The Parent Trap (1961) was Hayley Mills' second of many films with Walt Disney. To date, it remains Mills' most popular Disney film. Having spawned two low-profile sequels and a worthy 1998 theatrical remake, the original Parent Trap is very much a fan favorite.

Hayley Mills is, of course, the star of The Parent Trap, playing dual roles of the twin sisters who only discover that they have a twin when they meet each other at summer camp. The two girls decide they would like to switch roles to meet and spend time with the one parent they have never known, and they conspire to do all they can to get their parents back together again. Only problem is that Dad (Brian Keith) is already planning on getting re-married...to someone else!

Based on the German book "Das Doppelte Lottchen" by Erich Kästner, The Parent Trap was brought to the screen by writer/director David Swift, just a year after Swift teamed with Hayley for Pollyanna. The Parent Trap is a charming, original comedy and is one of the most entertaining films of the 1960s. Much credit must go to the young Hayley Mills, whose screen presence carries the film for over two hours. Maureen O' Hara and Brian Keith turn in solid performances as well. Overall, everything seems to work, from Swift's sharp screenplay and direction to the Sherman Brothers' songs to the interesting stop-motion animated opening. The splitscreen visual effects hold up quite well and while the film is over forty years old, it has not dated much. In fact it seems rather fresh. This comedy has delighted generations and remains a surefire hit with families today.

Disney has given The Parent Trap a wonderful 2-disc set as part of the Vault Disney line, which is overflowing with extras, many of which are not even listed on the back cover.

DVD Details 1.75:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Dolby Digital 5.1 (English) Subtitles: English, Spanish Closed Captioned Release Date: May 7, 2002 Two Single-sided, dual-layered discs (DVD-9) Suggested Retail Price: $19.99 (reduced from $29.99) White Double Alpha Keepcase

VIDEO and AUDIO

The Parent Trap is properly presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.75:1, and has been enhanced for widescreen televisions. Video quality is pretty impressive. While the film does seem a bit soft and the '60s color palette somewhat muted, the transfer is free from any serious problems. Considering the age of the source material, The Parent Trap looks great! Effects shots involving the splitscreen or bluescreen techniques (the latter of which do not remain visually convincing) aren't up to the quality of the rest of the film, but the difference isn't very noticeable if you aren't looking for it. Overall, the colors are rendered quite nicely, and you'll be amazed that a film more than forty years old can look so great.

As with the other Vault Disney releases, The Parent Trap boasts a 5.1 Dolby Digital remix, which is essentially Mono. There is not much channel separation and hardly any surround usage, but it is not really called for here. The most important issue is "does this film sound good?" and the answer to that is an easy "Yes." The soundtrack isn't as alive as modern films, naturally, but it is mostly a dialogue-driven film and the dialogue is all clear and intelligible. I suppose the 5.1 track is something to put on a package, even if it doesn't particularly feel like Dolby Digital 5.1 or enhance the material. Nonetheless, this sound mix is certainly suitable for the film, with very little to complain about.

EXTRAS

The Lost Treasures (6:00) on this set is "Who's The Twin?", an immensely interesting little featurette on Susan Henning-Schutte, the other twin from the movie. In shots where one of the girls is only clearly seen, Henning is the twin seen in profile or from the back. She recalls being made up to look just like Hayley as well as being presented a Duckster award from Walt himself at the completion of the film.

The Disney Studio Album feature, part of all of the Vault Disney releases, as usual, is a montage of the various productions from the year of the film's release. This montage runs 3 1/2 minutes long and covers such 1961 films as 101 Dalmatians, The Absent Minded Professor, and Babes in Toyland.

Onto the The Parent Trap Production Archive, where there are still more bonus features to be found. There are extensive Galleries with Production Stills, Production Art (Costumes and Storyboards), six Cast and Director Biographies, Advertising (Posters, Lobby Cards, and Merchandise) and a Screenplay Excerpt with a clip of the scene.

Choosing "Production Gallery" from the Production Archive menu takes you to a 1 1/2 video montage of black & white stills from the film, set to instrumental music of the title song. "Trailers & TV Spots" contains five minutes of ads for the film in succession.

"Disney Legend: Hayley Mills" is a 22 1/2 minute featurette that covers Mills' various Disney films made in the 1960s. Disney veterans Dean Jones and Kevin Corcoran comment on the actress, as well as Roy Disney and Maureen O'Hara. There's some really interesting footage included and it's an easily engaging watch.

"Seeing Double" goes into detail about the visual effects employed to create the illusion of two Hayley Millses. Running just over 9 minutes, this featurette covers the technical wizardry of the film more thoroughly than the "Caught in the Act" making-of featurette.

"The Titlemakers" (17:17) is a classic segment from a "Disneyland" TV episode (the last one created in black & white) hosted by Walt Disney. It covers the innovative opening credits sequence made for the film. Walt takes us on a tour of the titles department. Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello take time off from making Babes in Toyland record the title song "The Parent Trap." They explain The Parent Trap's premise with clips to a mysterious but familiar voice from above.

"Kimball & Swift: The Disney Years" (17:30) is a sweet, funny piece on animator Ward Kimball and director David Swift. These two Disney legends are both in their 80s here, but they glow with youthful spirit as they recall their various encounters over the years. It's a wonderful feature which captures some wonderful recollections from the two men, who would both pass on within a year of taping this.

Last up is the Audio Archives section which includes eleven radio spots for the film, two songs ("For Now, For Always" and "The Parent Trap"), and two Sound Studio scenes: "The Girlfriend" and "Twin's Revenge." You can watch these scenes with just dialogue, just sound effects, just music, or the final composite as it appears in the film.

CLOSING THOUGHTS