Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh contains the 3-part mini-series that aired on TV in 1964 and the movie version. The TV series was produced for Disney's Wonderful World of Color weekly series, which took advantage of the novelty of color TV at the time. Though it was unfamiliar to me, it turned out to hold up very well for a number of reasons both technical and story-wise. Basically, the movie and the TV series are the same thing, but the movie version is trimmed down to fit into feature length. What may surprise people is that the show, even Walt Disney's introductions, was filmed in widescreen format, regardless of the fact that it was to be shown on TV.

This is the story of Dr. Christopher Syn, hero to the common people in England suffering under the oppressive rule of King George III. To help his fellow men deal with the high taxes placed on them, Dr. Syn dons an alter ego (the Scarecrow) and smuggles goods in secret. It's a kind of Robin Hood tale of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. It's just that this time, Robin Hood dresses up in a scarecrow mask by night. The story essentially comes from a series of novels Russell Thorndike wrote about this character in 1915. It's interesting to note that the idea for this story came from actual tales of smuggling that happened in Romney Marsh.

It's a good production. There's plenty of action in the form of gunfights between Dr. Syn's group of smugglers and the British soldiers, galloping horseback rides, and other confrontations. You can also get a feeling for how dazzling this would have been for people who had perhaps just purchased a color TV. The costumes are rich and vibrant, and backgrounds are full of period objects, books, and structures. It still looks excellent today. The acting is also great, and you could ask little more of it. Patrick McGoohan plays Dr. Syn, and couldn't be a better, more dignified gentleman.

This is only a 3-part show, but as this is the Disney Treasures collection, you'll get plenty more content for your money. The bonus material has one feature that goes into depth about the history of the show, including the various novels written about Dr. Syn, as well as competing movies that were made. You're also given the alternate widescreen versions of Walt Disney's intros and a short feature about Walt Disney's special love of filming in England.

I can't say that this will be an instant hit with the family - it is an older series and does require a longer attention span than modern work. But there is a large fan base of this film for a reason. If anything, it may get you interested in the novels, and the history of the story itself. The film is preserved quite well and looks great. If you've been waiting to pick this up on DVD, there's no reason to wait any longer.