1848:
It is believed by most historians that author & journalist Joel Chandler Harris is
born near Eatonton, Georgia. (Although some records show he may have been
born December 9.) Harris will best be remembered for his collection of Uncle
Remus stories. The tales of Uncle Remus will be translated into 20 languages
and immortalized on film in 1946 by Walt Disney in Song of the South.
1888:
Herbert Arthur Disney (Walt's brother and the oldest child of Flora and Elias Disney) is born in Daytona Beach, Florida.
1916:
Director/producer Richard Fleischer (a 2003 Disney Legend honoree) is born in Brooklyn, New York. He will serve as the director of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, one of Disney’s most ambitious live-action films.
1937:
Actor James MacArthur is born in Los Angeles, California. He will go on to portray Fritz Robinson in Disney's 1960 live-action film Swiss Family Robinson. (TV audiences will know him best as Detective Danny Williams on the series Hawaii Five-O.)
1941:
The day after the Pearl Harbor bombing, the U.S. Army has finished setting up
camp at Walt Disney's Burbank studio for the repair of military vehicles and
antiaircraft guns, and use as a primary defense station to guard the nearby
Lockheed plant against possible air attacks. (Soon one-third of Walt's animators
will be drafted.) That evening, Walt receives a call from a navy official offering
the studio a contract for twenty films on aircraft and warship identification.
1944:
The Disney short Donald's Off Day is released. It is the first short directed by animator Jack Hannah.
1954:
The Disneyland television series presents a behind-the-scenes look at the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (This episode
will win an Emmy for Best Individual Program of the Year.)
1955:
Cartoonist Roy Williams (the big "Moose-keteer") is joined by actress Dani Crayne at the opening of the Christmas Seal booth at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California.
The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Circus Day.
1963:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 2 of "Pollyanna."
1997:
Disney/ABC Cable Networks announced plans to launch Toon Disney, a new 24-hour basic cable network featuring the company's vast library of animated television programming.
1999:
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney World is moving ahead with plans to
develop one of its largest-ever resorts. The 5,760-room economy-style resort,
spread across 20 buildings near Disney-MGM Studios, is still unnamed. (It will
eventually be called the Pop Century Resort.)
Robert and Richard Sherman - the songwriting team that have created some of the
most well-recognized Disney music - appear at Disneyland.
The brothers take part in an informal presentation at the Team Disney Anaheim Auditorium for Cast Members only.
2005:
DISNEY LIVE! WINNIE THE POOH begins a special month-long holiday engagement at New York’ Citys legendary Beacon Theatre.
Disney announces that its next animated release will be a Peter Pan prequel titled Peter and the Starcatchers (based on the 2004 children's book by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry).
2006:
It is reported that MarketWatch has named Robert Iger of Disney as the CEO
of the Year for 2006, thanks in part to his commitment to innovation within the
entertainment industry.
Strong winds force a full closure of Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris!
Disney Channel debuts "Dinner Guest," the 25th episode of Life with Derek.
1936:
An evening story meeting takes place at the Disney Studio to once again discuss the personalities and characteristics of Snow White's dwarfs.
1956:
The fourth of eight installments titled "My Dad, Walt Disney," by Diane Disney Miller as told to Pete Martin (a "celebrity friendly" writer) appears in the
Saturday Evening Post.
A whopping 800,000 watts of electricity are used along Hollywood Studio's 760-foot-long Residential Street, Washington Square backlot and New York Street for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights!
DECEMBER 8
DEC
1938:
Disney's first full length animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is released in Italy.
1932:
Conductor & film composer Carl Edouarde passes away.
He was the conductor of the orchestra for Steamboat Willie.
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2008:
International recording artist Josh Groban hosts BBC Radio 2 Celebrates the Music of Disney held live at London's Lyceum Theatre. The concert, which is recorded for a December 26 broadcast, features the 70-piece BBC Concert Orchestra performing Oscar, Grammy and Tony Award-winning music spanning over 65 years of the Disney songbook. Broadway and West End performers include Ashley Brown (Broadway's original Mary Poppins and a take-over Belle in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast), Tituss Burgess (original Broadway casts of The Little Mermaid), Kerry Butler (a Broadway Belle for Beauty and the Beast), Heather Headley (Broadway's original Aida and Nala in The Lion King), Adam Pascal (original Broadway casts of Aida), and Drew Sarich (original Quasimodo in the stage version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame).
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Today is National Brownie Day
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
DECEMBER 8
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1995:
Touchstone Pictures releases the comedy Father of the Bride II starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin Short, and Kimberly Williams. A sequel to the 1991 hit comedy Father of the Bride, it will be nominated for a Golden Globe.
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"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan."
-President Franklin D. Roosevelt
