The Parent Trap (1961 film)

The Parent Trap is a 1961 American romantic comedy film written and directed by David Swift. It stars Hayley Mills in a dual role as a pair of teenage twins who switch places with each other in order to reunite their divorced parents, played by Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith. Although the plot is very close to that of the 1945 film Twice Blessed, The Parent Trap is based on the 1949 children's novel Das doppelte Lottchen by German author Erich Kästner.

Produced by Walt Disney Productions, The Parent Trap was released on June 21, 1961, by Buena Vista Distribution. It grossed $25.1 million at the box office and was nominated for two Academy Awards. It was broadcast on television, and three television sequels followed the later adventures of the twins. The film was remade in 1998 with Lindsay Lohan in the lead role as the twins. It was released on VHS, in digital stereo LaserDisc format (1986), and on DVD (2002). The Parent Trap was the second of six films Mills made for Disney.