On this day in 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens - better known as Mark Twain - was born in Missouri. Twain was a writer, lecturer, reporter, humorist, editor, printer, and prospector, and his influence on Walt Disney himself, his parks and his films is immeasurable.
His most noted novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer are obviously responsible for such park attractions as Tom Sawyer Island and the Mark Twain Riverboat (which both originated in Disneyland).
Twain's first attempt at fiction The Prince and the Pauper was adapted by Disney into a 24-minute short film starring Mickey Mouse.
His 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was re-adapted into the Disney feature film A Kid in King Arthur's Court and inspired Disney's Unidentified Flying Oddball and The Spaceman and King Arthur.
Even The American Adventure attraction at Epcot features a life-like figure of Twain (along with Ben Franklin).
Perhaps even Walt himself (who was a huge fan of Twain's writing) was thinking of the following Twain quote when first planning Disney World:
"Buy land, they're not making it anymore."
Click HERE for more November 30 Disney history.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Nov 29: Anything is Possible
On this day in 2005, Disney announced it was renewing the Disney Channel animated series Kim Possible for a fourth season. Although the show had officially ended production in February 2005, after 3 seasons and 65 episodes, a grassroots operation by dedicated fans changed that. (Disney usually follows a strict 65 episode policy.)
Kim Possible, about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day, was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. Supposedly they created the show in an elevator when McCorkle looked at Schooley and said, "Kim Possible: she can do anything." Schooley then replied, "Her partner is Ron Stoppable: he can't do anything."
The series, which first premiered in June 2002, finally did come to an end on September 7, 2007.
Click HERE for more November 29 Disney history.
Kim Possible, about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day, was created by Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. Supposedly they created the show in an elevator when McCorkle looked at Schooley and said, "Kim Possible: she can do anything." Schooley then replied, "Her partner is Ron Stoppable: he can't do anything."
The series, which first premiered in June 2002, finally did come to an end on September 7, 2007.
Click HERE for more November 29 Disney history.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Nov 28: An American Classic
On this day in 1859, author Washington Irving passed away at age 76 in New York on the eve of the American Civil War. (Ironically Irving was born at the end of the Revolutionary War on April 3, 1783. His parents, Scottish-English immigrants, were great admirers of General George Washington, and named their son after their hero.)
Best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," Irving was also a prolific essayist, biographer, columnist, and historian.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," in which a schoolmaster named Ichabold Crane meets with a headless horseman, was written while he was living in Birmingham, England - although the story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York. First published in 1820, it is among the earliest American fiction still read today! In fact, Irving has been called the father of the American short story.
Walt Disney Productions brought Irving's famous tale to the big screen in October 1949 with the animated "package" feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman was narrated by the legendary Bing Crosby.
Washington Irving is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Click HERE for more November 28 Disney history.
Best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle," Irving was also a prolific essayist, biographer, columnist, and historian.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," in which a schoolmaster named Ichabold Crane meets with a headless horseman, was written while he was living in Birmingham, England - although the story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York. First published in 1820, it is among the earliest American fiction still read today! In fact, Irving has been called the father of the American short story.
Walt Disney Productions brought Irving's famous tale to the big screen in October 1949 with the animated "package" feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman was narrated by the legendary Bing Crosby.
Washington Irving is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
Click HERE for more November 28 Disney history.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Nov 27: Find Your Place In The Universe
On this day in 2002, Disney's 42nd animated feature Treasure Planet was released in the U.S. A futuristic twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Treasure Island, Treasure Planet follows restless teen Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) on a sci-fi journey across the universe as cabin boy aboard a majestic space galleon.
The overall look of Treasure Planet was based on the art style promoted by illustrators associated with the Brandywine School of Illustration. This style has been described as being the "classic storybook illustration." The animators used a computer animation technique called "Deep Canvas" (alongside the traditionally-drawn characters) in order to achieve a painted image with depth perception. This enabled the crew to place the camera anywhere in the set and maneuver it as they would maneuver a camera for a live-action film!
The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (the team that wrote & directed The Little Mermaid), and featured music by John Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls).
Click HERE for more November 27 Disney history.
The overall look of Treasure Planet was based on the art style promoted by illustrators associated with the Brandywine School of Illustration. This style has been described as being the "classic storybook illustration." The animators used a computer animation technique called "Deep Canvas" (alongside the traditionally-drawn characters) in order to achieve a painted image with depth perception. This enabled the crew to place the camera anywhere in the set and maneuver it as they would maneuver a camera for a live-action film!
The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (the team that wrote & directed The Little Mermaid), and featured music by John Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls).
Click HERE for more November 27 Disney history.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Nov 26: Catch It If You Can!
On this day in 1997, Disney's live-action feature Flubber, starring Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jodi Benson (best known as the voice of Ariel - The Little Mermaid) was released. It was a remake of Disney's 1961 The Absent-Minded Professor.
In this film, Williams plays Philip Brainard a professor at Medfield College who invents a green rubber-like bouncy substance as a new form of energy ... which he calls Flubber. It is eventually used to help the school basketball team win.
There is actually no Medfield College - so the production was partially filmed on the campus of San José State University (in California). It is rumored that Walt Disney himself used to vacation in Medfield, Massachusetts, and used this name in the original film on which Flubber is based.
Click HERE for more November 26 history.
In this film, Williams plays Philip Brainard a professor at Medfield College who invents a green rubber-like bouncy substance as a new form of energy ... which he calls Flubber. It is eventually used to help the school basketball team win.
There is actually no Medfield College - so the production was partially filmed on the campus of San José State University (in California). It is rumored that Walt Disney himself used to vacation in Medfield, Massachusetts, and used this name in the original film on which Flubber is based.
Click HERE for more November 26 history.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Nov 25: On With The Show!
On this day in 1955, the Mickey Mouse Club Circus opened at Disneyland. The live show was the first major addition to the Anaheim park since its July 1955 debut. The attraction featured the actual Mouseketeers from the television series The Mickey Mouse Club (which had wrapped up in early November).
The Mickey Mouse Club Circus consisted of two 75-minute performances each day. Ted Wayne (whose acrobatic troupe had performed on The Mickey Mouse Club) coordinated the circus along with Hal Adelquist (a long-time Disney employee who had worked in production).
The Circus featured Jimmie Dodd as the Ringmaster, Roy Williams as the Strongman, and Bob Amsberry as Bob-O the Clown.
Unfortunately the show wasn't the success that Walt had hoped it would be, and the attraction closed in January 1956 - mostly due to poor attendance.
Click HERE for more November 25 Disney history.
The Mickey Mouse Club Circus consisted of two 75-minute performances each day. Ted Wayne (whose acrobatic troupe had performed on The Mickey Mouse Club) coordinated the circus along with Hal Adelquist (a long-time Disney employee who had worked in production).
The Circus featured Jimmie Dodd as the Ringmaster, Roy Williams as the Strongman, and Bob Amsberry as Bob-O the Clown.
Unfortunately the show wasn't the success that Walt had hoped it would be, and the attraction closed in January 1956 - mostly due to poor attendance.
Click HERE for more November 25 Disney history.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Nov 24: Happy B-day Carlo
On this day in 1826, Italian author and journalist Carlo Collodi, best known as the creator of Pinocchio, was born Carlo Lorenzini in Florence, Tuscany. The first of 10 children, he was the son of Domenico Lorenzini, a cook, and Angela Orzali, a servant.
Collodi tried his hand at journalism and the theater, but ultimately found success writing children's books, including Racconti delle fate (1875), Giannettino (1876), and Storie allegre (1887). But he is best known for Le avventure di Pinocchio or The Adventures of Pinocchio which first appeared in book form in February 1883.
Children's literature was a new idea in Collodi's time, an innovation in 19th century Italy (and elsewhere). Collodi, who died in 1890, was respected during his lifetime as a talented writer and social commentator, but his fame did not begin to grow until after Pinocchio was translated into English, for the first time in 1892.
Walt Disney brought Pinocchio to the big screen in 1940.
Click HERE for more November 24 Disney history.
Collodi tried his hand at journalism and the theater, but ultimately found success writing children's books, including Racconti delle fate (1875), Giannettino (1876), and Storie allegre (1887). But he is best known for Le avventure di Pinocchio or The Adventures of Pinocchio which first appeared in book form in February 1883.
Children's literature was a new idea in Collodi's time, an innovation in 19th century Italy (and elsewhere). Collodi, who died in 1890, was respected during his lifetime as a talented writer and social commentator, but his fame did not begin to grow until after Pinocchio was translated into English, for the first time in 1892.
Walt Disney brought Pinocchio to the big screen in 1940.
Click HERE for more November 24 Disney history.
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