The Parent Trap (1961 film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Parent Trap
Theatrical release poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	David Swift
Produced by	Walt Disney George Golitzen
Written by	David Swift
Starring	Hayley Mills Maureen O'Hara Brian Keith
Music by	Songs: Richard M. Sherman Robert B. Sherman Score: Paul Smith
Cinematography	Lucien Ballard
Editing by	Philip W. Anderson
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	June 21, 1961 (1961-06-21)
Running time	128 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Money made	$25.1 million

The Parent Trap is a fun 1961 Walt Disney movie. It's a Technicolor romantic comedy directed by David Swift. The film stars Hayley Mills, who plays two characters, along with Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith.

The Parent Trap tells the story of two teenage twin sisters. They meet by accident and then try to get their divorced parents back together. The movie's story was written by David Swift. It is based on a 1949 book called Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kästner.

This movie was very popular. It was nominated for two Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars). It also led to three TV sequels and a new movie in 1998 starring Lindsay Lohan. The Parent Trap was Hayley Mills's second movie for Disney.

The Story of The Parent Trap

Teenagers Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers meet at a summer camp for girls. They look exactly alike, which causes problems at first. They play tricks on each other and even mess up a dance. As punishment, they have to share a cabin and eat all their meals alone.

Soon, they stop disliking each other. They then discover they are identical twin sisters! Their parents, Mitchell "Mitch" Evers and Margaret "Maggie" McKendrick, divorced when the girls were babies. Each parent raised one of the twins.

The twins are excited to meet the parent they never knew. They decide to switch places. They get the same haircut and learn about each other's lives.

The Twins' Plan

Susan pretends to be Sharon and goes to Boston with her mother. Sharon pretends to be Susan and goes to her father's ranch in California. Sharon learns that her dad, Mitch, is engaged to a much younger woman named Vicky Robinson. Vicky is only interested in Mitch's money. She plans to send Susan to boarding school after the wedding.

Sharon secretly calls Susan to tell her the news. Susan tells Sharon to try and break up the couple. If that doesn't work, they decide to end their trick early. They plan to bring their mother to California.

The next morning, Susan tells her mother and grandparents the truth. Maggie and Susan have a happy reunion. Then they fly to California. Mitch doesn't know about the switch yet. He is surprised when Maggie arrives. He soon learns the truth and is reunited with both his daughters. Vicky is very angry that Maggie is staying at the ranch.

Getting Their Parents Back Together

The girls come up with a plan to reunite their parents. They try to recreate Maggie and Mitch's first date. Slowly, their parents start to get closer again. They argue about why they divorced, but then they make up.

Maggie and Sharon are supposed to leave the next morning. Maggie wishes Mitch well with Vicky. To delay their trip back to Boston, the twins dress alike. This way, their parents can't tell them apart. They say they will only reveal who is who after a family camping trip. Mitch and Maggie agree, even though they don't really want to. Vicky is furious about the camping trip.

Maggie then tricks Vicky into going on the camping trip. Vicky hates being outdoors. Maggie says Vicky and the twins can get to know each other better.

Vicky's True Colors

The twins use every chance they get to make Vicky uncomfortable. They play many tricks on her. Vicky finally gets very angry and starts shouting. She even slaps one of the twins. Then she storms off and goes back to the city for good. Mitch finally sees what Vicky is really like.

Back at the house, the twins say sorry for their actions. Maggie and Sharon get ready to go back to Boston the next day. The twins are sad, thinking they will only see each other during visits. Later, Mitch tells Maggie how much he misses her and their marriage. They both realize they still love each other.

Susan wakes up during the night. She tells Sharon about a beautiful dream she had. In her dream, they were bridesmaids at their parents' wedding. This dream is about to come true!

Meet the Cast

• Hayley Mills plays both Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers. They are identical twins who were separated when their parents divorced. They don't know about each other until they meet at summer camp.
• Brian Keith plays Mitchell "Mitch" Evers, the father of Sharon and Susan.
• Maureen O'Hara plays Margaret "Maggie" McKendrick, the mother of Sharon and Susan.
• Joanna Barnes plays Vicky Robinson. She is a woman who doesn't like children and wants to marry Mitch only for his money.
• Charlie Ruggles as Charles McKendrick (Maggie's father)
• Cathleen Nesbitt as Louise McKendrick (Maggie's mother)
• Una Merkel as Verbena, the housekeeper
• Leo G. Carroll as Reverend Dr. Mosby
• Linda Watkins as Edna Robinson (Vicky's mother)
• Ruth McDevitt as Miss Abbey Inch (the camp director)
• Crahan Denton as Hecky, the ranch foreman
• Nancy Kulp as Miss Grunecker
• Frank De Vol as Mr. Eaglewood
• Susan Henning as Sharon McKendrick/Susan Evers (a body double for Hayley Mills)

Songs from the Movie

The songs for the movie were written by Richard and Robert Sherman. The main song is "The Parent Trap". Other songs include "For Now, For Always" and "Let's Get Together".

You hear "Let's Get Together" playing from a record player at the summer camp. Later, the twins sing it when they recreate their parents' first date. Hayley Mills sang this version herself, using a special recording trick to make it sound like two people. Her song even reached number 8 on the US music charts! The movie's title song was sung by Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello. They were both working on another Disney movie, Babes in Toyland, at the time.

Awards the Film Won

The Parent Trap was nominated for two Academy Awards. One was for its Sound, and the other was for its Film Editing. The film's editor, Philip W. Anderson, won the first-ever Eddie Award in 1962 from the American Cinema Editors.

See also

In Spanish: The Parent Trap (película de 1961) para niños