The Mickey Mouse Club

“Hey there! Hi there! Ho there!" The Mickey Mouse Club is as welcome as can be on DVD as part of the Walt Disney Treasures series. Remember that classic Twilight Zone episode about the stressed-out executive who wills himself back to the summer of his youth, complete with cotton candy, merry-go-rounds, and band concerts? That's the nostalgic glow you'll feel (if you're of a certain Baby Boomer age) watching the inaugural week (October 3-7, 1955) of the hour-long series that made after-school a special time for the first television generation. From "Fun with Music Day" to "Talent Round-Up Day," anything could happen (that was Wednesday) when the club was in session. As Leonard Maltin points out in liner notes that accompany this two-disc set, The Mickey Mouse Club became a daily ritual and made overnight sensations of the young and talented cast, most notably Annette Funicello. Each episode contains a newsreel featuring kid-related "news of the day," performances by Jimmie Dodd and the Mousketeers, and appearances by children's entertainers, such as "balloonologist" Wally Boag, and Sooty (a puppet character from England). Of course, each day featured a "Mouse-cartoon," too. It's all very quaint, very corny, and very '50s: the first installment of a daily career-guidance segment, for instance, shows boys how they can become airline pilots and girls how they can be airline hostesses. What still shines through are the personalities of the troupe, many of whom inspired their own fan clubs. On-camera host Maltin also interviews several former Mouseketeers, including Bobby, Karen, Doreen, Sharon, and Cubby, who warmly recall Dodd, the true leader of the club, and their years as part of a pop-culture phenomenon. Recommended. Y? Because we like it. [Note: also newly available in the Walt Disney Treasures series are The Complete Pluto and Mickey Mouse in Black and White, Volume Two.] (D. Liebenson)