Sister Act Does Disney

On May 29th, 1992, Touchstone Pictures released Sister Act (1992), the story of lounge singer Delores Van Cartier who hides out in a convent after witnessing a terrible gangster crime. Initially she had trouble fitting in, but ultimately befriends the other nuns and becomes their choir director. The film was critically well-received and a financial success, spawning a sequel the following year. It received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy for Whoopi Goldberg for her performance as Delores Van Cartier. In 2010 the film was readapted into a Broadway Musical which played for a total of 561 performances and received five Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. Many of the principal stars of the film have unique connections to Disney?

Whoopi Goldberg played the lead role of Delores Van Cartier in “Sister Act.” Afterward, Goldberg provided the voice of Shenzi the Hyena in The Lion King (1994), and it’s direct-to-video sequel, The Lion King 1 1/2 (2004). She starred in Hollywood Pictures’ The Associate (1996) and Eddie (1996), and played Queen Constantina in Disney-ABC’s/Whitney Houston’s made for television production of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella in 1997. In ’98 she starred opposite Michael York in Disney-ABC’s made for television movie A Knight in Camelot. She also provided the voices Miss Mittens in the direct-to-video sequel Snow Buddies (2008) and of Stretch the Octopus in Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 (2010). She made cameos in the direct-to-video film A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) and The Muppets (2011) and has lent her voice to several Disney television shows, including Bear in the Big Blue House (1997-2006), Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013-2014), The 7D (2014-2016), and Miles from Tomorrowland (2015-present). 

Harvey Keitel played Delores’s ruthless criminal of a boyfriend Vince LaRocca in the film. In addition to that role, he played Agent Peter Sadusky in Disney’s National Treasure (2004) and it’s sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). 

Wendy Makkena played the timid Sister Mary Robert in “Sister Act.” For Disney, she played the role of Jackie Framm, mother of Josh Framm in Disney’s Air Bud (1997). Even though in the movie, her character learns to overcome the stage fright of singing in front of the convent, Wendy Makkena’s singing voice was dubbed by singer Andrea Robinson, who also dubbed her singing voice again in the “Sister Act,” sequel.      

Kathy Najimy played the role of the relentlessly optimistic Sister Mary Patrick in the movie. Following this film, Kathy Najimy starred as Mary Sanderson opposite Bette Middler as Winifred Sanderson in Disney’s Hocus Pocus (1993). She starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie The Scream Team (2002) and most recently lent her voice to the character of Mary in Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E (2008). Najimy has lent her voice to the Disney television shows Hercules: The Animated Series (1998-1999) and The Legend of Tarzan (2001-2003), and she appeared in an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005-2008), voiced a character in the direct-to-video sequel Brother Bear 2 (2006), and played the Evil Queen in the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants (2015). Besides reprising her role in the sequel to the film, Kathy Najimy also reprised her role as Sister Mary Patrick in singer Lady Soul’s music video “If My Sister’s In Trouble.”   

Dame Maggie Smith portrayed Reverend Mother in the film. She starred in the 1997 Hollywood Pictures film Washington Square (1997) and voiced Lady Blueberry in the Touchstone Pictures Animated Film Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) and will be reprising that role for the upcoming sequel, Sherlock Gnomes (2018). You might also recognize Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise (2001-2011) or as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in the PBS series, Downton Abbey (2010-2015).         

Mary Wickes played Sister Mary Lazarus in “Sister Act.” For Disney, she was hired to provide the live-action modeling for the character of Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1961) and voiced Laverne the Gargoyle in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), though she tragically died on October 22nd, 1995, before finishing recording all her lines. (Jane Withers finished the rest of Laverne’s dialogue.) In between those two roles, Mary Wickes starred in Disney’s Napoleon and Samantha (1972) opposite Michael Douglas and Jodie Foster and Snowball Express (1972) opposite Dean Jones and Nancy Olson. She also played Katie on The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1996). Wickes is no stranger to playing roles whose main setting was a convent, having played Sister Clarissa in The Trouble With Angels (1966) with Disney Legend, Hayley Mills, and its sequel, Where Angels Go Trouble Follows (1968). Wickes also acted the role of Marie Murkin in the NBC Series, Father Dowling Mysteries (1989-1991).     

Most of these actors, reprised their roles in the sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). (James Coburn, who played the new main antagonist in the sequel, played the owner of the El Sleezo Cafe in The Muppet Movie (1979), voiced Henry J. Waternoose in Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001), and portrayed Thunder Jack in Snow Dogs (2002)). 

All of these actors have other roles that they are well-remembered for, but each of their roles in “Sister Act,” will also continue to be treasured.

Jim Cummings: The Mel Blanc of Today!

When you hear the name Mel Blanc, you might remember that he voiced all the cartoon characters produced by the Warner Bros. Studios, i.e. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, etc., and as a result of that, he earned the nickname “The Man of 1000 Voices.” Do you ever wonder if Disney has a name that falls under the category also? The answer to that question is an emphatic yes! Since the early 1980’s, Jim Cummings has done the voice for many of Disney’s most beloved characters in film, television, and even video games. And he has several well-known non-Disney voice-over credits as well.

Jim Cummings was born on November 3rd 1952 in Youngstown, Ohio. He later moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked on Mardi Gras floats and as a door-to-door salesman. He ultimately moved to California where he got involved with voice acting. His first job at Disney was in 1988, taking over the role of Winnie the Pooh from Hal Smith, who had voiced the character from ’81-’88, succeeding the role from Sterling Holloway, the originator. The very next year, Cummings also took over the role of Tigger from Paul Winchell, whom had originated the part since the mid-1960’s. For the last 30 years now, Cummings has been the voices of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in all of their appearances on film, video and television, i.e.: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991), Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh (1996), The Tigger Movie (2000), The Book of Pooh (2001-2003), Piglet’s Big Movie (2003), Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005) and Winnie the Pooh (2011). He will reprise the role of Pooh for Disney’s upcoming live-action film Christopher Robin (2018), though at this point he has turned over the “Tigger” reins to Chris O’Dowd.

Beyond Pooh and Tigger, Jim Cummings also provided the voices of the Evil Clown in The Brave Little Toaster (1987), Bullet #2 and the Lion in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Razoul and Farouk the Palace Guards in Aladdin (1992), Ed the Hyena and the singing voice of Scar in The Lion King (1994) (he and Jeremy Irons both shared singing credits), the singing voices of Chief Powhatan and Kekata in Pocahontas (1995), Nessus the River Centaur, the Tall and Elderly Thebians, and the Lava Titan in Hercules (1997), Kaa the Snake and Colonel Hathai the Elephant in The Jungle Book 2 (2003) and Raymond the Firefly in The Princess and the Frog (2009). Besides these theatrical films, Jim Cummings has also lent his voice to many direct-to-video sequels and original films, including The Return of Jafar (1994), Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World (1998), Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999), Brother Bear 2 (2006), and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning (2008). 

For Disney television, Jim Cummings was the voices of the title character in the series Darkwing Duck (1991-1993), El Capitan in DuckTales (1987-1990) numerous different roles in both Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers (1988-1990) and TaleSpin (1990-1991), and Bonkers D. Bobcat in Bonkers (1993-1995). He also provided the voice of Pete on the series Goof Troop (1991-1992), a role which he reprised for A Goofy Movie (1995), it’s direct-to-video sequel An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000), and many other times. More recently, for the Disney Junior channel, Cummings voiced Wormwood the Raven and Goodwin the Great in Sofia the First (2012-present) and reprised his roles as Pooh and Tigger in Doc McStuffins (2012-present). He is also the narrator of the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth attraction at EPCOT at Walt Disney World and the voice of Baby Herman at the Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin attraction at Disneyland.

Beyond Disney, Cummings was the voice of Dr. Robotnik in the series Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1994), Steele the bulldog in Balto (1995), the singing voice of Rasputin in Anastasia (1997), the Pelican in Babe: Pig in the City (1998) (the direct-to-video sequel to Babe (1995)), and Ultra Lord and Mission Control and the General in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). He was the voices of King Allfire and the Chancellor in the video game Blazing Dragons (1996), Totec, Lara’s partner in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010), and Conrad Marburg in Alpha Protocol (2010).

From Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, to Pete, Goofy’s “frienemie,” to Darkwing Duck, Jim Cummings never ceases to entertain with his unique voice. His voice has an incredible range that has given life to all kinds of characters both good and bad. And even at 65 years of age, he’s showing no signs of slowing down with his upcoming roles in “Christopher Robin,” the upcoming indie film Charming (2018) and the television series Goblins Animated (2019). Though he will probably be best remembered for being the longest person ever to voice Winnie, the “Pooh bear.”  

The Keane Family Circus

While it wasn’t a featured presentation at the recent Academy Awards, the film winning “Best Animated Short” made a bit of news because Kobe Bryant was a producer. It was his “Dear Basketball” poem that was the subject, but the animator who gave the film life was Glen Keane. As he accepted the award, few in the audience realized they were hearing from “animation royalty.”

Glen Keane was an animator at Walt Disney Studios for nearly 40 years. He animated many of the studios most beloved characters, human and non-human, male and female. He was inspired to go into animation by his father, Bil Keane, whom you may remember as the creator of the comic strip “The Family Circus.” (In fact, his father patterned the character of “Billy” Keane after Glen.) Glen Keane has an incredible background in animation that goes even beyond Disney.

Glen Keane was born on April 13th, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating High School at Brophy College Preparatory, he applied to the California Institute of the Arts-otherwise known as “CalArts,” which was established in 1961 by a group of professionals including Walt Disney himself. While there, Keane was fortunate enough to meet and view the works of some of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men” (Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston and others.) Inspired by their work, he left CalArts in 1974, and joined the Walt Disney Studios. It was a logical bump, since during school, he worked as a layout artist on the cartoon series, My Favorite Martians (1973), Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974), Lassie’s Rescue Rangers (1973-1975), and Mission: Magic! (1973).    

His very first assignment at Disney was as a Character Animator for Bernard, Miss Bianca, and Penny in The Rescuers (1977). He also worked as a Character Animator for Elliot the Dragon in Pete’s Dragon (1977). Four years later, Glen Keane was promoted to Supervising Animator for the Bear in The Fox and the Hound (1981). He also worked as a Supervising Animator for Ratigan and Fidget in The Great Mouse Detective (1986) and Sykes, Georgette, Fagin, Jenny in Oliver & Company (1988). Among his most famous creations were Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989), Marahute the Eagle and Cody in The Rescuers Down Under (1990), the Beast in Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin in Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas in Pocahontas (1995), Tarzan in Tarzan (1999), and John Silver, Captain Amelia, and Scroop in Treasure Planet (2002). 

The same year as “Pocahontas,” he also provided commentary on the Disney documentary Frank and Ollie (1995), based on the partnership/friendship of Disney Animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The documentary was directed by Thomas’s son, Theodore. Keane was also an Animator of Willie the Giant, Scrooge McDuck, and Goofy in the short Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983), a Character Animator for Gurgi and Eilonwy in The Black Cauldron (1985), and a Directing Animator for Rapunzel in Tangled (2010).

Soon he took on other leadership roles and was Executive Producer/Animation Supervisor/Character Designer in “Tangled,” and a Character Designer for the Disney short, Paperman (2012) which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. And his final work for Disney was the animation for Ariel for “The Little Mermaid,” sequence in the Walt Disney World attraction Mickey’s Philhar Magic and visual development on Wreck-It-Ralph (2012). He officially resigned from Disney on March 23, 2012.

In December of 2013, Glen Keane joined Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects Group to work with its engineers to create interactive, hand-drawn animation. They released their first animated short, Duet at the Google I/O Conference in San Francisco on June 25, 2014. 

He also has written and illustrated a series of Children’s books on Bible parables with characters that he created himself, known as Adam Racoon and King Aren the Lion.

Glen Keane was named a Disney Legend in 2013. Just like his father before him, Glen Keane’s children have followed in his footsteps into animation. His daughter, Claire Keane-Rogozyk is a Visual Development Artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios and his son Max Keane is Computer Graphics Artist. So, Glen Keane’s great legacy of Disney Animation will continue to live on through his children!