Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus1960Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus
1960
Toby, an orphan who feels unwanted by his aunt and uncle, runs away to join a traveling circus. He works for a greedy concessionaire, befriends a chimpanzee named Mr. Stubbs, and dreams of riding in the ring.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
Old-fashioned Disney: a boy learns honest work and loyalty and discovers his family loved him all along.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Toby runs away from home after hurtful words; the film shows his aunt and uncle loving him after all and the family reconciled, which is a good talk about running away. A chimp fires a gun (no one is hit) and a boy breaks his leg falling from a horse.
Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- Why did Toby run away? Was he right?
- Who was kind to Toby, and who used him?
- What did Mr. Stubbs mean to Toby?
- How did Toby's uncle show he cared?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 6+ (Toby Tyler): mild action; a chimp fires a gun (no one hit); a boy breaks his leg; hurtful insults from adults; no swearing.
Best edition
The disc comes first.
Toby Tyler (1960)
DVD · August 2, 2005
Edition link coming soon.
Listing on Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.