Mickey Mouse Club Serials: Season Three Specials
For the 1957-58 season educational serials were presented as either Newsreel or Encyclopedia specials, even as the traditional MMC newsreels were cut back to one a week. Both types of special had been featured the previous season, but would now have Mouseketeers or serial actors as hosts and narrators.
There was no difference in style or subject matter between the two special formats; only the openings distinguished them. Newsreel specials had title cards in the usual newsreel style; encyclopedia specials had the recycled Jiminy Cricket animation and no titles.
Most of the information on this page came from original research done by Bill Cotter, however, any errors of fact or mistakes in interpretation are my own.
Newsreel Special: Hawaiian Adventure
Interest in the island territory was building with impending statehood and the arrival of commercial jet travel. This serial was introduced by Annette, who also provided the voice-over narration. Pamela Bornemann, Barbara Olin, and Paul Roelofs were the three youngsters who travelled by steamship from California to Oahu, then explored the islands using the custom MMC station wagon seen in earlier serials.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Oct 21, 1957 | |
| part 2 | Oct 22, 1957 | |
| Part 3 | Oct 23, 1957 | |
| Part 4 | Oct 24, 1957 | |
| Part 5 | Oct 25, 1957 | |
| Part 6 | Oct 28, 1957 | |
| Part 7 | Oct 29, 1957 |
Encyclopedia Special: Uranium Hunt
Don Agrati hosted and narrated this short science focused serial, which followed three youngsters, Mike Blye,
Johnny Green, Jerry Goldenson, as they learned about modern mining and how to find uranium ore.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Oct 30, 1957 | |
| Part 2 | Oct 31, 1957 | |
| Part 3 | Nov 01, 1957 |
Newsreel Special: Argentine Adventure
Nine part series had each episode introduced by Tommy Cole, whose in-studio co-host/narrator was Billy Almeida. The storyline followed two young brothers living on a ranch in the Pampas as they learned the Gaucho way. Filmed by Jerry Sims and written by Bert Murray.
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Encyclopedia Special: Roaring Midgets
This special was hosted and narrated by Tommy Cole. The title refers to one-quarter sized race cars for kids at a private track in Glendale, California.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Roaring Midgets | Jan 20, 1958 |
Encyclopedia Special: Japan
These four specials were a very loose continuation of the Japanese Correspondent series from previous seasons. They were hosted and narrated by Tommy Cole.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Cormorant Fishing | Dec 27, 1957 | |
| Shipyards | Jan 21, 1958 | |
| Shooting the Rapids | Jan 23, 1958 | |
| Geisha Girl | Mar 28, 1958 |
Encyclopedia Special: Lobsters
This standalone special was hosted and narrated by Doreen Tracey.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Lobster Fishing | Jan 22, 1958 |
Newsreel Special: Inside Report on Washington
This multi-part serial has its own page by Disney Historian Jim Korkis. Dirk Metzger, host of English Correspondent in the earlier seasons, does the introduction and narration, and is also the on-camera visitor to the various locales around the capital. Tommy Cole, while on a publicity tour to the east coast in January 1958, did quick bits as a captured gangster in the introductions to two FBI episodes.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| FBI - Part 1 | Jan 24, 1958 | |
| FBI - Part 2 | Jan 27, 1958 | |
| FBI - Part 3 | Jan 28, 1958 | |
| FBI - Part 4 | Jan 29, 1958 | |
| Congress - Part 1 | Jan 30, 1958 | |
| Congress - Part 2 | Jan 31, 1958 | |
| Money - Part 1 | Feb 03, 1958 | |
| Money - Part 2 | Feb 04, 1958 | |
| Money - Part 3 | Feb 05, 1958 | |
| The White House - Part 1 | Feb 06, 1958 | |
| The White House - Part 2 | Feb 07, 1958 |
Newsreel Special: Get That Story!
Ten part series followed several cub reporters in New York City as they learned the newspaper trade. Series was hosted and narrated by Tommy Cole.
| Episode | Orig Air Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Mar 10, 1958 | |
| Part 2 | Mar 11, 1958 | |
| Part 3 | Mar 12, 1958 | |
| Part 4 | Mar 13, 1958 | |
| Part 5 | Mar 14, 1958 | |
| Part 6: By Photo | Mar 17, 1958 | |
| Part 7 | Mar 18, 1958 | |
| Part 8 | Mar 19, 1958 | |
| Part 9 | Mar 20, 1958 | |
| Part 10: By Feature Page | Mar 21, 1958 |
Newsreel Special: Youth Takes Over the Atom
David Stollery, being a tech-savvy guy, hosts and narrates a four-part series on atomic energy.
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