Figure 1.--

The Disney movie is about Buxley Hall, an all boys military school, that opens its doors to include girl cadets in order to ease financial constraints. This decision meets of course with mixed reactions from the boys, as well as three ghosts from the Civil War era who keep watch over the venerable academy. It is about the effort of a group of children to save a military school. The commandant seeks to prevent it from going coed. There are many boys involved, but unlike the girls, they wear military-style school uniforms. The boys wore grey uniforms similar to those of the West Point cadets. Rad Daly, Billy Jacoby

Filmology

This made for TV movie was a film in the "Walt Disney Presents" series.

Chronlogy

The film has a contemprary setting, 1980 America.

Cast

Rad Daly was about 13/14 at the time the film was produced. The overbearing upperclassman was played by 15/16 years old Christian Juttner. Rad, who was one of the "Bad News Bears", plays a role that mixes gentle shyness with quiet strength quite skillfully.

Setting

The episode, "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall" (1980) took place at a military academy.

Plot

In the show Buxley Hall is an all boys military school that opens its doors to include girl cadets in order to ease financial constraints. This decision meets of course with mixed reactions from the boys, as well as two ghosts from the Civil War era who keep watch over the venerable academy. To complicate matters a scheming real estate investor covets the property. The ghosts show themselves only to Jeremy (Rad Daly), a rather timid new cadet at the school. The "free spirits" help him to stand up to a bullying upperclassman and with their invisible help to save the school from the clutches of the real estate developers. The boys wear only their uniforms in the film, though Jeremy is introduced wearing long trousers and a cardigan sweater over a shirt.

Hair Styles

For a film from about 1980 the boys wear fairly short hair that approximates military standards. Presumably this was because it was a Disney film.

Costuming

The boys wear grey uniforms similar to those of the West Point cadets.

Assessment

The reviewes tongue-in-cheek take: "Taps" meets "Topper" in this film! [As HBC aims at Internet English we must expalin that "Taps" refers to the military school (bed time buggle call) and "Topper" refers to a popular American TV show about the relationship between elderly ghosts and a young couple who have bought their house.]

Created: October 31, 2001
Last updated: October 31, 2001