The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences gives honorary awards for lifetime achievements, exceptional contributions to motion pictures arts and sciences and outstanding service to the Academy. These awards might be statuettes or certificates. The two most unusual honorary awards ever given went to Walt Disney, which was a standard Oscar® statuette and seven …
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The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is presented periodically to creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production. The award is named for the “boy wonder” vice president and supervisor of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1920s and ’30s who personally supervised the studio’s top productions until his …
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“There’s a Yankee Doodle spirit in the heart of everyone. It’s the Yankee Doodle spirit now that’s shouldering a gun for freedom and liberty. Your freedom! Your liberty! This is our fighting song!” These lyrics are sung by Disney Legend Cliff Edwards to begin the special Donald Duck cartoon short The New Spirit. If the …
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The Village Smithy is not another name for Dave Smith, founder of the Walt Disney Archives… it’s the name of the blacksmith in a village, a person who works with iron to create useful items such as horseshoes or wagon wheels. On this day in 1942, The Village Smithy cartoon short was released with Donald …
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“Any bonds today?” These words are heard in the Irving Berlin song which became an anthem of sorts during World War II, encouraging Americans to show their patriotism and purchase war bonds, government-issued savings bonds that helped finance the war. Similarly, the Canadian government encouraged its citizens to buy bonds, and called upon Walt Disney …
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It can never hurt to learn how to protect yourself… unless your instructor is Goofy. The Art of Self Defense, which hit theaters on this day in 1941, humorously explores the history of self defense — from the Stone Age to the present day. Starting with scientific conditioning, Goofy, in typical “how to” fashion, demonstrates …
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Who doesn’t know the lyrics to the classic song “Heigh Ho” from the first Disney animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? But do you remember these lyrics? “Heigh ho, heigh ho, we’re the wisest Dwarfs we know,” or what about “Heigh ho, heigh ho, we all must help, you know. We’ll win the …
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The “This Day in Disney” that we’ve cooked up for you today is the Donald Duck cartoon short Chef Donald, which first arrived in theaters on this day in 1941. Intrigued by a radio cooking show, Donald sets aside his scrapbooking in an attempt to cook some waffles. Since Donald “gets stuck with all the …
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“Eeeeeeeeeh ho ho hooey!” If you’re ever skiing and hear that yell, it’s a safe assumption that Goofy might be skiing somewhere near you, or perhaps just a novice skier. Some expert skiers feel that Goofy’s performance in The Art of Skiing, released on this day in 1941, is somewhat reminiscent of every skier’s initial …
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Uncharacteristically, Donald Duck decides to do the right thing in the cartoon short Donald’s Camera, which snapped into theaters on this day in 1941. Passing a camera shop window, Donald reads the sign, “Shoot nature with a camera instead of a gun!” Taking this to heart, the level-headed duck takes to the forest for some …
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