True-Life Adventures

The True-Life Adventures series is a collection of short subject documentary films produced by Walt Disney Productions roughly between the years 1948 and 1960. The film series was exposed in 1982 by the CBC newsmagazine The Fifth Estate for Animal Cruelty and faking nature scenes. It is also credited as the source of the myth of lemming mass suicides. The series won numerous Academy Awards for the studio including five awards for Best Two Reel Live Action Short. It inspired a daily panel comic strip that was distributed from 1955 to 1971. Several of the films were adapted in comic book format as one shots in the Dell Comics Four Color series. The films were among the earliest production experience for Roy E. Disney. Also this film series was the launching pad for Disney's new distributor, Buena Vista International. TV episodes are from Disney's anthology TV series.

In 2007, Disney established a new nature film label called Disneynature.

Films in the True Life Adventure Series

 * Two-reel short - December 21, 1948
 * In Beaver Valley (a.k.a Beaver Valley) - July 19, 1950
 * Nature's Half Acre - July 28, 1951
 * The Olympic Elk - February 13, 1952
 * Water Birds - June 26, 1952
 * Bear Country - February 5, 1953
 * Prowlers of the Everglades - July 23, 1953
 * The Living Desert - 10 November 1953
 * The Vanishing Prairie - August 17, 1954
 * Secrets of Life - November 6, 1956
 * The African Lion - September 14, 1955
 * Perri - August 28, 1957
 * White Wilderness - August 12, 1958
 * Nature's Strangest Creatures - March 19, 1959
 * Mysteries of the Deep - December 16, 1959
 * Jungle Cat - August 10, 1960
 * Islands of the Sea - March 16, 1960

Educational shorts
The following short were edited out the other shorts/films/episodes for educational purpose ether a fragment were experted out of longer film or two or more sequence were edited together from more than two or more different films to form "new" film. Thus they are not included on the Legacy DVDs. Films made up of stock footage two or more Disney nature films and thus not listed with respective original film above:
 * The Weasel Family (1968)
 * The Wild Dog Family - The Coyote (1968)
 * The Wild Cat Family - The Cougar (1968)
 * The Deer Family (1968)
 * Of Horses and Men (1968)
 * The Bear Family (1970).
 * The Beasts of Burden Family (1970)
 * Teeth are for Chewing (1971) with animated inserts.
 * A Day in Nature's Community (1975)

DVD release
All of the True-Life Adventures have been released on DVD over four discs as part of the Walt Disney Legacy Collection which launched December 5, 2006.

Volume 1: Wonders of the World
DISC ONE DISC TWO Bonus Features
 * 1. Introduction by Roy Disney
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. White Wilderness
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. Water Birds
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. Beaver Valley
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">5. Prowlers of the Everglades
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Mysteries of the Deep
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. "Wonders of the Water Worlds"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. "The Crisler Story"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. "Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Birds"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">5. Tribute to James Algar
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">6. Filmakers' Journal
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">7. Collectors' Corner
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">8. Original Theatrical Trailers

Volume 2: Lands of Exploration
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC ONE <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC TWO <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Bonus Features
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Introduction by Roy Disney
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. The Living Desert
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. The Vanishing Prairie
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. Seal Island
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Islands of the Sea
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. Nature's Strangest Creatures
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. "Prairie"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. "Behind the True Life Cameras"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">5. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Desert Insects
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">6. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Snakes
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">7. Filmmakers' Journal
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">8. Collectors' Corner
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">9. Trailers & Promo

Volume 3: Creatures of the Wild
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC ONE <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC TWO <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Bonus Features
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Introduction by Roy Disney
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. The African Lion
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. Jungle Cat
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. Bear Country
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Olympic Elk
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. "Cameras in Africa"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. "The Yellowstone Story"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. Tribute to the Milottes
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">5. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Elephants
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">6. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Cheetah Medical Exam
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">7. Filmmakers' Journal
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">8. Collectors' Corner
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">9. Trailers & Promo

Volume 4: Nature's Mysteries
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC ONE <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">DISC TWO <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Bonus Features
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Introduction by Roy Disney
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. Secrets of Life
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. Perri
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">1. Nature's Half Acre
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">2. "Searching for Nature's Mysteries"
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">3. "Adventure in Wildwood Heart'
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">4. Backstage with Roy Disney at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Butterflies
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">5. Tribute to Winston Hibler
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">6. Filmmakers' Journal
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">7. Collectors' Corner
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">8. Original Theatrical Trailers