Disney Music at the Oscars

All throughout the years, the Walt Disney Studios have produced films that consist of beautiful songs. Not just in the musicals, but in the non-musical films as well, both live-action and animated. Did you know that several Disney tunes have been fortunate enough to receive an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Song?

The Disney studios garnered their first Academy Award for Best Original Song for “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio (1940) with music by Leigh Harline and lyrics by Ned Washington. Today, that song has become the unofficial theme song of Disney, and can be heard in the background of the Walt Disney Pictures logos, at Disney theme parks firework shows and parades, and in the background of every version of the Walt Disney television anthology series. The studio would acquire their next Best Song Oscar 6 years later for “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” in Song of the South (1946) with music by Allie Wrubel and lyrics by Ray Gilbert. That song would also be used as part of “The Wonderful World of Disney” television program (one of the names of the Walt Disney television anthology series) and it gets used in several other film and television programs produced by the studio.

Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman won the studio their 3rd Best Original Song for one of Walt Disney’s biggest personal hits, Mary Poppins (1964), for the song “Chim-Chim-Cheree.” When Walt Disney passed away in 1966, all of the films that his studio produced, both live-action and animated, began to lose their touch with audiences. They seemed passé and outdated, much like the phase they experienced in the early 1940s when they lost money on their films like Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942). The studio went on strike, and they weren’t able to get back on their feet until Cinderella in 1950. Without Walt, however, they were on the verge of having to close their studio. 

Fortunately, they were able to get back on their feet again, though not until 23 years after Walt’s death, with The Little Mermaid in 1989. The Little Mermaid (1989) begun what is now referred to as “the Disney Renaissance” period, because many other memorable hits for the studio were to follow, with Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999). The first five films all won the Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score, four of which had more than one song that was nominated. In addition to all these, the studio’s most recent win for Best Original Song, was “Let it Go,” from Frozen (2013). 

When the Disney studios made their very first collaborative project with Pixar Animation Studios, (Toy Story, in 1995,) the film received 3 Academy Award Nominations, including Best Original Song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” with words and music by Randy Newman. The film unfortunately lost all 3 awards, but it did manage to win a special award presented to one of the film’s producers, and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar, John Lasseter, for Distinguished Achievement in Animation. Randy Newman received another Academy Award Nomination for the song he wrote for Toy Story 2 (1999), “When She Loved Me,” but sadly lost again, this time, to Phil Collins’s ballad for Disney’s Tarzan (1999), “You’ll Be in My Heart.” Newman finally won 2 years after that for writing the song “If I Didn’t Have You,” for Monsters, Inc. (2001), and won again in 2010 for the song “We Belong Together,” for Toy Story 3 (2010). 

Disney co-produced The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and Muppet Treasure Island (1996), though they never actually owned the Muppets until 2004. Since then, Disney has produced and distributed 2 of the 8-film franchise, including The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014). The primary is the only film in the franchise to win an Oscar, which was for Best Original Song, “Man or Muppet.” Prior to that, however, the first two Muppet Movies, The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981) received Best Song Oscar Nominations, “The Rainbow Connection,” for The Muppet Movie and “The First Time it Happens,” for The Great Muppet Caper (1981).

What the Disney studios’ next great music achievement will be remains to be seen. But we can all agree that they have excelled with movies full of unforgettable songs. Disney songs will continue to be remembered for generations much like the movies, themselves. If your curious, I’ve listed all of the songs that have either won or been nominated for the Best Song Academy Award below this.               

“When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio (1940) (Won)

“Baby Mine” from Dumbo (1941) (Nominated)

“Love is a Song” from Bambi (1942) (Nominated)

“Saludos Amigos” from Saludos Amigos (1943) (Nominated)

“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” from Song of the South (1946) (Won)

“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” from Cinderella (1950) (Nominated)

“Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty (1959) (Nominated)

“Chim-Chim-Cheree” from Mary Poppins (1964) (Won)

“The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book (1967) (Nominated)

“The Age of Not Believing” from Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) (Nominated)

“Love” from Robin Hood (1973) (Nominated)

“Someone’s Waiting for You” from The Rescuers (1977) (Nominated)

“Candle on the Water” from Pete’s Dragon (1978) (Nominated)

“The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979) (Nominated)

“The First Time It Happens” from The Great Muppet Caper (1981) (Nominated)

“Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid (1989) (Won)

“Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid (1989) (Nominated)

“Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Won)

“Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Nominated)

“Belle” from Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Nominated)

“A Whole New World” from Aladdin (1992) (Won)

“Friend Like Me” from Aladdin (1992) (Nominated)

“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King (1994) (Won)

“Circle of Life” from The Lion King (1994) (Nominated)

“Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King (1994) (Nominated)

“Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (1995) (Won)

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story (1995) (Nominated)

“Go the Distance” from Hercules (1997) (Nominated)

“You’ll Be in My Heart” from Tarzan (1999) (Won)

“When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2 (1999) (Nominated)

“If I Didn’t Have You” from Monsters, Inc. (2001) (Won)

“Our Town” from Cars (2006) (Nominated)

“Happy Working Song” from Enchanted (2007) (Nominated)

“That’s How You Know” from Enchanted (2007) (Nominated)

“So Close” from Enchanted (2007) (Nominated)

“Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog (2009) (Nominated)

“Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog (2009) (Nominated)

“We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 (2010) (Won)

“I See The Light” from Tangled (2010) (Nominated)

“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets (2011) (Won)

“Let it Go” from Frozen (2013) (Won)
"How Far I'll Go" from Moana (2016) (Nominated) 
"Remember Me" from Coco (2017) (Won)   

Mary Wickes

         It’s not easy being a nun! Your face never looks thin, you never get to wear pants, and your love interest is always offscreen! Clearly, though, some actresses have been able to overcome those hardships and deliver memorable performances as nuns in movies, and many of those who have done so have had remarkably diversified careers in Hollywood. One actress who played a nun several times throughout her career, as well as several other notable, “bit” roles, is an actress who answered to the name of Mary Wickes.

Mary Wickes played a nun 4 times, in The Trouble With Angels (1966) and its sequel,  Where Angels Go Trouble Follows (1968), and Sister Act (1992) and its sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Her character in both of those movies was known as “the bus driving nun.” In addition to playing a nun many times, she also portrayed Emma Allen, the busybody housekeeper in White Christmas (1954), and Mrs. Squires, one of the “Clucking” ladies, in The Music Man (1962). One of the most unique things about Mary Wickes is that many of the characters that she portrayed were irascible, wisecracking, smart alecks, who always managed to provide heart-warming comic relief. She could even get a laugh, even if the movie she was in wasn’t a comedy, like in the dramatic film, Now, Voyager (1942), with Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains.   

Mary Wickes also has a remarkable history throughout the Walt Disney Studios. She served as the live-action model for Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1961), when the actress who supplied the voice for the character, Betty Lou Gerson, was deemed too elegant by the studio, to provide the live-action modeling as reference for the animators. Wickes is still screen credit as a voice talent in the film, despite the fact that she didn’t actually lend her voice to it. She also starred in the live-action Disney film Snowball Express (1972). Her very last film role was another Disney Animated Feature that she did actually lend her voice to, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). She voiced Quasimodo’s gargoyle friend, Laverne in the movie. The film’s producer, Don Hahn, and co-directors, Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, (the same creative team who made Beauty and the Beast (1991), joked that for the role of Laverne, they wanted to find someone who’d be sitting on the front porch, with a shotgun! Wickes fortunately didn’t have a shotgun when they found her, and she agreed to do the film. Sadly, she passed away 8 months before the release of the film, on October 22nd, 1995, and before recording all of her dialogue had completed. The studio hired Jane Withers to do the additional “Laverne” dialogue.

In addition to films, Wickes also appeared numerous times in television and Broadway shows. In television, she starred in “The Ballet” episode of I Love Lucy (1951-1957) as the hungarian ballet mistress, Madame Lamond, where Lucy tries to get into Ricky’s ballet act at the Tropicana. Wickes, in real life, was one of Lucille Ball’s dearest friends. She often guest-starred on Ball’s follow up television series The Lucy Show (1962-1968) and Here’s Lucy (1968-1974). She had recurring roles on Disney/ABC’s Zorro (1959-1961), and Disney/ABC’s Walt Disney Presents: Annette (1958), centered around Annette Funicello, and Tabitha (a spin-off of Bewitched (1964-1972)) (1977-1978). Wickes was also very close with Doris Day, having worked with her in 2 of her movies, On Moonlight Bay (1951) and its sequel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953). She made a guest-star appearance on her show, The Doris Day Show (1968-1973). On Broadway, she made her first appearance in 1934 in a comedy called The Farmer Takes a Wife, where she starred oppose Henry Fonda. She originated the role of Nurse Preen in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939), and reprised that role for a film version of the same name, (1942), and in the later years of her career, she portrayed Aunt Eller in a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! in 1979.

Mary Wickes is undoubtedly an unsung legend of Hollywood. She made every role that she portrayed seem effortless, humorous, and heartwarming to watch onscreen, especially with her role as “the bus-driving nun.” Her legacy in Hollywood will continue to live on for generations through simple, wholesome, family-oriented humor. It’s extraordinary that she was able to achieve a legacy of humor without ever coming within a mile of being nominated for a Golden Globe or an Academy Award.

From Wonderland to Neverland

The 1950s were some of the classiest years for the Walt Disney Studios. In addition to releasing animated films such as Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), and Sleeping Beauty (1959), the studios began producing live-action films with Treasure Island (1950), and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). Disneyland was also built and opened on July 17th, 1955. Business couldn’t have been going better for Walt Disney at this time, which was terrific considering the outbreak of World War 2, as well as the unfortunate studio strike in the early 1940s. The studio had been on the verge of closing because of both of those things, but Walt was able to keep his studio afloat, primarily because of the success of Cinderella (1950). 

After coming off of Cinderella (1950), Walt produced Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953). Alice in Wonderland (1951) flopped in its initial release, but has gone on to gain popularity today. Peter Pan (1953), on the other hand, was a huge hit in its initial release, and has gone on to be considered a true Disney classic to this day. Did you know, however, that Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) share two remarkable connections?

The first connection between these two films is the voice talent. 3 actors who voiced characters in Alice in Wonderland (1951) also went on to voice characters in Peter Pan (1953). Kathryn Beaumont who played Alice in Alice in Wonderland (1951) went on to play the role of Wendy Darling in Peter Pan. Heather Angel who voiced Alice’s sister in Alice in Wonderland (1951), portrayed Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan (1953). Bill Thompson, who voiced the White Rabbit and the Dodo Bird in Alice in Wonderland (1951), voiced Mr. Smee and the Pirates in Peter Pan (1953). Thompson provided the voices Jock, Bull-the Bull Terrier, and the Policeman at the Zoo in Lady and the Tramp (1955), King Hubert in Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Uncle Waldo in The AristoCats (1970) as well.

The other thing that connects Alice in Wonderland (1951) to Peter Pan (1953) is a song that originally was called “Beyond the Laughing Sky.” It was a song with music by Sammy Fain (Composer of Peter Pan (1953) and The Rescuers (1977)) and Lyrics Bob Hilliard. Many songs were written for Alice in Wonderland (1951), not just by Fain and Hilliard, but also by Mack David, Gene de Paul, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, and John Ray. Many got thrown out, including one by Fain and Hilliard entitled “Beyond the Laughing Sky.” That was to be the song that Alice would sing at the very beginning of the movie where she fantasizes about what it would be like to live in a world of wonderland, where nothing would be impossible. It was decided, fairly early on, in the production of the film, for that song not to be used, because it was feared by the filmmakers that it was too reminiscent of the song “Over the Rainbow,” in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The filmmakers decided that they needed a song that would be different of melody and lyrics and Fain and Hilliard wrote a new song for the beginning scene of Alice in Wonderland (1951) entitled “In a World of My Own,” and that wound up being the song in the final cut of the film. 

When Peter Pan (1953), which was around the same time as Alice, Sammy Fain decided to revisit the melody he had written for “Beyond the Laughing Sky,” when he was assigned to Pan, along with Sammy Cahn (who’s wrote many Frank Sinatra hit songs, i.e. “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “All the Way,”) to write the lyrics. Together they wrote different lyrics, and “Beyond the Laughing Sky,” became the song heard over the main titles of Peter Pan (1953), “The Second Star to the Right.”

Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) are both unique cartoon movies for their own reasons, and yet it is quite interesting what they have in common with each other. Both movies celebrated their 60th anniversaries not too long ago, and Alice in Wonderland (1951) was given the live-action treatment by Disney in 2010, with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Peter Pan has been adapted numerous times for live-action, on film and on stage, though none of which have been done by Disney. Disney has, however, produced several sequels to Peter Pan (1953), including a theatrical sequel, Return to Neverland (2002), six C-G-I Tinker Bell Movies, and a television series called Jake and the Neverland Pirates (2011). Even though Peter Pan (1953) has received much more popularity than Alice in Wonderland (1951), the similarities of the movies can increase one’s respect and appreciation for both movies even if they favor one above the other.  

Of Shirley Temple, Hayley Mills, and Patty Duke 

Have you ever heard of the Academy Juvenile Award? It was a special, Honorary Academy Award handed out to movie stars under the age of 18. It is an Oscar category that does not exist today, but was handed out as an award from 1934-1960. Only 12 child stars were fortunate enough to receive this award, however, 14 statuettes of this award are known to exist. Initially, the award was presented for the child actor’s number of film’s throughout the year, but the Academy started presenting it for a child’s performance in one specific movie in 1946.

The award was first presented to Shirley Temple in 1935 for her work in 1934 in Fox’s Stand Up and Cheer!, Paramount’s Little Miss Marker, Fox’s Baby Take a Bow, and Fox’s Bright Eyes. The last recipient of this award was Hayley Mills for Disney’s Pollyanna (1960). After that, in 1962, Patty Duke received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination for her performance as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker (1962), and ultimately won, making her the first child movie star ever to win an Oscar. That proved to the Academy that child actors could be equally capable of winning and Oscar just like an adult movie star, and the Academy Juvenile Award was dropped from the Oscars. The list of all the recipients of this award and the films that they received it for are as follows.

Shirley Temple-Stand Up and Cheer!, Little Miss Marker, Baby Take a Bow, Bright Eyes (1934). This made Temple the youngest person ever to receive an honor from the Academy, even to this day.

Mickey Rooney-Andy Hardy series, Boys Town (1938). Rooney was the eldest winner of the Academy Juvenile Award.

Deanna Durbin-Mad About Music, That Certain Age (1938). Durbin starred opposite Judy Garland in a film produced by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer entitled Every Sunday (1936). Both Garland and Durbin had hoped to be on the MGM roster as two female singers, but only Garland would go on to officially enlisted on the roster. Durbin, however, would go on to sign with Universal Studios. 

Judy Garland-Babes in Arms, The Wizard of Oz (1939). Garland would receive a Best Actress Oscar Nomination for A Star is Born (1954) and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nomination for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), but sadly this would be her only Oscar win.

Margaret O’Brien-The Canterville Ghost, Music for Millions, Meet Me in St. Louis, (starring opposite Judy Garland) (1944). Both Garland and O’Brien would unfortunately loose their Oscars in their lifetimes (O’Brien lost it when she was 17 years old). Garland unfortunately was never able to relocate hers before her death in 1969. O’Brien, however, would recover hers, but it took 41 years to do so.  

Peggy Ann Garner-Nob Hill, Junior Miss, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). Garner received a great deal of acclaim for her work as a child, but she made very few acting appearances as an adult.

Claude Jarman, Jr.-The Yearling (1946). Jarman only made 10 other film appearances after The Yearling (1946), but also found success as a film producer and film festival executive producer.

Ivan Jandi-The Search (1948). Being a native of the Czech Republic, Jandi was the first and only foreign actor ever to be nominated with a Juvenile Oscar.

Bobby Driscoll-So Dear to My Heart, The Window (1949). In addition to starring in several Disney live-action films, i.e. Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), and Treasure Island (1950), Driscoll is also best-known throughout the history of Disney as the voice of Peter Pan (1953).

John Whiteley and Vincent Winner-The Little Kidnappers (1954).

Hayley Mills-Pollyanna (1960). Mills’s dad, Sir John Mills acted in another film for the Disney studios, Swiss Family Robinson (1960), released the same year as Pollyanna.        

It’s extraordinary how children can, every once in a while, give an emotionally-moving performance that’s worthy of an Oscar, same as an adult. It’s good knowing that today, children are being nominated in the same category against adult actors, instead of having a category of their own.

Baloo

That smooth, swingin’ “jazz” voice that made everyone smile and toe-tap along was unmistakably the big friendly Jungle Book character, Baloo.  Arguably Disney’s most popular “Bear” cartoon character, after Winnie the Pooh, we all know Baloo as the carefree bear from the movies, The Jungle Book (1967), but he has been featured in several various “Jungle Book” spin-off films and television shows since then. Like many of the actors who have lent their voices to Disney Animated Movies, it was “the voice” that made it really work.

Phil Harris originated the role of Baloo in The Jungle Book (1967). Harris had initially been doubtful in accepting the role, but he relented when the animators allowed him to just use his own, unique, natural voice. He also voiced Thomas O’Malley, the Alley Cat in The AristoCats (1970) and Little John in Robin Hood (1973). Disney created two television which featured the characters from The Jungle Book (1967), called TaleSpin (1990-1991) and Jungle Cubs (1996-1998). Phil Harris was initially supposed to reprise his role as Baloo in TaleSpin (1990-1991), but he unfortunately had grown too old to do so at that point, and the studio hired Ed Gilbert to portray Baloo. Gilbert had previously done additional voice work on The Little Mermaid (1989) and voiced Francois the Grasshopper in The Rescuers Down Under (1990). He also voiced Fasir in Aladdin the TV Series (1994-1995). Pamela Adlon voiced Baloo as a child in Jungle Cubs (1996-1998). The “Baloo” torch was passed to John Goodman for The Jungle Book 2 (2003). Goodman provided the voice for Pacha in The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Sulley in Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013), and “Big Daddy” La Bouff in The Princess and the Frog (2009).

In addition to shows produced by Disney, Baloo has also been featured in internationally produced television shows as well. An anime TV Series called The Jungle Book (1989-1990), which was produced in Japan but aired both there and in America, where it was dubbed over in English. A.J. Henderson provided the English-dubbed voice. There is also an Indian computer-animated series called The Jungle Book (2012), that originally aired on the channel, Disney XD, but was moved to Discovery Family in July 2015. Baloo was voiced by Jimmy Hibbert in that show. The Fox Kids Network also created a show entitled Mowgli: the New Adventures of the Jungle Book, where Baloo did not speak.         

Disney first re-adapted The Jungle Book for live-action in 1994, with a Baloo who once again, didn’t speak. The film was directed by Stephen Sommers who directed The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). Brian Doyle Murray (Bill Murray’s brother) lent his voice to Baloo in Disney’s second live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, entitled, The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story (1998). In 2016, however, the “Baloo” torch will be passed to Bill Murray, himself, for Jon Favreau’s (Director: Elf (2003), Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010)) new film adaptation of The Jungle Book. The film will also feature the voice talents of Scarlett Johansson, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba, and Giancarlo Esposito.

      I think we can all agree that Baloo never ceases to be an optimistic character, considering his philosophy is to always “look for the Bare Necessities.” He reminds every one of us to be anxious for nothing as God tells us in Philippians 4:6-7, because life itself wouldn’t be worth living if we were anxious for things all the time. All of the actors who have portrayed Baloo have been entertaining in their own, special way, but Phil Harris’s performance really is the most impossible to forget, since he was the very first. Whenever life gets us down, we can always use a friend like Baloo.

Everybody Loves Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh is not only one of the most popular, but also one of the cutest Disney characters ever. He always in a jolly mood: he is always willing to lend a helping hand to any of his friends, and he is ALWAYS hungry for honey. 

The Disney studios cast a number of talented people to provide the voices for Pooh and his friends when Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966) was in development at the studio. Did you know, however, that all the “early” voices of Winnie the Pooh were members of the voice casts of other classic Disney animated movies? Sterling Holloway, who did the voice Winnie the Pooh, was also the voice of Mr. Stork in Dumbo (1941), Adult Flower in Bambi (1942), Professor Holloway in The Three Caballeros (1944), the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (1951), Kaa the snake in The Jungle Book (1967), and Roquefort the Mouse in The Aristocats (1970). He also narrated several of Disney’s lesser-known shorts including Peter and the Wolf (1946), Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952), and Goliath 2 (1960), and he voiced Amos Mouse in a short about a fictional story about Benjamin Franklin’s friendship with talking Mouse called Ben and Me (1953). 

John Fiedler, who was cast as Piglet (and who continued to portray Piglet in every “Winnie the Pooh” film and television adaptation until his death in 2005), also portrayed the Church Mouse in Robin Hood (1973), the Deacon Owl in The Rescuers (1977), the Porcupine in The Fox and the Hound (1981), and the Old Man in The Emperor’s New Groove (2000). Paul Winchell, who lent his voice to Tigger, and like John Fielder, voiced Tigger until his death, which was also in 2005, also played the roles of Shun Gon, the Siamese Cat in The Aristocats (1970) and Boomer the Woodpecker in The Fox and the Hound (1981). He also did the voice of Zummi Gummi the Gummy Bear on television for Disney’s television series Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985-1991). (John Fiedler and Paul Winchell were also good friends in real life, and they both died one day apart from each other: Winchell on June 24th (82 years of age), 2005, and Fiedler on June 25th, 2005 (80 years of age)). 

Long before Barbara Luddy was cast as Kanga in Winnie the Pooh, she had previously done the voices of Lady in Lady and the Tramp (1955), Merryweather the Fairy in Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Rover in 101 Dalmatians (1961). She also played the Mother Rabbit and the Mother Church Mouse in Robin Hood (1973). Clint Howard (Ron Howard’s brother) voiced Roo, and he also played Colonel Hathi the Elephant’s son, Hathi Jr. in The Jungle Book (1967). Junius Matthews had performed as Archimedes the Owl in The Sword in the Stone (1963) and shared the role of the Fox in the animated sequence in Mary Poppins (1964), with Dal McKennon, before landing the role of Rabbit. Sebastian Cabot who narrated all of the Winnie the Pooh shorts also played the roles of Sir Ector in The Sword in the Stone (1963), and Bagheera the Panther in The Jungle Book (1967). Cabot also acted in two live-action films for Disney, Westward Ho, the Wagons (1956), and Johnny Tremain (1957). 

Ralph Wright, who worked primarily as a screenwriter for the Disney studios, voiced Eeyore. While that was the only role he acted for the studio, he co-wrote the screenplays for many of the studio’s shorts and films (i.e. Goofy’s Glider (1940), Bambi (1942), Lambert the Sheepish Lion (1952), Sleeping Beauty (1959). The character of Gopher has been voiced by a number of actors over the years, but the very first person to do it was Howard Morris, primarily known throughout the world as Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show (1963-1965). Like Ralph Wright, that was the only role that Bass acted for Disney. The role of Christopher Robin has been by 13 different young men from 1966-present, though the only person to do it to have another Disney role outside of Winnie the Pooh, was Bruce Reitherman who voiced him Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966). The following year, Reitherman voiced “Mowgli” the Man Cub in The Jungle Book (1967). (Reitherman was also the youngest son of Wolfgang “Woolie” Reitherman who was one of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men. “Woolie” Reitherman directed the first two Winnie the Pooh shorts, The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) and many other shorts and films for the studio. “Woolie” Reitherman’s two elder sons, Richard and Robert shared the role of Wart/Arthur in The Sword in the Stone (1963) with Rickie Sorenson.) And finally, Owl was voiced by Hal Smith in all of the original shorts. Smith temporarily took over the role of Winnie the Pooh himself for Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983) and Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983-1986), before the role was passed full-time to Jim Cummings for the TV Series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991). In addition to Owl, Smith also took over the role of Goofy, after his original voice, Pinto Colvig, died in 1967, he voiced Philippe the Horse in Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Jafar’s horse in Aladdin (1992), and he continues to voice Owl today in all of the movies and shorts that have succeeded The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991), with the exception of Craig Ferguson doing it in Winnie the Pooh (2011). Smith and Jim Cummings have also alternated turns voicing Pooh. 

Jim Cummings, who permanently took over the role of Tigger in 1990 from Paul Winchell due to his retirement (though Winchell did voice Tigger for 4 more Winnie the Pooh films, as well as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction for the Disney theme parks), like his predecessor, Sterling Holloway, Jim Cummings has an equally, if not, even bigger, Disney resume, having lend his voice all kinds of Disney films and television shows, including Ed in The Lion King (1994) the singing voices of Chief Powhatan and Kekata in Pocahontas (1995), the Guards and Gypsies in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and the trial role of Nessus the River Centaur, the Tall Thebian, and the Elder Thebian in Hercules (1997), and Ray in The Princess and the Frog (2009). Cummings singing voice was dubbed in for Jeremy Irons singing voice in The Lion King (1994) for the song “Be Prepared” when Irons fell sick due to his voice and was unable to complete recording the song. In addition to lending his voice to The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World (1998), Brother Bear 2 (2006) (all of which are direct-to-video sequels), his voice can also be heard in several Disney television shows, including DuckTales (1987-1990), Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers (1989-1990), TaleSpin (1990-1991), Darkwing Duck (1991-1995), Goof Troop (1992-1993) (He voiced Pete, Goofy’s “frienemie” a role that he would continue to do for many other television shows and movies, including A Goofy Movie (1995), and it’s direct-to-video sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000)), Bonkers (1993-1994), Aladdin (1994-1995), Timon and Pumbaa (1995-1999), Gargoyles (1994-1996), House of Mouse (2001-2002), and The Legend of Tarzan (2001-2003).

Winnie the Pooh and his friends are undoubtedly some of the most loved cartoon characters of all time. They always tell good stories of friendship, and the “friends” who voiced those characters are a major reason the characters are loved by generations. It’s a shame that in reality, bears aren’t quite as sweet or friendly as Winnie the Pooh. We can at least be glad, though, that Pooh will always be our friend, because he will always exist in the world of imagination

My Favorite Villain

Throughout the entire history of storytelling, we’ve always had heroes and villains. The villains have always gotten a bad rap. Although it’s their life’s ambition to pursue their “happily ever afters” just like the heroes, they always seem to go about pursuing them in the wrong way. But really, villains are the characters that make things happen in the stories. They serve as the motivation for the hero/heroine to pursue their happily ever afters. So maybe, they’re the real stars of their show, because if you had a story full of heroes and no villains, nothing would happen in the story! Use your imagination with me-maybe villains are people that you can love to hate (instead of just hate!)

Walt Disney hired a huge number of talented people to provide the voices of the villains in his cartoons. One such person was a radio/television/film actress named Eleanor Audley. Audley portrayed the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (1950) and Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959). In addition to these two film roles, she also played Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion attraction at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. A favorite voice-over artist of Walt’s, she initially turned down the role of Maleficent when Walt offered it to her, because she was battling tuberculosis at the time. However, she managed to overcome the disease, and accepted the role just in time. Besides lending her voice to all of these characters, she provided all of the live-action referential modeling for the animators at the studio as well. Unlike many of the more modern Disney villains, neither the Stepmother nor Maleficent get to sing a song in either of their movies. What makes them entertaining, though, is simply the indelible images that come from pairing her distinctively deep voice with Frank Thomas’s genius animation on the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (1950) and Marc Davis’s breathtaking animation on Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959). Those combinations cause a powerful thrill!      

Since Eleanor Audley’s passing in 1991, all of the characters that she portrayed for Disney have been re-adapted for live-action by Academy-Award-Winning actresses: Angelina Jolie (Best Supporting Actress: Girl, Interrupted (1999)) played Maleficent in Maleficent (2014), Cate Blanchett (Best Supporting Actress: The Aviator (2004) and Best Actress: Blue Jasmine (2013)) played the Wicked Stepmother, also known as “Lady Tremaine” in Cinderella (2015), and Jennifer Tilly (Best Supporting Actress Nominee: Bullets Over Broadway (1994)) played Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion (2003). 

Susan Blakeslee who voiced Wanda (the Fairy)/Mrs. Turner on The Fairly OddParents (2001-) has voiced the Wicked Stepmother and Maleficent for Disney Video Games such as Disney’s Kingdom Hearts series and Disney Infinity. She also voiced the Wicked Stepmother for Cinderella’s two direct-to-video sequels, Cinderella 2: Dream’s Come True (2002), and Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time (2007).

Eleanor Audley is, of course, only one of the many brilliant actors who have voiced Disney villains. While the majority of Disney villains are female, each of them are “wickedly” fascinating in their own unique way. I’m sure we can all agree that had Eleanor Audley not voiced the Stepmother nor Maleficent, neither film would be quite the classic that they are. The Haunted Mansion attraction wouldn’t be the beloved ride that it is, either. Her voice has left a most enduring legacy for cartoon storytelling and it will continued to be remembered for generations. 

The "Rodgers and Hammerstein of Disney" Part 2

              

               If Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman weren’t the “Rodgers and Hammerstein” of Disney, then Howard Ashman and Alan Menken probably were.  Like the Sherman’s, Ashman and Mencken also wrote a huge number of the most popular Disney songs of all time. They were not apprentices of the Sherman brothers, but one could say that, in a way, they did follow in their footsteps because both pairs helped keep the company running. Although Ashman and Menken’s real ambition was to keep musicals, in general, alive as an art form, they had no experience in movies or in animation. They came to work for Disney in the late 1980s, when the studio was on the verge of having to permanently shut down because none of the films the studio had produced since Walt Disney’s death in 1966, animated or live-action, had done well enough to keep the studio financially stable. The studio hired the two of them after they had created the hugely successful Off-Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors. Disney took a great risk in hiring the two of them because the only movie-making experience Menken nor Ashman had was the 1986 film adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors.  Little did anyone know the ginormous success that awaited them all  

              

               Howard Ashman began the “Disney” chapter of his career in 1986 when he was hired to co-write the song “Once Upon a Time in New York City,” the opening song of Oliver and Company (1988). After the writing that song, the studio told him of another project that was in development called The Little Mermaid (1989).  Ashman brought in his good friend and frequent collaborator Alan Menken to write the songs and the original score for the movie, and to everyone’s surprise – both the creative team’s and the whole world’s – it turned out to be a huge hit. It was so successful that Menken and Ashman would go on to win the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song: “Under the Sea,” for their work. Because they played such a huge role in helping make The Little Mermaid (1989) a hit for the studio, they were immediately hired to write material for the studio’s next animated musical, Beauty and the Beast (1991) A film that Walt Disney himself had tried to adapt for the screen twice (both attempts of which were unsuccessful), Beauty and the Beast (1991) turned out to be an even bigger hit than The Little Mermaid (1989), and won them Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Original Song: “Beauty and the Beast.” The movie also garnered a Best Picture Oscar Nomination, making it the studio’s first Best Picture Oscar Nomination since Mary Poppins (1964), and the very first animated movie ever to be a Best Picture Oscar Nominee.

               Howard Ashman unfortunately passed away of AIDS on March 14th, 1991 at the age of 40, 6 months before the premiere of Beauty and the Beast (1991), and while the studio’s next animated film, Aladdin (1992), was well into production. He never saw the final cut of either movie. Though it was a crushing and devastating loss for Alan Menken, Disney quickly hired Sir Tim Rice to finish the songs for Aladdin (1992).  Menken composed the songs “Friend Like Me,” “Arabian Nights,” and “Prince Ali,” with Ashman, and he wrote “One Jump Ahead,” “A Whole New World,” and “Prince Ali (Reprise),” with Rice. Both Rice and Ashman are given screen credit in the film. Rice would also go on to collaborate with composer Sir Elton John on the songs for The Lion King (1994).

               After Howard Ashman’s passing, Alan Menken continued to write material for Disney movie-musicals. He composed the songs and original scores for Newsies (1992), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Home On the Range, Enchanted (2007), and Tangled (2010). He would win 4 more Oscars in addition to the 4 he won with Howard Ashman for his work on Aladdin (1992) and Pocahontas (1995): Best Original Score and Best Original Song, “A Whole New World” from Aladdin (1992) and “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas (1995). Menken collaborated with many different lyricists for all of these projects, including Jack Feldman for Newsies (1992), Stephen Schwartz for Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Enchanted (2007), David Zippel for Hercules (1997) (Zippel also would write the lyrics for Mulan (1998)), and Glenn Slater for Home on the Range (2004). Menken received additional Oscar nominations for Best Original Score on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Best Original Songs “Go the Distance,” in Hercules (1997), “That’s How You Know,” “So Close,” and “Happy Working Song,” in Enchanted (2007), and “I See the Light,” in Tangled (2010). 

               Menken and Sir Tim Rice were reunited to write additional material for the Broadway versions of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Beauty and the Beast ran for a total of 5,461 performances and 46 previews from April 18th 1994-July 29th, 2007. It became the 9th longest-running musical in Broadway history. Menken was reunited with Glenn Slater for a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time for the Broadway Versions of The Little Mermaid and Sister Act the musical and the movie Tangled. The Little Mermaid, played on Broadway for a total of 685 performances and 50 previews from January 10th, 2008 to August 30th, 2009. Sister Act the musical played a total of 561 performances and 28 previews from April 20th, 2011-August 26th 2012. Aladdin opened on Broadway on March 20th, 2014, and is still currently playing today. The show received 5 Tony Award Nominations last year including Best Original Score for Menken, Rice, and Additional Lyricist/Book Writer Chad Beguelin. It managed to win the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for James Monroe Igelhart for creating the role of the Genie in the show. Jonathan Freeman, who provided the voice of Jafar in the film, also reprised his role for the stage version. Alan Menken did however win the Tony for Best Original Score for the highly acclaimed Broadway Version of Newsies along with his lyricist partner from the film version, Jack Feldman. This is his only Tony win, though he received additional nominations for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Sister Act. He is currently revising a new stage version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame for Broadway and he just finished scoring an all-new live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast for Disney, which will star Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.

               When they were casting for The Little Mermaid (1989), many women were considered for the role of Ursula the Sea Witch. Originally the studio offered the role to Beatrice Arthur. She unfortunately turned it down, because she was doing The Golden Girls on television for Disney at the time, and she was convinced that her schedule for the show wouldn’t allow her to do the movie. Tony-award-winner Elaine Stritch was then offered the role, who accepted, but then quit the movie due to bitter creative differences clashing with Howard Ashman. (Ironically, Elaine Stritch had also been considered for Beatrice Arthur’s role of Dorothy on The Golden Girls.) In addition to those two, many other women were considered, even Roseanne Barr, at one point, but the studio ultimately thought of and offered the role to Pat Carroll, who immediately accepted, having longed to be in a Disney movie all her life. She had no problems with how they were running the production whatsoever. In fact, after one of her recording sessions for the film, Pat Carroll went up to Howard Ashman, and she said “Howard, can I ask you a favor?” He replied “Sure.” Carroll then asked “Can you sing Ursula’s song for me?” With that, Howard then proceeded to sing the song “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” While he was singing, he ad-libbed some lyrics that were highly amusing to Carroll, including the lyrics “Life’s full of tough choices, isn’t it”. They were so amusing, that when he was done singing she asked “Howard, is it ok if I steal some of those ad-libs.” Howard replied “I was hoping that you would.”

               Shortly before his passing, the creative team of Beauty and the Beast all went to work at Howard’s studio in New York because he couldn’t travel to L.A. because of his illness. And they were in a recording session for the “Something There,” sequence in the film, and Paige O’Hara (Belle’s voice) was singing the lyrics “New and a bit alarming,” and Howard wanted to give a note about that. He unfortunately couldn’t speak so he had to whisper his note into Alan’s ear. He whispered “Tell Paige, Streisand.”  If you listen carefully, you hear some “Streisand” in O’Hara’s voice.

               On the night Alan and Howard won their Oscars for The Little Mermaid (1989), they were both ecstatic to have won, but their happiness was short-lived when on that very same night Howard said to Alan, “When we get back to New York, we have to have a talk.” Alan was caught off-guard, and he said “Oh really, what is it can we talk about it now?” Howard said “No, not till we get back to New York.” And they got back to their studio in New York, and Howard said “Close the door,” and Alan closed the door. He then said “What is it?” Howard said “Well…, you know.” Alan said “I know, what?” Howard said, “Well, I’m sick, I’m HIV positive.” Alan didn’t say anything after that.  As they helped each other through a very difficult time, it became clear that Menken was up to the task of “carrying the torch” for the pair – helping to make Disney musicals a ‘tour de force’ in movies and on Broadway…and continuing the Rodgers and Hammerstein legacy.

The “Rodgers and Hammerstein” of Disney Part 1

               If you are a musical lover like I am, you could definitely agree that the one of the best teams to ever write musicals was Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.   But what if you narrowed it down to just “Disney musicals”?  Who might be characterized as the “Rodgers and Hammerstein” of Disney?  There are several teams which could arguably lay claim to the title, but in this article, we’ll deal with perhaps the most obvious choice: Richard M. Sherman and his brother Robert B. Sherman.

               The Sherman brothers were under contract to the Walt Disney Studios from 1958-1971, though they did additional work for the studio in the late 1990s. Together they wrote songs for the movie-musicals that the studio produced, such as The Sword in the Stone(1963), Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), The Aristocats (1970), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), All of the original “Winnie the Pooh,” shorts: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger  Too (1974), and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983), as well as the feature length movie The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999), and The Tigger Movie (2000). They also wrote songs for movies that were not musicals, but had songs sung in them that served as non-diegetic elements of the story, such as The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), Big Red (1962), In Search of the Castaways (1962), Summer Magic (1963), Those Calloways (1965), That Darn Cat! (1965), and Follow Me Boys! (1966). They also wrote the songs for Disney park attractions including “It’s a Small World After All,” and “The Enchanted Tiki Room,” for the park attractions of the same name, and “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” for the Carousel of Progress. They won 2 Academy Awards for their work on Mary Poppins (1964): Best Original Score and Best Original Song: “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” They received additional Oscar nominations in the same categories for their work on Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971): Best Original Song “The Age of Not Believing.”

               In addition to what they wrote for Disney, Richard and Robert Sherman composed the material for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) (Academy Award Nominee: Best Original Song “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” the Charlie Brown animated-musical Snoopy Come Home (1972), and Charlotte’s Web (1973). Mary Poppins is their only project for Disney that was fortunate enough to be re-adapted for Broadway, though Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was adapted for Broadway as well. Mary Poppins played on Broadway from November 16th, 2006-March 3rd, 2013, for a total of 2,619 performances, and it received a total of 7 Tony Nominations, including Best Musical. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opened on Broadway on April 28th, 2005 and ran until December 31st, 2005, after a total of 34 previews and 285 performances. It was nominated for 5 Tony Awards.

The Sherman brothers’ often said that their fondest memories of working the Walt Disney Studios were created when Mary Poppins (1964) was in production. At one of the very earliest story meetings they had for the movie, the Sherman’s played some songs they had written that they thought would work for the movie, including a song entitled “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag).” At the end of the meeting Walt said, “Play me that Bird Woman song again,” and Richard Sherman played it.  As they moved forward with the production, there were several Saturdays in a row where Walt called the two of them over to his office, and he would say “Play it.” They knew what he meant, and when they were done playing, he’d say “Have a good weekend boys,” and he would send them home.

Another time, when Robert was working from home, his eldest son, Jeff, came into where he was working.  His father asked him how school had been, and he said that they had vaccination day at school.  When his dad asked him how that went, he replied “It was fine. They gave us a spoonful of sugar to help it go down.” I’m sure you can guess the name of a certain song that was created as a result of that story. On December 5th, 2001 (Walt Disney’s 100th Birthday), a new statue of Walt Disney holding Mickey Mouse’s hand was dedicated to Disneyland, and Richard Sherman was asked to play songs that he and his brother wrote in honor of the dedication. When he finished, he then gave a surprise ending by announcing that he was going to play Walt Disney’s favorite song, and then played “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag).” In the time that he played this, there was a bird that flew clear out of the sky onto the ground where he played. Richard Sherman took this as a sign that was Walt himself saying thank you. 

               I’m positive that we can all agree that these two men have written songs that no one will ever be able to forget. You can feel like you’re on Broadway when you watch any of the movies that these men worked on without having to go all the way to New York City. They brought numerous qualities into all of the material that they wrote for these shows, including time, effort, patience, perseverance, eloquence, theatricality, and charm. How they managed the ability to combine all of those qualities into their work, I don’t think we will ever know, but what matters is that they were able to do so, and as a result they came up with many of the most extraordinarily beautiful movies and Broadway musicals of all time, and their work will leave a most enduring and magical legacy in the history of storytelling. 

A Non-Speaking, Non-Silent Voice

Have you ever wondered who provides the voices of cartoon characters that don’t speak? They might be animals, or sometimes even objects – but in any case, don’t use words. Most people probably think it is just some sort of sound effects in use. But, you would actually be mistaken. Frank Welker is an actor who is a legend in the field of voice-over artistry because he has done the voices of all of Disney’s animated animal characters who don’t talk but just make noises. 

Although he did act bit parts in live-action movies such as Universal’s How to Frame a Figg (1971), and Disney’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), his voice-over roles include Max the Dog in The Little Mermaid (1989), Joanna the Salamander in The Rescuers Down Under (1990), the Footstool in Beauty and the Beast (1991), Abu in Aladdin (1992), Flit the Hummingbird in Pocahontas (1995), Cri-Kee and Khan the Horse in Mulan (1998), Maximus the Horse and Pascal the Chameleon in Tangled (2010) – and for more recent fans, Sven the Reindeer and Sitron the Horse in Frozen (2013), and Mochi the Cat in Big Hero 6 (2014). 

For all of your Hanna-Barbara fans, Welker is also known throughout the world for providing the voices of Fred Jones in the original Scooby-Doo series and every additional series that followed it, with the exception of A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.  In addition to voicing Fred, since 2002, he has taken over the main role, voicing Scooby-Doo. 

Frank Welker had practically as many voices up his sleeve as Mel Blanc did, who voiced all Bugs Bunny and all of his friends, as well as Barney Rubble in The Flintstones and Mr. Spacely in The Jetsons. It’s ironic to compare these two actors because Frank Welker would go on to succeed Mel Blanc in the role of Barney Rubble in when Blanc passed away in 1989.  Welker also voiced Hefty Smurf in The Smurfs and Santa’s Little Helper on The Simpsons and Dr. Claw in Inspector Gadget.

Frank Welker doesn’t have a voice that one could recognize instantly, like James Earl Jones, but he does have an extraordinary voice that can transform into just about any kind of tone or pitch.   For most of us, from a footstool to Scooby-Doo and Fred, he’s actually a voice we’ve all come to love!

The Best Years of Movies

If you’re a movie lover like I am, you might wonder at some point what year could be characterized as “the year of Hollywood’s best movies.” That’s not a very easy decision to make, because there are several choices. It really just depends on what kind of movies you’re into. I thought that in this piece I would share with you a few examples of Hollywood’s most memorable years – even if they aren’t really the best, it’s my take on it.

1939

The Wizard of Oz

Gone With the Wind

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Stagecoach

Of Mice and Men (with Lon Chaney Jr.)

Dark Victory

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Love Affair

Ninotchka

Wuthering Heights

1939 was a truly phenomenal year for movies because of these 10 films, most beloved by many, and all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.  

1962

Lawrence of Arabia

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Music Man

The Miracle Worker (with Angela Lansbury)

The Manchurian Candidate

Mutiny on the Bounty (with Marlon Brando)

One could say that 1962 was a year for “heroes who did not possess superpowers,” but were heroic in their own unique way. From the adventurous T.E. Lawrence, to the simple, yet sophisticated Atticus Finch, to the ground-breaking Helen Keller.  

1984

Amadeus

Ghostbusters

Places in the Heart

The Natural

Beverly Hills Cop

Footloose

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

The Karate Kid

Romancing the Stone 

Sixteen Candles

1984 was the year many actors “burst onto the scene” in in their first major roles.  Each of whom went on to gain popularity in their own unique way, such as Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid, Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, and Kevin Bacon in Footloose. Although Amadeus would win the Best Picture Oscar that year, one might also primarily remember ’84 as the year of Ghostbusters, since it became one of the highest-grossing comedies of all time. ’84 would also be the year of Sally Field’s famous “You like me!” speech at the Oscars when she won Best Actress for Places in the Heart.   

1987

The Last Emperor

Broadcast News

Moonstruck

Fatal Attraction

The Untouchables

Throw Momma From the Train

Stakeout

Dirty Dancing

The Princess Bride

Overboard

Each of these films were financial, critical, and public successes, except for The Princess Bride and Overboard. Both were box-office flops, but The Princess Bride has gone on to gain cult status today. That being the case, film audiences may remember ’87 because most likely it included some of their all-time favorites.

1989

Driving Miss Daisy

Field of Dreams

Glory

Batman

The Little Mermaid

Steel Magnolias

My Left Foot

When Harry Met Sally

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Lethal Weapon 2

Back to the Future part 2

Fletch Lives

1989 is a very interesting year for movies because, in addition to Driving Miss Daisy winning the Best Picture Oscar, and Julia Roberts being cast in her first major role in Steel Magnolias, ’89 was the “foundation” year of many of the most popular film franchises ever. Tim Burton’s Batman led to the creation of Batman: The Animated Series, as well as 3 sequels to the movies, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, and Back to the Future part 2 didn’t do quite as well as any of their predecessors, though they did well enough for the creative teams of each film go on with additional sequels. It was also the year for the “Disney Renaissance,” because The Little Mermaid paved the way for the creations of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and many others. 

1994

Forrest Gump

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Pulp Fiction

Quiz Show

The Shawshank Redemption

Dumb and Dumber

Ed Wood

Maverick

The Lion King

Speed

Miracle on 34th Street (with Richard Attenborough)

’94 can initially be remembered as the year of Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, or The Lion King. The Lion King would be the highest-grossing film for the next 9 years, until Finding Nemo and it currently is the 4th highest-grossing animated film of all time, underneath Minions at 3rd Place, Toy Story 3 at 2nd, and Frozen at 1st. Pulp Fiction did extremely well with finances, audiences, and critics when it was first released, but it has continued to gain popularity today in the 21 years it has been since it was released. Forrest Gump won the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks), beating The Shawshank Redemption in both categories (Best Actor in a Leading Role-Morgan Freeman), though both did equally well with audiences. What’s unique about this year is, as in 1962, it included a variety of sophisticated characters which are now part of culture at large.

1995

Braveheart

Apollo 13

Babe

Sense and Sensibility

The Usual Suspects

Toy Story

Pocahontas

The Bridges of Madison County

The American President

Sabrina (with Julia Ormond)

Tommy Boy
Grumpier Old Men
While You Were Sleeping

1995 could be remembered as the year Mel Gibson’s epic Braveheart won the Best Picture Oscar, or as the year Chris Farley made his feature film debut in the cult classic Tommy Boy, or also as the year Pixar Animation Studios forever changed the way we looked at animated movies by creating Toy Story. No doubt 1995 truly was a year of creativity for the movies.

So there’s my list.  What other “movie years” would be on yours?