2003:
Disney's Freaky Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, opens in theaters. (It is a remake of Disney's 1976 comedy about a mother and daughter whose personalities are switched.)
1887:
Composer-conductor Oliver Wallace is born in London, England.
At some early point in his life, Wallace and his family will cross the Atlantic Ocean and settle in Canada. They will later trek across the continent and eventually settle on the west coast. Wallace will work at the Walt Disney Studios on both short subjects and features from 1936 until his passing in 1963. his large body of work will include the Mickey Mouse short Mickey's Amateurs, and the features Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Old Yeller, and Dumbo. He will be nominated for five Academy Awards during his tenure at Disney.
1928:
Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short Poor Papa is released.
When Oswald is visited by the stork multiple times, he resorts to a variety of strategies to
stop the continual flow of babies.
1961:
The Flying Saucers attraction opens in Disneyland's Tomorrowland.
Guests control the crafts, which float on powerful jets of air, by leaning to one side or the other. The saucers
float just inches above a 16,000 sq. ft. arena. (Due to technical problems and the fact that the huge air
compressors need constant repair, the attraction will close after only 5 years in operation.)
1966:
Nita Dee DiGiampaolo, a member of the 70s TV series
The New Mickey Mouse Club, is born in Los Angeles, California.
1970:
A bizarre occurence takes place at Disneyland when 750 "Hippies" and "Radical
Yippies" infiltrate the park, and take over the Wilderness Fort. They raise the Vietcong flag and
pass reefers out to passersbys. Later, they march in a Main Street parade, and sing their own lyrics to "Zipadee Doo
Dah" ("Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Mihn is going to win..."). More conservative park guests try to drown them out by singing
"America the Beautiful." Before the confrontation can heat up, a platoon of Anaheim Police officers in full riot gear
pour into the park from backstage areas! A riot is adverted and Disneyland vice president of Operations Dick Nunis
orders the park closed at 7:10 PM. For many years afterward Disneyland will selectively enforced a "dress code" at
the park, occasionally refusing admission to "long-haired hippies". (This unusual incident is the only time an outside
security force has ever made a full-blown public appearance at the park.)
1999:
The psychological thriller The Sixth Sense - distributed by Buena Vista Pictures - is
released. About a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, it will become Disney's
highest-grossing live-action film.
As of this day, Disneyland's Monorail Café (part of the Disneyland Hotel) closes after
44 years. It will be removed to make room for areas of the new DownTown Disney, which is part of the large
Disneyland Resort Expansion Project.
2002:
Disney's direct-to-video animated film The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina
is released. It features the voices of Jennifer Love Hewitt (as Thumbelina), Elijah Wood (as Tom Thumb), and
Peter Gallagher (as the comically sinister Mole King).
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Disney composer & conductor Oliver Wallace (born this day in 1887) voiced the
character Mr. Winky
for the 1949 animated
The Adventures of Ichabod
and Mr. Toad.
1988:
The Disney Channel Premiere Film Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss debuts. Based on a Jean Shepherd short story, the movie follows the same family from A Christmas Story on their annual vacation to Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, a set of cabins by a lake in Michigan.
2004:
"Phenomonally Yours," the ninth Phil of the Future episode, airs for the first time on Disney Channel.
1965:
Although it has been running since July, Disneyland hosts an invitation-only showing of its new attraction Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The evening program includes a retreat ceremony and dinner at the Plaza Inn.
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AUGUST 6
THIS DAY
MADE IN
THE USA
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AUGUST 6
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Disneyland's Flying Saucers opens
"I see dead people." -Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense)
The Sixth Sense released
2007:
BusinessWeek magazine announces the Interbrand ranking of the
100 Best Global Brands - at number 9 is Disney.
2009:
It is announced that two young sisters from Santa Clarita, California have won a
contest to spend a night in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion! Jessica, 12, and Stephanie Sutton,
10, will be joined by their parents, Cyndi and Tim Sutton, in the mansion on Sunday (August 9) - the ride’s 40th
anniversary. The sisters won the contest, through radio station 95.5 KLOS, by receiving the most votes on the station’s Web site for their talent ... singing "Happy Birthday" with a dog barking in the background.
Film director, producer, and writer John Hughes passes suddenly at the age of 59 in
New York City. His Disney credits include Flubber and 101 Dalmatians. Hughes is best remembered for his
classic comedy features such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, and
Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
