Hardy Boys (Mickey Mouse Club serial)

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In the late 1950s, Disney contracted with the Stratemeyer Syndicate and Grosset & Dunlap to produce two Hardy Boys TV serials , starring Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk. The first of the serials, The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, was aired on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1956 during the show's second season. [1] To appeal to the show's audience, the Hardy Boys were portrayed as younger than in the books, seeming to be twelve or thirteen years old (Considine was 15 and Kirk was 14 during filming). [2] The script, written by Jackson Gillis, was based on the first Hardy Boys book, The Tower Treasure , and the serial was aired in 19 episodes of fifteen minutes each with production costs of $5,700. [3] A second serial, The Mystery of Ghost Farm, followed in 1957, with an original story by Jackson Gillis. [2] This serial shares some elements with "The House on the Cliff", the second Hardy Boys book.

Contents

Series 1 cast

Series 1 episodes

Episode numberEpisode titleAir date
0An IntroductionOct 1, 1956
1A StrangerOct 2, 1956
2A Real CaseOct 3, 1956
3The First ClueOct 4, 1956
4The FugitiveOct 5, 1956
5Applegate's GoldOct 8, 1956
6Dig for TreasureOct 9, 1956
7A Pirate's ChestOct 10, 1956
8Boys in TroubleOct 11, 1956
9Female DetectiveOct 12, 1956
10Iola's BraveryOct 15, 1956
11Footsteps in the TowerOct 16, 1956
12The Prisoner SpeaksOct 17, 1956
13The Strange ConfessionOct 18, 1956
14A Golden ClueOct 19, 1956
15The Final SearchOct 22, 1956
16The Tower's SecretOct 23, 1956
17Never Say DieOct 24, 1956
18Boys in DangerOct 25, 1956
19The Tower TreasureOct 26, 1956

Series 2 cast

Series 2 episodes

Episode numberEpisode titleAir date
0An IntroductionSept 13, 1957
1Beginning of the PuzzleSept 20, 1957
2Detective JoeSept 27, 1957
3Who Feeds the Cat?Oct 4, 1957
4Two Private EyesOct 11, 1957
5Man Named FredOct 18, 1957
6Animals in DangerOct 25, 1957
7Catching a GhostNov 1, 1957
8The Ghost SpeaksNov 8, 1957
9Lacey's Wonderful WillNov 15, 1957
10Detectives in TroubleNov 22, 1957
11The Ghost ConfessesNov 29, 1957
12Iola to the RescueDec 6, 1957
13Panic at the ZooDec 13, 1957
14Uncle Billy's SecretDec 20, 1957

Opening credits

The theme song was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft and played over clips from Disney's Treasure Island .

Home media

In December 2006, the Disney studio issued a Treasures DVD for The Hardy Boys: Mystery of the Applegate Treasure.

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