MICKEY MOUSE CLUB

As I sit down to do my blog today, I don't see anything of particular relevance happening anywhere.  Yet, I can't believe I'm actually posting on The Mickey Mouse Club.  It just shows people can change, for I once actually watched this TV show.  Today, I avoid their animated productions and would dread the thought of being stuck on a Disney cruise.

Here is the 65th Anniversary Diamond Edition of the original 1955-59 cast.  And the complete Mickey Mouse Club Story.

Annette Funicello was one of the originals in 1955 at the age of 12.  She went on to those Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon.  However, at the age of 22 she got married and largely retired.  She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1993 and passed away in 2013.

Also too, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.

How much do you know about Mickey?  He began as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927, but Walt Disney had difficulty gaining rights to that character, so he created a new one as Mortimer Mouse.  Walt's wife persuaded him to rename him Mickey Mouse, who first appeared in the 1928 Plane Crazy. 

In that same year came the novelty of sound with Steamboat Willie.  However, Mickey did not utter his first words, HOT DOGS!, until The Karnival Kid in 1929.  

Who knew that Walt Disney himself was the voice of Mickey until 1947.  Also Minnie's. Mickey Mouse appeared in 100 cartoon shorts and became famous worldwide.

In 1932 Walt Disney received an Oscar for the creation of Mickey Mouse, who was in the 1941 Lend a Paw, which won an academy award.  However, the main star was Pluto.  Ever wonder what the difference was between those two dogs, Pluto and Goofy?  Well, Pluto walked on all fours, ran around naked and could only bark.  Goofy walked on two feet, wore clothing and could speak, but mostly goofy things.

People are afraid of rats.  One reason why Disney picked Mickey is that he too was scared on them, but looked upon mice as sympathetic, and I guess so did his audience.

Mickey never had a full featured movie.  He did appear in several, like Fantasia, but never was a star in a real film.  The 1955 Mickey Mouse Club memorialized Mickey, for his last short was in 1953, followed thirty years later in 1983 with the first of four more, the final one in 2013, The Simple Things.

Next, more nostalgia, Patience & Prudence with Perry Como.  The Chordettes, with Dick Clark.  And the 40 most beautiful actresses...pre-1960.  Hard to believe, but these 77 singers who had hits in the 1970's are now gone.  On the plus side, put together this year, 30 stars now in their 80's.  Finally, 24 stars in their 90's.

A neat site called the Nostalgia Machine.  Click on it, then click on the year you desire, and you can select from 50 songs in 1951 to 100 in 2015.

Hard to believe, but these 77 singers who had hits in the 1970's are now gone.  On the plus side, put together this year, 30 stars now in their 80's.  Finally, 24 stars in their 90's.

Now, a list of 545 mostly alive celebrities as of 1 January 2021:

• Starting with Norman Lloyd at 106 as the oldest.  
• #8 and #9 are Betty White and Ray Anthony at 99.  
• Henry Kissinger and Bob Dole are 97, with Jimmy Carter at 96. 
• Clint Eastwood is #137 at 90, with Warren Buffet also 90 at #142.  
• Leslie Caron is 89 at #165 and Mitzi Gaynor also 89 at #170.
• #515 is Don Francisco at age 80

• #516 to #545 passed away this year, including:
• Tommy Lasorda 93
• Hank Aaron  86
• Larry King 87
• Christopher Plummer 91
• Prince Philip 99
• Walter Mondale 93
• Tempest Storm 93

What a list!

Best as I can determine (I did not watch it), Elon Musk did okay hosting Saturday Night Live.  However, Hollywood Reporter said:  More Forgettable than Controversial.  He said in his monologue that he was the first host with Asperger's Syndrome.  Poorly fact-checked, for Dan Aykroyd has been very public about his diagnosis.  Of course, too, so afflicted is Greta Thunberg, who might host someday.  Plus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson, Steve Jobs and Michelangelo.  Watch Musk on SNL.  

Keegan-Michael Key will host SNL this coming Saturday night, with musical guest Olivia Rodrigo no doubt singing Driver's License.  You say who are they and what is that song?  Well, you must have missed my posting of two months ago.  The song broke Spotify's record for most streams in one week:  66 million during the week ending January 14, 2021.  How appropriate that 18-year old Olivia is a graduate of the Disney Channel.

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