hero! I watched everything I could of hers, even Pollyanna! Summer Magic was an old movie when I first saw it, in the 80s. Technology changes, as do the public's taste in films. No amount of pyrotechnics or weapon-play could save Summer Magic for the typical male of today. It's a movie about relationships, familial love, and unquenchable optimism. I expect no complaints from the gentlemen who disregard my caveats!

This movie is a remake of a movie called Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) Anne Shirley as Nancy Carey, Ruby Keeler as Kitty Carey, James Ellison as Ralph Thurston, Fay Bainter as Mrs. Carey, Walter Brennan as Mr. Popham, and Donnie Dunagan as Peter Carey. Both are really good family movies. Summer Magic is more on the musical end and Mother Carey's Chickens is more of the romance side. Both have a lot of love, kindness and care one for another.

SUMMER MAGIC is a sickly sweet Disney vehicle designed around blonde starlet Hayley Mills, fresh from the success of THE PARENT TRAP. The plot sees three spoilt city kids moving to the countryside, where they must adapt to rural life. This is twee indeed and the heartwarming messages certainly weren't appreciated by this viewer! Indeed, Disney is so fond of thrusting 'life lessons' down the throats of its child audience that I generally avoid their movies like the plague. Still, it could be much worse: SUMMER MAGIC is colourful, has some funny scenes, a lovable animal, and Mills actually displays some traces of acting talent here and there. However, by far the best thing about the movie is Burl Ives, a larger-than-life actor playing a larger-than-life character, and his rendition of the 'Ugly Bug Ball' is a real hoot.

This movie (based on a book called Mother Carey's Chickens) is for anyone who spent their Sunday nights watching The Wonderful World of Disney while growing up and wants to share that same feeling with their own children. Turn on the closed caption, gather up your little girls and sing along with the movie. The Carey family is saved from having to live in "a hovel...that's not in a very nice neighborhood, either" by a mysterious "Mr. Hamilton" via the town postmaster/constable/general store owner Osiam Poppham. The eldest daughter Nancy's (Hayley Mills) boundless enthusiasm and interaction with a fun assortment of characters such as a homeless cousin that "Thinks she's the pink of perfection" to Mrs. Poppham (Una Merkle-whom Hayley Mills fans will recognize from the original Parent Trap movie) who believes in a "good solid black cloud with no silver linings"

Excellent movie, if you liked Hayley Mills in PollyAnna, look no further. This movie exhibits family values and basic human kindness amid the traditional Disney music and humor. There's nothing wrong with some simplicity and optimism. Today we can use them. Burl Ives and Dorothy McGuire are absolutely wonderful. The story is endearing and the life lessons are timeless. This is a classic. Many thanks to the Hallmark Channel for bringing it to us. I don't recall seeing it when I was growing up, but at 45, its never to late to enjoy vintage Disney. Maybe today's Disney execs should review their history for future successes. I highly recommend it.