Dec 31: Programmed for Laughs!

On this day in 1969, Disney's live-action comedy feature The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes was released. Starring Kurt Russell, Alan Hewitt, Joe Flynn, and Cesar Romero, it was the first in a trilogy of films that used the setting of the fictitious Medfield College.
The film centers on college student Dexter Riley (played by Russell) and a computer that's been donated to the university by the A.J. Arno Company. The donation seems harmless until it is discovered that the company's namesake and founder (played by Romero) is really the head of a gambling ring. The computer given to Medfield is actually filled with illegal data which is put into Riley's head after receiving a huge shock while installing a new part in it. The information and logic capabilities are now in Riley's body!

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Happy New Year!

Dec 30: Gallopin' Mickey

On this day in 1928, Disney's black & white Mickey Mouse short The Gallopin' Gaucho was released. Originally a silent film, this day's release featured synchronized sound!
The Gallopin' Gaucho was never released in its silent version due to a lack of interest in its predecessor Plane Crazy. But after Steamboat Willie's success, Disney added sound to Gaucho, making it the third Mickey short to be released (although the second short to be produced).
The Gallopin' Gaucho was a parody of the 1927 live-action feature The Gaucho - starring Douglas Fairbanks. Just like the original film, the events of the Mickey short took place in Argentina. Mickey meets Minnie in a cantina and the two perform a tango. When Pete (a very large cat-like creature) steals Minnie away, Mickey rides to the rescue on an emu.
But what makes this short unique is that Mickey Mouse is seen smoking ... and drinking a beer!

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Dec 29: Born Happy

On this day in 1865, actor Otis Harlan was born in Zanesville, Ohio (located 50 miles east of Columbus). A veteran of vaudeville, live musicals, and early silent movies, Harlan provided the voice for the dwarf Happy in Disney's 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Described as a cherub pop-eyed character actor, he worked in films right up until his passing in January 1940.

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Dec 28: A Different Race for Petty

On this day in 2005, it was announced that NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty (son of racing legend Richard Petty) would run in the 2006 Walt Disney Marathon.
Kyle (an avid runner) went on to run the marathon on January 8, 2006, to benefit his family's Victory Junction Gang - a charity serving children with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses.
(Brazilian Adriano Bastos won the 13th annual Disney World event with a time of 2:19:44.)

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Dec 27: Tarzan of the Apes

On this day in 2005, rehearsals for a new Disney Broadway musical called Tarzan began in Brooklyn, New York. Based upon the stories of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Disney production featured the music of Phil Collins. (Collins had originally written 5 songs for the 1999 animated version - and added 9 new songs for this stage version.)
Tarzan went on to officially open at the Richard Rodgers Theater on May 10, 2006 and give some 486 performances before closing in July 2007.

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Dec 26: Today's Episode

On this day in 1956, the ABC-TV Disneyland series re-aired the episode "Searching For Nature's Mysteries." (The episode originally aired on September 26, 1956.)
The various techniques used for making up-close and detailed nature documentaries were described by narrator (and director) Winston Hibler. Highlights included a foray into a beehive, a visit to an ant colony, and a time-lapse-photography sequence of blossoming plant life.
This episode is included on the DVD The Walt Disney Legacy Collection Volume 4: Nature's Mysteries.

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Dec 25: Birth of a Screenwriter

On this day in 1924, Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was born in Syracuse, New York. A screenwriter best known for his live television dramas, Serling created the classic TV series The Twilight Zone.
Although born in Syracuse, he was raised in Binghamton, New York and later served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and demolition specialist during World War II. His military experiences greatly affected his writing (and the rest of his life).
A year after graduating from college, Serling broke into television by writing scripts for such shows as Fireside Theater, Lux Video Theater, and Kraft Television Theater. Although he met with success, he was tired of seeing his scripts censored and decided to create his own show.
In 1959, Serling's The Twilight Zone debuted on CBS-TV. The original series ran for 5 seasons (and remains syndicated to this day). Described as an anthology series, each episode presented its own separate story - often involving characters who face unusual circumstances.
Serling served as head writer, executive producer and host (delivering on and off-screen monologues).
Disney's popular park attraction The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is based upon The Twilight Zone series. A simulated freefall thrill ride, Disney Imagineers supposedly watched every episode of Serling's series at least twice to create the detailed attraction.

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Merry Christmas!