Today in Disney History

July 11: Off To Disneyland

2009-07-11T07:55:00.005-04:00

On this day in 1956, the Barstow family from Wethersfield, Connecticut left for a week-long California vacation. Many families had taken vacations to the West Coast ... but this one had a few unique Disney twists to it.
The 5-member family won the trip when youngest son Danny entered a nation wide contest sponsored by the 3M Scotch Tape Company. The prize included airfare, 4 days worth of Disneyland tickets, and hotel accommodations. Like many proud fathers, Robbins Barstow (an ardent amateur filmmaker) filmed the entire week-long adventure (which also included visits to Knotts Berry Farm & Universal Studios). Pieced together into a 30-minute color amateur documentary (complete with narration and cornball jokes), the film was later titled Disneyland Dream.
Fast forward to December 2008 - Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced the names of 25 important motion pictures to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Among the 25 chosen was Barstow's Disneyland Dream! (Robbins had donated the film, along with 11 other titles in the Robbins Barstow 20th Century Family Home Movie Collection.) Chosen for its historical and cultural significance, Disneyland Dream quickly became a must-see video on the internet.
A few weeks later in January 2009, it was announced that comedian/actor & former Disneyland employee Steve Martin had recognized himself in the Barstow's 1956 film. About 20 minutes into the documentary, a young Martin can be seen selling guidebooks just inside Disneyland's entrance!
Little did the Barstow family know that when they left for their memorable vacation on July 11, 1956 ... they would forever become part of Disney history.

Click HERE for more July 11 Disney History.

July 05: A Dream Is A Wish That Mack Makes

2009-07-05T08:35:00.003-04:00

On this day in 1912, Songwriter Hall of Famer Mack David was born in New York City. A versatile lyricist and songwriter, David wrote in just about every conceivable style of popular music for film, TV, and Broadway. Whether you're a Disney fan or an avid movie/TV viewer ... you have heard his music.
Originally wanting to become an attorney, David attended Cornell University and then St. John's University Law School. But when his younger brother Hal showed interest in music as well, it was big brother Mack who advised him to take up a more stable career. But Mack failed to follow his own advice, and instead of following a career in law, began writing songs on Tin Pan Alley. (Hal David went on to have great success too as a lyricist writing many hits with songwriter Burt Bacharach.)
(Tin Pan Alley, a collection of New York City-centered music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the U.S. in the late 19th century and early 20th century, was originally a specific place at West 28th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.)
In 1945, Mack wrote the words for Duke Ellington's "I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So," and in 1947, had a hit with a novelty tune "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba," written with Jerry Livingston and Al Hoffman. The writing team of Livingston, Hoffman & David would continue into the 1960s with great success.
In 1948, David moved to Hollywood, where he became active in film and television. His songs were featured in the score for the Disney animated 1950 feature Cinderella, written with Livingston and Hoffman. These songs included "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes", "The Working Song", "So This is Love," and the film's hit song "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" (which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1950). For Disney's 1951 feature Alice in Wonderland, the same team wrote "The Unbirthday Song."
The nomination for "Bibbidy Bobbidi Boo" was the first of eight Academy Award nominations David would receive and it catapulted his career. His feature film credits went on to include such classics as "The Hanging Tree" (written with Jerry Livingston from The Hanging Tree), "Bachelor in Paradise (written with the legendary Henry Mancini) from Bachelor in Paradise, and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (written with Ernest Gold) from the classic comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
But Mack's music wasn't limited to just film, in 1961 the Shirelles had a hit with his song "Baby, It's You", written with Burt Bacharach (his brother's writing partner). "Baby, It's You" was covered a few years later by The Beatles.
Mack teamed up with Livingston throughout the 1960s and together they wrote for many successful television series, including Caspar the Friendly Ghost, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat and Surfside 6. Even their theme song “This is It” for 1960's The Bugs Bunny Hour became a hit!
After a long and successful career, Mack David was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975. Sadly, he passed away on December 30, 1993 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Click HERE for more July 05 Disney History.

July 03: A Famous Oregonian

2009-07-03T06:39:00.006-04:00

On this day in 1914, musician George Bruns was born in Sandy, Oregon. A composer of music for film & television, he was nominated for 4 Academy Awards over his lifetime. Although a Disney Legend since 2001 (18 years after his death), his name may only be familiar to some Disney fans ... but his music is most definitely familiar to all Disney fans.
First enrolling at Oregon State Agriculture College in 1932 to study engineering, Bruns spent most of his time on and off campus playing music (he had first learned to play the piano at age six). He played tuba in the ROTC band and string bass in a local popular orchestra. In 1934 he cut short his studies to become a full-time musician. Bruns played around the Northwest with his own swing/jazz band (which included a trumpeter named Doc Severenson - who would later have great success as the musical director for The Tonight Show). Finding the local Oregon music scene limiting, Bruns moved to California in 1950.
Based out of Los Angeles, Bruns began arranging and conducting for Capitol Records and UPA Studios, while still playing live in bands (including one led by Tennessee Ernie Ford). By 1953 Walt Disney was looking for someone to do the music for Sleeping Beauty and Bruns accepted the job. He would stay at Disney for 22 years. As one of three musical directors at Disney, Bruns worked in both TV and film.
His best-known works include "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" & "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)." Bruns' famous Davy Crockett tune (first recorded in 1955 and written for Walt's Disneyland series about the famous frontiersman) was co-written with lyricist Tom W. Blackburn. His Pirate anthem (originally used for the park attraction and later the feature film) was co-written with Xavier Atencio. Bruns also wrote the song "Love" for the animated Robin Hood as well as music for The Jungle Book, The Absent-minded Professor, Babes in Toyland, The Aristocats and Herbie the Love Bug. In his spare time, he also played tuba and trombone for Ward Kimball's Dixieland jazz band The Firehouse Five Plus Two. In all, Bruns contributed to over an amazing 200 motion pictures and television shows (which also included Zorro and Mickey Mouse Club).
He retired in 1975 and moved back to Oregon where he conducted, played, composed, and taught music. He passed away in March 1983.

"Walt was always good to me personally. He pretty much let me go my own way, trusting my own musical sense of what was right." -George Bruns

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June 28: A Tribute

2009-06-28T09:13:00.007-04:00

On this day in 1975, screenwriter and TV producer Rodman Edward Serling passed away at age 50. Better known as simply Rod Serling, he was the creator and narrator of The Twilight Zone, a CBS-TV series which first aired in 1959.
Born on Christmas Day 1924 in Syracuse, New York, Serling was raised in Binghamton, a city located in the southern tier of the Empire State. Even after his "Hollywood success," Serling kept a summer home on Cayuga Lake, in New York's Finger Lakes region (which inspired the name "Cayuga Productions" for use on his Twilight Zone productions).
Originally a U.S. Army paratrooper and demolition specialist (he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star), Serling broke into television in 1951. He wrote scripts for such early series as The Doctor, Fireside Theater, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lux Video Theater, Kraft Television Theatre, and Studio One. One script in particular in 1955 for Kraft Television Theatre propelled Serling into the limelight. His episode titled Patterns became a hit and was re-aired a week after its original showing (unheard of in the early days of TV). It established Serling as a television playwright.
Although successful, he was tired of seeing his scripts censored and so decided to create his own show. The Twilight Zone, an anthology series, first premiered on October 2, 1959. It ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964 (and remains syndicated to this day). Serling served as executive producer/head writer and wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes. He also served as the show's host, delivering on-and-off-screen monologues at the beginning and end of each episode. While having a loyal fan base, the program never had huge ratings and was surprisingly canceled twice ... only to be revived. But after 5 years, Serling decided to let the third cancellation be final. (Today even Disney fans who were born years after the show ended know of Serling's supernatural series through the popular park attraction The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.)
Serling went on to have success in the early 1970s with another similar TV series called Night Gallery. It focused more on Gothic horror and the occult (while The Twilight Zone had a more paranormal/futuristic theme). Over his professional career, Serling won 6 Emmy Awards, 3 Hugo Awards, 2 Sylvania Awards, and a Golden Globe. He was also a communications professor at Ithaca College in New York.
A chain smoker, Serling had survived two heart attacks prior to entering Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for heart bypass surgery on June 27, 1975. Sadly he had a third heart attack during the operation and died the following day, June 28. He is interred at the cemetery in Interlaken, New York.

"Imagination... its limits are only those of the mind itself." -Rod Serling

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June 24: Not That Phil Harris!

2009-06-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

These days the name Phil Harris is recognized by fans of the TV series Deadliest Catch, but years before Discovery Channel made a star out of the fishing boat captain, there was another Phil Harris ... one that Disney fans might recall.
On this day in 1904 Phil Harris - a singer, songwriter, musician, comedian and actor - was born in Linton, Indiana. Though successful as an orchestra leader, Harris is remembered today for his recordings as a vocalist, the radio comedy series in which he co-starred with his second wife, singer-actress Alice Faye, his countless TV appearances, and of course for his voice work in animation.
His first Disney animated feature was the 1967 The Jungle Book, in which he voiced the easygoing and fun-loving bear Baloo. As Baloo, Harris sang "The Bare Necessities," a performance that introduced him to a new generation of young fans who had no awareness of his versatility. He also joined Louis Prima (the voice of King Louie) in "I Wanna Be Like You," delivering a memorable scat-singing performance. (In fact it was record producer & Disney Legend Tutti Camarata who encouraged Harris and Prima to take part in the animated feature.)
The 1970 The Aristocats featured Harris as alley cat Thomas O'Malley. Harris sang the signature tune "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat," with Scatman Crothers - the voice of Scat Cat. (Harris and Crothers had known each other since the 1940s!) A few years after the release of the The Aristocats, the two reunited on a Disney television special to sing that very same feline number.
Harris voiced another bear in 1973, this time named Little John in the animated Robin Hood. He sang the popular anti-Prince John tune "The Phony King of England" (written by the legendary Johnny Mercer).
In 1989, Harris briefly returned to Disney to once again voice Baloo, this time for the cartoon series TaleSpin.
A long time resident and benefactor of Palm Springs, California, Phil Harris passes away in that very town at age 91 in 1995.

Click HERE for more June 24 Disney History.

June 17: The Man Behind "The Bare Necessities"

2009-06-17T06:20:00.007-04:00

On this day in 1916, singer-songwriter Terry Gilkyson was born in Pennsylvania. His name may not sound familiar to you - but there's a good chance you've heard his music.
Gilkyson formed a folk group called The Easy Riders with songwriting friends Rick Dehr and Frank Miller in the mid-1950s. Unlike most folk groups, they avoided political controversy and wrote and chose songs with commercial appeal. Their version of the calypso standard "Marianne" went to number 4 on the U.S. charts. One of the group's earliest penned hits was "Memories Are Made of This," made wildly popular in 1956 by Dean Martin (with The Easy Riders providing backup). The group had a few more years of commercial success including scoring the feature film The Windjammer in 1958.
As he preferred to be a songwriter over a performer, Gilkyson left the group and spent the 1960s writing ... mostly for Disney-oriented projects. (The Easy Riders continued through the decade without him.)
Gilkyson composed the song "My Heart Was An Island" for the 1960 Swiss Family Robinson, the theme for The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (first shown on Disney's television series in 1963), "The Moon-Spinners" for the 1964 feature The Moon-Spinners, and "Thomas O'Malley Cat" for the 1970 The Aristocats.
But Gilkyson will always be remembered by Disney fans for his song "The Bare Necessities" from the 1967 classic animated feature The Jungle Book. The only song from the feature not written by the Sherman Brothers, it was nominated for an Academy Award. The song is first sung in the film by Phil Harris as Baloo and Bruce Reitherman as Mowgli, and later by Sebastian Cabot as Bagheera. Supposedly "The Bare Necessities" was originally rejected for the film but later kept ... on the request of the Sherman Brothers!
Since then, many artists have recorded their own version of Gilkyson's "The Bare Necessities," including Louis Armstrong, Julie Andrews, and Bowling for Soup.
By the 1970s, Gilkyson was at a loss with the music of the day and so retired to New Mexico - living on the royalties from over 300 published songs. (His children went on to have success in the music business as well.) Terry Gilkyson passed in October 1999.

Click HERE for more June 17 Disney History.

June 13: A Great Big Day of Disney Birthdays

2009-06-13T07:19:00.018-04:00

Born today June 13 -

1892: British actor Basil Rathbone - one of the narrators of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Best remembered for his movie roles of Sherlock Holmes and various swashbuckling villains. A Tony-Award winner (for his Broadway performance in The Heiress), Rathbone was considered the greatest swordsman in Hollywood! Disney's The Great Mouse Detective features a cameo of the character of Sherlock Holmes - using an early voice recording of Rathbone.

1910: Character actress Mary Wickes - known for her comedic roles on TV and in feature films. She portrayed the jocular maid Katie in the Mickey Mouse Club serial "Annette," was the animators' live-action model for Cruella De Vil in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, appeared as Miss Wigginton in the live-action comedy Snowball Express, and provided the voice for the wise-cracking gargoyle Laverne in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. You may also recognize Wickes for her role of Sister Mary Lazarus in Touchstone's
Sister Act and Sister Act 2.

1920: Film and musical theater actor Rex Everhart - the voice of Maurice,
Belle's father in Disney's 1991 animated feature Beauty and the Beast. He is known to fans of the horror flicks Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2 as Enos the truck driver. Everhart's stage credits include 1776, Anything Goes, and Chicago.

1926: Comedian and actor Paul Lynde - who had a small role in Disney's 1963 Son of Flubber as a sportscaster. A noted character actor, fans of classic TV will know him from the series Bewitched, The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie and as a regular on the game show Hollywood Squares. He also appeared in both the Broadway stage version and the feature adaptation of the musical Bye Bye Birdie.

1948: Film executive, producer, and film director Joe Roth - who was chairman of Walt Disney Studios between 1994-2000. First beginning as a production assistant in the 1970s, Roth replaced Jeffery Katzenberg as Disney's CEO in September 1994.

1949: English actor, writer, and theater director Simon Callow - the voice of the Grasshopper in Disney's musical fantasy James and the Giant Peach. Film fans will recognize Callow from such features as Amadeus, Howards End, and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

1953: Comedian & actor Tim Allen - the voice of Buzz Lightyear for Disney/Pixar's
Toy Story films. Known to fans of the hit sitcom Home Improvement as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor (which ran between 1991-1999), Allen stars in The Santa Clause series of feature films. His Disney credits also include Jungle 2 Jungle and The Shaggy Dog.

Click HERE for more June 13 Disney History.

June 09: Donald's Debut

2009-06-09T00:01:00.006-04:00

On this day in 1934, Disney's Silly Symphony short The Wise Little Hen was released. Because it marks the film debut of Donald Duck, June 9 is considered by Disney to be Donald's birthday.
The Wise Little Hen was loosely based on an old folk tale titled "The Little Red Hen." In that tale, a red hen asks for help from other farm animals to plant wheat. When no animal volunteers, the red hen does the planting herself. When her task is completed and she asks who will help her eat her bread ... every animal suddenly and eagerly volunteers! In the end, she chooses not to share her bread ... except with her own baby chicks.
The Wise Little Hen finds Donald Duck and his lazy friend Peter Pig avoiding farm work. When Mrs Hen (a.k.a. the wise little hen) asks for help in planting her corn, Donald and Peter pretend to have belly aches. Mrs. Hen and her baby chicks do all the work themselves. When it's time to harvest the corn ... the duo once again come down with belly aches! Yet, when all is finished and various types of corn delicacies are served, Donald and Peter are suddenly very hungry. Now on to them, Mrs. Hen does not invite them to partake in the feast! In the end, Mrs. Hen presents them with a bottle of "tasty Castor oil for tummy aches" instead of corn on the cob, muffins and corn bread. The short ends with Donald and Peter appropriately taking turns kicking each other in the backside!
Voice actor Clarence Nash voiced Donald (and he would continue to do so for more than 50 years). English voice actor Florence Gill was the singing voice of Mrs. Hen and Pinto Colvig (later the original voice of Goofy) voiced Peter Pig. The Wise Little Hen was animated by Art Babbitt, Dick Huemer, Dick Lundy and a new kid on the block by the name of Ward Kimball (who acted as an inbetweener). According to Disney, the short was directed by Wilfred Jackson (although some resources list Bert Gillett as the director).

Click HERE for more June 09 Disney History.

June 06: Same Site - Different Theme

2009-06-06T05:52:00.010-04:00

On this day in 1959, the Submarine Voyage opened in Disneyland.
An attraction inspired by the Disney live-action feature 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, it was one of the first rides to require an E-ticket. The original 8 gray-colored subs carried guests "under the Arctic Ocean's polar ice cap." The vessels - not actual submarines as they did not technically submerge - carried 38 passengers at a time. Portholes allowed guests to view fantastic "Disney-fied" underwater sights.
Submarine Voyage closed in September 1998 - although Disney promised it would open again in 2003 (and possibly be based on the animated Atlantis: The Lost Empire) - it never did.
Fast forward to this day in 2007: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (based on the Disney/Pixar feature Finding Nemo) opened on the same lagoon where Submarine Voyage once sailed! Although this day's opening was really a sneak peak preview for Annual Passholders. The attraction would begin soft openings on June 9 and officially debut June 11.
At Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, guests board one of 8 yellow Nemo research subs and set out in search of an active underwater volcano. Once again, through portholes guests can see a spectacular underwater environment filled with colorful coral reefs and Nemo characters. Nemo uses the same sub vehicles as Submarine Voyage - but unlike the subs in Submarine Voyage which used diesel engines, the Nemo subs use a non-polluting electric-based technology called inductive power transfer.
Walt Disney always believed that our oceans were the "Last Frontier" and these submarine attractions continue to reinforce a little piece of that belief.

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June 05: The Man Behind Alweg

2009-06-05T00:01:00.006-04:00

On this day in 1881, Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren, a Swedish entrepreneur was born in Uddevalla, Sweden. One of the wealthiest men in the world during the 1930s, his fortune can be traced back to the domestic vacuum cleaner! Working for a company named Electrolux (then a Swedish lighting company specializing in outdoor kerosene lamps), Wenner-Gren persuaded his employee to buy a patent to a cleaner ... and pay him for sales in company stock. By the early 1930s, Electrolux was owned by Wenner-Gren and the company was a leading brand in both vacuum cleaner and refrigeration technology. By 1933 Electrolux established their first American plant in Connecticut. What does a wealthy business manager and his successful vacuum company have to do with Disney?
Among Wenner-Gren's many interests were also monorail train systems. (Believe it or not, the first monorail was made in Russia back in 1820.) The talented industrial magnate used his Electrolux wealth to start a company called Alweg in January 1953. (Alweg is an acronym of Wenner-Gren's name: Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren.) In 1957 a monorail prototype accidentally caught the attention of Walt Disney while in Europe. Disney liked what he saw and Wenner-Gren's company went on to help Disney designers build the original Disneyland Monorail System, which debuted in June 1959. Alweg later built the Seattle Center Monorail which opened in 1962. Both U.S. systems remain in operation to this day! Although the Alweg Monorail made history, it was also unfortunately type-cast in the U.S. as a theme park ride only. Wenner-Gren had hoped that the city of Los Angeles would embrace his monorail as the basis for a public transportation system, but he was turned down.
His monorail venture was not his only project that looked to the future of technology. Wenner-Gren is considered to be one of the pioneers of the computer industry. He sponsored computer research and production especially to be able to someday use computers to control his monorails!
Although he lived to see Disneyland's great success with his futuristic transportation system, Axel Wenner-Gren passed away in 1961 never knowing he would later influence another monorail system 10 years later ... in Florida.

Click HERE for more June 05 Disney History.

June 04: History of the "Columbia"

2009-06-04T11:19:00.005-04:00

On this day in 1958, Disneyland's ship Columbia was officially christened on the Rivers of America. Disneyland's construction supervisor Joe Fowler (a former naval admiral) took part in the christening by dressing up as a sailing captain of the 1700s. Even television's Mouseketeers joined in as his crew! (The attraction would open 10 days later to the public.)
The Columbia is a full-scale replica of the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe. When constructed in 1958, it was the first three-masted windjammer to be built in the U.S. in more than 100 years. (A windjammer was a popular type of ship built to carry cargo.) Even the U.S. flag on the ship's stern is a version of a U.S. flag that would have been flown in the 1770s.
It was actually Joe Fowler who suggested to Walt Disney that the Disneyland ship be modeled after a real ship called the Columbia Rediviva. (Although it is often reported that due to a lack of detailed pictures and plans - the Columbia is actually based a bit on the HMS Bounty - another three-masted cargo ship.)
The real Columbia Rediviva (or Columbia) was a privately owned ship under Captain Robert Gray (a merchant ship captain from Rhode Island). Because the ship was privately owned, it did not carry the common prefix designation "USS." First built in 1773 in Massachusetts, she became the first ship in 1790 to circumnavigate the globe. In fact Captain Gray upon entering the Columbia River for the first time named the ship after the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. Gray was the first recorded European to navigate the Columbia River!
Although the ship was decommissioned and salvaged in 1806, Disneyland's Columbia continues to sail the Rivers of America (usually on the park's busiest days).

Click HERE for more June 04 Disney History.

June 02: "Reflection" of Mulan

2009-06-02T06:51:00.002-04:00

On this day in 1998, Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Soundtrack was released. (The animated film itself wouldn't be released until June 19.)
The soundtrack featured songs written by Matthew Wilder and Dave Zippel and a score composed and conducted by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith. Vocalists featured on the release included Lea Salonga, Donny Osmond, 98 Degrees, Jaz Coleman, Stevie Wonder, and former Disney Channel Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera.
Among the 13 tracks were two versions of the hit song "Reflection" - one sung by Salonga (the singing voice of Mulan) and a more "radio friendly" version sung by Aguilera. (The pop version was so well received that Aguilera scored a recording contract with RCA records.) Other highlights included "True to Your Heart" sung by Wonder and 98 Degrees, and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" featuring Osmond (the singing voice of Shang).
The album went on to peak at #24 on the Billboard 200 and was later nominated for an Academy Award.
Singer-songwriter Matthew Wilder is probably best remembered for his 1983 Top 5 hit "Break My Stride." Today he is known as a songwriter and producer - working with such acts as No Doubt, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, and Miley Cyrus.
Tony Award-winning lyricist Dave Zippel had worked with composer Alan Menken on Disney's 1997 Hercules. He would go on to collaborate with Phil Collins for Disney's Tarzan two years later.
Veteran film composer Jerry Goldsmith (known for countless television and feature film scores) would go on to supply the music for Disney's popular theme park attraction Soarin'.

Click HERE for more June 02 Disney history.

May 25: A Trio of Pigs Premieres

2009-05-25T07:52:00.004-04:00

On this day in 1933, Three Little Pigs - a Silly Symphony produced by Walt Disney and released by United Artists, premiered in New York City at the Radio City Music Hall.
Generally released 2 days later, the short was a phenomenal success with audiences. (Many theaters ran the cartoon for months after its debut!)
The short even had a theme song - "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" written by Frank Churchill. It became a best-selling single on the pop charts and something of an anthem for the ongoing Great Depression.
Three Little Pigs featured the voices of Pinto Colvig as Practical Pig, Mary Moder as Fiddler Pig, Dorothy Compton as Fifer Pig, and Billy Bletcher as the Big Bad Wolf. (Colvig would be best known as the voice of Goofy.)
Disney produced several sequels to Three Little Pigs - but none were as successful. Yet the trio of pigs still to this day have a place in the world of Disney. The pigs along with the Big Bad Wolf are roaming characters in Disney theme parks, have appeared on TV's House of Mouse, are featured in Disneyland's Storybook Land Canal Boats, and can be seen in the feature Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Three Little Pigs even won an Oscar for its director Burt Gillett (the second one ever given for animation).
Printed versions of this famous fairy tale date back to the 1840s - although it is widely believed that the story is much older.

Click HERE for more May 25 Disney history.

May 22: Passing of a Legend

2009-05-22T06:22:00.007-04:00

On this day in 2005, voice actor, singer and Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft passed away at his home in California at the age of 91. Forever known as the voice of television's Tony the Tiger for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Ravenscroft was involved with Disney for over 60 years.
His theme park credits go back to Disneyland's opening day in 1955. He was the announcer for many events, including the opening of Fantasyland and the on-board narrator of the Disneyland Railroad. Over the years his voice could be heard as the First Mate on the Mark Twain Steamboat, part of the chorus singing "You Can Fly" in Peter Pan's Flight, the voices of Tangaroa & Fritz in the Enchanted Tiki Room, and several voices for the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Ravenscroft's deep baritone can be heard in the Haunted Mansion (singing "Grim Grinning Ghosts") and the Alice in Wonderland attraction (which was borrowed from the 1951 animated release).
Ravenscroft was also part of some of the best-loved Disney films. He sang as part of the chorus in Cinderella, backed up Kirk Douglas on the song "Whale of a Tale" in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, helped provide the voices of the singing dogs in Lady and the Tramp, voiced one of the knights in The Sword in the Stone, and was the voice of the Russian cat in The Aristocats.
Ravenscroft was also part of Disney television from the very beginning as a member of The Mellomen (a singing quartet). The Mellomen appeared in countless episodes of the Disneyland television series. (Along with Max Smith, Ravenscroft actually started the singing group back in 1948!)
Revenscroft also sang on and narrated countless Disney Records released between 1958 and 1977.
His non-Disney credits include singing on the soundtrack for South Pacific (which was one of the top selling albums in the 1950s) and of course as the vocalist on "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" from the television special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
A few weeks after his death, an ad industry journal ran a tribute to Ravenscroft that included these words: "Behind every great character, is an even greater man"

Click here for more May 22 Disney History.

May 18: Disney Plays Ball With Autry

2009-05-18T06:50:00.004-04:00

On this day in 1995, Gene Autry's California Angels baseball team and Disney reached an agreement for Disney to acquire 25 percent interest in the team and assume the role of managing general partner.
Autry (best known as The Singing Cowboy on radio, movies & television) had been a minority owner back in the 1950s of a minor league team named Hollywood Stars. (Love of baseball was a lifelong affair for Autry.) When Major League Baseball announced in 1960 plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry expressed an interest in acquiring the radio broadcast rights. (Autry had purchased his first of many radio stations back in 1948.) Baseball executives were so impressed by his approach and enthusiasm that Autry was persuaded to become the owner of the team - which he named the Los Angeles Angels. When the team moved to Anaheim in 1966 the name was changed to the California Angels.
In 1995 Autry sold a quarter share to the Walt Disney Company. (Walt and Gene Autry had crossed paths many times over the years & had become friends - they both had a vision of Southern California being an entertainment giant and Walt was even named to the Angels' Board of Directors in 1960.)
In 1996 Disney took control of the team and a year later the team was re-named the Anaheim Angels. Autry remained chairman (and also served as vice president of the American League) until his death in 1998. Although Disney did not technically acquire a controlling interest until after Autry's death - Disney did run the team and extensively renovate its stadium. For Disney, owning the club insured that the team stay in Anaheim and continue to lend the area major league status. This helped to in turn protect Disney's investments in the Might Ducks National Hockey League Franchise - as well as Disneyland.
The team did well - but unfortunately Disney lost money and decided to part with both of its sports teams. In 2003 Disney sold the Angels to Arturo Moreno and the club was once again re-named to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (although the team simply refers to itself as the Angels).

Click HERE for more May 18 Disney History.

May 08: Mr Warmth

2009-05-08T06:26:00.006-04:00

On this day in 1926 comedian/actor Don Rickles was born in Queens, New York.
One of the 20th Century's most famous funny men, Rickles has appeared live in top show rooms in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Reno Lake Tahoe. A good natured insult comic, he was a personal favorite of the late Frank Sinatra.
Rickles' 50-plus year career has also included television and feature films in both comedic and dramatic roles. His TV credits include guest spots on Get Smart, The Dean Martin Show, The Tonight Show (countless times), and his own sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey. His film credits include Run Silent Run Deep, Kelly's Heroes, Casino, and Dennis the Menace Strikes Again.
Disney fans of course know Rickles as the voice of Mr Potato Head in Pixar's Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (he is slated for voice work in a 3rd Toy Story feature as well). He also voices an interactive Audio-Animatronic version of Mr Potato Head in the queue for the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction.
Rickles is also the voice of William, one of two Audio-Animatronic toucans, in The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) attraction (in both Disneyland and Disney World). William and his sidekick Morris (voiced by the late Phil Hartman) entertain waiting guests by discussing their positions as agents of the new Tiki Room.

"I've been hot, I've been lukewarm, I've been freezing, but I've always been a headliner. The young comedians always ask me, what's the secret for staying around. I tell them, there is no secret - just stay around. Longevity is the most important thing." -Don Rickles

Click HERE for more May 08 Disney history.

May 05: Happiest Homecoming on Earth

2009-05-05T07:13:00.003-04:00

On this day in 2005, an eighteen-month long celebration for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland officially began in all Disney parks (although the Anaheim park's true 50th birthday wouldn't be until July 17).
The Happiest Homecoming on Earth ceremony started with a dedication at Disneyland in California from Michael Eisner (at that time CEO of Disney) - "The dawn of the theme park industry rose from one man's dream."
The special ceremony also featured fireworks, and speeches from Julie Andrews (official ambassador for the 50th anniversary & star of Disney's Mary Poppins) and Art Linkletter (one of the original TV anchorman for Disneyland's TV debut in 1955). Singers Christine Aguilera (one time Mouseketeer) sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" and LeAnn Rimes performed "Remember When" - the official 50th anniversary theme song (penned by Richard Marx).
A video conference enabled connections from all Disney theme parks around the world (Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and the construction site of Hong Kong Disneyland). The only live feed - via Walt Disney World in Florida - was hosted by Wayne Brady.
In Florida, all 4 theme parks debuted new attractions:
Magic Kingdom's It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean received face-lifts and a temporary stage show called "Cinderellabration" debuted in front of the castle.
Soarin' and a Hong Kong Disneyland Preview Center both opened at Epcot.
Disney-MGM Studios featured Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Disney's Animal Kingdom temporarily exhibited Lucky the Dinosaur (a free-roving audio-animatronic figure).
At Tokyo Disneyland, the Rock Around the Mouse stage show (a tribute to rock 'n' roll and California culture) debuted.
Over at Disneyland Resort Paris, their Space Mountain received a makeover and Wishes (a fireworks show via Disney World) debuted.
During the course of the 18 months, more attractions and special shows were added to many parks and by September 2005 Hong Kong Disneyland became the 11th Disney park in the world to take part in the 50th anniversary. (Even the Disney Cruise Line celebrated with a first-ever West Coast itinerary.)
The Happiest Celebration on Earth ran until September 30, 2006.

Click HERE for more May 05 Disney history.

May 04: New Guy in Pixar Town

2009-05-04T07:17:00.002-04:00

On this day in 2000, Pixar Animation Studios announced that writer-director Brad Bird had joined the company.
Born in Kalispell, Montana in 1957, Bird knew at a very young age that he wanted to be an animator. At just 14-years of age, he was mentored by one of Disney's Nine Old Men Milt Kahl (after Bird sent Disney an animated film he had been working on since he was 11)! After graduating from the California Institute of the Arts, he began working for Disney. Bird's Disney days were brief and he only worked on the 1981 The Fox and the Hound.
Bird next ventured into the world of animated television series. He created an episode for Steven Speilberg's Amazing Stories, helped develop The Simpsons from one-minute shorts (on The Tracey Ullman Show) into a hit series of 30-minute programs, and worked on such shows as The Critic and King of the Hill.
His next project The Iron Giant, an animated science fiction feature (through Warner Brothers) received glowing reviews from critics ... but did not initially do well at the box office. The film, which tells the story of a lonely boy who discovers a giant iron man from space, did impress Bird's old friend John Lasseter (founder of Pixar).
Bird pitched his next animated idea - about a family of superheroes - to Pixar, and so was born The Incredibles and a new career opportunity. The film became a financial success and Bird won his first Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Bird went on to direct Ratatouille - which earned him a second Academy Award.

Click HERE for more May 04 Disney history.

May 03: Pongo's Real Owner

2009-05-03T07:36:00.002-04:00

On this day in 1896, Dorothy "Dodie" Gladys Smith was born in Lancashire, England. A novelist and playwright, she is known to Disney fans as the author of the 1956 story The Hundred and One Dalmatians (which was later adapted into the 1961 Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians).
As an adult Dodie had pet Dalmatians and one of them was actually named Pongo. (Pongo would be the first of the Dalmatians - voiced by Rod Taylor - in Disney's version.) Upon Pongo's death in 1940, she and her husband acquired two more Dalmatians named Folly and Buzz. In 1943 these two new pets became the proud parents of 15 pups! It is easy to understand her inspiration for her most famous novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Dodie wrote a sequel titled The Starlight Barking, but it bears no resemblance to the Disney sequel 102 Dalmatians.
Her other well-known works include I Capture the Castle, The Town in Bloom and The Midnight Kittens.
Although she passed in 1990, Dodie Smith will be remembered as one of the few successful women dramatists in England and America during the first half of the 20th century.

Click HERE for more May 03 Disney history.

May 02: "This is Carlton your doorman"

2009-05-02T15:53:00.005-04:00

On this day in 1937, Gerald David Music - an actor, voice actor, musician, writer & television producer - better known as Lorenzo Music, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Raised in Duluth, Minnesota, he broke into the business in 1962 - providing voices for the animated TV series The Jetsons. By 1968 he was a writer and a regular performer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Two years later he was writing for the hit series The Mary Tyler Moore Show when an opportunity came to create his own series. Music's television creation The Bob Newhart Show (which first aired in 1972) went on to run for six years and became a classic CBS sitcom. Music even wrote the musical theme for the show along with his wife Henrietta.
When a Mary Tyler Moore spin-off sitcom called Rhoda was casting, producers were looking for a voice actor to play the role of a character that would be heard - but never seen. The comedic part of Carlton the doorman went to Music because of his sleepy, husky voice. That classic role made Music one of the most recognizable voice actors in the business. His unique voice was comforting ... and yet curious.
By 1982, Music found himself as the voice of Garfield - a lazy, oafish, and demanding animated cat (first created by Jim Davis). Music's voice became an American staple and soon he was in demand by many including Hanna-Barbera ... and Disney.
Music provided the voice for Tummi Gummi in Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (which first aired in 1985).
That program led to work 5 years later on Disney's TV series TaleSpin, as the voice of Sgt. Dunder.
By 1991, Music could be heard as the voice of Mole in Disney's Darkwing Duck animated series.
A two-time Emmy Award-winner, Music passed away in August 2001. But many fans of classic TV will forever remember Lorenzo Music as the voice of Carlton the doorman.

Click HERE for more May 02 Disney history.

May 01: Last Card Dealt

2009-05-01T16:07:00.006-04:00

On this day in 1983, Esmond Cardon Walker - better known as Card Walker - stepped down as Chairman of Disney.
Born in Idaho in 1916, Walker moved to Los Angeles, California in 1924. After graduating from UCLA he began his career at Disney in 1938 as a mailroom clerk. He soon found himself working in the camera department and eventually a unit manager for short subjects. World War II forced Walker to temporarily put his career on hold as he served in the U.S. Navy.
By 1956 he was vice president of advertising and sales at Disney, before being elected to the Board of Directors in 1960. After the death of Walt Disney (in 1966), Walker became executive vice president and chief operating officer. When Walt's brother Roy O. Disney passed away in December 1971, Walker became company president (serving under Chairman and CEO Donn Tatum). Five years later Walker took over chief executive officer duties from Tatum, and finally in 1980 became Chairman of the Board upon Tatum's retirement.
As a top executive Card Walker played a major role in the early development of Disney World, Epcot, and Tokyo Disneyland, and helped found The Disney Channel. In fact although he stepped down on this day in 1983, Walker had actually retired as CEO three years earlier. He stayed on as Chairman until May 1 to oversee the opening of Tokyo Disneyland. (Raymond Watson took over as Chairman upon Walker's exit.)
Card Walker would continue to to serve as a consultant to Disney through 1990. He was later inducted a Disney Legend 3 years later.

Click HERE for more May 01 Disney history.

Happy 20th Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Apr 30: First WDW Press Event

2009-04-30T06:37:00.004-04:00

On this day in 1969 the first Walt Disney World press conference, held at the Ramada Inn on Highway 50 in Ocoee, Florida (a little suburb on the outskirts of Orlando), took place.
Donn B. Tatum (president of Walt Disney World Co.) detailed the more than 3 years of planning for a "Destination Vacation". It had been two years since special legislation had been passed allowing Disney to build its Florida project, and so the Disney Company had decided to rent out the entire Ramada Inn for Walt Disney World's official first press event.
A large circus tent outside the hotel was filled with models and artist renderings of Walt Disney World for this three-day gala. Among the Disney officials in attendance were Walt's brother Roy O. Disney and Disney publicist Charlie Ridgway. Newsmen from all over the world, as well as local Florida officials (including Florida Governor Claude Kirk), top executives (from U.S. Steel, Monsanto & RCA), and even a small group of Disneyland Cast Members attended the event.
A 16-mm 17-minute film titled Walt Disney World - Phase 1 was screened at the Parkwood Cinema Theater. Buses took the nearly 400 guests from the Ramada to the theater! The film showed the master plan and artists' depictions for a theme park (which would open in 1971).

Click HERE for more April 30 Disney History.

We Interrupt Today ...

2009-04-28T07:18:00.006-04:00

Today in Disney History would like to stray from our regular format to present a guest blog from Brad at the new Disney-fan site DisMarks. I feel it's worth posting - as DisMarks is a bit different from other Disney fan sites.

DisMarks is a social media service, like Digg, created exclusively for Disney fans. There is an amazing amount of original and insightful content generated daily about Disney as well as a tremendous amount of news. For those interested in keeping up with the latest great blogs and information, DisMarks can be a very useful tool.
You can join DisMarks and submit stories, vote for your favorite stories and sites, and even vote on other users' comments. Of course you can also just use DisMarks passively to read the most popular stories in the Dis-o-sphere.
Make sure to submit your favorite "days" from Today In Disney History--voting for these will bring them to the attention of even more Disney fans! And with this blog's daily format, there are tons of opportunities to promote it.
We hope you'll enjoy DisMarks and consider sharing some of your favorite Disney sites with the community there.

Thanks Brad and best of luck with DisMarks. I'll be visiting often.

Click HERE for April 28 Disney history.

April 23: Disney Wilderness Preserve

2009-04-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

On this day in 1993, Walker Ranch (8,500 acres of wetlands in Central Florida) officially became Disney Wilderness Preserve. Located about 15 miles south of Disney World, it is today owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. (Disney provided the property as a trade-off that allowed it to expand on wetlands near its theme parks ... the result being the town of Celebration.)
The Nature Conservancy - a leading conservation organization first founded in 1951 - works around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters, and the Disney Wilderness Preserve is just one example of their dedication. The preserve (now consisting of 12,000 acres) is bounded by Reedy Creek to the east, Lake Hatchineha to the south, and the community of Poinciana to the north and west.
Among the protected species living on property are scrub jays, wood storks and one of the largest concentrations of nesting bald eagles in the Southeast. But this vast preserve also offers pristine plant communities, waterways, and hiking trails. It's a little piece of what Florida once was.
The Disney Wilderness Preserve in Kissimmee, Florida is opened to visitors.

Click HERE for more April 23 Disney history.

April 22: Nahtazu!

2009-04-22T08:15:00.002-04:00

After a multi-million dollar advertising campaign (including a 16-page full color spread in Time magazine) Disney's Animal Kingdom opened on this Earth Day in 1998.
With a packed house (its 6,000 car parking lot closed an hour after the park's 6 a.m. opening), perfect weather and very few glitches (the park's sole thrill ride Countdown to Extinction experienced a few technical problems), Animal Kingdom's debut was near-perfect.
The park wasn't the only newest creation in Disney World, a system of advanced roads had been designed to ease traffic. A new interchange connecting I-4 with the southern end of World Drive (the main road leading into Animal Kingdom) allowed guests easy access.

Click HERE for more April 22 Disney history.
Happy Earth Day