People are voting emotionally.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There's a lot of fun in this movie, including players Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Lesley Ann Warren, and a very early appearance by Goldie Hawn, and a fine concluding musical number. However the pacing is erratic -- caused, no doubt, from its initial expansion from something intended from the Disney TV show to a theatrical release, then extensive cutting, reportedly because the management of Radio City Music Hall insisted it be cut by a third; camerawork that suggested extensive cribbing from THE SOUND OF MUSIC; and a libretto by the usually delightful Sherman twins that sounds like they were largely cribbing from OKLAHOMA! Only two or three of their songs are fist-rate, and the rest are carried by charm and orchestration. Walt Disney's death fifteen months before its release couldn't have helped.The story centers around the family of Buddy Ebsen and Janet Blair, who pull up stakes to move to the Dakotas during the election of 1888, while the territories were applying for statehood. Considering the bitterness of the election -- if you think 2016 was bad, you have no idea! -- it's a sweet-tempered affair, more a fable than a serious story.

This has to be one of the best Disney movies ever. I haven't seen it in a number of years but will be so happy when it comes out on DVD so I can have a personal copy and can share it with my grandchildren. I remember watching it after Goldie Hawn was a big name and I recognized her right away. Of course, Lesley Ann Warren and John Davidson are as good here as they were in "The Happiest Millionaire". I got my 6 year old grandson hooked on that one. If you want the old Disney classics, this is a must for your collection.

When Walt Disney died, he had various projects in the works and at various stages. After the success of Mary Poppins he wanted to make more big budget Roadshow musicals. A year after his death the Disney company released "The Happiest Millionaire", a wonderful film that originally ran 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the LA premiere the company afraid of a huge loss kept cutting the film down till it lost one whole number and parts of other ones and finally was cut by a whole half an hour on his general release, which was done with minimal publicity, and didn't do much at the box office. A year later they had another Roadshow musical to release, "The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. But after the failure of "The Happiest Millionaire", the company that Walt let behind were running scared. They decided to premiere the 2 hour and 15 minute film At Radio City Musical Hall for it's Christmas Show. But because of their stage show among other concessions, they told Disney that they will only show the film as their Christmas Attraction if they cut the film to under 2 hours. So for the Music Hall premiere they cut the film to 1 hour and 50 minutes, but still were going to release the long version as a Roadshow attraction. But the shortened film didn't do well, plus other Roadshow attractions that did have a Roadshow release failed at the box office. So Disney decided to release the shortened version of the film in general release the following spring, without much fanfare. The film died at the box office and was then shown as a two parter, cut even more, on the Wonderful World of Disney the following year.This film didn't deserve it's fate. At it's current state it's still a fun musical about Grandpa (Walter Brennan) a devout Democrat who organised his family into a band to play at the Democratic Presidential convention for the current US President, Grover Cleavland. But his granddaughter (Lesley Ann Warren) has a teaching job off in the Dakota territory for a man(John Davidson)that she's fallen in love with. So Grandpa made the ultimate sacrifice and instead of going to the democratic convention they went to Dakota, a primary Republican area. Grandpa stirs up trouble and the two loves fight, then on the eve of election, everything comes to a head to a great climax. One interesting trivia in the film is that one of Warren's bothers is played by young Kurt Russell and a girl that Davison uses to get Warren jealous is a young dancer named Goldie Jeanne Hawn, yes Goldie Hawn.In the wake of the release of the DVDs of the restored Roadshow version of "The Happiest Millionaire" and the restored version of "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", maybe Disney will dust this film off and restore it as well for a future DVD release. I can only hope.

Everyone in this movie is great! The singing and dancing are the kind that stick in your memory forever. You will find yourself singing one of the songs the next week and even the next week. Walter Brennan is at his best. Buddy Ebsen is fabulous and there is even a great scene that shows what a great dancer he is - soft shoe is the best! Kirk Russell met Goldie Hawn on this movie (her's was a bit part). What do ya know - Kirk can dance pretty well also.I recommend adding this to your library!