Released in 1961, Walt Disney’s classic live-action comedy film “The Parent Trap,” which stars Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith, turned sixty years old this year.
Fresh off the heels of “Pollyanna,” Mills portrays identical twin sisters, Susan and Sharon, separated at birth by their parents’ divorce. Reunited years later at a summer camp, the two scheme to bring their parents back together by switching places and living with the other parent.
Produced by Walt Disney Productions, “The Parent Trap” opened in theaters on June 21, 1961, by Buena Vista Distribution, and solidified Mills as a bona fide movie star. The film also reunited Mills with David Swift, who directed her in “Pollyanna,” making this his second film for Walt Disney Productions.
On its original release, two Donald Duck animated shorts were also released along with it: “Donald and the Wheel” and “The Litterbug.”
A Cast Like No Other
The cast features A-list actors and many other well-known performers, along with several uncredited roles.
Maureen O’Hara, who had a storied career in film, took on the role of proper Bostonian Margaret McKendrick, Susan and Sharon’s mother. Known for playing dramatic roles, the part of a trendy mother would be a departure for her. She was paired with Brian Keith as Mitch Evers, the wealthy bachelor father which would be Keith’s first comedic role. Keith once commented that he was nervous about the role because he had never done comedy before.
“The Parent Trap” wasn’t the only theatrical film to star O’Hara and Keith in 1961. Released two weeks before the Disney comedy, “The Deadly Companions” follows an ex-army officer who accidentally kills a woman’s son, and tries to make up for it by escorting the funeral procession through the American West. They would also appear together again in the 1966 film, “The Rare Breed.”
Rounding out the cast are Leo G. Carroll, Una Merkle, Cathleen Nesbitt, Crahan Denton, Linda Watkins, Nancy Kulp, and Charlie Ruggles. Hayley Mills’ own father, Disney legend Sir John Mills, makes an uncredited cameo as the golf caddy. Susan Henning, who worked as the body double for Sharon McKendrick/Susan Evers, is also uncredited.
Ruth McDevitt, who portrays Miss Inch, had a storied career that included many popular television shows over many decades, as well as work in stage and radio. Her work included roles in “Love, American Style,” “Route 66,” “That Girl,” and “Bewitched.”
Frank De Vol, who plays Chief Eaglewood, the head of the Thundercloud Boys’ Camp, was not only an actor but also an arranger and composer who was nominated for four Academy Awards. In an interesting connection, he composed television theme songs, which included “The Brady Bunch,” “My Three Sons,” and the family sitcom that starred Keith as a bachelor raising his brother’s orphaned children, “Family Affair.”
Play it Again, Vicky
Joanna Barnes, who plays gold-digger Vicky Robinson, and temporarily comes between O’Hara and Keith, is the only actress to also appear in the 1998 remake of “The Parent Trap,” which stars Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, and Natasha Richardson. In the film, she plays an older version of her character, Vicki Blake, who passes on her money-grabbing ways on to her daughter, Meredith Blake.
In 1965, Mills was the mystery guest on the hit television show “What’s My Line?” when Barnes was a panelist. The game used celebrity panelists to guess who a contestant is by asking them questions while blindfolded, so Barnes wasn’t aware Mills was on stage with her. Humorously, she did not guess Mill’s identity but did give her a big hug at the end of the segment.
Let’s Get Together
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, songs written specifically for the studio’s projects were a staple of Disney films. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman were recruited by Disney to write the songs for the film, which includes “The Parent Trap” and “For Now, For Always.” “Let’s Get Together,” which was sung by Mills as both Sharon and Susan at the same time, became the song most identified with the film and used double-tracking, a technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance.
In September 1961, “Let’s Get Together” was released as a single on the “B” side of “Cobbler, Cobbler.” It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become a top 10 hit, peaking at number 8. The credit on the single reads “Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills,” a wink to Mills singing the duet with herself in the film.
The song was also performed by Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello, who were both on the studio lot at the time shooting the musical fantasy “Babes in Toyland.” A solo version by Annette can be heard during the dance scene at the camp.
The Home that Dreams are Made of
“The Parent Trap” features beautiful homes and locations that exemplified the lifestyle of each parent. The standout location for many fans of the film is the home of Mitch Evers, which features an open floor plan that takes advantage of cinematic design. As all things go in Hollywood, the majority of what is seen on the screen were created on Hollywood soundstages.
The California ranch was a façade of exterior walls and a roof that was erected on the Golden Oak Ranch, an 890-acre property in Santa Clarita Valley owned by the Walt Disney Company that serves as a backlot.
The interiors were shot on a soundstage at the Disney Studios. To help tell the story, the set pieces and artwork that populated the home were expertly crafted and designed by longtime art director and Disney legend Carroll Clark, along with Robert Clatworthy.
For anyone interesting in taking a tour of the home, a digital recreation of the sets now allows viewers to explore the entire California ranch home and surrounding property in a way not done before. Created and thoughtfully narrated by Marina Coates, you can get a digital tour of the spectacular set design and architecture through the eyes of a designer, and a few surprises peppered along the way.
Box Office Success
During its original theatrical run, the film brought in $25.1 million in the domestic box office. It landed in the sixth position of the top ten grossing films that year, which made it Mills’ most successful Disney film. The other films that bested “The Parent Trap” (based on theater rentals) were “West Side Story,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “Judgement at Nuremberg,” “The Hustler,” and “El Cid.” In the number seven spot was “101 Dalmatians.”
“The Parent Trap” was re-released theatrically in 1968 and earned an additional $1.8 million.
Accolades
In addition to its box office haul, the film was nominated for an Oscar for Sound by Robert O. Cook, and Film Editing by Philip W. Anderson. The film and its editor, Philip W. Anderson, won the inaugural 1962 ACE Eddie Award of the American Cinema Editors, which celebrates excellence in television and feature film editing.
The film was also named “Outstanding Family Film of 1961” by the Federation of Motion Picture Councils, and received Parent magazine’s gold medal for “Outstanding Family Entertainment” for the month of June 1961.
The film would eventually spawn three television sequels: 1986’s “The Parent Trap II,” 1989’s “Parent Trap III,” and 1989’s “Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon.”
What better way to celebrate the landmark film than to put the spotlight on the film’s star? To continue the conversation on the Disney legend, let’s take a look at the other theatrical Disney films of Hayley Mills.
Pollyanna (1960)
In her feature film debut for Walt Disney Productions, Mills portrays an orphan who changes the lives of townspeople of a small town with her optimism in “Pollyanna.” The film stars Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead, Kevin Corcoran, Adolphe Menjou and Richard Egan. Based on the 1913 novel “Pollyanna” by Eleanor H. Porter, the film was written by and, in his directorial debut, David Swift.
The film won Mills an Honorary Academy Award for most outstanding juvenile performance, and would be the last person to receive the award. However, due to being in England at the time of the Oscar ceremony, Annette Funicello accepted the statue on her behalf from film legend Shirley Temple.
In Search of the Castaways (1962)
Mary Grant (Hayley Mills) and her brother (Keith Hamshere) travel to Scotland with Professor Paganel (Maurice Chevalier) to convince Lord Glenarvan (Wilfrid Hyde White) to help find Mary’s missing father, Captain Grant (Jack Gwillim), who vanished somewhere along the Chilean coast. The film’s screenplay was penned by Lowell S. Hawley and was based upon Jules Verne’s 1868 adventure novel “Captain Grant’s Children.”
“In Search of the Castaways” was Mills’ third film for the Disney Studios. The Sherman Brothers were brought on board to create the film’s catchy tunes. The film was a commercial success, with an estimated $4.9 million earned in the North American box office.
Summer Magic (1963)
When a close-knit Boston family loses their fortune, they find a wealth of secrets, young love, and more in Beulah, Maine. In Mills’ fourth film for Disney, she plays Nancy, the eldest of three children, who finds the family’s new home called “Summer Magic.”
The film also stars Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire, Deborah Walley, Eddie Hodges, Jimmy Mathers, Michael J. Pollard, Wendy Turner, and Una Merkel.
The film opened in theaters on August 14, 1963 in Los Angeles, on a double bill with “Drums of Africa.” Critical and public responses were generally positive, evidenced by the film earning nearly $200,000 from twenty-six theaters in its opening week. Due to her sparkling performance, Mills received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical.
The Moon-Spinners (1964)
In her fifth film, Mills would Set on the Isle of Crete, the story pits Nikky Ferris (Mills), a young English tourist, against a wily jewel thief. Mistaken identities and perilous escapes—including a nail-biting battle involving a windmill—lead Nikky to a final confrontation aboard the yacht of an eccentric millionairess with a passion for priceless gems and pet cheetahs!
The film received mixed to generally good reviews from critics, but Mills was credited with a sparkling performance that carried the film. However, the movie didn’t generate much box-office. In fact, its estimated take was a little over $3.5 million, which was below the film’s $5 million dollar budget.
More information on “The Moon Spinners” can be found in our previous article that explores the film in more detail:
Rediscovered Treasures from the Disney Vault: The Moon-Spinners
That Darn Cat! (1965)
The comedy-mystery film features bank robbers, a kidnapping of a bank employee and a mischievous cat nicknamed “DC” that unwittingly plays informant to the F.B.I. “That Darn Cat!” would be Mills’ final film for the Walt Disney Studios, and Dean Jones’ first film for Disney. The film also stars Dorothy Provine, Roddy McDowall, Neville Brand, and Frank Gorshin.
Released December 2, 1965, the film’s writers, Mildred Gordon, Gordon Gordon, and Bill Walsh, were nominated for Best Written American Comedy by the Writers Guild of America. The film was also nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture, and a Golden Leaf nomination for Elsa Lanchester for Best Supporting Actress.
Mills won the 1966 second place Golden Leaf award for Actress In A Comedy Performance. Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman won the third place Golden Leaf award for Best Song, “That Darn Cat!,” which was sung by teen idol Bobby Darin.
Adventureland, I Presume?
During her time at the Disney Studios, Mills also made a notable guest appearance as herself on “The Wonderful World of Color.”
In a special clip from the episode, Walt Disney gives Mills, her father Sir John Mills, and mother Mary, a special tour of the new Disneyland attraction “The Swiss Family Tree House,” which was based on the 1960 adventure film that starred her father, “Swiss Family Robinson.” Mills recalls some of her fondest memories from her family’s visit with rare footage of the attraction before it opened to the public.
The new attraction brought the film to life with set pieces from the motion picture, waterfalls, and ship parts saved from the wreck and items found from around the island. The bigger-than-life tree provided a new visual landmark for Adventureland and would give guests a bird’s eye view of what would become Disneyland’s sixth land, New Orleans Square.
Bonus Trivia: Sister, Sister
Unknown to many people, Mills does have a sister in real life who is also in the family business of acting. Juliet Mills has a long list of credits that include appearances on television series such as “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Ben Casey,” and “The Love Boat.”
In 1966, she appeared with Brian Keith and Maureen O’Hara in the Western drama “The Rare Breed,” where she played O’Hara’s daughter.
She is perhaps best known for her role as Phoebe Figalilly, a magical nanny in the television sitcom “Nanny and the Professor.” Richard Long, David Doremus, Trent Lehman, and future “Escape to Witch Mountain” star Kim Richards rounded out the cast. The family show aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 through December 27, 1971.
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Let’s Hear From You
Can you believe that The Parent Trap is 60? Which version of the film do you prefer, the original or the remake? Have you seen any of the sequels? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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