The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) For the Love of Willadean: A Taste of Melon (1964) User Reviews

Great 60's Disney movie

[Marta · 10/10 · 9 January 1999]

This is one of those Disney movies made for broadcast on the TV show in the 60's. It's about a city boy, played by Roger Mobley, who moves to the country, and his trials in getting to know his new neighbors. Two brothers, the teen played by Michael McGreevey and the younger played by Billy Mumy, live in the house down the road, and a girl, Willadean, lives across the road. The older brother, J.D., has a crush on Willadean, and the new boy gets one too. They compete to see who can get the most of Willadean's attention. J.D. continually sets up the new boy, by telling him to do things Willadean will hate. Willadean's father, marvelously played by John Anderson, is growing the county's biggest prize watermelon, and has been sitting up nights guarding it from vandals with his shotgun. J.D. tells Michael that Willadean would love the person who could show that they had stolen the watermelon right out from under her father's nose. So Michael waits till the father falls asleep, and steals the watermelon. The 3 boys eat the melon till they're sick, and Michael begins to feel guilty. When the father discovers the melon is gone, he is sad, not upset. He was going to throw a party for the whole county when the melon had ripened completely. Michael confesses to him that he was the culprit, and hands him the seeds from the melon, so that he can grow more next year. Willadean thinks he's brave for admitting the crime, and J.D. is thwarted.

The second part of the movie has the 4 investigating an abandoned house that they hear noises in. Ed Wynn plays a bum who teaches them something about trust and friendship.

Overall, its a cute movie and might be a little too tame for today's kids, but adults will like it if only for the older Disney feel. Walt presided over the company when this was made.

A film that is sure to appeal to the nostalgia buff.

[a1aroute · 10/10 · 8 June 2003]

One of my favorite Disney movies. Very well written, good acting, and great chemistry between the actors in this "coming of age" film that revolves around the adventures of three young boys and a young girl in small town America in the early 1960s. The plot revolves around the rivalry between the two older boys, both in their early teens, for a girl their age who lives in the neighborhood; one of the boys, Harley Mason, who is played by Roger Mobley of "Fury" fame, has just moved to town from the big city - Detroit. In order to be initiated into a "club" whose membership consists of two brothers - played remarkably well by Michael McGreevey and Billy Mumy - Harley is asked to perform two rather unpleasant tasks. One of them is stealing a prize watermelon from a local curmudgeon, and the other is spending time alone in a house that is said to be haunted. All along the way, the film has the look and feel of a Mark Twain novel, and therein lies much of its charm.

Great nostalgia

[r-mcmillan · 10/10 · 11 October 2014]

I and my brother saw this 40 years ago and had not spoken to each other about it until this moment. This film remained in our imaginations for all this time and in our minds we were the 2 boys in the field eating the watermelon. In reality we didn't taste watermelon for the first time for 10 or more years after seeing the film, and the disappointment was that it didn't taste as it did to those boys in the field! Why we started talking about it tonight was as a consequence of a debate "What was the greatest ever Disney film?" - to us it was this one because of the empathy that we formed with the two brothers in that hot field so far away. Two problems now - will a new viewing today spoil our memories and, more importantly, where can we buy the film?

Disney Lovers Should Demand Movies Like This Be Available

[cimmanonstix · 10/10 · 6 February 2007]

I grew up with this movie and it brings back wonderful childhood memories every time I see it. I was really able to relate to this movie as an adventure-seeking kid myself, I even had my own "club" that mainly included my sister and I.

It doesn't seem to make sense that a room full of writers would go through all the trouble of thinking up this intriguing storyline, the actors work hard to entertain, then the movie-business promote it and make everyone fall in love with it, and now there's a good group of people who want the movie at home and it's impossible to get your hands on it. It seems unfair, especially when there are so many lousy movies readily available.

Disney should at least let you special order these online.

brings back memories

[longtallgibbs · 12 September 2007]

I remember watching this with my older brother when I was 9 years old and my bro was 15. We were the same ages as the 2 brothers on the show. Man,Roger Mobley was the best. I remember him as Gallagher, another Disney series. Its a shame he quit the acting game.I thought Farmer Willis (John Anderson) was going to murder him at the end.That guy scared the heck out of me.Watching the 3 of them eating that melon made want to jump into the TV and get some.I can't seem to find out much about whatever became of Terry Burnham ,the girl who played Willadean. It really was a great movie that I would like to get my hands on someday. Gibbs

Boys will be boys

[bjkeller-1 · 10/10 · 29 November 2006]

Our family has loved this movie for ages. We taped it off of the Disney Channel about 20 years ago, and even though our kids have grown and left the house, we still quote from the movie, and watch it together from time to time. The story includes everything that a young boy could want in a movie: a cool tree fort, a haunted mansion, buried treasure, a mean next door neighbor, and a pretty girl. I wish Disney would put this one out on DVD, I'd buy several copies, one for each of the kids, and one for the Mrs. and me.

The story is basically about two brothers who are in a "club" together, but the younger brother (played by Billy Mumy) has to do all of the work since his older brother is president. When a new family moves to town, Mumy is hopeful that there are a lot of boys in the family so they can join the club and help with the workload...after all, someone's got to haul dirt clods up into the tree fort. But the new family only has one child, a son, who is the same age as the older brother. The fun starts when they both start to compete against each other for the love of Willadean.

Trying to impress the girl next door

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 2 November 2016]

The fashions may change, but a Disney teen comedy/drama never does. For The Love Of Willadean stars Michael McGreevey and Roger Mobley as a pair of pubescent teens just discovering the female sex. In this case it's Terry Burnham living next door to where Mobley and his family have just moved in from the great metropolis of Detroit. Down the street is McGreevey and his little brother Billy Mumy.

Adolescent boys will do all kinds of strange things to impress their female peers and Mobley and McGreevey are no exception. Burnham's father is a most cranky John Anderson whose pride and joy maybe before his daughter is his watermelon patch with the biggest watermelon in the region with lots of seeds for a new crop.

I don't think I have to draw you a picture. The kids act like kids do, especially when on a Disney show. But they do it with a sweet innocence that is lost in these times.

It's still an enjoyable Disney product.

One Of The Best Movies That No Ones Ever Heard Of...

[Codename-MovieBuff · 10/10 · 11 December 2002]

To sum it all up, 2 people have commented on this film, not including me. Luckily, I saw the film only because my Grandma recorded it befor Alice In Wonderland like 20 years ago. So I consider myself lucky. This movie is definetely on my top 20 greatest films of all time. The summary basically sums up the movie. Go see it... if you can find it.