Reviewed by Rob Klein

If you enjoyed Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures Volumes 1, 2 and 3, then you will probably enjoy Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures Vol. 4, the last volume in the series. This set may not seem to have as much material as the previous volumes, but it does have more rare films, not as often mentioned as The Living Desert or The Vanishing Prairie.  The programs’ running times on Vol. 4 are a bit longer than some of the other True-Life Adventure short films.   This is the set may be the future collectible volume, as I have not yet seen this set in stores as often as I have run across Volumes 1 and 2 of the True-Life sets.

Volume 4 contains the only Disney “True-Life Fantasy” called Perri about the adventures of a young female squirrel.   Unlike the other Disney nature films, this piece had a predetermined story line written by Felix Salten, who wrote the Disney feature animated masterpiece Bambi (1942).  While filming Perri the Disney photographers were witness to a forest fire, and helped douse the flames.  Footage of this event was presented on an episode of the Disneyland TV series, which is presented on this DVD set.  Any Disney home video release containing any Disneyland episode excerpts immediately finds a place in my video library.

Secrets of Life is also featured on this set, and contains some of the first stop-motion photography of plants growing.   Shot using macro photography on insects such as ants, the film is truly quite remarkable when paired with the incomparable Disney storytelling.

All of The True-Life Adventures were shot with 16mm cameras so the prints tend to be scratchy, especially if you viewed one of these films for the first time at school in the 60s or 70s, as so many of us were exposed to the True-Life Adventures in that way.  Fortunately through modern technology these films have been restored and are crisp and clear, and looking better than ever.

Disc two continues the tradition of Disney’s exceptional bonus features, which have been an essential addition to these True-Life Adventures DVD sets.  Included are several enjoyable films: Searching for Nature’s Mysteries, Adventure in Wild Wood Heart and another Academy Award-Winning film in 1951 for best short subject: Nature’s Half Acre.  The section of Nature’s Half Acre documenting the habits of bees took over three years to photograph, which is understandable because bees probably don’t take direction very well.

A very special bonus feature is a tribute to Winston Hibler, who was the narrator for all of the True-Life Adventures.  Mr. Hibler’s voice is that of legend, and instantly recognizable to any Disney fan.  The volume of work that this artist produced while at Disney is truly impressive.  This short documentary features the narrator’s grandsons Chris Hibler and Winston Murray Hunt Hibler II, who examine their grandfather’s Oscars, archived at the Disney Studios, for the first time. Winston Hibler was not only a voice-over artist but also a writer, producer and director at Disney.  His contributions are vast, and it is surprising that he has not been mentioned more, since he was a contributor to so many Disney masterpieces. Winston Hibler has story credits on Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan, and also wrote Sleepy Hollow, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Johnny Appleseed, and Walt’s opening dedication for Disneyland, to name but a few of his works.  He is perhaps best known for his voice-over narration; a fact his family members feel sells him short.   Another interesting fact revealed; he never took any payment for his voice over work from the Walt Disney Company.  Hibler was a true renaissance man, and was honored as a Disney legend in 1993 though he passed away in 1976.  It is documentaries such as this that feature artists who made up the Disney Empire that make these DVDs worth their weight in gold.

Continuing the tradition originating on this series of DVD’s is the “Filmmaker’s Journal”, a look at the making the films featured on this volume, along with “Collector’s Corner” and yet another segment of “Backstage with Roy Disney” set at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, where we learn about butterflies.

The appearance of Roy Disney is a welcome addition to this set, as he shares stories about some of his first production experiences that were on The True-Life Adventure productions.  I wouldn’t mind at all if he got more involved with the company these days and became the official company spokes-person, charming and knowledgeable as he is.  Heck, any member of the Disney family is better than some outsider, and Roy Disney was there in person when some of the most amazing events in the company’s history occurred! Perhaps now with all of the changes made within the Disney Company we will see more of Roy Disney Jr.   I had the pleasure of meeting him while I was documenting a lecture he was giving about his interests in sailing, seeing him sort of brings everything full circle.  He is a fascinating individual, as he is a “true-life adventurer” himself…the resemblance he has to his rather famous Uncle Walt doesn’t hurt, either.