Our Movie of the Month for November is actually a collection of chapters from the beloved Mickey Mouse Club serial, “The Adventures of Spin and Marty,” showing daily at 1:00 & 4:00pm (except Tuesdays, and November 11,12,19, and 24). Disney Historian, Author, and Friend of the Museum Lorraine Santoli wrote this story of the making of “Spin and Marty” exclusively for Storyboard.
Remember the triangular logo? It was emblazoned with the words “Triple-R Ranch” and Spin and Marty, the tween heartthrobs of the 1950s serial of the same name, wore the brand on their t-shirts every day in the show that could be called television’s first mini-series.
“The Adventures of Spin and Marty” followed the exploits of a group of boys who spend their summer vacation at the Triple-R dude ranch. The series, which was broadcast in 15-minute segments each day on the original Mickey Mouse Club, made its debut on November 11, 1955, and thrust two young actors, Tim Considine and David Stollery, into the TV limelight.
Fifteen-year-old Considine, who first auditioned for the role of Marty but was ultimately cast as Spin, came from a Hollywood background. He was the son of movie producer John Considine, and nephew of Bob Considine, a well-known newspaper writer. His mother, Carmen Pantages, was a member of the eminent Pantages theatrical family. At the time he was cast for “Spin and Marty,” he was already an accomplished actor who appeared in films and on television.
In one of his movies, Her Twelve Men, he had worked with another young actor named David Stollery. Considine recollects that he may have been the one to recommend him for the role of Marty. “We became friends working on the film and I seem to remember suggesting him to Disney for the part,” he said. Stollery was soon screen tested and won the job.
Stollery grew up in Los Angeles, to a family that had been in and out of the entertainment business (primarily working in radio) for a number of years. When his parents’ joint careers eventually moved away from that industry, young David became the focus of his mom’s show business ambitions. “She’s the one who got me in the business,” he explained. “I became a working actor at the age of six.”
Stollery launched his acting career working in theater, ultimately graduating to films and television, having appeared on such TV shows as I Love Lucy, Dragnet, and Hallmark Hall of Fame, among others. In 1953, he won accolades for his dramatic work in the Broadway revival of On Borrowed Time. Then, at the age of fourteen he was signed to play the role of Marty for a cool $400 per week.
The roles of Spin and Marty were that of hero and villain, respectively. Spin was the good-humored one who tried hard to help the other boys get acclimated to life on the Triple-R, while David, portraying Marty, was a rich city boy who didn’t like ranches and made life difficult for the other campers in the process.
Work on the 25-episode series began on June 28, 1955, at Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, California, about twenty-seven miles from the studio in Burbank. Interestingly, since the series was shot outside the Disney Studio and all episodes had been completed by September, 1955, one month before The Mickey Mouse Club made its television debut, the young stars of the serial had no idea that “Spin and Marty” was to be incorporated into that show.
“We didn’t know what The Mickey Mouse Club was,” admitted Considine. “We were just doing a show out there on the ranch.” Needless to say, neither Considine nor Stollery had ever heard the term “Mouseketeers” either. It was by accident that Considine came across the young mouse-eared stars of the soon-to-debut Mouse Club.
“I was at the Disney Studio one day and I remember walking out of the commissary and seeing these little kids wearing shirts with their names on them and wearing the craziest hats that I once described as a yarmulke with wings,” Considine remembered. He followed the children to one of the soundstages and watched with fascination as they sang and danced. After asking a few questions, he learned that “Spin and Marty” was, in fact, going to be part of The Mickey Mouse Club, and these children were to be the stars of the show, the Mouseketeers, a uniquely Disney coined word. Neither Considine nor Stollery had any idea of how this children’s television show was about to change to their young lives.
On October 3, 1955, at 5pm, The Mickey Mouse Club made its debut on ABC Television. A sizable segment of America’s children were stationed in front of their black and white TVs to watch. On that day, Walt Disney ushered in a show that was to leave its mark on a generation of baby boomers. It became an instant hit and just one month later, on November 11, 1955, the “Spin and Marty” serial debuted to instant popularity. Tim Considine and David Stollery were catapulted to stardom.
“Neither of us had been on a series and didn’t comprehend the power of it,” said Stollery. “When we realized how popular it was, we thought, ‘My God, this isn’t some big theatrical production…and yet there was this tremendous reaction to it.’” Considine was also amazed at viewer reaction. “I had never experienced anything like that kind of notoriety and I really wasn’t ready for it,” he said. “It was way over the top.”
Over the top, indeed! After the first episodes of “Spin and Marty” had run, some 30,000 fan letters to the Walt Disney Studio pleaded for more chapters of the show. Motivated by viewer reaction, a second season’s “Further Adventures of Spin and Marty” (which also starred Disney’s most famous Mouseketeer, Annette Funicello) was produced along with a third, “The New Adventures of Spin and Marty.”
Along with the recognition of the younger set, the whole family got into the popularity of “Spin and Marty.” Typical of the thousands of letters that flooded the Studio addressed to the young stars, some were specifically directed to Walt Disney about the serial. One such note read, “After our family enjoyed every minute of your great Davy Crockett stories, I thought you would never top them or even duplicate them. But here you go again—with your ‘Spin and Marty’ series. My six-year-old son is enthralled with the horses, my thirteen-year-old girl is in love with Spin and Marty and my husband and I love the whole show!”
While both Tim Considine and David Stollery ultimately went on to successful careers as adults—Considine as an actor, writer and photographer; and Stollery as lead automotive designer of the 1978 Toyota Celica and founder of Industrial Design Research, a company focused on designing the AREX sports car—starring in “Spin and Marty” continues to be the life roles that for which they may be best remembered. As Considine once said, “Nothing I have ever done and possibly nothing I will ever accomplish in the future could touch as many lives and bring pleasure to as many people as did appearing on “Spin and Marty” on The Mickey Mouse Club.” We agree.
Lorraine Santoli is the author of two books, a journalist, and public relations consultant. She is a recognized Disney historian with particular expertise on the original Mickey Mouse Club and the Mouseketeers.
On Saturday November 12 at 3:00pm in our Museum Theatre, meet Tim Considine and David Stollery, stars of the “Spin and Marty” serial on The Mickey Mouse Club in the special program The Adventures of Spin and Marty with Don Peri, Tim Considine, and David Stollery. Hosted by Disney historian and author Don Peri, they will discuss their adventures in front of and behind the cameras at the Triple R Ranch, stories about their careers before and after the show, and their reminiscences of working with Walt Disney. Tickets are available at the Reception and Member Service Desk at the Museum, or online by clicking here.
Images above: © Disney.