Draft:Way Down Cellar
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Way Down Cellar is a 1968 American television mystery film produced by Walt Disney Productions, based on the 1942 children's novel of the same name by Phil Stong.[1][2]
Directed by Robert Totten, it originally aired in two parts on NBC's Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on January 7 and January 14, 1968.[3]
The story follows three boys who discover a secret tunnel beneath a destroyed church leading to a supposedly haunted house. Their investigation eventually reveals that the house is being used by a gang of counterfeiters.[4][5]
Plot
[edit]Frank Wilson is a new boy in town who becomes friends with Beans Emerson and Skeeter Martin. While exploring, the three boys discover a hidden passage beneath the ruins of an old church.
The tunnel leads to an apparently abandoned house occupied by several mysterious adults. Intrigued by the house and its occupants, the boys begin investigating despite warnings to stay away.[6]
They eventually learn that the tunnel dates back to an earlier period in the town's history and that the supposedly haunted house is being used by a counterfeiting operation. The boys attempt to gather evidence and expose the criminals without being caught themselves.[7]
Production
[edit]Way Down Cellar was adapted from Phil Stong's 1942 children's novel of the same name. The book was published by Dodd, Mead and illustrated by Kurt Wiese.[8]
The original novel combines a small-town mystery with football and local history. In the book, newcomer Frank Wilson joins two boys investigating a long-standing mystery involving a secret passage connected with a church and the activities of a local Tory during the American Revolution.[9]
A contemporary children's-book bibliography described the novel as a humorous small-town story involving a secret passage, a group of boys and a disapproving neighbor, and recommended it for readers approximately nine to twelve years old.[10]
The television adaptation was written by Herman Groves and directed by Robert Totten. Ron Miller and Tom Leetch served as producers. The score was composed by Will Schaefer, with cinematography by William E. Snyder and editing by Marsh Hendry.
A surviving revised shooting script for the second installment is dated June 12, 1967. The script identifies the production as Walt Disney Productions number 3446 and credits Herman Groves' teleplay as being based on Stong's book.[11]
The cast included Butch Patrick, then known for playing Eddie Munster on The Munsters, as Frank Wilson. Other performers included Richard Bakalyan, Ben Wright, Grace Lee Whitney, Frank McHugh and David McLean.[12]
Broadcast
[edit]The first installment aired on NBC on January 7, 1968, with the second part following on January 14.[13]
NBC later rebroadcast the film in two parts on June 11 and June 18, 1972.[14]
A contemporary television listing for the 1972 rebroadcast described the production as a mystery adventure in which three boys discover a tunnel leading into an old house occupied by three strange people.[15]
Cast
[edit]The cast includes:[16]
- Butch Patrick as Frank Wilson
- Richard Bakalyan as Charlie
- Ben Wright as Ethan Marcus
- Grace Lee Whitney as Velma
- Frank McHugh as Constable Seely
- David McLean as Professor Wilson
- Frederic Downs as Mr. Hotchenfelter
- Lou Byrne as Mrs. Wilson
- Sheldon Collins as Beans Emerson
- Lindy Davis as Skeeter Martin
References
[edit]- ↑ Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television. Hyperion Books. ISBN 0-7868-6359-5.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar (television)". D23.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar (television)". D23.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar (television)". D23.
- ↑ "The Magical World of Disney Season 14 Episodes". TV Guide.
- ↑ "The Magical World of Disney Season 14 Episodes". TV Guide.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar (television)". D23.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar". AbeBooks.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar". Goodreads.
- ↑ "Bibliography" (PDF). UNESCO Digital Library.
- ↑ "Walt Disney Productions Way Down Cellar Revised Shooting Script 1967". MaxSold.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar: Part 1". IMDb.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar (television)". D23.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar Leads Young Detectives to Hidden Passage". Mexia Daily News. June 11, 1972.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar Leads Young Detectives to Hidden Passage". Mexia Daily News. June 11, 1972.
- ↑ "Way Down Cellar - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide.