Best Family Movies of 1979

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.

A collection of Warner Brothers short cartoon features, "starring" the likes of Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Wile.E.Coyote. These animations are interspersed by Bugs Bunny reminiscing on past events and providing links between the individual animations which are otherwise unconnected. This 1979 feature-length compilation includes several of his best cartoons. Among the 11 shorts shown in their entirety are the classics "Robin Hood Daffy," "What's Opera, Doc?," "Bully for Bugs," and "Duck Amuck". The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Movie provides a showcase not only for Jones's razor-sharp timing, but for the work of his exceptional crew, which included designer Maurice Noble, writer Mike Maltese, composers Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn, and voice actor Mel Blanc.

The more you love, the harder you fight. The world looks at Billy Flynn and sees a has-been who seemingly never was, an ex-boxing champion slammed to the mat years ago by booze and gambling. But Billy's son TJ sees what the world doesn't. He knows what his flawed but loving father is, was and always will be - The Champ.

The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.

A young American girl and a young French boy meet in Paris and fall in love, with the assistance of an old man and his stories.

Pardon-me Pete, the official groundhog of Groundhog Day, tells the story of Jack Frost, who falls in love with a beautiful young woman and begs Father Winter to make him human so that she can see him. His request is granted, but only on the condition that by the spring he has a house, a bag of gold, a horse and a wife. But Jack finds that life as a human is more complicated then he thought.

Thirteen-year-old Jessie is in love with Michael, a 17-year-old guitar instructor and aspiring musician. When she finally captures his interest, she lies and tells him she's 16. But what will Michael do when he discovers the truth?

This Emmy Award winner for Best Animated Special is based on the first book of C.S. Lewis' acclaimed series, "The Chronicles of Narnia." Four children pass through a mystic portal in a wardrobe and discover the magical kingdom of Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures. There, an evil witch's spell has cast the land into eternal winter. Fearing that an ancient prophecy is coming to fruition, and that the children are Narnia's rightful rulers, the White Witch tricks their youngest brother into betraying his family, enacting an ancient magic that she can use to halt the fulfillment of the prophecy. Now, only Aslan, noble lion and High King above all kings in Narnia, can help them defeat the witch, restore springtime to Narnia, and claim their rightful places on the throne.

When crooks set up operations in a traditional town, a minister and a group of church ladies are willing to do anything, no matter how wacky, to get them out.

Long ago the Lady Borealis placed the evil Winterbolt under a magic spell, and put the last of her magic into the nose of a newborn reindeer: Rudolph. But now Winterbolt's awake. He gives Frosty's family magic amulets to keep them from melting until the Fourth of July so that Frosty and Rudolph can help Lilly's circus and Milton can marry his girlfriend on the high-wire, and Santa will use his sleigh to make sure everybody gets back to the North Pole in time...which leaves Winterbolt alone at the North Pole on the Fourth...

In Depression-era New England, a miserly businessman named Benedict Slade receives a long-overdue attitude adjustment one Christmas eve when he is visited by three ghostly figures who resemble three of the people whose possessions Slade had seized to collect on unpaid loans. Assuming the roles of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future from Charles Dickens' classic story, the three apparitions force Slade to face the consequences of his skinflint ways, and he becomes a caring, generous, amiable man.

Amos and Theodore, the two bumbling outlaw wannabes from The Apple Dumpling Gang, are back and trying to make it on their own. This time, the crazy duo gets involved in an army supply theft case -- and, of course, gets in lots of comic trouble along the way!

Martijn krijgt weinig aandacht van zijn ouders, die een dorpsbazaar drijven, en is veel op zichzelf aangewezen. Hij heeft fantasie genoeg, maar kan niet voldoen aan de verwachtingen die men van hem heeft. Als hij blijft zitten op school, is de boot aan. Alleen opa in het bejaardenhuis begrijpt hem en luistert naar zijn verhalen. Als er een filmploeg in zijn woonplaats neerstrijkt om een sprookjesfilm op te nemen, wordt Martijn tot hoofdrolspeler gekozen en opa krijgt de rol van tovenaar.

Sleepy Hollow, a town plagued by the Headless Horseman, hires the most educated person they can find to fight him - Ichabod Crane. He, talking horse and dog, and Rip van Winkle go on the quest. But the Horseman has a secret.

The Flintstones and Rubbles win a trip on "Make a Deal or Don't" to Count Rockula's castle in Rocksylvania where they have an unpleasant meeting with the Count and his servant Frankenstone.

A missing formula, a defecting Eastern European scientist kidnapped on his arrival in London, car chases, foot chases, air chases, British secret service and a couple of American tourist caught in the middle.

The Little Prince questions the universe in this story of innocence and wonder.

In this beloved holiday classic, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and all the Muppets join the singer for a heart-warming Christmas celebration, with traditional carols as well as lesser-known holiday songs.

Charlie Brown enters the Junior Olympics decathlon - and one of his rivals is a certain masked beagle!

Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound and more Hanna-Barbera characters get lost and decide to spend Christmas by vising Casper, the friendly ghost. But soon they encounter a not-so-friendly ghost.

Set in the English countryside of the 1920s - when otter hunting was still legal - this film follows the life of Tarka the Otter from his birth into adulthood. We witness his close shaves, and his struggle with a man who tries to keep our furry hero as a pet.

The story is a documentary of research that shows fairly conclusively that plants are actually aware of what goes on around them, even miles away. It is somewhat humorous in the methods it uses to prove the secret life of plants, but thought-provoking in the conclusions it arrives at. The most wonderful thing about the film is the soundtrack. This is original music composed by Stevie Wonder. There is even a scene in the film of Stevie singing one of his songs in a boat on a river. This scene is very moving, as Stevie is blind and yet able to know where he is going. The scene is the climax to the movie, and metaphoric as to what has been presented about plants, that although they don't seem to have senses as human beings and animals do, they are quite well aware of what is going on around them and where they fit into this in the evolutionary process.

A beautiful girl agrees to marry a hideous, deformed beast and live in his castle in order to save her father's life.

Aunt Agatha threatens to call the police on innocent trick-or-treaters. Her nephew, Ralph, would love to be out with them. But what he wants most of all is a pumpkin. From across the street, Raggedy Ann and Andy watch the drama unfold. Andy is furious at Agatha for preventing the boy from enjoying the wonderful, horrible holiday. Ann, with her irritating insistence on fairness, decides that Agatha has merely forgotten what it's like to be young. The pressing matter ahead is getting Ralph a pumpkin. Andy scoffs at the idea of finding one at this late date. Ann reasons that if there's a little boy who needs a pumpkin, there must be a pumpkin who needs a little boy. She's right. Not far away, a miserable pumpkin is blubbering out pumpkin seed-tears because no one wants him for Halloween.

In this one-hour special, Kermit the Frog throws a glamorous party at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub to celebrate the premiere of the Muppets' first feature film, The Muppet Movie. Hosts Dick van Dyke and Rita Moreno interview the wide array of celebrities and Muppets who attend the event. Gary Owens serves as off-camera announcer, and appears on-screen to introduce Miss Piggy.

In this retrospective on creators Hanna and Barbera, Bill Bixby hosts a behind-the-scenes look at technical and sound artistry. Segments spotlight families and famous women in cartoons as well as romance.

A NASA spacecraft proves Einstein right when, traveling faster than light, it ends up near King Arthur's Camelot. On board are big-hearted Tom Trimble and Hermes, the look-alike robot he built. Tom immediately makes friends with pretty Alisande while becoming enemies with the evil knight Sir Mordred. It seems Mordred has joined up with the Sorcerer Merlin and they are both up to no good. It is now up to Tom to try and use 20th century technology to foil their plans.

A story of a young boy David who recently moved from Erevan to Leningrad.

The Tasmanian Devil escapes from a plane and lands in Santa's suit. After taking off in Santa's sleigh he lands on Bugs' roof where he tries to eat everything in sight including the present Bugs got for him.

Upset by rumors that Halloween may end, Dracula calls his mild-mannered monsters together and delivers an ultimatum - either regain their frightening image, or leave his Transylvania castle forever.

A television remake of the 1953 feature film. Stars Gary Coleman.

An evil caliph (Christopher Lee) offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to a prince if he can complete a perilous quest for a magical rose. Helped by a young boy and a magic carpet, Prince Hasan (Oliver Tobias), has to overcome genies, fire breathing monsters and treacherous swamps to reach his prize and claim the hand of the Princess Zuleira (Emma Samms).

It's the night before Christmas, and all the toy store rejects are due to be tossed into the furnace. This includes Quincy, a most lifelike doll. In a last ditch effort to save himself and his "unwanted" chums from incineration, he goes on a long and perilous journey in search of the only one who can save them: Santa Claus.

"Bags" the boxer (funnyman Tim Conway) and his manager, Shake (Don Knotts), are quite a pair: One is a dim bulb, and the other has a mean streak. Times are tough and they must save their gym, so they line up some moneymaking fights. But when Bags and Shake discover that the bouts have been rigged, they end up with their backs to the wall and must fight back -- literally.

A family goes "back to nature" by homesteading in the Colorado Rockies.

Separated from a wagon train, Mr. Parish and the children are attaced by armed men, forcing young Anna and Jamie to flee into the wilderness with their father's fate unknown. They don't realize they carry a secret treasure map, but with gold-hunting George and Buzz in pursuit and wild-eyed mountain man McTavish on the loose, there's plenty to fear. Yet help comes from the unlikeliest of places, including a ferocious wolf pack, the majestic wild eagle, Balderdash, and even a maternal grizzly, which they name after their friend Mrs. Mullen.

A young man invents a robot dog that has super strength, x-ray vision and can detect crimes being committed. A greedy businessman tries to steal the boy's invention from him.

A television star goes home to Texas for her father's funeral and spends time with her mother for the first time in five years. Reminiscing about her childhood allows the daughter to work through lifelong resentments and to forgive her mother.

Laura Ingalls reminisces about the Ingalls' journeys and struggles during a family Thanksgiving gathering.

The 12-year-old Aneta and Boy feel that there is something like a first love between them. The kids are traveling to the countryside together. They get to two of Aneta's grandparents - one of her grandmothers was married three times. Aneta's favorite grandfather is her grandmother's third husband. He is not her real grandfather, but she loves him because he likes to fantasize. He taught Aneta a magic game - to light a match and imagine anything in flame. Her favorite grandfather dies. Aneta mourns him for a long time, lights matches but no use.

Auntie tries to make her Nephew smile by doing goofy stuff. Tee nephew does not smile until Auntie gives up goes away and NEVER come baque.

A (male) cab driver is transformed into a (female) superhero.

An Indian summer, 1942: "When I was thirteen, all I wanted to be was a hero." A young evacuee's response to the surrounding war-obsessed adult world seems the only one available to him, until he forms 'a particular friendship' with another boy, a Jewish refugee. This threatens the stability of his gang (who also mirror the racist/jingoist attitudes of adulthood), and he is caught in Forster's great liberal crux: your country or your friend?

Believing that her long-lost father is a popular touring singer, a young woman named Carrie pursues him from Switzerland to South Africa.

A wonderful animated version of the First Christmas. Filled with prophets, wise men, warriors, kings and messengers.

A coming-of-age story combined with a love interest between a boy and girl from different social stratum told during the years of teenage turmoil after high school the barriers of upbringing and taboos disintegrate. Each finds true love just before the party breaks up and will eventually learn to resolve the inner conflicts of values, proportion, and priorities.

Children of long distance lorry drivers, travelling with their fathers, become involved in attempted hijacking.

Charled Dicken's tale A Christmas Carol takes a contemporary jolt in this original musical set in modern-day Tennessee. Cyrus Flint is a mean old banker whose one and only concern is the welfare of Flint City Bank. Dennis and Laura Pritchett are two parents struggling to make enough money to pay for an operation their son needs. Flint is organizing a songwriting and singing contest with a $2000 first prize to promote his bank.

The super agents in this mission must act in the middle of the fight of two enemy gangs to capture a scientist and produce changes in the weather.