Papi Chulo's BLOG

FLASHBACK :: "Polly"

Do you remember Polly?

On November 12, 1989 ... NBC aired a re-telling of Disney's 1960 Hayley Mills classic Pollyanna ... This version transposed Eleanor Porter's classic novel Pollyanna and its white characters into a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s ... and transformed the drama into a show-stopping musical ...

The story is timeless ... It's about a "Glad Girl" that brings along a contagious spirit of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer ...

Keshia Knight Pulliam starred as the "Glad Girl" Polly ... Phylicia Rashād was cast as her Aunt Polly ... Vanessa Bell Calloway was cast as Nancy ... Celeste Holm as Miss Snow ... and Brandon Adams as Jimmy Bean ...

The movie was a sort of family affair ... Phylicia Rashād's younger sister Debbie Allen both directed and choreographed Polly ... and was the driving force behind the musical ... Debbie also co-wrote with her husband ... Norman Nixon ... the words and lyrics of the film's gospel-infused centerpiece ... "Stand Up" ...

Polly was a ratings hit ... That prompted Disney to assemble a 1990 sequel ... Polly: Comin' Home!

So far ... the film and its sequel have not been released on DVD in the states ... They were released in the UK for a short time ... but both films are currently unavailable for purchase ... unless you go the bootleg route ...

I was lucky enough to find some of the musical numbers on YouTube ... and here they are ...

"Honey Ain't Got Nothin' On You"

FLASHBACK :: "Denver, the Last Dinosaur"

Do you remember Denver, the Last Dinosaur?

I clearly remember watching this in the mornings before going to elementary school ... I absolutely loved this show and the theme song was too too catchy ...

A little over 50 episodes were produced ... but the show developed a cult fanbase ...

Denver, the Last Dinosaur revolved around a group of multiracial California teens ... and the adventures they have with Denver ... after they release him from his dino egg ...

Each show taught a lesson that ranged from ... conservation, ecology and friendship ... Because of that Denver, the Last Dinosaur was a big hit with parents and educators ...

World Events Productions (WEP) has released a volume one disc of Denver, the Last Dinosaur that includes the first ten episodes of the series ... along with a handful of bonus features ...

Here is the press release ::