Born on this day in 1917 in Oxfordshire, England, David Tomlinson starred in more than 50 films in his long career, including playing the roles of Peter Thorndyke in Disney’s The Love Bug and Emelius Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Yet, he is undeniably best known for his role in Mary Poppins. As the father, …
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Ward Kimball, a Disney Legend and one of Walt Disney’s esteemed “Nine Old Men,” was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on this day in 1914. Joining Disney in 1934 at age 20, Ward progressed from apprentice animator to supervising animator to director and producer, working on most of Walt Disney’s animated films, many Disney television features …
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Disney Legend Peter Ellenshaw, whose large-scale paintings known as mattes made the impossible possible — taking audiences to the watery worlds with Captain Nemo and enabling Mary Poppins to soar above the rooftops of London — was born in London on this day in 1913. One of the most gifted painters and visual effects experts …
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On this day in 1913, Disney Legend Marc Davis was born in Bakersfield, California. It was some unpleasant experiences as a young child that indirectly led to his creating some of Disney’s most well-known characters, from Cruella De Vil to Tinker Bell, and developing some of the most iconic scenes in Disney attractions, such as …
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Disney animator Ollie Johnston was born on this day in 1912 in Palo Alto, California. From his earliest memories, he enjoyed drawing and he once said, “I can’t remember the first drawing I ever made, but I know I started in kindergarten. Like most people who like to draw, I drew all my life, all …
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On this day in 1912, Disney Legend Frank Thomas, an animator, author, and pianist, was born in Santa Monica, California. One of Walt’s famed Nine Old Men, Frank began his Disney career in 1934 along with Stanford University classmate and lifelong friend Ollie Johnston. Starting with Disney’s first full-length animated feature, Frank went on to …
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A chance encounter with Walt Disney in a shop in London led to a stellar career at the Walt Disney Studios for artist Harper Goff. Best known for designing the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Harper also developed many concept pieces for Disneyland, especially Main Street, U.S.A. and the Jungle Cruise. He was …
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John Lounsbery, who was born on this day in 1911, first joined Walt’s studio in 1935 as a member of the Studio’s first training group and worked as an animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A member of Walt’s Nine Old Men group, Lounsbery worked on most of the classic features as an …
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Hey there, hi there, ho there! Today’s “This Day in Disney” is all about Disney Legend Jimmie Dodd (because we like him, and because he was born on this day in 1910). To learn more about the man who brought his kind wisdom and gentle entertainment into our living rooms in the 1950s (and in …
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On this day in 1908, Hollywood legend Fred MacMurray was born in Kankakee, Illinois. As a saxophone-playing musician, Fred first came to Hollywood in the 1920s, which led to a career that spanned more than 50 years and 50 films, including Double Indemnity and The Apartment. Fans of 1960s television best remember Fred as Steven …
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