Pictured Robert Random and Kurt Russell
Willie Prentiss and Henry Jenkins must have realized that “a house divided cannot stand.” The two main characters in Disney’s Willie and the Yank, which takes place during the American Civil War, befriend each other despite the fact that Willie is a Confederate guard and Henry is his union counterpart. Willie and the Yank aired in three parts on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, with part one, The Deserter, debuting on this day in 1967. The role of Willie was played by Disney Legend Kurt Russell, who made his film debut the previous year in Disney’s Follow Me, Boys! and went on to a very successful film career which included more than a dozen Disney movies such as The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him, Now You Don’t, Snowball Express, and The Strongest Man in the World. James MacArthur, son of screen legend Helen Hayes, appeared in other Disney films such as Swiss Family Robinson, The Light in the Forest and Third Man on the Mountain in which his famous mother had a cameo role.
