Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus

Walt Disney who certainly liked to make films that take place in earlier simpler times like when he was young has Toby Tyler set during the era before World War I at the turn of the last century. Kevin Corcoran plays young Tyler who is an orphan and foster child of his uncle and aunt Tom Fadden and Edith Evanson. When the circus comes to town he neglects chores and when they tell him he's 'millstone around their necks' young Corcoran runs away.

The rest of the film tells of Toby's adventures with the circus where he first works for concessionaire Bob Sweeney who has a really nice role as a not so lovable carny who takes really bad advantage of Toby. Fortunately he does not stay under Sweeney's tutelage and makes some real friends in circus strongman Henry Calvin and clown Gene Sheldon.

Calvin and Sheldon were from the Disney TV show Zorro and Sheldon played Guy Williams's dumb valet Bernardo. Sheldon was a great pantomime comedian and rarely spoke in his performances on stage, film, or in Zorro. He's great here, but it was nice to hear him. Broke a bit of the illusion, almost like having Harpo Marx talk.

And Toby also meets young equestrian performers Dennis Oliveri and Barbara Beird. Beird likes him, but Oliveri is rather full of himself, really odd for someone so young. Toby gets his chance as a performer and to escape Sweeney when Oliveri gets injured showing off.

As this is a Disney film naturally it all works out in the end for everyone but Sweeney. And when you see the film I think you'll agree with me that he got off very lightly indeed.

Toby Tyler holds up very well after over 50 years, still a nice children's classic.

I love Kevin Corcoran's acting in the first place, but this is most likely my favorite movie with him STARING! What sets this one above the rest is it does NOT rely on a sound-track to keep the interest of the viewers. Toby is an orphaned boy being raised by his aunt and uncle. His uncle tells him he is a burden, so Toby joins the circus. What makes this movie most entertaining is Toby's horse training! As I said, this movie does not rely on a sound-track to keep the interest of the viewers, but in fact it is this very aspect that makes it a charm! As Toby is trained to ride a horse, you see him fail, fail, learn, learn some more, then eventually succeed! All the time, the only thing you hear is the trot of the horse!

Michael Eisner seemed to market every Disney film on video then he re-leased them again on DVD. This is one of the films that I love but it just hasn't been released.

Hey, Robert Iger, this movie is special to LOTS of people. Please release it to the new generation of children who have never seen "Toby Tyler."

I saw this movie first in Lake Tahoe, CA, while on vacation with my parents. I am 49 now and I would still watch it many times--if I could only find it.

Classic Disney--family oriented, familiar cast from other Disney films, great storyline.

If it ever comes out on DVD, I will run to buy it as soon as I know about it.

But not quite as much as some make out...the circus characters in the book were not that grotesque, not was Toby in an orphan's home, constantly being punished for dishonesty. And, he did become a star, in a sense, on horseback. However, he was a glutonous boy who runs away to the circus, for no reason other than his own selfish ones. He does have a hard life. And his riding on the horses lasts for only about a day, but for that day, he and the girl who rode with them were required to do encores of their performances,

Anyways....the story is cute. Yes, Mr. stubbs lives in the movie, but that is typical Disney giving a happy ending, and is to be expected. Watch it for fun, not because you want to compare it to the book. Personally, I like both.

"Toby Tyler" (1960) is one of my earliest movie memories. In combination with the film Whitman Publishing released a book of the screenplay, which differed considerably from the source novel, managing to lighten up the story.

Most boys (at least in my class) were at first reluctant to see the film because it's star, Kevin "Moochie" Corcoran, had pretty much ruined the "Spin and Marty" serial when he was added to the cast after the first season. We also had suffered through his "too cute" acting in "Old Yeller". Rare is the child actor who was more irritating to his contemporaries. But "Moochie" was just a hammy kid who did what the director wanted; and fortunately the director of "Toby Tyler" dialed down the standard "Moochie" cuteness for his first staring role.

The film was the perfect escape for boys. Running away with the circus was almost as good as getting to spend the whole summer riding horses on the Triple "R" Ranch. Plus Toby's protector was Ben Cotter, our old friend Sgt. Garcia from "Zorro". Mr. Stubbs the chimp is given the "too cute" supporting role that "Moochie" normally played, which was most likely an attempt to expand the target audience to include pre-teen girls. It worked as the film entertained the entire family.

The story involves Toby's efforts to move from peanut vendor to circus performer. He eventually replaces a snotty boy in a bareback riding act. His partner is Mademoiselle Jeanette (Barbara Beaird), my first crush and most likely the reason that I remember the film so fondly.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.