While Cinderella was getting the fast-track in production during the late 1940s, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan were also being made at the time as well. Both were in development during the 1930s only to be shelved due to the box office failures of Pinocchio and Fantasia as well as World War II cutting off the foreign market. That Bank of America’s Joseph Rosenberg issued an ultimatum ordering Walt Disney to stick to shorts and finish features already in production and no new feature films until they had been released and earned back their costs. Only to resume production after the war was done and both starred the same voice actress as the female lead. Yet, upon their release, both films spun in different directions (although both have acquired large fanbases). Peter Pan opened to generally positive reviews and good box office returns in 1953. But even though it has its fans, it also has its detractors who see it as much creepier and problematic than they remember as kids. Not to mention, its depiction of racist Native American stereotypes adds to another level of cringe and really shows the film’s age.

Alice in Wonderland, on the other hand, was heavily hyped in a Christmas Day TV announcement in 1950 but fell $1 million short of it’s production budget at the box office upon its release in 1951. It was also critically panned, especially from the British press. British film and literary critics accused Disney of “Americanizing” a great work of English literature. This didn’t surprise him and he claimed that this movie was made for families, not critics. Alice in Wonderland wouldn’t be re-released theatrically in Walt’s lifetime although it appeared on television on occasion. In fact, the movie didn’t become popular until the 1970s with sold-out screenings in venues on college campuses starting in 1971. This led to Disney re-releasing the film in 1974 all thanks to an audience of drugged-up hippies. And when watching the film, it seems that Alice in Wonderland seems like it could’ve been made at that time. That you’d end up staring at its 1951 release date thinking that the people at Disney+ messed up in their description. Today, it’s regarded as one of Disney’s best animated films and is frequently featured in the Disney lineup. In this post, you’ll meet voice actors Bill Thompson and Queenie Leonard, ghost singers Marni Nixon and Bill Lee, actor and caricature artist Don Barclay, as well as the voices behind the March Hare, Alice’s Sister (and Mrs. Darling), the Rose, Peter Pan, and Captain Hook.

41. Jerry Colonna

Dates: 1904-1986

Early Life and Career: Born Gerardo Luigi Colonna in Boston, Massachusetts. Parents were Italian immigrants. Started his career as a trombonists in orchestras and dance bands in and around his hometown during the 1920s. In the 1930s, Colonna played in the CBS house orchestra and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, developing a reputation for tomfoolery and pranks. His off-stage antics became so calamitous that CBS nearly fired him on more than one occasion. However, Fred Allen soon gave Colonna guest shots and a decade later, he joined the John Scott Trotter Band on Bing Crosby’s Kraft Music Hall. Was one of 3 musical discoveries on that show along with the legendary Victor Borge and Spike Jones. Took part in Bob Hope’s USO tours during World War II and joined ASCAP in 1956.

Movies and Cartoons: Make Mine Music (1946) and Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Characters: March Hare

Also Known For: Was a musician, actor, comedian, singer, songwriter, and trombonist. Played the zaniest of Bob Hope’s sidekicks in his radio shows and films of the 1940s and 1950s. Also played a wide range of nit-witted characters. Trademark was his pop-eyed facial expressions, handlebar mustache, and loud singing. Was a major inspiration for many Warner Bros. cartoons during the 1940s and 1950s. Film appearances include Road to Singapore, Road to Rio, Road to Hong Kong, Garden of the Moon, and Star-Spangled Rhythm. Hosted his own TV show that lasted a single season. Other TV appearances include The Colgate Comedy Hour, Time for Beany, Super Circus, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Climax!, McHale’s Navy, and The Monkees. Also appeared in one of the oldest surviving kinescope recordings of a live television broadcast in 1947.

Personal Life: Married Florence Purcell in 1930 whom he met on a blind date and adopted a son named Robert. Marriage lasted until his death. Son had a theater career lasting for 60 years mostly in Rhode Island and published a biography on his father’s life. Brother of Louis Colonna. Great-uncle to stand-up comedian Sarah Colonna.

Later Life: Suffered a stroke after his Monkees guest spot that forced him to retire save for some brief appearances on some Bob Hope specials. In 1979, Colonna suffered a heart attack that forced him to spend the last seven years of his life at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital. Wife stayed by his side at the end. Died of kidney failure in 1986 at 82. Wife died 8 years later in the same hospital.

Trivia: Was mentioned in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. Was portrayed by Jeff MacKay on a JAG episode.

42. Bill Thompson

Dates: 1913-1971

Early Life and Career: Born in Terre Haute, Indiana to vaudevillian parents. Began his career in Chicago radio where he originated the meek, mushed-mouth character Mr. Wimple in The Breakfast Club. In 1936, he joined the cast of Fibber McGee and Molly where he brought his Wallace Wimple character and played a variety of roles comprising of Horatio K. Boomer, Nick Depopulis, Vodka, Uncle Dennis, and the Old Timer. In 1943, Thompson joined the US Navy and returned to radio and began voicing Droopy for MGM. Was the original voice for Scrooge McDuck.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Ben and Me (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Scrooge McDuck and Money (1967), The Aristocats (1970), as well as did voices on The Magical World of Disney from 1957-1969 and several shorts.

Characters: White Rabbit, Captain Dodo, Smee, Pirates, Governor Keith, Human Tour Guide, Miscellaneous Men, Jock, Bull, Policeman at Zoo, Dachsie, Joe, Jim’s Friend #1, King Hubert, Scrooge McDuck, and Uncle Waldo as well as Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, Oldtimer, Professor Owl, and Ajax Employment Agency Proprietor

Also Known For: Was a radio personality and voice actor whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death. Voiced Droopy in MGM cartoons from 1943-1958.  Also appeared in The Flintstones, The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series, To Tell the Truth, and The Yogi Bear Show.

Personal Life: Married Margaret Clifford in 1950 and they remained together until his death. Father-in-law was cartoonist Clifford McBride.

Later Life: In 1957, Thompson joined the Los Angeles branch of Union Oil as an executive working in community relations and occasionally reprised his radio characters as well as did some voice work. In 1971, he died of sudden septic shock at 58.

Trivia: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

43. Heather Angel

Dates: 1909-1986

Early Life and Career: Born in Oxford, England. Father was a chemistry professor at Oxford University. Mother was a daughter of Italian immigrants. Dad was killed in the Silvertown Explosion in 1917 and was posthumously awarded the Edward Medal. Family moved to London. Began her stage career at the Old Vic in 1926 and later appeared with touring companies. Made Broadway debut in 1937 at the Golden Theatre. Made first film in 1931.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953)

Characters: Alice’s Sister and Mrs. Darling

Also Known For: Film appearances include The Houd of the Baskervilles, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Three Musketeers, The Informer, The Last of the Mohicans (1936), Pride and Prejudice (1940), That Hamilton Woman, Kitty Foyle, Suspicion, Time to Kill, Lifeboat, and the Bulldog Drummond series. TV  appearances include Peyton Place and Family Affair.

Personal Life: Married twice. First to actor Ralph Forbes in 1934 that lasted less than 10 years before their divorce. Second to film and television director Robert B. Sinclair in 1944. Marriage produced a son in 1947 and lasted until his death in 1970 when he was murdered by an intruder breaking into the couple’s home and right in front of her.

Later Life: Died of cancer in Los Angeles in 1986 at 77. Cremated at Santa Barbara Cemetery.

Trivia: Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard. Friends with British actor Henry Wilcoxon. Tested for the role of Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind. Subject of a Sonic Youth song in 1998.

44. Queenie Leonard

Dates: 1905-2002

Early Life and Career: Born Pearl Walker in Manchester, England. Began performing on stage with her father at 14. First film in 1931. By the time she went to Hollywood in 1941, Leonard already had amassed stage and screen experience. Also appeared in cabaret on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean as well as starred in a one-woman show.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and Mary Poppins (1964)

Characters: Bird in Tree, Snooty Iris, Princess the Cow, and Depositor

Also Known For: Made more than 30 Hollywood films. Movies include Moonlight Sonata, Limelight, Ladies in Retirement, Eagle Squadron, The Lodger, The Uninvited, And Then There Were None, Life with Father, The Black Arrow, Lorna Doone (1951), Les Miserables (1952), My Fair Lady, and Doctor Doolittle. Also appeared in TV sitcoms.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was film designer Lawrence P. Williams from 1936 to their 1947 divorce. Second husband was actor Tom Conway from 1958 to their 1963 divorce. Was legally blind for part of her life.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 1968. Died of natural causes at her Los Angeles apartment at 96. Buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in the burial plot, “The Garden of Roses.”

Trivia: None.

45. Doris Lloyd

Dates: 1891-1968

Early Life and Career: Born in Liverpool, England. Made her stage debut at 23 with the Liverpool Repertory Company. Appeared a number of times on the West End as well as appeared on Broadway from 1916 to 1926 as well as performed with the Ziegfeld Follies and touring companies. Made first film in 1920. Went to the United States to visit a sister but decided to stay there permanently. Made her first US film in 1925. With the exception of a brief Broadway return in 1927, Lloyd decided to devote her career to films and television.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Mary Poppins (1964)

Characters: The Rose and Depositor

Also Known For: British actress who appeared in 150 films over a 42-year-career. Film appearances include Oliver Twist, Disraeli, The Time Machine, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, The Sound of Music, Waterloo Bridge, Tarzan the Ape Man, A Farewell to Arms, A Study in Scarlet, Voltaire, Madame du Barry, Becky Sharp, Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Mary of Scotland, Bulldog Drummond Escapes, They Made Me a Criminal, The Old Maid, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Intermezzo, The Letter, The Great Lie, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), The Wolf Man, The Ghost of Frankenstein, Mission to Moscow, The Lodger, The White Cliffs of Dover, Kitty, Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, Sister Kenny, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947),  Adam’s Rib, A Man Called Peter, and Midnight Lace. TV appearances include Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Personal Life: Never married.

Later Life: Retired in 1967. Died in Santa Barbara, California at 76. Buried in Glendale’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Trivia: None.

46. Bill Lee

Dates: 1916-1980

Early Life and Career: Born in Johnson, Nebraska but grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. Although his initial focus was on the trombone, Lee decided to concentrate on his voice after singing in several college vocal groups. Served as an ensign in the US Navy during World War II before moving to Hollywood upon discharge. Bulk of Lee’s income consisted of singing commercials for radio and TV, which he felt “silly” but appreciated the paychecks he got from them.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) as well as a variety of cartoon shorts with the Mellomen.

Characters: Card Painter, Dog, Ram, and Singing Elephant as well as did singing voices for Pirates, Roger, and Shere Khan. Sang as Bert and Mr. Banks in the Mary Poppins Disneyland album as well as appeared as Goofy in the 1965 Children’s Riddles and Songs. Also voiced Melvin the Moose at the Country Bear Jamboree in the Disney Parks.

Also Known For: Member of the Mellomen and playback singer who provided singing voices for actors in many films. These include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Zorro, South Pacific, Snow White and the Three Stooges, Gay Purr-ee, The Sound of Music, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Did singing for Bat Masterson and Charlotte’s Web. TV work includes The Alvin Show, Tom and Jerry, Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!, and Horton Hears a Who! Sang the lead role for the concept album Seven Dreams in 1953.

Personal Life: Was married and had a daughter named Diana Lee who followed in her father’s footsteps.

Later Life: Died of a brain tumor in Los Angeles in 1980 at 64.

Trivia: None

47. Don Barclay

Dates: 1892-1975

Early Life and Career: Born Donn Van Tassel Barclay in Ashland, Oregon. Started his career as a cartoonist for the San Francisco Examiner before going into comedy and burlesque. Was a Keystone Kop from 1914-1915. Featured with the Ziegfeld Follies and a series of short films called Mermaid Comedies in the 1920s.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951), Mary Poppins (1964), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

Characters: Card Soldiers, Mr. Binnacle, and Portobello Road Passerby

Also Known For: Films include Frisco Kid, The Murder of Dr. Harrigan, Man Hunt, Outlaw Express, The Oklahoma Kid, Honky Tonk, The Flying Irishman, Bedtime Story, South of Tahiti, Larceny, Inc., This Gun for Hire, My Sister Eileen, The Falcon’s Brother, The More the Merrier,  Thank You Lucky Stars, My Darling Clementine, and The Sainted Sisters. Often did caricatures and paintings of celebrities on movie sets. Became so successful that he eventually left acting to become a full-time artist. His output was prolific, turning out hundreds of caricatures of celebrities for establishments all over the country. For a time preceding World War II, Barclay spent time with General Claire Lee Chenault’s 14^th AAF  Flying Tigers unit where her illustrated every person in  the group. From October to November 1943, he did a one man USO show for the troops, touring every base in North Africa, Arabia, India, and China and drawing caricatures of the men as he went. When he returned to China in 1945, he’s said to have drawn over 10,000 caricatures of servicemen.

Personal Life: Never married.

Later Life: Retired in 1970 and bought a home in Palm Springs’ Desert Park Estates neighborhood. Died in 1975 at 82.

Trivia: Was a friend and occasional roommate of Cary Grant when the two were first starting out and later developed a 2-man comedy show in New York. Was considered a good luck charm by Walt Disney. Bob Hope collected a series of mugs based on his caricatures. Several of Barclay’s famous and noted caricatures are archived on the official Library of Congress. Two on the website’s Bob Hope page.

48. Marni Nixon

Dates: 1930-2016

Early Life and Career: Born Margaret Nixon McEathron in Altadena, California. Was a child film actress who also played the violin and began singing in choruses at an early age, including solos for the Roger Wagner Chorale. Went on to study singing and opera with the likes of Vera Schwarz, Carl Ebert, Boris Goldovsky and Sarah Caldwell. In 1947, she adopted “Marni Nixon” as a stage name and premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Carmina Burana with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under conductor Leopold Stokowski. Film career began in 1948 when she sang the angelic voices heard by Ingrid Bergman in Joan of Arc. Did her first dubbing work for Margaret O’Brien in Big City that same year and later The Secret Garden in 1949.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Mary Poppins (1964), and Mulan (1998)

Characters: Singing Flowers and Geese. Was also Grandma Fa’s singing voice.

Also Known For: Nixon was a soprano and ghost singer best known for being the singing voice of lead actresses in musicals in films like The King and I, An Affair to Remember, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Boy on Dolphin, Gypsy (but just the high notes), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (but only the high notes on that one). Sang on more than 50 soundtracks. Made appearances on films like Can-Can, The Sound of Music, The Bashful Bachelor, and I Think I Do. Also appeared on an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and To Tell the Truth. In addition, she appeared on off- and on- Broadway stage musicals and opera as well as went on tour with Liberace and Victor Borge. Also recorded albums under her own name starting in the 1980s. Hosted a children’s show for Seattle KOMO-TV called Boomerang during the late 1970s and early 1980s four which she won 4 Emmys.

Personal Life: Married 3 times. First to film composer Ernest Gold in 1950, to whom she had 3 children including singer-songwriter Andrew Gold. Divorced in 1969. Second to Lajos “Fritz” Fenster from 1971 to their 1975 divorce. Third to woodwind player Albert Block from 1983 to his death in 2015.

Later Life: From 1969-1971, Nixon taught at the California Institute of Arts in Montecito and joined the faculty of the Music Academy of the West in 1980 where she taught for many years. Published her autobiography, I Could Have Sung All Night in 2006. Survived breast cancer in 1985 and 2000. But died of the disease in New York in 2016 at 86.

Trivia: For her work on West Side Story (1961), Nixon asked but didn’t receive direct royalties for her contributions, but Leonard Bernstein only gave her ¼ of 1% of his personal royalties from it. Also made guest appearances at Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. Presented with the Singer Symposium’s Distinguished Artist Award in New York City in 2008. Also a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota Women’s Music Fraternity. Received the George Peabody Award for Outstanding Contributions to American Music in 2011.

49. Bobby Driscoll

Dates: 1937-1968

Early Life and Career: Born Robert Cletus Driscoll in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Parents were an insulation salesman and a former schoolteacher. Family moved to Des Moines shortly after his birth where they remained until their move to California in 1943. Mainly because Driscoll’s father was suffering from work-related handling of asbestos. A barber’s actor son secured on audition for Driscoll for a role in the family drama The Lost Angel in 1943. While on studio tour at MGM, the 5-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked with the water was. Impressed by the boy’s curiosity and intelligence, the director chose him out of 40 applicants.

Movies and Cartoons: Song of the South (1946), Melody Time (1948), the short Father’s Lion (1952) and Peter Pan (1953)

Characters: Johnny, Peter Pan, and Goofy Jr.

Also Known For: Famous child actor who appeared in films, radio, and television from 1943 to 1960. Films include The Fighting Sullivans, The Big Bonanza, From This Day Forward, Miss Susie Slagle’s, Three Wise Fools, So Dear to My Hear, The Window, and Treasure Island. Radio appearances include Family Theater, Hallmark Playhouse, Lux Radio Theatre, and Cavalcade of America. Did a stage production of Ah, Wilderness in 1954. TV show appearances include Lux Video Theatre, The Loretta Young Show, Climax!, Frontier Justice, The Millionaire, Trackdown, Rawhide, and The Brothers Brannigan. Later joined Andy Warhol’s Factory in Greenwich Village where he showed plenty of artistic promise as many of his works were considered outstanding. A few of his collages and cardboard mailers were exhibited at the Santa Monica Museum of Art in Los Angeles.

Personal Life: Married his girlfriend Marilyn Jean Rush in 1956 by eloping to Mexico. Although the two would rewed when they returned to Los Angeles. Had two daughters and a son, but the relationship didn’t last. They separated and divorced in 1960. Due to his drug addiction, Driscoll would have nothing to do with his kids for the rest of his life.

Later Life: Unfortunately, Driscoll’s life follows the narrative of the child star whose life went to shit and eventually ended in tragedy. After leaving Disney, Driscoll’s parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School for child actors and sent him to the public Los Angeles University High School instead. Driscoll’s grades dropped and was bullied for his show business career. He also began to take drugs. At his request, his parents returned him to the Hollywood Professional School where he graduated in 1955. Unfortunately, Driscoll’s drug use increased. In 1956, he was arrested for marijuana possession. Later he was charged with disturbing the peace and assault with a deadly weapon after 2 hecklers made insulting remarks while he was washing a girlfriend’s car and he hit one with a pistol. Charges were dropped. In 1961, Driscoll was sentenced as a drug addict and imprisoned at the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. When he left Chino in 1962, he couldn’t find acting work. After his parole expired, Driscoll relocated to New York City in 1965, hoping to revive his career on Broadway but was unsuccessful. In 1968 at only 31, Driscoll was found dead lying in a cot with 2 empty beer cans and religious pamphlets scattered on the ground. Post-mortem determined that he died of heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis from his drug use. No identification was found on Driscoll’s body and photos around the neighborhood yielded no positive ID. Thus, his unclaimed body was buried in a pauper’s grave in New York City’s Potter’s field on Hart Island. In 1969, Driscoll’s mother sought the help of Disney Studios officials to contact him for a hoped-for reunion with his dying father. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department who located Driscoll’s burial. Although his name appears on his dad’s gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. In 1971, in connection to Song of the South’s re-release, reporters researching Driscoll’s whereabouts first reported his death.

Trivia: Received a Juvenile Oscar for 2 of his performances in 1949. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 at 1560 Vine Street. In 2009, singer-songwriter immortalized Driscoll’s life with a concept album Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee Bobby Dee. In September 2011, American singer-songwriter Tom Russell released “Farewell Never Neverland” on the album Mesabi, an elegy for Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan.

50. Hans Conried

Dates:1917-1982

Early Life and Career: Born Hans Georg Conried Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland. Mother was descended from the Pilgrims. Father was an Austrian Jew from Vienna. Raised in Baltimore and New York City. Studied acting at Columbia University, which led him to a short career in supporting role in a broadcast of The Taming of the Shrew on KECA in Los Angeles in 1937. The next year, impressed with Conried’s versatility as a character player. At first, his early screen roles were incidental bits, usually comic but sometimes cowardly or downright shady. Stayed at MGM until 1941 before freelancing. First big role was in the 1942 Blondie’s Blessed Event, which established him as a comic figure in movies. Not to mention, his Germanic surname got him cast as enemy agents in many wartime films and he became a dialect specialist. Enlisted in the US Army in 1944 during World War II. Trained as a tank crewman at Fort Knox until the army decided he was too tall. Instead, he became a heavy mortar crewman and was sent to the Philippines as an engineer laborer until fellow actor Jack Kruschen obtained a release for service with the Armed Forces Radio Network. Even as a younger man, Conried was one of those actors who appeared much older than his actual age and was frequently cast as middle-aged or elderly pompous, scholarly types. His impeccable diction and imitable growl made him well suited to the roles he played. Whether portray the dim professor Kropotkin on the radio show and film My Friend Irma or as comic villains and mock sinister or cranky types like Captain Hook.

Movies and Cartoons: Peter Pan (1953), Ben and Me (1953), The Story of Anyburg U.S.A. (1957) as well as Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Characters: George Darling, Captain Hook, Thomas Jefferson, Crook, and the Magic Mirror.

Also Known For: Was a member of the Mercury Theate Company. Appeared in 3 Dr. Seuss cartoon specials, including Horton Hears a Who!, Dr. Seuss on the Loose, and Halloween Is Grinch Night. Also was in the Dr. Seuss directed-fiasco The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T which was a costly failure. Outside Disney and Dr. Seuss cartoons, Conried also voiced Snidely Whiplash, Professor Waldo P. Wigglesworth, Wally Walrus, Dr. Dred as well as others. Was narrator in the MGM Oscar-winning Tom and Jerry short, Johann Mouse. Was host of the live action TV show, Fractured Flickers. Film appearances include The Great Dictator, Joan of Paris, Saboteur, My Friend Irma, Passage to Marseille, Mrs. Parkington, The Barkleys of Broadway, On the Town, Summer Stock, The World in His Arms, The Senator Was Indiscreet, I’ll See You in My Dreams, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Siren of Bagdad, Bus Stop, 1001 Arabian Nights, The Magic Fountain, Robin and the 7 Hoods, The Patsy, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Brothers O’Toole, The Shaggy D.A., The Cat from Outer Space, and Scruffy. TV appearances include Make Room for Daddy, I Love Lucy, Omnibus, Tonight Show, Stump the Stars, Take a Good Look, Davy Crockett, The Californians, The Real McCoys, Mr. Ed, Dr. Kildare, Lost in Space, Daniel Boone, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Lucy Show, Gilligan’s Island, The Monkees, Have Gun – Will Travel, Kolchak, Laverne & Shirley, Hogan’s Heroes, The Love Boat, Match Game, Maverick, The Donna Reed Show, Fantasy Island, and Quark. Performed in Can-Can and Irene on Broadway.

Personal Life: Married Margaret Grant in 1942. Marriage produced 4 children and lasted until his death. Kids consisted of Hans Georg III, Edith Eva, Alexander Rudolf, and actress Trilby. Also had 2 grandchildren named Holly Victoria and Wyatt Spencer Gray.

Later Life: Had a long history of health problems. Suffered a stroke in 1974 and a mild heart attack in 1979. Remained active until his death in 1982 in Burbank, California, one day after suffering a major heart attack at 64. Body was donated to medical science.

Trivia: Auditioned for King Stefan in Sleeping Beauty but served as live action reference model for the character. Appearance was inspiration for Judge Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Dual roles as George Darling and Captain Hook is based on play tradition dating to its original theatrical days.

Although Disney released movies during the 1940s that became masterpieces like Pinocchio, Dumbo, Fantasia, and Bambi, only Dumbo was a box-office success. Although not to the degree as Snow White in the Seven Dwarfs back in 1937. Much of this had to do with World War II putting a damper on international markets and people in general having bigger things to worry about. And while Disney definitely did their part to help in the war effort, the studio wasn’t exactly in top financial shape during much of the decade. After the release of Bambi, they resorted to strategies such as releasing package films, collections of short cartoons grouped to make feature films. There are 6 of these including Saludos Amigos, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, Melody Time, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Disney also began to produce less-expensive live action films mixed with animation beginning with Song of the South in 1946. Although the movie made money, it’s been one of Disney’s most controversial films from the very beginning, particularly in regards on its heavily racist depictions of African Americans. And it’s mainly remembered today for all the wrong reasons as well as has been destined to sit in the Disney vault for all eternity. Although you can watch a version like that on YouTube. In addition, Disney re-released their feature films in 1944, started a nature documentary series in 1948 called True-Life Adventures that ran to 1960 and won 8 Academy Awards, and started the Walt Disney Music Company to help with profits from merchandising.

              While the 1940s Disney would be marked by great financial upheavals due to World War II and some box office failures, the 1950s would be a different story. Cinderella would be a reason why since it was a critical and commercial success that saved the studio after its wartime era pitfalls, making $8 million in its first year. It would be its first feature-length animated film in 8 years. While its planning had been years in the making since the 1930s. Still, by the time the film’s production hit into high gear, the House of Mouse was at least $3 million in debt and the Disney brothers were at odds. Walt wanted to restore the studio to financial health by returning to full-length animated films like the old days. While his brother Roy asked Walt to consider selling the studio and retire with the money they had. However, after weeks of arguing, Roy gave in and allowed a new feature animated film to be made. By then, the Disney studio had 3 projects in development such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Since Cinderella contained elements similar to Snow White, Disney greenlit the project. But production on that and Alice in Wonderland resumed on both so that both animation crews would effectively compete against each other to see which film would finish first. By 1948, Cinderella won out and got fast-tracked to become their first animated film since Bambi. Since they were on budget constraints, Disney shot Cinderella entirely live action with uncostumed actors on a soundstage so the footage can be used to check the plot, timing, and movement of the characters before animating it. The footage was then edited on frame-by-frame large Photostat sheets to duplicate. The animators found this too restrictive since they couldn’t imagine anything that the live actors couldn’t present since such experimentation might cost more money. Also, they were instructed from a certain directorial perspective to avoid difficult shots and angles. While the animal characters had no live action references whatsoever. With the exception of Walt Disney’s calico cat for Lucifer. Still, the success of Cinderella allowed Walt Disney to carry on producing films throughout the 1950s with its franchise profits giving him the cash to finance a slate of both animated and live-action film productions, establish his own distribution company, enter television production, and start building Disneyland as well as the developing the Florida Project which later became Walt Disney World. In this post, we’ll meet the voice actors behind Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Lady Tremaine (and Maleficent), the Ugly Stepsisters, the King and the Grand Duke, Lucifer (and Grandma Fa), as well as 3 from Alice in Wonderland (which I’ll talk about in the next post).

31. Eric Blore

Dates: 1887-1959

Early Life and Career: Born in Finchley Middlesex, England. Worked for an insurance company after leaving Mills School. Made his first stage appearance in 1908 at Burlington’s Spa Theater with The Girl from Kays. Went to Australia the same year where he appeared with a concert party called “The Merry Makers.” Back in England, Blore appeared in a series of musical comedies. Made his London debut in 1913 as well as wrote sketches for revue and variety. After a short detour to serve in the army, Blore started appearing in the West End during the early 1920s. In 1923, he first appeared on Broadway. After a brief return to London, he’d remain in the US for the next seven years. Although he’d make the occasional trip to London now and again. Most notable appearance was The Gay Divorce where he shared the stage with Fred Astaire. After his last show in London in 1933, Blore joined “the select company of English actors who were persuaded to journey to California” to appear in Hollywood films, along with C. Aubrey Smith and Ronald Colman.

Movies and Cartoons: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Characters: J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq.

Also Known For: Character actor who specialized in playing English butlers, valets, and other superior domestic servants. Made more than 60 films. Appearances include The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Swing Time, The Soldier and the Lady, Shall We Dance, The Lady Eve, Road to Zanzibar, Sullivan’s Travels, Kitty, Abie’s Irish Rose, Romance on the High Seas, and Fancy Pants. Returned to Broadway in 1943 to appear in Ziegfeld Follies.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Violet Winter whom he wed in 1917 but ended in her death in 1919. Most likely cause of Violet’s death would be Spanish Flu given the year. Second wife was a woman named Clara Macklin in 1926. Had a son named Eric Blore Jr. Marriage lasted until his death.

Later Life: Final stage appearance in 1945. Made his last film in 1955 and retired the next year after suffering a stroke. After taking ill in February 1959, he was moved from his Los Angeles home to the Motion Picture Country Hospital where he died of a heart attack at 71. He was survived by his widow Clara, son Eric Jr. and one grandchild.

Trivia: None

32. Ilene Woods

Dates: 1929-2010

Early Life and Career: Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to a mother who worked behind the scenes in films. Dreamed about becoming a schoolteacher but her mom wanted her to be a singer instead. By 1944, she had her own radio show. During World War II, she toured with Paul Whiteman and the Army Air Forces Orchestra. In 1948, two songwriter friends Mack David and Jerry Livingston called Woods to record “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes”, and “So This is Love.” These songs were later presented to Walt Disney for use in Cinderella. Disney heard the demos and asked Woods to star in the lead. She gladly accepted the role and was surprised that she won it over 300 women who auditioned.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950)

Characters: Cinderella. Also voiced Snow White for the 1949 audiobook version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Also Known For: She’s not really known for much else. She had some work in TV during the 1950s but it’s not much.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was to Steve Steck Jr. in 1946 when she was only 17. Marriage produced a daughter named Stephanie but ended in divorce in 1954. Second husband was Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy in 1963. Marriage produced two sons named James and Daniel and lasted until her death. Son James died from a 1984 car accident when he was just 18.

Later Life: Retired from show business in 1972 but continued to appear at occasional autograph shows. When Disney began releasing video cassettes of their animated films, Woods was one of at least 3 actresses to file lawsuits over performance royalties in 1990. In her last years, she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease at a facility in Canoga Park, Los Angeles. It was said that she didn’t remember that she played Cinderella. Yet when she died from complications at 81 in 2010, she requested the nurses to sing “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” There was no service. While her cremated remains were given to her family.

Trivia: Named a Disney Legend in 2003. Sang for Franklin Delano Roosevelt at his home in Hyde Park. Sang for President Harry S. Truman at the White House after singing for soldiers and sailors.

33. Eleanor Audley

Dates: 1905-1991

Early Life and Career: Born Eleanor Zellman in Newark, New Jersey before her family moved to Manhattan in 1917. Made her Broadway debut in 1926 at 21. Adapted the stage name “Eleanor Audley” sometime before 1940. Initially turned down the role of Maleficent due to battling tuberculosis at the time.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Characters: Lady Tremaine and Maleficent. Also provided the voice for spirit psychic medium, Madame Leota at both Disneyland and Disney World.

Also Known For: Character actress who appeared in several films and numerous radio and TV shows. Most notable live action film appearance is All That Heaven Allows. Radio programs include My Favorite Husband where she played Mrs. Cooper and Father Knows Best where she played the neighbor. Best known as Oliver Douglas’ mother on Green Acres. Other TV show appearances include I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, Dennis the Menace, Our Miss Brooks, Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Make Room for Daddy, Have Gun – Will Travel, McHale’s Navy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Real McCoys, Pete and Gladys, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mr. Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies, Hallmark Playhouse, The Six Shooter, and My Three Sons.

Personal Life: Never married.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 1970 likely due to poor health. Died of respiratory failure in Los Angeles 1991 at 86. Buried at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery.

Trivia: Her character Madame Leota received her own tombstone in 2001. Epitaph reads: “Dear sweet Leota, beloved by all. In regions beyond now, but having a ball.” Also served as a physical model for both Lady Tremaine and Maleficent.

34. Rhoda Williams

Dates: 1930-2006

Early Life and Career: Born in Denver, Colorado. Learned to read at 3 so performing for radio became natural for her. Soon had her own weekly show on KMPC’s We Who Are Young. Graduated from Hollywood High School at 14 and later earned a theater arts degree from the UCLA at 18. In the meantime, she also took on acting projects to pay for her college education.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950)

Characters: Drizella Tremaine

Also Known For: Was as Robert Young’s oldest daughter on the radio version of Father Knows Best. Appeared on films such as National Velvet and Meet John Doe. Provided alien voices on Star Trek IV and Star Trek V. Also did live television as well as specialized in dialects, most notably providing a voice over for Brigitte Bardot in the American version of The Night Heaven Fell.

Personal Life: Married David Van Meter in 1952. Marriage produced 4 kids consisting of Janis, Debra, Jon, and Steve and lasted until her death.

Later Life: In 1959, Williams served as PTA president for the Alexandria Avenue School in Los Angeles. In 1968, she began working her master’s degree at California State University, Northridge. During her studies, she began a second career as teacher of dialects and speech for the stage. Developed a “Medieval Theatre” filmstrip that Oleson Films distributed to high schools and colleges throughout the country. When she received her Master of Arts degree in 1972, she continued to teach at CSUN as well as taught voice and speech at Estelle Harman’s Actor’s Workshop in Hollywood. Was an active member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artist since the 1930s and held numerous union-related offices. At the Los Angeles local, Williams was a Local and National Board member, Local Education Committee Chair. Co-Chair of the L.A. Women’s Committee. Western Region Chair of the National Women’s Committee and member of the joint AFTRA-SAG Merger Study Committee. Also edited the Los Angeles Local publication, DIALLOG. from 1974 to 1987. From 1978-1981, Williams was West Coast Coordinator for a CETA project to increase employment of performing arts professionals. From 1981-82, she was Assistant Executive Director of the Los Angeles Local of AFTRA. In addition, Williams was a Vice-President and Secretary of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). She also served several years as an appointee to the State Wage Board for the Broadcasting Industry and was an AFTRA delegate to the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. From 1977 to 1989, Williams coordinated and conducted the Communications Skills workshop at the Federation’s “Women in the Workforce” conferences for the California State Federation of Labor. Also taught communication skills AFL-CIO’s Western Section Summer School for Labor Union Women. From 1984 to 1992, Williams she was Secretary-Treasurer of the UCLA Theater Film and Television Alumni Association and was one of the organization’s charter members. Also served as secretary to the InterGuild Women’s Caucus, a women’s organization in the entertainment industry guilds and unions. Was a founding member of the Education Council of the Los Angeles Music Center, with special interest in the Music Center on Tour program and of Pacific Pioneer Broadcaster. Was a past member of the Glendale Arts Council as well as had honorary memberships REPS (Radio Enthusiasts of Puget Sound) and of SPERDVAC (The Society for the Preservation of Radio Drama. Variety and Comedy). Williams moved to Oregon in 1993 where she was elected to the Local Board of the Portland Local of AFTRA, where she was Treasurer and Alternate to the AFTRA National Board. She and her husband also edited SAG/AFTRA Portland newsletter for AFTRA and SAG. In Eugene, she’d perform at local community theaters as well. Died of cardiac arrest in her Eugene home in 2006 at 75. Was survived by her husband, her 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.

Trivia: Received a Distinguished Service Award from the InterGuild Women’s Caucus.

35. Lucille Bliss

Dates: 1916-2012

Early Life and Career: Born in New York City to a Massachusetts dentist father and a German concert pianist who wanted her daughter to become an opera singer. Parents later divorced. In 1935, Bliss’ father’s death prompted Bliss and her mom to move to California where her mom became head of the music department for San Francisco College of Women.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and How to Have an Accident at Work (1959) as well as narrated some stories for a Disney album.

Characters: Anastasia Tremaine, Lazy Daisies, Tulips, Mermaid, Tiger Lily, TV Commercial Singer, and Donald’s Son

Also Known For: Nicknamed the “Girl with a Thousand Voices,” Bliss voiced numerous cartoon characters from the 1950s to the 2000s. Voiced the title character of Crusader Rabbit, the first made for TV cartoon as well as Smurfette in the 1980s Smurfs and Ms. Bitters in the early 2000s on Invader Zim. Also voiced Yugoda in Avatar: The Last Airbender as well as Mrs. Fitzgibbons in The Secret of NIMH and the Pidgeon Lady in Robots. Not to mention, work on Hanna Barbera cartoons such as Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones. In addition to cartoons, Bliss also did voice work for video games. Outside cartoons, she was an active performer in radio with roles in Pat Novak, for Hire, Candy Matson, and The Charlie McCarthy Show. Live TV appearances include High Command and The Lineup.

Personal Life: Never married.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 2007. Died of natural causes in Costa Mesa, California in 2012 at 96. Buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Trivia: Produced and directed talent shows for the Embarcadero Armed Services YMCA in San Francisco. Honored by the Young Artist’s Foundation with its Former Child Star “Lifetime Achievement” Award in 2000.

36. Luis van Rooten

Dates: 1906-1966

Early Life and Career: Born Luis d’Antin van Rooten in Mexico City, Mexico. Father worked as a translator and clerk for the American embassy. Some sources claim he was killed in the Mexican Revolution. At 8, he immigrated to the US with his Belgian grandmother who claimed the boy as her son since he had no papers. Attended a Pennsylvania boarding school and received a B. A. from the University of Pennsylvania. Enjoyed a successful career as an architect in Cleveland, Ohio until his love of acting got the best of him. First gig was as narrator to a 1938 film called Industrial Ohio for SOHIO Let’s Explore Ohio series. Was said to have worked on as many as 50 shows a month because of his ability to do dialects and criminals. Once, he was bumped off as many as 10 crime shows a week. During World War II, van Rooten’s linguistic abilities made him an in-demand military radio announcer. Conducted broadcasts in Italian, Spanish. This led to film work, often in roles requiring accents or dialect skills.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950)

Characters: The King and Grand Duke

Also Known For: Was one of radio and television’s most prolific character actors and narrators. Mostly known for villainous roles such as Nazi ringleader Heinrich Himmler in a couple of films. Appeared alongside actors like Alan Ladd, Charles Laughton, Veronica Lake, Edgar G. Robinson, and Kirk Douglas. Radio appearances include Mysterious Traveler, I Love a Mystery, Chandu the Magician, Bulldog Drummond, Valiant Lady and Radio City Playhouse where he once played 16 characters on an episode he wrote. TV appearances include Perry Mason and The Honeymooners. Was also a skilled artist and designer as well as wrote several humor books like Van Rooten’s Book of Improbable Saints, The Floriculturist’s Vade Mecum of Exotic and Recondite Plants, Shrubs and Grasses, and One Malignant Parasite, and Mots d’Heures: Gousses, Rames: The d’Antin Manuscript.

Personal Life: Married Catherine Gaylord Kelly and had 2 children.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 1968 and settled in Chatham, Massachusetts where he died in 1973 at 66.

Trivia: Designed his own retirement home in Chatham, Massachusetts.

37. June Foray

Dates: 1917-2017

Early Life and Career: Born June Lucille Forer in Springfield, Massachusetts. Father was a Jewish immigrant from Odessa in the Russian Empire. Mother was a Lithuanian Jew and French Canadian. Wanted to be a dancer as a child but had to drop out of dance class due to pneumonia. Made her first radio broadcast at 12 and was doing regular radio voice work by 15. Two years after graduating from Classical High School, Foray moved with her parents and her siblings to live in Los Angeles to be near her brother Morris, an engineer who fell on hard financial times. After joining the WBZA Players, Foray starred in her own radio series, Lady Make Believe in the late 1930s.

Movies and Cartoons: Cinderella (1950) Peter Pan (1953), Mulan (1998), the short Trick or Treat, as well as TV shows like Duck Tales and Disney’s Adventures of Gummi Bears.

Characters: Lucifer, Mermaid, Grandmother Fa, Witch Hazel, as well as Grammi Gummi and Magica du Spell

Also Known For: Voiced characters such as Rocky, the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, Cindy Lou Who, Jokey Smurf, Granny from Lonney Tunes, Ursula from George of the Jungle, young Karen and the teacher in Frosty the Snowman (although only her singing parts remained for the former in the final cut), and others. Career encompassed movies, shorts, radio, television, records, video games, talking toys, podcasts, and more. Radio appearances include Lux Radio Theatre, The Jimmy Durante Show, Sears Radio Theater, Amos n’ Andy, CBS Radio Workshop, The Buster Brown Program, and Smile Time. Recorded a number of Children’s albums for Capitol Records. Also did voicework for Woody Woodpecker cartoons and Warner Bros. Provided the voice for the “Chatty Cathy” doll as well as the “Talky Tina” doll in a Twilight Zone episode. TV appearances include I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Get Smart, The Brady Bunch, Little House on the Prairie, The Twilight Zone, Mr. Magoo, Powerpuff Girls,  Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, The Jetsons, The Flinstones, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Fractured Flickers, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Green Acres, Married…with Children, The Garfield Show, and The Duck Factory.

Personal Life: Married twice. First to Bernard Barondess in 1941 which ended in divorce. Second was writer Hobart Donovan in 1955, which lasted until his death 1976.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 2014. Was involved in a car accident in 2015 which contributed to her declining health. Died in a Los Angeles hospital in 2017 at 99.

Trivia: Was one of the early members of ASIFA-Hollywood, a society devoted to and encouraging animation. Credited with establishing the Annie Awards as well as the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2001. Received the 1974 Inkpot Award. Also, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Chuck Jones once said of her, “June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc was the male June Foray.” Once auditioned for the role of Betty Rubble. Received 2 Annies and a Daytime Emmy. In 1973, she organized a meat boycott in response to President Nixon’s freezing of meat and other prices and was included on his Enemies List.

38. Kathryn Beaumont

Dates: 1938-present

Early Life and Career: Born in London to a singer father and dancer mother. When World War II broke out, her parents were urged to send their baby daughter to safety on the SS Athenia but they refused. Although the authorities were very upset, they recoiled when the ship sank via U-Boat torpedo. Instead, after frequent bombing raids and witnessing a close friend’s death, Beaumont’s parents decided to move to Bangor, Wales before returning to London in 1945. First acting experience was in a school pantomime when she was small and later in a play. Made first film in 1944 which put her on a contract for MGM but only had minor roles in a couple of films. Later moved to Los Angeles where she auditioned for the role of Alice 3 times. Mother and tutor were present during filming and she worked 4 hour days and studied for 3.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953)

Characters: Alice and Wendy Darling

Also Known For: Was Kari’s Grandmother in the Kingdom Hearts series of video games.

Personal Life: Has been married to Allan Levine since 1985.

Later Life: After graduating from high school, Beaumont enrolled in the University of Southern California where she obtained an education degree. Taught elementary school in Los Angeles for 36 years. In addition, she’d reprise Alice and Wendy in other projects as late as 2016.

Trivia: Named Disney Legend in 1998. Was part of a drill team in high school and ran for student government.

39. Ed Wynn

Dates: 1886-1966

Early Life and Career: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Jewish family. Father was a Bohemian milliner. Mother came from Istanbul and was of Turkish and Romanian descent. Attended Central High School before dropping out and running away from home. Worked as a hat salesman and utility boy as well as adapted his middle name of “Edwin” to “Ed Wynn.” Began his vaudeville career in 1903 where he became a star on the Ziegfield Follies. Also wrote, directed, and produced many Broadway shows. Gained a reputation for his silly costumes and props as well as the giggly, wavering voice he developed in 1921. Became an active member of the Lambs Club in 1919. Hosted his own radio show called The Fire Chief during the 1930s and founded his own short-lived network called the Amalgamated Broadcasting System that last only 5 weeks and left him deep in debt, divorced, and suffering a nervous breakdown. Made his TV debut in 1936.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Mary Poppins (1964)

Characters: Mad Hatter and Uncle Albert

Also Known For: Best known for playing comedy characters but took on more dramatic roles later in life. Hosted The Ed Wynn Show, which won a Peabody and Emmy Award and was one of the first network comic-variety shows. Guests include Buster Keaton, Carmen Miranda, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Hattie McDaniel and The Three Stooges. Also served as a rotating host for NBC’s Four Star Revue from 1950-1952. Other TV appearances include Playhouse 90, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Twilight Zone. Movies include The Great Man, The Diary of Anne Frank, Babes in Toyland, The Patsy, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Personal Life: Married 3 times. First was to fellow vaudeville performer Hilda Keenan in 1914, which produced a son named Keenan Wynn who later became a character actor. But she ended up divorcing him in 1937. Second was to Frieda Mierse in 1937 which ended with their 1939 divorce. Third was to Dorothy Elizabeth Nesbit in 1946 which ended with their 1955 divorce. Grandfather of Tracy Keenan Wynn and Ned Wynn and great-grandfather to Jessica Keenan Wynn.

Later Life: Died in Los Angeles of esophageal cancer in 1966 at 79. Buried in Glendale’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Bronze grave marker reads: “Dear God: Thanks… Ed Wynn:” Red Skelton said of him, “His death is the first time he ever made anyone sad.”

Trivia: Was offered the role of The Wizard for the 1939 Wizard of Oz but turned it down. Was also a Freemason. Nominated for Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award (ironically for playing the dentist in The Diary of Anne Frank). Inspired Alan Tudyk’s portrayal of King Candy in Wreck-It-Ralph. Named Disney legend in 2013.

40. Richard Haydn

Dates: 1905-1985

Early Life and Career: Born in Camberwell, London, England. After working as a music hall entertainer and overseer at a Jamaican plantation, he joined a touring British theater troupe before moving into TV and film.

Movies and Cartoons: Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Characters: The Caterpillar

Also Known For: British actor known for playing eccentric characters with much of his dialog delivered in an over-nasalized and over-enunciated manner. Film appearances include Ball of Fire, And Then There Were None, The Emperor’s Waltz, Forever Amber, The Merry Widow, Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Sound of Music, and Young Frankenstein. Also directed 3 films. Wrote The Journal of Edwin Carp whom he portrayed on radio in The Charlie McCarthy Show. Appeared twice on Broadway. TV appearances include Playhouse 90, Producers’ Showcase, General Electric Theater, The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Lux Playhouse, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Laredo, Bewitched, Bonanza, and Lassie.

Personal Life: Never married though he was engaged to Marlene Dietrich’s daughter at some point. Was a reclusive man who loved gardening and shunned interviews.

Later Life: Died of a heart attack at his home in Pacific Palisades, California at 80. Body was found there and donated to the University of California, Los Angeles.

Trivia: Friend and next-door neighbor to David Niven.

Adapted from a German novel from 1923, Bambi was a particularly difficult passion project for Disney that took 5 years to make. For one, the original Felix Salten novel, Bambi, a Life in the Woods wasn’t exactly a light-hearted kids’ book. In fact, it’s actually quite the opposite. Then there was the challenge of animating deer realistically. Not to mention, the other projects Disney was working on at the time so the production was put on hold until 1939. Yet as soon as work began in earnest, the Disney animators not only visited the Los Angeles Zoo, but the studio also set up a small zoo with animals like rabbits, ducks, owls, skunks and a pair of fawns they named Bambi and Faline. All so the animators can see how these animals moved firsthand. Although they used actress Jane Randolph and Ice Capades skater Donna Atwood as live-action reference models for Bambi and Thumper in the icy pond scene. The animators learned a lot about animals during Bambi’s production, giving them a broad spectrum of animation styles to use in future projects. And due to rising production costs amid financial difficulties, Disney had to cut 12 minutes of the film from the final animation. For a project of such ambition from Disney and a film of such beauty and artistry, you’d think Bambi would be a major hit. But due to World War II that closed off much of the European market, Bambi was a box office failure upon its 1942 release. Not only that, but it opened to mixed reviews from critics mainly due to lack of fantasy elements and objection towards a dramatic story about animals struggling to survive the woods and avoid the human threat. The New York Times claimed that, “In the search for perfection, Mr. Disney has come perilously close to tossing away his whole world of cartoon fantasy.” The New Republic’s Manny Farber wrote that “Bambi is interesting because it’s the first one that’s been entirely unpleasant…Mickey wouldn’t be caught dead in this.” Adding that “In an attempt to ape the trumped-up realism of flesh and blood movies, he has given up fantasy, which was pretty much the magic element.” Even Walt Disney’s own daughter Diane wasn’t too happy about the movie, complaining that Bambi’s mom didn’t need to die. Although Walt claimed that he was only following the book, Diane stuck to her guns saying that he had taken other liberties before and that Walt Disney could do whatever he wanted. Still, no matter how you look at it, it seems that the world wasn’t really ready for Bambi. Today, Bambi is seen as a masterpiece. In this post, we’ll meet two more of the actors behind two of the Dumbo crows, sound guy Jimmy MacDonald and actors J. Pat O’Malley and Billy Bletcher, as well as the voices behind Bambi, Faline, Young Adult Thumper, Mr. Mole, and Friend Owl.

21. James Baskett

Dates: 1904-1948

Early Life and Career: Born James Franklin Baskett in Indianapolis, Indiana. Father owned a barber shop. Studied pharmacology as a young man but gave it up to pursue acting. Moved to New York City where he joined Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Appeared with Louis Armstrong on Broadway in the 1929 black musical revue Hot Chocolates and in several all-black New York films. Later he moved to Hollywood where he mostly found himself in supporting roles and bit parts. In 1945, he auditioned for a bit part as one of the animals in Song of the South. However, Walt Disney was impressed with Baskett’s talent and hired him on the spot to play Uncle Remus. This was one of the first Hollywood portrayals of a black actor as a non-comic character in a leading role in a film meant for general audiences.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941) and Song of the South (1946)

Characters: Fats Crow, Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit in one sequence, and Uncle Remus

Also Known For: Was an actor who often played African American stereotypes because racism and mainly because they were mostly the only roles they could find. Played Gabby Gibson in the Amos n’ Andy radio show from 1944 to 1948. Anyway, his role as Uncle Remus was an acting gig of a lifetime.

Personal Life: Had a wife named Margaret to whom he was married to until his death.

Later Life: Couldn’t attend the Song of the South’s premiere in Atlanta due to racial segregation. Although his role in that film attracted controversy due to it portraying a racial stereotype, his acting was almost universally praised. Was in poor health during filming Song of the South due to suffering from diabetes. Had a heart attack shortly after the premiere and his health continued to decline that he was often absent from Amos an’ Andy during its 1947-1948 season. Died of a heart failure caused by diabetes at his Los Angeles home at 44. Was survived by his wife and his mother Elizabeth. Buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Trivia: Was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for his performance as Uncle Remus in 1948. Was the last adult actor to receive an honorary Oscar for a single performance.

22. Nick Stewart

Dates: 1910-2000

Early Life and Career: Born Horace Winifred Stewart in Harlem, New York City as the son of immigrants from Barbados. He began his show business career as a dancer at both the Cotton Club and the Hoofers Club. Later graduated onto Broadway shows, radio programs, film, and television.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941) and Song of the South (1946). Also did the voice of Brer Bear for the Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland and Disney World.

Characters: Specks Crow and Brer Bear

Also Known For: Best known as “Lightnin’” Willie Jefferson from the radio show Amos n’ Andy. On Broadway, he created a character named “Nicodemus” and playing that role in various productions. Appeared in the 1954 film White Christmas. Was Willy-Willy on the TV show Ramar of the Jungle. Made numerous appearances in film and television mostly as a character actor. Wrote his own musical called Carnival Island.

Personal Life: Married his wife Edna in 1941 and had 3 children. Couple remained married until his death.

Later Life: In 1950, Stewart and his wife founded Los Angeles’ Ebony Showcase Theater, which provided a venue to performers of all races including Al Freeman Jr., Yuki Shimoda, William Schallert, Tom Ewell, John Amos, Nichelle Nichols, Isabel Sanford, B. B. King, Phil Collins, Eartha Kitt, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan. He would devote much of his life to this place filling the seats with quality productions and hosting his own variety show from there for a time. That at one point, he got fired from Amos n’ Andy shortly before its cancellation due to becoming too invested in his passion project. In 1973, he and his wife would be honored by the Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and the California Museum of Science and Industry’s advisory board for their work at the Ebony Theater Showcase. Unfortunately, the Stewarts lost title to the theater complex in 1992 due to financial problems caused by an LA law requiring all older brick buildings to meet earthquake standards. Yet, they were allowed to stay and operate the place. To secure a loan to save the theater, they used the two homes they owned to use as collateral but to no avail. While the buildings were later demolished after the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency took possession through eminent domain. Died at his son’s Los Angeles home of natural causes in 2000 at 90. And a week after attending the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Performing Arts Center named for local politician Nate Holden, which was built on the very site where the Ebony Theater once stood. This allowed the Ebony Showcase to transform, adapt, and remain open. And today, it continues to provide entertainment, resources, and charitable services on the internet and the community.

Trivia: Founded the Ebony Showcase so black actors could have a place where they can play more roles beyond that of the servant type roles they were normally cast at the time. Friends with Milton Berle who was a frequent visitor to his theater. Received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP and the Living Legend Award from the National Black Theatre Festival in 1995. Was one of the first inductees in the Academy of Television Arts and Science’s Archive of American Television.

23. Billy Bletcher

Dates: 1894-1979

Early Life and Career: Born William Bletcher in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Made first film in 1916 after a year in vaudeville. Began his career for Disney in the 1930s.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and numerous shorts including “The Three Little Pigs.”

Characters: Pete, Big Bad Wolf, Clown, and Goon.

Also Known For: Appeared onscreen in films and television from the 1910s to the 1970s. Worked in over 450 films. Appeared with Our Gang, Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and Marx Brothers comedies. Career took off in his films where he played opposite Billy Gilbert during his time with Hal Roach. Did voice work for other studio cartoons including Warner Bros and MGM. Occasionally provided the voice of Tom and Spike the Bulldog in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Did munchkin voice work for The Wizard of Oz as mayor and as head of the Lollipop Guild. Also voiced the gas cloud during a WWII Private Snafu training film called Gas as well as the Captain in The Captain and the Kids cartoons.

Personal Life: Married Arlyn Roberts in 1915 and had a daughter named Barbara. Marriage lasted until his death.

Later Life: Died in Los Angeles in 1979 at 84.

Trivia: Auditioned to play one of the dwarfs in Snow White but was turned down due to his booming, baritone voice being too recognizable in the cartoon shorts.

24. Donald Dunagan

Dates: 1934-present

Early Life and Career: Born Donald Roan Dunagan in San Antonio, Texas but his family soon moved to Memphis, Tennessee where they struggled with poverty. At 3, he won a talent contest prize of $100. Spotted by a Hollywood talent scout not long after, the family moved to Hollywood where Dunagan made a series of films and soon became his family’s main breadwinner.

Movies and Cartoons: Bambi (1942)

Characters: Young Bambi

Also Known For: Also played Baron Frankenstein’s young son in Son of Frankenstein.

Personal Life: Currently resides in San Angelo, Texas with his wife Dana.

Later Life: Retired from acting after Bambi. It’s said that his parents divorced and his mother died, which resulted in Dunagan ending up in an orphanage. By 13, he lived in a boarding house and worked as a lathe operator after school. At 18, he enlisted in the US Marines where he reputedly became a drill instructor, served 3 tours in Vietnam where he was wounded several times, and retired with the rank of major in 1977. Received a Bronze Star and 3 Purple Hearts. In 2004, he was located and exhaustively interviewed by horror film historian Tom Weaver for a special of Video Watchdog magazine.

Trivia: As of 2025, he is among the last 3 surviving Bambi cast members along with Peter Behn (Young Thumper) and Stan Alexander (Young Thumper). Tried to keep his involvement with Bambi a secret from his fellow Marines but was outed shortly before his retirement. Said his work on Bambi made him forever unable to shoot an animal.

25. Sam Edwards

Dates: 1915-2004

Early Life and Career: Born in Macon, Georgia to a show business family with his debut playing a baby in his actress mother’s arms (her name was Edna Park Edwards and she has her own Wikipedia entry). Appeared in radio during the 1930s on Adventures of Sonny and Buddy, one of the first syndicated radio serials and later The Edwards Family, a fictionalization of life with his family. He was also an early cast member in One Man’s Family, one of the first radio soap operas.

Movies and Cartoons: Bambi (1942)

Characters: Young Adult Thumper. On LPs, he also voiced the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion on the Oz series as well as Tigger, Owl, and the Heffalumps on the Winnie the Pooh albums. Also voiced Ollie the Owl opposite Burl Ives for the America Sings Disneyland attraction.

Also Known For: Best known as banker Bill Anderson from Little House on the Prairie. Appeared in movies like Twelve O’Clock High, Operation Pacific, Gangbusters, The Absent-Minded Professor, and Hello Dolly! In radio, he had starring roles in The First Hundred Years and Meet Corliss Archer. Also had roles on shows like Crime Classics, Father Knows Best, Guiding Light, For Laramie, and Dragnet. TV appearances include episodes of Dragnet, Gunsmoke, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, Mission: Impossible, The Streets of San Francisco, Adam-12, Happy Days, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Days of Our Lives.

Personal Life: Married a single mom of 3 named Beverly Motley in 1969. Marriage lasted until his death.

Later Life: Drafted into the Army shortly after working on Bambi, Edwards entertained troops in Africa, Italy, and Asia during his 3-year tour of service in World War II. Retired from acting in 1983. Died of a heart attack in Durango, Colorado in 2004 at 89.

Trivia: Brother of actor Jack Edwards Jr.

26. Will Wright

Dates: 1894-1962

Early Life and Career: Born William Henry Wright in San Francisco, California. Worked as a newspaperman before beginning his show business career in vaudeville, stage, and radio. Made his film debut in 1940.

Movies and Cartoons: Bambi (1942)

Characters: Friend Owl

Also Known For: Was frequently cast in Westerns and as a curmudgeonly and argumentative old man. Appeared in more than 200 films and TV roles as well as more than 5,000 radio programs. Radio programs include My Little Margie, Glamour Manor, The Amazing Mr. Tutt, The Charlotte Greenwood Show, and The Jack Benny Program. Films include Shadow of the Thin Man, The Major and the Minor, So Proudly We Hail!, Road to Utopia, Mother Wore Tights, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, River of No Return, All the King’s Men, and The Man with the Golden Arm. TV appearances include I Love Lucy, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Our Miss Brooks, Father Knows Best, The Real McCoys, The Donna Reed Show, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Rough Riders, Leave It to Beaver, Riverboat, Bat Masterson, The Lone Ranger, December Bride, Maverick, Perry Mason, and Bonanza.

Personal Life: Married Nell Ida Peabody in 1917. Marriage produced 1 child and lasted until his death.

Later Life: Last screen appearance was in 1962. Died of cancer at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles at 68.

Trivia: None

27. Cammie King

Dates: 1934-2010

Early Life and Career: Born Eleanore Cammack King in Los Angeles, California. Dad was a chemical plant manager. Mom was a schoolteacher. Older sister Diane was also a child actress. Parents divorced after Gone with the Wind. Mother remarried Herbert Kalmus, co-founder of Technicolor. Film career lasted only a few years. Was one of 250 girls who auditioned for the role of Bonnie Blue Butler, including her own sister.

Movies and Cartoons: Bambi (1942)

Characters: Young Faline

Also Known For: Best known as Bonnie Blue Butler in Gone with the Wind. However, she later worked as a production assistant on the CBS anthology series Climax! shortly after graduating from college.

Personal Life: Married twice. First to Walter “Ned” Pollock in 1957. They adopted 2 kids named Matthew and Katherine and remained together until his death from cancer in 1968. Second to Michael W. Conlon in 1971 who adopted her 2 kids. But they divorced in 1975. Former father-in-law from this marriage was Judd Conlon who arranged music for Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

Later Life: Although cast in a third role during the early 1940s, King had to drop out due to breaking out with chicken pox. She never acted again. Studied at Marymount High School and graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in communications. Moved to Northern California in 1980 and enjoyed a long public relations career as a marketing coordinator for the Fort-Bragg Medocino Coast Chamber of Commerce. Died from lung cancer at her Fort Bragg, California home at 76.

Trivia: Appeared as guest on To Tell the Truth with John O’Hurley in the early 2000s. Published a small book about her time on Gone with the Wind that she mainly sold to fans directly either in person or on the internet.

28. Perce Pearce

Dates: 1899-1955

Early Life and Career: Born Percival C. Pearce in Waukegan, Illinois to English immigrants. Started drawing at 10. By the time he was a freshman in high school, his work caught the attention of cartoonist J. Campbell Cory. After graduation, he decided to pursue a career as the cartoonist by attending Chicago’s Academy of Fine Arts. Upon US entry into World War I, Pearce worked as a cartoonist for The Chicago Herald and the Publicity Feature Bureau. Briefly enlisted in the US Navy before he was asked to work on a daily comic strip for the Great Lakes Bulletin, a military newspaper serving the Naval Station of the Great Lakes. Created “Seaman Si” series which was later published in 1917 as a soft cover book. At the same time, Pearce drew editorial cartoons and political caricatures for his news agency which were published in the New York Evening Post. In 1919, he moved to Colorado to work as a cartoonist for The Denver Post. Began his career at Disney in 1935 as an in-betweener.

Movies and Cartoons: Bambi (1942)

Characters: Mr. Mole

Also Known For: Pearce is better known for his work as a writer, producer, director, and animator. Was writer, sequence director, and live-action reference for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Was animation director for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment in Fantasia. In addition to voicing Mr. Mole in Bambi, Pearce was also the film’s story director. Also served as story director in the Victory Through Air Power WWII propaganda documentary. After the war, he produced a series of live-action Disney films at its British studio in London throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. Also assisted in developing the Mickey Mouse Club.

Personal Life: Married June Herrig Swan in 1930. Couple had 2 daughters and remained married until his death. Daughter Anne was once the second wife of Stanley Kramer from 1950 to 1963.

Later Life: Pearce’s work at Disney and their establishment of a studio in London led him to reside there due to postwar currency restrictions. Died at his London home of a heart attack in 1955 at only 55.

Trivia: None.

29. Jimmy MacDonald

Dates: 1906-1991

Early Life and Career: Born John James MacDonald in Crewe, Cheshire, England. Family immigrated to the US when he was a month old traveling from the SS Haverford from Liverpool before landing in Pennsylvania. Began his career as a musician on the Dollar Steam Ship Lines, leading him to record music for a Disney cartoon in 1934. Went on to secure a permanent contact with Disney. Became the voice of Mickey Mouse from 1947 to 1976. Was also the original voice of Chip from Chip and Dale.

Movies and Cartoons: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Fantasia (1940), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), The Jungle Book (1967), The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1968), The Rescuers (1977), and The Fox and the Hound (1981) as well as numerous shorts.

Characters: Dopey (hiccupping and crying), Percussionist, Bongo, Lumpjaw, Chip and Dale, Mickey Mouse, Jaq, Gus, Bruno, Dormouse, Shere Khan and Bagheera (roars), Hyena, Bees, Evinrude, Brutus, Nero, and the Bear. Was also Humphrey the Bear on Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers.

Also Known For: In addition to voice acting, MacDonald also worked as a foley artist and was the original head of Disney’s sound effects department. Provided sound effects for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi, Saludos Amigos, Victory Through Air Power, The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Song of the South, Fun and Fancy Free, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, as well as numerous shorts. Was assistant conductor for Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Developed many original inventions and contraptions to achieve expressive sounds for characters like Casey Jr. circus train engine from Dumbo, Evinrude the Dragonfly from The Rescuers, the bees in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, and the bee Spike who gets the best of Donald Duck in 1950s shorts. Made sound effects for Tock the Crocodile from Peter Pan and Dragon Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty by using castanets. By the time of his death, MacDonald had been preparing to work on sounds of the Splash Mountain in Tokyo Disneyland and Walt Disney World. On the live action front, Did Kirk Douglas’ humming for “A Whale of a Tale” for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well as performed sound effects for a series of Disney documentaries. Once estimated to have created 28,000 sound effects for 139 feature films and 335 shorts during his time at Disney.

Personal Life: Married Sarah Roberta Cullen in 1936. They remained married until his death.

Later Life: Retired from Disney in 1976 but did occasional projects for Disney until the end of his life like voicing Mickey for the 50^th Academy Awards in 1978 and the opening of Star Tours in 1987. Died of heart failure at his Glendale, California home in 1991 at 84. Buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Trivia: Majority of his sound effects are available on Cartoon Trax Volume 1 from The Hollywood Edge, which was released in 1992. Other effects show up in non-Disney sound libraries such as International Sound Effects Library, BBC Sound Effects Library and the Hanna-Barbera Sound Effects Library, both from Sound Ideas. Other releases containing MacDonald’s sound effects few specialty sound effect record releases from Disneyland Records, most notably Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House. Played drums in the Firehouse Five Plus Two jazz band from its inception in the 1950s to its disbandment in the 1970s.

30. J. Pat O’Malley

Dates: 1904-1985

Early Life and Career: Born James Rudolph O’Malley in Burnley, Lancashire, England to an Irish family. Sang with Jack Hylton and his orchestra from 1930 to 1935 under Pat O’Malley. At the end of 1935, O’Malley and Hylton came to US in order to record with a band composed of American musicians. Although the venture was short lived, O’Malley decided to stay and adopted his stage name that he’d use for the rest of his career.

Movies and Cartoons: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), Alice in Wonderland (1951), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) Mary Poppins (1964), and The Jungle Book (1967). In addition to films, he voiced the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland and Disney World.

Characters: Cyril Proudbottom, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Mother Oyster, Walrus and Carpenter, Jasper Badun, Colonel, Mr. Simpkins, Mechanic, Bloodhound, Master of Hounds, Hunting Horse #2, Pearly Drummer, Pearly Tambourinist, Penguin Waiter, Photographer, Reporter #2, Colonel Hathi the Elephant, and Buzzie the Vulture.

Also Known For: Was a British actor and singer who appeared in many American films and TV shows from the 1940s to 1982. Was in Broadway productions of Ten Little Indians and Dial M for Murder. Films outside of Disney include Lassie Come Home, The White Cliffs of Dover, Witness for the Prosecution, The Long, Hot Summer, Hello Dolly!, and The Cheyenne Social Club. TV appearances include Playhouse 90, Peter Gunn, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Real McCoys, Bonanza, Alfred Hitchock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Johnny Quest, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Batman, Hogan’s Heroes, Green Acres, The Flying Nun, Maude, Barney Miller, The Rockford Files, Quincy M.E., Three’s Company, One Day at a Time, The Dukes of Hazzard, Fantasy Island, and Taxi. As a singer, he’s said to have recorded 400 songs in his native England.

Personal Life: Married his wife Margaret “Fay” Mullen in 1936. Marriage produced a son named Denis and a daughter named Sheila and lasted until his death.

Later Life: Died of cardiovascular disease at his San Juan Capistrano home in 1985 at 80.

Trivia: According to Dick Van Dyke, O’Malley also served as his dialect coach on Mary Poppins and attributed his infamous Cockney accent to him.

Riding on the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney used the profits to finance a 51-acre complex in Burbank which the company would move into in 1940 and still serves as its headquarters to this day. Yet, before the film’s release, work began on Pinocchio and Bambi (which will take 5 years and be beset with delays). Pinocchio and Fantasia would both be released in 1940 but while they’d land critical acclaim, both performed poorly at the box office. Add to that with World War II affecting the international box office which is the least of the world’s concerns at this point. Then in 1941, Art Babbitt led 300 of his fellow Disney animators in a 5-week strike for unionization and higher pay. An event that Walt Disney took extremely poorly by firing many of them (including some of the studio’s best talent) and publicly accusing the strikers as part of a Communist conspiracy. Eventually federal mediators compelled the studio to recognize the Screen Cartoonists’ Guild, leaving the company with 694 employees. To offset from their financial losses, Disney rushed into production with Dumbo on a cheaper budget. Fortunately, Dumbo performed well at the box office and infused the studio with much needed cash.

Now both Pinocchio and Dumbo have become Disney classics since then as well as beloved films watched by generations. However, although both movies are fondly remembered, they both contain plenty of darker and problematic elements. Pinocchio just may be one of the darkest Disney movies of all time with its depiction on the dangers of childhood innocence, especially when it comes to manipulation, exploitation, and straight up child trafficking. The villains such as Honest John Worthington Foulfellow and Gideon, Stromboli, and the Coachman are far more realistic and despicable villains who should be better remembered. This especially goes for the Coachman who basically lures boys to Pleasure Island only to sell them off to the salt mines once they turn into donkeys. And while other Disney villains pay for their evil deeds, these guys don’t really suffer any consequences for their actions. Apart from Stromboli losing potential earnings with Pinocchio escaping his caravan. But that’s barely a punishment for trying to milk the wooden boy for all he’s worth, locking him in a bird cage, and threatening to turn him into firewood once he breaks down. With Lampwick’s transformation into one being one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever seen in a Disney movie and one that certainly gave me nightmares as a child. Hell, it might just be one of the most horrifying things I’ve ever seen in a film period. Whereas, Dumbo contains elements like the alcohol-induced “Pink Elephants on Parade” sequence, the “Roustabout” song, and the heavily black-stereotyped crows. Not to mention, the scene where Mrs. Jumbo gets chained after going apeshit over some teenage idiot harassing her son. All of which made me wonder why my parents let me watch this shit as a kid?  Although to be fair, it’s one I strongly think children need to watch that moment since it’s a perfectly realistic example on why you shouldn’t fuck around with animals. Anyway, in this post, we’re going to meet the some longtime Disney voice actors such as Clarence Nash, Thurl Ravenscroft, Sterling Holloway, and Verna Felton, all of which had long careers voicing a variety of characters in the House of Mouse. Not to mention, the voice actors behind Gepetto, Lampwick, Honest John, the Blue Fairy, Timothy Q. Mouse, and Deacon Crow.

11. Christian Rub

Dates: 1886-1956

Early Life and Career: Born in Graz, in then Austria-Hungary to actor parents. Had a sister Marianne who performed on radio. Worked as a comedian in Germany as a child. At 15, he performed in a French at Vienna’s Imperial Theater. At 17, he was in the Tyrolean Alps with a company “playing everything from very ancient grandpas to very young lovers.” First film appearance was in the 1919 The Belle of New York. Although he ventured into drama on stage in an Los Angeles production of Grand Hotel in the early 1930s. Although he’s best known as Gepetto, he wasn’t Walt’s original choice. Since he dismissed his predecessor for sounding too harsh.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940)

Characters: Gepetto

Also Known For: Provided voices for kindly old men in cartoons for MGM, Fox, and Warner Bros. alongside Disney. Still, he was more of a character actor often specializing in German or Scandinavian villagers, musicians, innkeepers, or valets. Best known roles outside Disney was of Mr. Schmidt from You Can’t Take It with You, Old Clement in Captains Courageous, Christian Jensen in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and Loti in All This, and Heaven, Too. Appeared in over 100 films.

Personal Life: During the filming of Pinocchio, Rub was notorious amongst the film’s animators for his open and frequent expression of admiration for Adolf Hitler. They eventually got even with him during the live-action shooting for the Monstro sequence. Said to be married to a woman named Amy.

Later Life: Last film was Something for the Birds in 1952. Died in Santa Barbara, California in 1956 just after his 70^th birthday.

Trivia: None.

12. Clarence “Ducky” Nash

Dates: 1904-1985

Early Life and Career: Born in the rural community of Watonga, Oklahoma where he discovered his talent for impressions by imitating barnyard animals as a child. Nash first made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for the Los Angeles KHJ radio show, The Merrymakers. Later secured a job at the Adohr Milk Company for publicity purposes. Dubbed, “Whistlin’ Clarence, the Adohr Bird Man,” Nash rode the streets with a mini horse team and gave treats to kids and entertained them with animal impressions. In 1932, Nash and his mini horse team happened by the Disney Studios and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist. As it turned out, Disney had become familiar with Nash’s performance in The Merrymakers and had been impressed by the young man’s vocal skills and asked him to make a vocal audition. One source stated that Nash auditioned before a casting director and did a voice impression of a billy goat that he started doing as a child in Watonga. Although he did a “nervous baby goat” voice during his vaudeville stint that was based on his childhood pet Mary. The casting director then allegedly reached for the intercom and told Walt, “I think we have found our duck.” A more likely version stated that Nash went through several of his voices and Walt Disney just happened to be around when he began doing impressions of a duck family. Disney then declared him to be perfect for the talking duck role in the animated short, The Wise Little Hen. This would be the first cartoon of Donald Duck, whom he’d voice for 51 years and in over 120 shorts and films as well as in promos, commercials, and other miscellaneous material.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940), Bambi (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), Song of the South (1946), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), as well as various shorts as Figaro the Cat, Donald Duck, his nephews, and his girlfriend (but his iteration of her didn’t last long).

Characters: Donald Duck, Figaro the Cat, Rough House Statue, Mr. Bluebird, Dinah, Ichabod’s horse and cat, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Daisy Duck, as well as various animal sounds. Also voiced Jiminy Cricket for a time after Edwards’ death in 1971.

Also Known For: Supplied sounds in the Tiki Room at Disneyland. Also played Gracie Allen’s duck in the Burns and Allen radio show but he was only allowed to quack for that.

Personal Life: Married a woman named Margaret Seamans in 1930, to whom he’d be with for over 50 years. Had two daughters named Kay and Peggy.

Later Life: In early 1941, Nash began traveling on Disney-sponsored tours in order to show his unique voice as Donald Duck. During World War II, he’d travel with a ventriloquist puppet of Donald as a regular performer at USO bond rallies and other events supporting the war effort. Nash also used it for a 1944 promotional re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. To keep Donald’s voice consistent and because it’s a difficult voice to achieve by most people, Nash voiced the character in all foreign language versions with the aid of a phonetic alphabet. In the late 1970s, Nash was known for taking walks around Glendale’s Fremont Elementary School where he’d entertain children with his Donald Duck voice. As he aged, he found the harsh voice increasingly straining on his throat and so limited his public performances to groups of kids. And during recording sessions, he’d take frequent water breaks to avoid overexerting himself. In one of his final performances, his Donald Duck became the only Disney character in Mickey’s Christmas Carol to be voiced by his original actor. Died of leukemia at Burbank’s Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center at 80. Buried in LA’s San Fernando Mission Hills Cemetery in Mission Hills California.

Trivia: Has a street named after him in his hometown of Watonga, Oklahoma. Became a posthumous Disney Legend in 1993 for his contributions to Disney films. Received an Inkpot Award in 1978. Tombstone he shares with his wife Margaret depicts a carving of Donald and Daisy Duck holding hands.

13. Walter Catlett

Dates: 1889-1960

Early Life and Career: Born in San Francisco, California. Started out on vaudeville, teaming up with Hobart Cavanaugh at some point with a detour into opera before going into acting. Made his stage debut in 1906 and his first appearance on Broadway by 1916. Made his first film in 1912 but then went back to the stage and didn’t return until 1929. Because he was mainly a verbal comic actor who often appeared in operettas and musicals, including the Gershwins’ 1924 Lady Be Good. In 1918, he starred in, stage managed and rewrote a Look Pleasant musical production at the Los Angeles Majestic Theater. While his antics in his 1922 London performance in Baby Bunting had King George V  laughing “uproariously.”  Although he made a handful of silent films in the 1920s, Catlett’s career didn’t catch on until the advent of talkies, allowing moviegoers to experience his full comic powers. Starred in a number of 2-reeler shorts in the 1930s, mostly for RKO.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940)

Characters: “Honest” John Worthington Foulfellow

Also Known For: Made a career as a character actor playing excitable, meddlesome, temperamental, and officious blowhards. Other famous roles include as a theater manager in Yankee Doodle Dandy, the local cop who throws the entire cast in jail in Bringing Up Baby, a drunken poet named Morrow in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and John Barsad in a 1935 production of A Tale of Two Cities. Appeared in over 140 films as well as did some TV work by appearing on shows like Climax, The Abbot and Costello Show, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Personal Life: Married 3 times. First to Zanetta Watrous from 1908 until their 1930 divorce. Second to Ruth Verney which also ended in divorce but also resulted in a child. Third was to actress Kathlene Winifred Martyn which likely lasted until his death.

Later Life: Last film was in 1957. Died of a stroke in Woodland Hills, California at 71. Buried in Culver City’s Holy Cross Cemetery.

Trivia: Said to be Katharine Hepburn’s comedy coach during Bringing Up Baby. Was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Star is located on 1713 Vine Street.

14. Evelyn Venable

Dates: 1913-1993

Early Life and Career: Born in Cincinnati, Ohio where she graduated from Walnut Hills High School where her dad and grandfather, the educator and author William Henry Venable taught English. And where she played in several productions sponsored by her school’s drama club. Attended Vassar College before returning to the University of Cincinnati as well as performed in Walter Hampden’s touring productions. During a performance in Los Angeles, she was recognized and offered several film contracts. After turning down several, she signed on to Paramount with a contract stipulating that she didn’t have to cut her hair, pose for leg art, or perform bit parts. Although her lack of kissing scenes in her most memorable films gave rise to the story that her dad forbade her from engaging in them, this story is false. But the contract terms led her to play leads and second leads in a series of films in the 1930s.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940)

Characters: The Blue Fairy

Also Known For: Outside Disney, she’s best known for playing Grazia in the 1934 Death Takes a Holiday. Acted in around 2 dozen films during the 1930s and 1940s. Not to mention was suggested to be among a number of women to serve as a model for the personification of Columbia in the Columbia Pictures logo that was used from 1936 to 1976. But the studio never confirmed this and it’s likely false since she worked for Paramount.

Personal Life: Met her husband cinematographer Hal Mohr on the set of a the Will Rogers film David Harum. They argued over makeup on the first day on set, apologized to each other the next, and Mohr proposed marriage by the end of the week. But Venable insisted that they wait a year to get married so they could avoid a Hollywood divorce. Married in 1934 and remained so until Mohr’s death. Also were vegetarians and had 2 daughters named Dolores and Rosalia.

Later Life: Worked extensively for the Red Cross during World War II. In the late 1940s, Venable retired from acting, resumed her UCLA studies, and joined the university as a faculty member teaching Ancient Greek and Latin as well as organizing productions of Greek plays within the Classics department. Died of cancer in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at 80.

Trivia: Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.

15. Frankie Darro

Dates: 1917-1976

Early Life and Career: Born Frank Johnson Jr. in Chicago, Illinois. Parents were known as The Flying Johnsons, an acrobatics and tightrope walking act with the Sells Foto Circus. Trained in circus acrobatics by his father who’s said to cure the boy’s fear of heights by having him walk on the length of a tightrope wire as he gradually raised the height until he mastered the trick. Unfortunately, his parents’ circus act ended in 1922 with their divorce in California. However, since the growing film industry had use for a boy who could do his own stunts so he’d appear as Frankie Darro in his first film at the age of 6. Appeared in many silent adventure, western, and serial pictures in the 1920s.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940)

Characters: Lampwick

Also Known For: Spent most of his life as an actor, stuntman, and voice over. Film roles range from lead to character as well as in westerns, drama, comedy, and adventure. Film appearances include William A. Wellman’s 1931 The Public Enemy, Mervyn LeRoy’s Three on a Match, Wild Boys on the Road, A Day at the Races, and Operation Petticoat. Was usually cast as a pint-sized tough guy but also played wholesome leads in mysteries and comedies. Was considered to be the best juvenile actor in Hollywood during the 1930s, sometimes earning as much as $5,000 a week for Burn Em’ Up Barnes. As he got older, his height of 5’3” basically limited him to the roles of jockeys and teenagers until the late 1940s. Joined Monogram Pictures in 1938 where he performed in action melodramas and had a successful series that served as haven for other actors whose own series had been discontinued. After World War II, he’d perform in a couple series such as the Bowery Boys and The Teen Agers. After his last film as lead in 1949, he’d play smaller roles and did stunt work for other actors. Most famous movie aside from Pinocchio was the 1956 Forbidden Planet in which he played Robbie the Robot. Or one of the actors because he got fired for going on a lunchtime bender. During the 1960s, he’d play a series of small parts on television.

Personal Life: Married 3 times. First to actress Aloha Wray from 1939 until their 1943 divorce. Second to Betty Marie Morrow from 1943 to their 1951 divorce which produced a child. Third was to Dorathy Carroll from 1951 to his death which also produced a child.

Later Life: Served in the US Navy Hospital Corps during World War II where he contracted malaria during his enlistment in the Pacific. His recurring malaria symptoms caused him to increase his alcohol intake for pain management which affected his career. As his TV roles dried up, Darro opened his own bar called “Try Later” after a response he received when asking for work at Central Casting. Yet, this new occupation proved unwise given his heavy drinking. Made last film in 1959. Died on Christmas in 1976 from a heart attack in Huntington Beach, California at 59.

Trivia: Was cinema’s first teenage action hero.

16. Thurl Ravenscroft

Dates: 1914-2005

Early Life and Career: Born in Norfolk, Nebraska. Left for California in 1933 to study at the Otis Art Institute. In 1939, he joined a singing group formed by tenor Bill Days called the Sportsmen, serving as backup vocalists to singer Marie Greene on the Okeh label. Later billed as the Four Merry Men, they appeared in 3-minute musical films produced in 1941 by the Featurettes Company for coin-operated jukeboxes. That same year, they left for the more successful Soundies Company and made more jukebox musicals as well as radio and nightclubs as The Four Sportsmen. In 1942, Ravenscroft left The Four Sportsmen to serve in the armed forces during World War II where he was a keeper navigator contracted to US Transport Command and spent 5 years flying courier missions across the Atlantic. Bob Hope and Winston Churchill were among his most famous passengers. When he returned from the service, he found himself replaced in his old group that he decided to form his own quartet called the Mellomen who contributed to various Disney movies as well as some doo-wop records.

Movies and Cartoons: Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Saludos Amigos (1942), Melody Time (1948), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), The Aristocats (1970), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) as well as various shorts, serials, records, and TV appearances. Did voice work for various Disneyland and Disney World attractions such as The Haunted Mansion, Country Bear Jamboree, Mark Twain Riverboat, Pirates of the Caribbean, Disneyland Railroad, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Characters: Monstro, Card Painter, Al the Alligator, Singing Pound Dogs, Captain the Horse, Sir Bart, and Billy Boss as well as part of ensembles with his fellow Mellomen members.

Also Known For: Was also a bass singer and original vocalist for the songs, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and “No Dogs Allowed,” as well as a founding member of the Mellomen.  Also was the original voice for Tony the Tiger and Geoffrey the Giraffe. Outside Disney, he did work for various Dr. Seuss cartoons, playing Thing One in The Cat and the Hat and a Wickersham Brother in Horton Hears a Who. But like he did in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, he was mostly hired as a singer. Performed in the “South American Getaway” song from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Voiced Kirby in The Brave Little Toaster series. Sang bass backup vocals for various artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Ken Clark, the DeCastro Sisters, the Johnny Mann Singers, the Andrews Sisters, Bobby Vee, and Spike Jones. Also sang with various record companies, often in duets with little known female singers their attempts to turn him into a pop star. But did Ravenscroft really need to be a pop singer? No, he didn’t.

Personal Life: Was a devout Christian and even recorded a Christian album. Married June Seamans in 1946 and had 2 children. They remained married until her death in 1999. Died at his home from prostate cancer in 2005 at 91. Buried in the Memorial Gardens at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Kellogg’s ran an advertisement commemorating him with the headline, “Behind every great character is an even greater man.”

Later Life: Continued voice acting and singing until his death. During the 1980s and 1990s as the narrator for the annual Pageant Masters art show at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts.

Trivia: Appeared as Darth Vader on the Donnie & Marie variety show Star Wars segment. Was named a Disney Legend in 1995. Received the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement during the 2004 Annie Awards.

17. Edward Brophy

Dates: 1895-1960

Early Life and Career: Born in New York City and attended the University of Virginia. First film appearance was in 1920 but his breakthrough performance came with The Camerman in 1928 where he was originally hired as production manager at MGM. But Keaton hired him to play in front of the camera after the original actor failed to show up. Although he only appeared in one brief scene in the whole film, it was enough to attract attention for bigger and better roles. Mainly as some streetwise character from Brooklyn which got him cast as the mouse in Dumbo.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941)

Characters: Timothy Q. Mouse

Also Known For: Was the fat guy in the bath house sequence in which he and Buster Keaton get their swimsuits mixed up while sharing a tiny changing room in The Cameraman. Specialized as a Brooklyn-accented, streetwise character, often portraying cops and gangsters. During the 1930s, he’d play comic foils in some Keaton features, the loyal fight manager in The Champ, a circus proprietor in Freaks, and as a hired gun in The Thin Man. Most of these roles were in lighter fare and was rarely called upon for taking a dramatic turn. Another role he’s famous for is playing the sidekick to The Falcon film series. Also, appeared in several John Ford films as well.

Personal Life: Married Norma Talmage’s secretary named Anne Slater in 1925 and remained with her until his death.

Later Life: Enjoyed steady work throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Died of a heart attack in Pacific Palisades, California during a production of Two Rode Together in 1960 at 65. One source said he died while watching boxing on TV.

Trivia: Was the inspiration for Doiby Dickles, the Green Lantern’s cab driving sidekick in the 1940s comic books. Him and his wife were godparents to one of Buster Keaton’s sons. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California.

18. Verna Felton

Dates: 1890-1966

Early Life and Career: Born in Salinas, California. Father was a doctor with a large practice in San Jose who died before Felton reached her ninth birthday. Things became worse when her mom looked over her husband’s accounts and discovered that he had no records of payments for patients’ treatments and no cash in the office. Thus, leaving his family flat broke. Fortunately shortly before her dad kicked it, Verna had performed in a local benefit to raise money for Galveston Flood victims. Her singing and dancing had attracted attention from a local roadshow manager who spoke to the girl’s mom and offered her a job. And since Dr. Felton’s passing put her family, Felton’s mother let her go. In 1900, she was billed in a newspaper ad for San Francisco’s Fischer’s Concert House as “Little Verna Felton, the Child Wonder.” By 1903, Felton had joined the Allen Stock Company which toured the US West Coast and performed in Canada’s British Columbia. By 1907, she had been playing leads and had a play written for her in 1910. In the late 1920s, Felton acted in stage plays at Vancouver’s Empress Theater, often playing leads in Goldfish, Stella Dallas, and The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. While it’s said that her future husband Lee Millar Sr. directed the band during these performances. First film was in 1917.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and The Jungle Book (1967)

Characters: Elephant Matriarch, Mrs. Jumbo, the Fairy Godmother, the Queen of Hearts, Aunt Sarah, Flora, and Winifred.

Also Known For: Provided the voice of Wilma’s mother Pearl Slaghoople in The Flintstones as well as played Mrs. Day on The Jack Benny Program and Hilda Crocker on December Bride as well as its spin-off Pete and Gladys. The latter role which earned her 2 Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Also made guest appearances on various shows such as I Love Lucy, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, and Dennis the Menace. Had a prolific radio career from the 1930s to 1950s playing in virtually anything. Her radio characters were known for their husky voices and no-nonsense attitudes. Although despite having a warm motherly voice, she often played bombastic and snooty women. In addition to her work and TV, Felton was a noted character actress during the 1940s and 1950s. Notable fil appearances include Picnic, Don’t Bother to Knock, and The Gunfighter.

Personal Life: Married Lee Carson Millar Sr. in 1923. Marriage lasted until his death in 1941 and produced a son named Lee Carson Millar Jr. The younger Millar also became an actor as well.

Later Life: As an in demand character actress in both radio and TV, she was a “go-to” Disney actress from her Disney debut in Dumbo up to her death. In fact, during her time, only Sterling Holloway had a more prominent career at Disney than she did. And while most actresses’ careers usually peak and fade early, Felton’s later career was a notable exception. Especially when advances in technology let her to branch out into radio, film, and television. Even if she never got to play leads like she did in her stage career. Last movie was The Jungle Book. Died at her Los Angeles home of a stroke in 1966 at 76, a day before Walt Disney.

Trivia: Served as Honorary Mayor of North Hollywood for several years. Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

19. Sterling Holloway

Dates: 1905-1992

Early Life and Career: Born in Cedartown, Georgia where his family owned a grocery store and his father served as mayor in 1912. Graduated from the Georgia Military Academy at only 15 in 1920 and moved to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In his late teens, Holloway toured with The Shepherd of the Hills stock company, performing one-nighters across the American West. He then returned to New York where he appeared on small walk-on parts from the Theater Guild and a Rogers and Hart revue The Garrick Gaieties during the mid-1920s. Moved to Hollywood in 1926 and appeared in his first film.

Movies and Cartoons: Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), Make Mine Music (1946), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Ben and Me (1953), The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), and various cartoon shorts and records.

Characters: Winnie the Pooh, Mr. Stork, Adult Flower, Professor Holloway, Cheshire Cat, Amos Mouse, Kaa, and Roquefort the Mouse.

Also Known For: Character actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows over a 50-year career. Appeared in movies with stars such as Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Clark Gable, Lon Chaney Jr., Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, and John Carradine. With his red hair and distinctive foggy voice, he mostly appeared in comedies such as Blonde Venus and Meet John Doe. Although he played a dramatic role as a reluctant soldier in the 1945 A Walk in the Sun to good reviews. Shows he appeared on were The Adventures of Superman, The Untouchables, Pete and Gladys, The Twilight Zone, Gilligan’s Island, Peter Gunn, The Andy Griffith Show, F Troop, and Moonlighting. Was in a few live-action educational films for The Bell System Science Series. Also appeared on many radio shows The Railroad Hour, The United States Steel Hour, Suspense, Lux Radio Theater, Fibber McGee and Molly, and The Shadow. Did an ad for Purina Puppy Chow and Libby’s baked beans. Provided the voice for Woodsy Owl for the US Forest Service during the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to his work onscreen, he was also a talented singer with hits like “Manhattan” and “Mountain Greenery.”

Personal Life: Never married but adopted a boy named Richard. Was an avid art collector, supported careers of local Los Angeles artists, and built a house at Laguna Beach to serve as a gallery to display his collection. Unfortunately, his art collection was sold off piecemeal prior to his death due to his failing health.

Later Life: In 1942, Holloway enlisted in the US Army where he was assigned to Special Services. There, he developed a show called “Hey Rookie,” which ran for 9 months and raised $350,000 for the Army Relief Fund. Made last film in 1977. Last television appearance was in 1986. Although he had the chance to do more Winnie the Pooh cartoons in the 1980s, he had to decline due to failing health. Died of cardiac arrest at LA’s Good Samaritan Hospital in 1992 at 87. Was cremated and had his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Trivia: Got the name “Sterling” from Confederate General Sterling “Pap” Price. Had a younger brother named Boothby. Was friends with Spencer Tracy whom he met in acting school. Honored as a Disney Legend in 1991. Auditioned for the role of Garfield but lost to Lorenzo Music. Was also considered for the voice of Sleepy but lost to Pinto Colvig. Was said to turn down an MGM contract with Louis B. Mayer because he didn’t want to be a star (but became a star anyway). Has a street named after him in his hometown of Cedartown, Georgia.

20. Hall Johnson

Dates: 1888-1970

Early Life and Career: Born Francis Hall Johnson in Athens, Georgia as the fourth of 6 children. Parents were former slaves. Father was a bishop of the AME Church. Was taught piano by his older sister. Taught himself to play violin after hearing a violin recital by Joseph Henry Douglass, grandson of the great Frederick Douglass. Attended the private all-black Knox Institute. Earned a degree from Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina. Also attended Atlanta University, the Juilliard School, Hahn School of Music, and the University of Pennsylvania. Debuted as a professional violinist at a New York concert in 1910. Performed in various orchestras for musicals over the next several years playing both the violin and viola. In 1918, he was part of Will Marion Cook’s Southern Syncopated Orchestra, which toured the country performing African American folk music, blues, syncopated songs, and standard popular tunes. In 1921, he was part of an orchestra for a Broadway musical called Shuffle Along and its sequel. While he was a violinist in the Negro String Quartet in 1923. However, in time, Johnson developed an interest in choral music, leading him to form the Hall Johnson Negro Choir in 1925. They made their debut at the Pythian Temple in 1926. Johnson’s choir would become renowned for their participation in musicals, radio, and movies as well as one of the most impressive groups during the Harlem Renaissance.

Movies and Cartoons: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Dumbo (1941), and Song of the South (1946)

Characters: Deacon Crow

Also Known For: Was better known as a musician, singer, composer and arranger of African American spiritual music and founded the Hall Johnson Negro Choir that would enjoy a successful run for roughly 30 years as well as other groups. Instruments were piano, viola, and violin. The Hall Johnson Negro Choir would appear on soundtracks on more than 30 films and numerous short cartoons. Wrote a folk opera that premiered in 1933 called Run, Little Chillun. Wrote an Easter cantata called Son of Man in 1946 that premiered at the Festival Negro Choir of New York. Arrangements and spirituals have been recorded by some of the world’s finest artists. Coached hundreds of musicians including Marian Anderson and Harry Belafonte.

Personal Life: Married a woman from his hometown named Celeste Corpening in 1912.

Later Life: In 1951, the Hall Johnson Negro Choir was selected by the US Department of State to represent the US at the International Festival of Arts held in Berlin, Germany. In 1965, Johnson published an essay titled “Notes on the Negro Spiritual,” which he explained the importance of this uniquely African American art form. Died of burns he received during a fire at his New York apartment in 1970 at 82.

Trivia: Posthumously elected to the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975. Had a bust of him carved by Minna Harkavy in 1931 that was shown at an exhibition in the Moscow Museum of Western Art and was later bought by the Pushkin Museum. Was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Philadelphia Academy of Music in 1934. A 1960 photograph of him taken by Sidney Cowell is included in the US National Portrait Gallery. In 2020, the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission included Johnson as among the first 10 inductees of the Athens Walk of Fame. A sidewalk-mounted plaque and a mobile app beacon in the town’s downtown area honor Johnson’s career. Was fluent in German and French.