This Week in Disney History (December 28-January 3)
1865: Actor Otis Harlan (Happy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) is born in Zanesville, Ohio.
1890: Walt Disney’s older brother (the second born to Flora and Elias Disney), Raymond Arnold Disney, is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1898: Animator, and Disney Legend, Dick Huemer (The Wise Little Hen, The Reluctant Dragon, Peter and the Wolf, Dumbo, Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland) is born in New York City.
1901: Painter, and Disney Legend, Grace Bailey is born Elizabeth Grace Randall in Willoughby, Ohio.
1916: Artist Lou Debney (Snow White, Goofy shorts, The Mickey Mouse Club, Zorro, The Wonderful World of Color) is born.
1917: Singer Wesley Tuttle (Dopey’s yodeling voice in Snow White) is born in Lamar, Colorado.
1918: Actress, and Disney Legend, Virginia Davis (the Alice Comedies) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.
1920: Actor, and Disney Legend, Rex Allen is born in Wilcox, Arizona. His name appears in the credits of over 80 Disney films.
1928: Disney’s The Gallopin Gaucho premieres. It is the third Mickey Mouse short (and directed by Ub Iwerks).
1936: After a few miscarriages, Walt and Lillian Disney adopt Sharon Mae as a companion to Diane.
1940: Actor, and Disney Legend, Tim Considine (Spin Evans from Spin and Marty) is born in Los Angeles, California.
1956: Animator Rick Farmiloe (The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid) is born in Santa Rosa, California.
1959: In Disneyland, the Fantasyland Autopia opens.
1969: Disney’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is released.
1977: Disney Legend Bob Allen is named Vice President of Walt Disney World.
1980: NBC cancels The Wonderful World of Disney, the longest-running series in prime-time TV history (more than 25 years on various channels).
1984: In EPCOT Center’s CommuniCore East, the Astuter Computer Revue becomes the first attraction to be removed from the park.
1994: In Epcot’s Land Pavilion, the Kitchen Kabaret Revue closes.
1995: In Epcot’s Future World, the World of Motion Pavilion closes.
1995: In Epcot’s Future World, Symbiosis (the last of the three original attractions in the Land Pavilion) closes.
1996: Delta Airlines discontinues it’s sponsorship of Walt Disney World’s Dreamflight attraction.
1998: On the Disney Channel, the Movie Surfers short debuts.
1999: Disney’s Fantasia 2000 is released.
2002: On Sunset Boulevard in the Disney-MGM Studios, the fourth version of the Tower of Terror (featuring random drop sequences) debuts.
[Author's Note]
There’s a new series of articles coming to Netcot.com entitled “The Magic Makers” and will highlight the men and women you may or may not know about inside the Disney Studios (and will be lengthy). The first will highlight Ub Iwerks, Disney’s right hand man in the early years. Here’s a preview:
Ubbe Ert Iwerks was born to Dutch-American parents on March 24, 1901 in Kansas City, Missouri. During his early years, he lead life like any normal child: going to school and making friends. Eventually, at the age of 18, Iwerks found a job at the Pesman-Rubin Commercial Art Studio. While working there, he used his artistic skills that he honed during his childhood. A few weeks after joining Pesman, Iwerks ran into a new hire: Walt Disney. Both were around the age of 18 and while Iwerks was shy and reserved and Disney outgoing and visionary, both immediately formed a bond. About a year later, both men were laid off at the age of 19. [coming soon]