1899:
Writer & actress P.L. Travers (Pamela Lyndon Travers), the author of
Mary Poppins, is born Helen Lyndon Goff in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success. Five sequels followed (the last in 1988),
as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction. During World War II, Travers lived
in Manhattan, NY where she worked for the British Ministry of Information; and that was where Roy Disney first
contacted her about selling the Mary Poppins character to the Disney studio for film use. Disney's 1964 Mary Poppins was primarily based on her first novel in what was then a sequence of four books. Although Travers was
an adviser to the Disney production, she disapproved and disliked the way the film portrayed her characters. Disney's Saving Mr. Banks, a 2013 biographical drama film, centers on the life of Travers, shifting between 1907 with
her childhood in Queensland, the lengthy negotiations with Walt Disney, and the making of Mary Poppins in 1961.
1919:
Zorro first appears in an edition of the popular pulp magazine "All Story
Weekly." It is created by Johnstom McCulley, a former police reporter and author of numerous
pulp fiction stories. In the late 1950s, Disney will turn Zorro into a successful TV series.
1934:
Walt Disney presents his animators with an outline of what will be his first full-
length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Included in the outline is a list of
potential names and personality descriptions for the dwarfs. Walt recommends actor Sterling Holloway for the
voice of Sleepy. (Though Holloway will not play the role - Pinto Colvig will - Holloway will later voice many
Disney characters including Winnie the Pooh.)
1946:
Disney's Donald Duck cartoon Wet Paint, featuring the voice of Clarence Nash, is released. Donald's newly painted car is threatened by Johnnie the bird, who only wants a thread for his nest. It
is written by Roy Williams who will go on to appear in TV's Mickey Mouse Club as Roy the Big Mooseketeer.
1955:
At Disneyland, the Aunt Jemima Pancake House opens in Frontierland.
Guests are greeted at the door by Aunt Jemima herself!
(Later known as the River Belle Terrace, the Aunt Jemima Pancake House existed until 1962.
After absorbing the adjacent Don DeFore’s Silver Banjo Barbecue Restaurant, it became Aunt Jemima’s Kitchen until 1970.)
1968:
Actor Eric Bana, the voice of Anchor in the 2003 Finding Nemo, is born in Australia.
1969:
The Haunted Mansion attraction opens in New Orleans Square
at Disneyland. The public opening of the attraction is heralded by a promotional blitz
that include the "I Scream" Sundaes sold at Disneyland's Carnation Plaza. Madame Leota,
the medium in the séance room and the tiny talking figure at the end of the ride, is modeled after
Imagineer Leota Toombs (also known as Leota Thomas). The attraction will have an official grand opening August 12.
2001:
Walt Disney World hosts its first ever "Pins Around Our World" festival in the former Millennium Village building at the Epcot World Showcase (between the Canada and United Kingdom pavilions). The 4-day event features Disney artists who created the colorful collectibles
and the release of more than 30 new limited-edition pins.
2002:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Just Like Lizzie" debuts on the Disney Channel.
2004:
It's a moist day for some Disney World guests when a water main on the 12th floor of the Contemporary Resort breaks! The water cascades from the 12th floor down to the 5th floor around 7PM. Hundreds of guests are evacuated and given the option of staying somewhere else.
Disneyland's Haunted Mansion celebrates its
35th birthday with a special scavenger hunt.
Donald Duck receives the 2,257th star on the
legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame at 10:30 a.m. in front of the
Disney Store/El Capitan Theatre at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard.
2005:
Disney releases The Muppet Show Season 1
and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz on DVD.
"Castle Thunder" - a thunderclap originally recorded for the 1931 film Frankenstein, has been featured in countless movies & TV shows. The famous sound effect can also be heard every day at Disneyland and Walt Disney World ... in the Haunted Mansion!
Haunted Mansion
2007:
Disney World announces that beginning January 2008,
Disney-MGM Studios will be known as Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Disneyland's Haunted Mansion turns 38 spooky years young!
1940:
Disney's Donald Duck short Donald's Vacation, directed by Jack King, is released.
Written by Jack Hannah, Carl Barks and Larry Clemmons, Donald decides to vacation in the great outdoors ... but nature is less than co-operative! Featuring the voice of Clarence Nash, the hungry chipmunks in this short are considered by some to be the predecessors of Chip 'n' Dale (who will appear in their own cartoon in 1947).
AUGUST 9
THIS DAY
MADE IN
THE USA
AUGUST 9
Disneyland's Haunted Mansion opens to public
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1985:
My Science Project, Disney's fourth feature under its Touchstone Pictures label, is
released. The comedy-adventure-science fiction film stars John Stockwell, Danielle von Zerneck, Fisher
Stevens, and Dennis Hopper. A high school student and his friend find a strange, orb-like piece of equipment to use as a science project, but must stop it when it begins to threaten mankind.
Actress Anna Kendrick, best known for her roles in the films "Up in the Air," "Pitch Perfect" (and its sequels), and the "The Twilight Saga" film series, is born in Portland, Maine. For Disney, she played Cinderella in the 2014 fantasy-musical film "Into the Woods" and Noelle Kringle in the 2019 Disney+ original film "Noelle."
When the crypt goes creak,
And the tombstones quake.
Spooks come out for a swinging wake.
Happy haunts materialize,
And begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize!
-"Grim Grinning Ghosts" lyrics by F. Xavier Atencio
2009:
Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise Event takes place at Disneyland. The sold-out event includes admission into Disney’s California Adventure after 6:30 PM & Disneyland after 9 PM, a Haunted Mansion seminar, a wedding "Feast or Famine" dinner, and of course a
ride through the classic Haunted Mansion!
A family from Santa Clarita, California spend the night in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion on the attraction's 40th anniversary! The Sutton family have won a night’s stay inside the classic attraction in a 95.5 KLOS radio station promotion for the Haunted Mansion's 40th anniversary.
The family moves in at midnight after the park closes and will stay until 6 a.m.
"Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion! I am your host, your ghost host. Kindly
step all the way in please and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now."
Donald Duck receives Hollywood Star
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"Of course, there’s always my way."
1931:
Voice-over artist Ron Gans is born Ronald Kenneth Gans in Illinois. He voiced
Sebastian the alley cat on Disney Channel's Dumbo's Circus and Eeyore the gloomy donkey on Welcome to
Pooh Corner (a live-action/puppet television series that ran between 1983-1986).
1989:
The Tower of Life is put in to place at the Wonders of Life Pavilion (which won't open
until October 19) at EPCOT. The 75-foot-tall, colorful landmark is a replica of DNA weighing in at 25
metric tons in shades of turquoise, magenta, gold and silver and will greet guests as they enter the Wonders of Life
(a pavilion devoted to health and body related attractions).
1983:
Actress Ashley Suzanne Johnson is born in California. First known as a child actress as Chrissy
Seaver in the TV show Growing Pains, her Disney voice credits include Recess: School's Out, Recess Christmas:
Miracle on Third Street, Lloyd in Space and Lilo & Stitch: The Series. She also had a small role in the 2012
feature The Avengers.
August 09
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2013:
The annual D23 Fan Expo, for the biggest Disney enthusiasts,
kicks off in Anaheim, California. Over the next 3 days, Disney will present exclusive looks at live-action films including Saving Mr. Banks, Maleficent, Muppets Most Wanted, Tomorrowland, and Thor: The Dark World, as well as animated productions such as The Good Dinosaur, Frozen, Party Central, and Get A Horse!. Lucasfilm will have its first appearance at the expo with the panel "Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101" hosted by Pablo Hidalgo. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will showcase pavilions relating to Avatar Land, future Star Wars attractions, Marvel’s Avengers Academy on the Disney Magic, Disney Springs, and Shanghai Disneyland.
"Planes," a spin-off of Pixar's 2006 animated film Cars and
the 2011 animated sequel Cars 2, is released to theaters.
Produced by DisneyToon Studios, it is the first DisneyToon Studios film
released theatrically since Pooh's Heffalump Movie eight and a half years
earlier in 2005. Although not built for competition, Dusty, a big-hearted,
fast-flying crop duster plane from Propwash Junction, is encouraged
by his mentor, a naval aviator named Skipper, to follow his dreams of
competing. The all-star voice cast features Dane Cook (Dusty), Julia
Louis-Dreyfus (Rochelle), Roger Craig Smith (Ripslinger), Stacy Keach
(Skipper), Teri Hatcher (Dottie), Brad Garrett (Chug), Cedric the Entertainer
(Leadbottom), John Cleese (Bulldog), Val Kilmer (Bravo), and John
Ratzenberger (Harland). Directed by Klay Hall, it was initially set to be
released as a direct-to-video film. ("Planes" will gross $239.3 million
worldwide... on a $50 million budget!)
1944:
Actor Sam Elliott is born in Sacramento, California. Known for his thick horseshoe moustache,
deep, resonant voice, and Western drawl, he voiced the character of Butch, a Tyrannosaurus who runs a "ranch"
filled with prehistoric longhorns, for Pixar's 2015 animated release The Good Dinosaur.
1963:
Singer, actress, and producer Whitney Houston is born in Newark, New Jersey. Although known
as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, she played the Fairy Godmother in a television adaption of Cinderella, for which she also co-produced (with Debra Martin Chase). It aired on The Wonderful World of Disney in 1997. Houston's
BrownHouse Productions company produced both The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2 along with Walt Disney Pictures. She also played Julia Biggs in the 1996 Touchstone Pictures film The Preacher's Wife. With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, her soulful vocal performances, as well as her prominence on MTV and the music charts, have influenced many artists. (Sadly, she passed in February 2012 at only age 48.)
1996:
Hollywood Pictures releases the comedy-drama Jack, starring Robin Williams and
directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Williams plays the role of Jack Powell, a boy who ages four times faster
than normal as a result of Werner syndrome, a form of progeria. Appearing to be 40-years-old when he is only 10,
Jack's condition causes him considerable difficulty. The cast includes Diane Lane, Brian Kerwin, Jennifer
Lopez, Bill Cosby, Fran Drescher, and Michael McKean.
2019:
The Art of Racing in the Rain, a comedy-drama film produced by 20th Century Fox
and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, is released. Denny Swift, portrayed
by Milo Ventimiglia, is a Formula One race car driver who understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack
can also be used to successfully navigate everyday life. Besides his career, Denny has three loves of his life -- his beautiful wife, their young daughter and his best friend, which is his dog Enzo - voiced by Kevin Costner, who wants
to be reincarnated into a human!
The computer-animated television series Muppet Babies kicks off its second season
with the episode "The Froginizer." (The series is a reboot of the original 1984–1991 animated series
of the same name.)
1957:
Actress Melanie Griffith is born in New York City. Her Disney credits include Touchstone's Paradise (1991), Hollywood Pictures' A Stranger Among Us (1992) & Born Yesterday (1993),
and Touchstone's Two Much (1995).
2008:
Actor, voice actor and comedian Bernie Mac passes away at age 50 in Chicago, Illinois. He starred as retired baseball player Stan Ross in Touchstone's 2004 sports comedy film "Mr. 3000," and appeared as Jimmy Lunchbox in Disney's 2009 comedy "Old Dogs" (his final film role). One of his most noted film roles was as Frank Catton in both "Ocean's Eleven" and "Ocean's Twelve." He later starred in "The Bernie Mac Show" - playing a fictional version of himself - from 2001 through 2006 on the Fox network. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough in 1957, he first gained popularity as a stand-up comedian before appearing in such films as "The Players Club," "Head of State," "Bad Santa," "Guess Who," "Pride," and "Soul Men."
1973:
Actor & director Kevin McKidd is born in Scotland. He is best known for playing the role of Owen Hunt in ABC's Grey's Anatomy. McKidd also supplied the voice for Lord MacGuffin/Young MacGuffin
in the 2012 Brave. His television voice credits include Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014) and the series Star Wars Rebels (2016-2017).
1976:
Actress Jessica Capshaw is born in Columbia, Missouri. She is known for her role as Jamie Stringer in ABC's legal drama The Practice and Arizona Robbins on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
The 2009 Teen Choice Awards are held in California. Among the winners:
-Choice Movie: Music/Dance: High School Musical 3: Senior Year
-Choice Movie Actor: Music/Dance: Zac Efron – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
-Choice Movie Actress: Music/Dance: Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana: The Movie
-Choice Movie: Hissy Fit: Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana: The Movie
-Choice Summer Movie: Comedy: Up
-Choice TV Show: Comedy: Hannah Montana
-Choice TV Actor: Comedy: Jonas Brothers – Jonas
-Choice TV Actress: Comedy: Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana
-Choice TV: Breakout Show: Jonas
-Choice TV: Male Breakout Star: Frankie Jonas – Jonas
-Choice TV: Sidekick: Emily Osment – Hannah Montana
-Choice TV: Parental Unit: Billy Ray Cyrus – Hannah Montana
-Choice Summer TV Show: Princess Protection Program
-Choice Summer TV Star: Female: Selena Gomez – Princess Protection Program and Wizards of Waverly Place
-Choice Music Album: Group: Lines, Vines and Trying Times – Jonas Brothers
-Choice Summer Song: "Before the Storm" – Jonas Brothers featuring Miley Cyrus
-Choice Male Red Carpet Fashion Icon: Jonas Brothers
-Choice Female Red Carpet Fashion Icon: Selena Gomez
-Choice Celebrity Dancer: Selena Gomez
1942:
Disney's 5th animated feature Bambi has its world premiere in London,
England (despite the ongoing World War). Directed by David Hand, it is released by RKO
Pictures and based on the 1923 book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten. Bambi
features a 40-voice choir singing songs (such as "Little April Shower" composed by Frank Churchill and Larry
Morey). In fact, there are just two 18-second silences in Bambi: when man is in the forest and following the
death of Bambi’s mother. (The film will open in U.S. theaters August 13.)
1961:
Country music legend Johnny Cash visits Disneyland. He is photographed piloting the Mark
Twain Riverboat.
