Counting to the Magic: 32 Days

I have talked earlier in this countdown about how I am excited to see the new Haunted Mansion queue, so I have to mention the new Winnie the Pooh queue too!! Pooh is one of my favorite characters, so I am naturally excited to see changes made to this!

Here is a video from Disney Parks about the new queue! I really like the Bouncy part!!

unKNOWN Actors: Barbara Luddy

The actress we are going to talk about today is special because today, she would have been 103 years old! Barbara Luddy, Born May 25, 1908 in Montana and died April 1, 1979 in LA, is a very familiar and distinctive Disney voice that we must celebrate!

Barbara got her start with Disney in 1955 providing the voice for the adorably proper Lady in Lady and the Tramp.

In 1959, Barbara was called to record for Sleeping Beauty.  She was the loveable yet stubborn good fairy, Merryweather. (For those of you who know the fairies by their color, she’s the blue one!)

She had a small part in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmatians, giving a little voice to the puppy Rover.

Her biggest and most repeated role came in 1966 when she was asked to voice loving mother figure, Kanga, in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.  She also voiced Kanga in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974) and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

There was one more movie that Barbara was in, and that was 1973’s Robin Hood.  She voiced the Mother Rabbit and Mother Church Mouse.

Barbara had a sweet and fun voice and I know that I really enjoy hearing her in her movies.  I hope this will help you to pick out this birthday girl’s voice the next time you watch these movies!

Zooey Deschanel performing for Winnie the Pooh!

Being the HUGE Winnie The Pooh fan that I am, I am very excited about this new movie coming out in July!  He is just so cute and cuddly! This is what the singer Zooey Deschanel thinks too.  She is performing some of the songs for the new movie and seems very excited to do so!  Check out the press release and video given to us from our dear friends at Walt Disney Pictures:

Actress/Musician/Singer/Songwriter Zooey Deschanel Performs Three Songs for the Philosophical Bear’s New Big-Screen Endeavor

BURBANK, Calif. (March 31, 2011) – He’s a bear of very little brain. She’s half of the acclaimed band She & Him. This year, they come together on the big screen in “Winnie the Pooh,” which hits theaters in select international markets in Spring 2011, and in the U.S. on July 15, 2011. Actress/Musician/Singer/Songwriter Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous,” “(500) Days of Summer”) joins Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, performing three songs for the film, including her own take on the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, “A Very Important Thing to Do” and the original end-credit song “So Long,” which was written by Deschanel and performed with She & Him bandmate M. Ward.

“This has been one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” says Deschanel. “And I’ve just been thanking my lucky stars that I was able to work on this movie, because it’s delightful.”

Filmmakers were drawn to Deschanel’s signature style. “She was the perfect choice to do the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ song—a classic theme from the Sherman Brothers,” says director Don Hall. “Her music actually embodies the underlying spirit of the movie. We’re taking something that has vintage roots in the sixties, but spinning it in our own way and updating it. If you listen to Zooey’s music with She & Him—that’s their sound to a tee.”

Adds director Stephen Anderson, “It’s a perfect way to start the movie, letting the audience know right off the bat that this is Winnie the Pooh like you know him, but it’s something for today. We wanted to keep the same charm as the original, but give it a fresh spin, a contemporary feel, and she opens the movie with so much freshness, so much energy.”

“It’s always fun to have a contemporary artist rediscover a classic and that’s exactly what Zooey did,” says producer Peter Del Vecho. “She brought her own personality to the song—when she sings about introducing the individual characters, it’s as though she’s known them her whole life—and she has.”

“I’m a big fan of Winnie the Pooh and all his friends,” says Deschanel, who also plays the ukulele in the song. “It’s really hard to pick a favorite: Winnie the Pooh is so special, he loves honey and he’s just cool. Eeyore is amazing, I love Eeyore. And Piglet is so small. It’s really a four-way tie between Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.”

Among the songs Deschanel performed for the film is “A Very Important Thing to Do”—a song that helps illustrate the contest the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood take on to find Eeyore a new tail. She also lent her voice to “Everything is Honey” and “Pooh’s Finale,” joining Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger), Tony Award®-winning songwriter Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”) and other cast members. 

For the end-credit song, Deschanel teamed up with Ward to perform “So Long,” a song Deschanel wrote.  “When I was writing ‘So Long,’ I just held the images for the end credits in my mind,” she says. “I spent a number of days tinkering with ideas, melodies and chord progressions that I thought would fit the images, the new music being written and the original Sherman Brothers stuff-- but still be my own thing. The song definitely has its own feel, but also pays respect to the original.”

Deschanel plays piano for “So Long” and turned to the instrument when it came time to write the song. “I usually write on piano because that's the first instrument that I learned when I was a little kid,” she says. “All of my musical theory knowledge is in linear piano form.”

Her heart, however, is in the vocals. “I’m always thinking in terms of vocals, and arranging a fabric of vocals is the most exciting part. I love to sing backup parts—I always try to squeeze in as many as possible,” she says. “It’s fun; it’s my style.”

Deschanel’s songs, plus the Sherman Brothers classic and a host of original songs by Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“The Wonder Pets”), as well as original score from composer Henry Jackman (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”), will be included on the “Winnie the Pooh” soundtrack (available Spring 2011 in select international markets, and in the U.S. on July 12, 2011) from Walt Disney Records.

unKNOWN Actors: John Fiedler

The voice of John Fiedler is a voice that, every time I hear it, it makes me smile because it makes me think of one of my favorite little characters.  John, born February 3, 1925 and died June 25, 2005, is best known for being the voice for the lovable little Piglet from Winnie the Pooh!

In fact, providing the voice for Piglet is what got John started in the Disney voicing business.  His first Disney gig was in 1968, voicing Piglet for Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.  After that, every single thing with Piglet has John doing the voice, all the way up to 2005! You can hear him as Piglet in everything from Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), all of the different Winnie the Pooh Holiday specials, the television show The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991), The Tigger Movie (2000), Pooh’s Big Movie (2003) and even Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005).  He even voiced Piglet in other shows, such as the TV show House of Mouse (2001-2002), the show’s movie House of Villains (2001) and in the Kingdom Hearts Video game. 

While he may be most known for this beloved character, that is not the only Disney film we hear or see John Fiedler in. 

His first non-Piglet film was Robin Hood in 1973 playing the Churchmouse Father Sexton.

During Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, John has two appearances.  First was in 1973 as Bill Wasdahl in The Mystery of Dracula’s Castle and the other was in The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974) was Charles Blackburn.

He next was seen in The Shaggy D.A. (1976) as Howie Clemmings.  This is the last live action film that John does for Disney.

The Rescuers (1977) brought his next voice acting movie outside of Piglet, lending his voice to Deacon Owl.  There is a porcupine in The Fox and the Hound (1981) that John voices as well.  He seems to favor animals….

The last set of Disney movies we hear John in is The Emperor’s New Groove (2000).  He give a voice to the old man who was thrown out the window by the emperor.  We later find out in the sequel, The Emperor’s New Groove 2: Kronk’s New Groove (2005) that the old man’s name is Rudy, as John voices him as well in this movie.  This will be the last movie that he voices before his death.

This is the Disney voice and acting history for John Fiedler.  Next time you watch one of these movies, listen for his voice and see if you can pick out its distinct resemblance to any of these other characters, especially little Piglet. I know I hear it!

If you have any extra facts about John or any of the other actors I have previously researched, please feel free to email me or just leave a comment below! I love sharing information with everyone and I love learning just as much! Also, if you have any suggestions of people you would like to see me research, let me know that as well.

Walt Disney Pictures Preview 2011

With only a couple weeks left in 2010, Walt Disney Pictures has sent out some information on what they have in store so far for 2011! Check it out!

DisneyNature: African Cats- April 22, 2011
I am kinda excited about this new installment of the Nature series! Earth and Oceans were amazing!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides- May 20, 2011
The jury is still out on this one, though I will be a little excited since it is Johnny Depp

Cars 2- June 24, 2011
Yay Pixar!! Their sequels have not disappointed yet!

Winnie the Pooh- July 15, 2011
Not sure the story behind this one yet, but I just love this willy, nilly, silly old bear!

The Muppets- November 23, 2011
Again, not much out on this story yet, but if the Muppets are involved, it is sure to be comical!

There is a bit of a movie preview for this coming year! I am looking forward to following these potential successes in the coming year!

unKNOWN Actors: Sebastian Cabot

There are a few actors that I have featured that are known more for doing a character other than their Disney projects.  Sebastian Cabot is no exception.  Born July 6, 1918 in London, England and died August 22, 1977 in North Saanich, British Columbia, Sebastian is best known for playing Mr. Giles French, the butler in the 1960’s TV show Family Affair.  His Disney career did not start long before this television series.

His first Disney appearance was in 1963, providing the voice for Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone, the caretaker for young Arthur.

The Jungle Book in 1967 is where we can hear Sebastian next, voicing the responsible panther, Bagheera.

Sebastian was featured in The Wonderful World of Color three different times, in three different years.  The first was in 1956 in Along the Oregon Trail; he played Bissonette.  The next was in 1964 as he did the narration for One Day at Teton Marsh and his last was also as a Narrator in One Day on Beetle Rock (1967).

 While there were no more individual characters that Sebastian provided the voice for, he did provide a much needed voice for many years, the voice of The Narrator for Winnie the Pooh movies from 1966 until 1977.  The movies you can hear his narration in include Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Sebastian had a deep, strong yet soft voice that lent itself to being the voice of a narrator or a guardian of some kind, fitting the characters he portrayed.  The only exception for this is the voice of Sir Ector, where he has more of a gruff voice, but yet still is a guardian.  No matter which character he is voicing, it is still a Disney classic voice and helps make the Disney movies we know and love come to life!

unKNOWN Actors: Thurl Ravenscroft

So far in this series, I have focused on voice actors from Disney movies who most Disney fans may not know.  This is probably not the case with this next actor.  Thurl Ravenscroft is a name not only known throughout Disney movies, within Disney theme parks and even outside of the Disney name!

Let’s begin with the couple big things outside of Disney that Thurl is known for. In 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the deep singer of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is Thurl, though he was not in the credits of the film.  The other voice that he is famous for is Tony the Tiger from the Frosted Flakes commercials with the trademark quote “They’re grrrrrrrrreat!”

While these two roles are larger roles, he got his start much earlier than that, especially in the Disney area.

Thurl’s deep bass voice is what makes him recognizable and while he did do several speaking parts, he is best known for his singing roles in many Disney films. These singing roles started out in shorts, including the popular short “The Nifty Nineties” (1941).  There was even one short where Thurl had a speaking part, and that was as Paul Bunyan in 1958’s Paul Bunyan.

After doing some shorts, Thurl was put into some full length animated features as a singer, including Dumbo (1941), Make Mine Music (1946), and Cinderella(1950).

Alice in Wonderland was the first movie that featured Thurl with The Mellomen, a quartet that he helped form that became very well known as back up singers for several artists and appeared in movies.  In Alice in Wonderland, Thurl and the Mellomen were the voices for the card painters who were “Painting the Roses Red”.  The Mellomen were also featured as background singers in Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955) and Sleeping Beauty (1959).

The first large character voice that Thurl had was in 1961’s One Hundred and One Dalmations as Captain, the horse in the barn by the De Ville Mansion.

In 1963, he was the voice for Black Bart, a knight fighting to become king in The Sword and the Stone.

In Mary Poppins (1964), Thurl did the voice for the singing Hog during “Jolly Holiday”.

I think now is a good time to point out that Thurl was quite good at making dog noises.  The howling song of “Home Sweet Home” in Lady and the Tramp was…howled by Thurl, in Mary Poppins he did the wimper noises made by Andrew, he made dog sounds for The Fox and the Hound, and in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, the dog that is singing along with “Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me” is Thurl.  Interesting, no?

In 1967, Thurl was in The Jungle Book and many believe him to be the voice of the ruthless tiger, Shere Khan.  This is completely false! He did not do Shere Khan’s voice, not even the low singing voice. That was done by George Sanders.  Thurl did sing however in the movie, he can be best heard singing Captain Haiti’s March.

The Artistocats (1970) had Thurl doing the voice of the Russian bass-playing cat, Billy Bass.  In the 1971 movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks, he is a background singer and he even has a solo line in the song “Portobello Road”.  Thurl’s deep voice can be heard singing songs in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).

One of the last voices that Thurl did was the voice of Kirby from The Brave Little Toaster.  While this movie is not labeled as Disney, it was produced by Hyperion Pictures, which is a Disney owned company.

Wow, this is a long history huh?? I haven’t even touched on Thurl’s appearance in the Theme Parks! I am going to take a break and I will post a second part of this unKNOWN Actors article soon.

unKNOWN Actors: Sterling Holloway

Continuing in our pursuit of Disney voice actors who you know, but may not know you know….if that makes sense….It is time to look at our next Disney Star: Sterling Holloway

Sterling was born on January 4, 1905 in Cedartown, Georgia and died November 22, 1992.  His main feature is a high pitched voice, and it was this voice that made him a staple in Disney history!

He is most known for voicing the “chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff.” That’s right! Sterling is the original voice for Winnie the Pooh. From Pooh Bear’s first appearance in 1966 with Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree until 1977 in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Sterling covered the voice for this lovable character.  Though this is his most well known part, this was neither his first nor his only!

Sterling Holloway’s career with Disney started long before the “willy nilly silly old bear” (can you tell that I really like Winnie the Pooh?).  Like our last featured actress, Verna Felton, Sterling got his start in 1941’s Dumbo, providing the voice for Mr. Stork.

The following year, he provides the voice for Adult Flower in Bambi.

The years following Bambi introduced him into his second most popular role in film as the Narrator.  He provided the narrator voice for such movies as 1944’s The Three Caballeros, 1946’s Make Music Mine, 1947’s Mickey and the Beanstalk and 1960’s Goliath II.  He was also heard as the narrator for The Wonderful World of Color on television in 1957 and as the Sleeping Beauty Narrator for the 1978 Christmas in Walt Disney World.

In 1950, Sterling was once again voicing characters for Disney full length animated features, becoming the sly and devious Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland.

In The Jungle Book in 1967, he voiced Kaa, the hypnotist boa constrictor who always wanted to wrap his coils around the man cub, Mowgli.

Sterling’s last Disney movie appearance outside of Winnie the Pooh would be in 1970 as Roquefort, the mouse that had befriended Dutchess and the kittens in The Aristocats.

There were a few Disney shorts that Sterling had a part in, including Peter and the Wolf (1946) as the Narrator, Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952) as the Narrator and Mr. Stork, and in Ben and Me (1953) as Amos Mouse.

As you can see, Sterling Holloway has been a huge part of the Disney Family. In fact, he was given the honor of being named a Disney Legend in 1991. 

I hope you are enjoying these actor profiles of some Disney classic voice actors.  If there are any actors you would like me to cover or if you have any questions, feel free to email me at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.

The Announcements that Shook the Expo!

Was that another earthquake in California????? Oh no, it was just some MAJOR announcements by Disney at the D23 Expo this past weekend!!!! There were so many announcements that I don't think I will be able to cover them all, but I am going to cover as many as I can right here.

Fantasyland Expansion- By far one of the biggest announcements at the entire Expo! As rumored across the internet for the last couple months, the major Overhaul and remodel of WDW's Fantasyland has been officially confirmed! See my blog written on August 10th called "Fantasyland Overhaul" for a few images of the blueprints. For all of the wonderful concept art images, check out the video here of the announcement at D23 or here for all of the individual concept art pictures. The only visible change from the leaked blueprints to the concept art is the location of Dumbo and Pixie Hollow. They moved Pixie Hollow back while moving the Dumbo are closer to Tomorrowland, which makes sense because of the phase schedule. The entire project is expected to be done in 2012 with the exception of Pixie Hollow which will be completed in 2013.

Star Tours II- This popular attraction will be closing in October 2010 to reopen in 2011 with an all new video and in 3D! This new video will feature pod racing as well as other scenes that are in the first 3 movies in the saga (so the 3 newest movies for all you non-Star Wars people).

Hong Kong Additions- 3 more lands are coming to Hong Kong Disneyland by the year 2014. They are Grizzley Trail (reminds me of Frontierland and includes a roller coaster that goes backwards), Mystic Point (an entire area that is themed around a Haunted Mansion like attraction) and Toy Story Land (features attractions from the famous Disney/Pixar film). All three lands will be to the south of the current Adventureland and on the other side of the Railroad tracks.

Cruise Line Additions- Starting in 2011, DCL will be offering cruises to Alaska on the Disney Wonder. Cruises will depart from Vancouver, BC on a 7 day cruise up to Alaska. DCL also announced 2 new ship being built, the Disney Dream, which will have its maiden voyage in 2011, and the Disney Fantasy, sailing off in 2012. Both of these new ships will hold 50% more people than the original ships. For more information, see the article on the D23 Official website here.

Muppet news- So much going on with the Muppets! Halloween special next year, tons of new online videos including a cooking show with Cat Cora, Muppetvision 3D getting remastered in Disney Digital 3D, Statler and Waldorf writing a book, Whatnot Workshops coming to WDW and DL, the "Mobile Electric Mayhem Band"......They are back baby!!!

Movie Previews
Princess and the Frog- December 11, 2009

Toy Story 3- June 18, 2010

Rapunzel- Coming Late 2010

Winnie the Pooh Movie- New Hand Drawn Movie coming out in 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides- Coming Summer 2011

Did I miss your favorite announcement from D23? Please send me an email or leave me a comment and let me know!