Disney Legends

[Mason_Ireton]

I remember when I saw Jungle Book for the 1st time, Kaa's voice charmed me as a entertaing villain then when I watched Winnie The Pooh at age 10, couldn't help but wonder why Pooh sounded so much like Kaa, I was like " Pooh sounds like Kaa, wonder why" lol nevertheless I quite enjoy Sterling's performance as Kaa/Cheshire/Pooh. He'll forever to me, be known as Kaa more than the other 2 characters he voiced.

[Mouseketodd]

The Disney Co. has turned this award into a corporate recognition award instead of something that honors the work of an individual who gave meaningful contributions to the work and legacy of Walt Disney's brand of entertainment.

Their Legends page talks about those "...whose imagination, talents and dreams have created the Disney magic" and have "...made a significant impact on the Disney lebacy."

Honoring ABC executives and ABC personalities doesn't seem at all fitting.

[UmbrellaFish]

Pictures from the ceremony!

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo- ... o-20110820

I wonder if there's any video out there of this event...?

[bruno_wbt]

Pictures from the ceremony!

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo- ... o-20110820

I wonder if there's any video out there of this event...?

Yes, there are some videos of the princesses singing:

Here the voices of Ariel (Jodi Benson), Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), Belle (Paige O'Hara) and Jasmine/Mulan (Lea Salonga) singing together!!!

<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Biy-eJ2uwwE" frameborder="0"></iframe>



More videos and pics here:

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2011/08/d ... -ceremony/

[milojthatch]

Major Disney Legends oversights:

Eyvind Earle
Bobby Driscoll
Guy Williams
Ed Wynn
James MacArthur
Eleanor Audley
Evelyn Kennedy
Verna Felton
Bill Thompson
Janet Munro
Clyde Geronomi
James Baskett
Darlene Gillespie

I agree, and yet they give it to Regis Philbin. What a joke!

[Lnds500]

The Walt Disney Company today announced the recipients of its Disney Legends award for 2013, each of whom will be honored at the biennial ceremony taking place on Saturday, August 10 at 2:00 pm in the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. The event will once again be emceed by television personality Tom Bergeron and is open to all those attended the Disney D23 Expo (on a first come, first serve basis).

‘The Disney Legend Award is our highest and most coveted honor,’ said Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger. ‘It’s reserved for the extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the Disney magic, the men and women who push the limits of innovation and creativity to ensure Disney remains truly special. The eight Legends we honor this year helped create some of our most beloved characters along with exciting new worlds and thrilling attractions. They also entertained millions of people and expanded our definition of what’s possible. They are all indelible parts of our legacy, and we are proud to recognize them as true Disney Legends.’

The first Disney Legend, actor Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire), was named in 1987. Including this year’s honorees, a total of 237 Disney Legends have been named. Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello, Peter Jennings, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Alan Menken, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Sir Tim Rice, Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Walters. At the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, the Legends Awards ceremony, which honored Robin Williams, Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McLanahan, Betty White, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Harry Archinal, Don Iwerks and Leota Toombs Thomas, was presented before thousands of Disney fans for the first time.

The 2013 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are:

TONY BAXTER has developed beloved Disney attractions including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Journey Into Imagination, Splash Mountain, and countless more over the course of his 43-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Revered by Disney fans, he is best known for his commitment to storytelling, attention to detail, and ability to develop new ideas and attractions by combining time-tested design practices with modern technology.

COLLIN CAMPBELL (Posthumous) touched almost every part of the Walt Disney Company, from animated classics to legendary theme park attractions, with stints in live action film and television. Collin’s work with Walt Disney Imagineering includes the development of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as concept illustrations of Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT Center.

DICK CLARK (Posthumous) brought rock and roll to 40 million homes across the country with the national debut of American Bandstand on ABC in 1958. He went on to produce game shows, award shows including the Golden Globes® and the Academy of Country Music Awards, comedy specials movies, and other popular television specials. Dick might best be remembered, however, as the host of ABC’s annual ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ from 1973 until 2011.

BILLY CRYSTAL is an acclaimed actor who lends his voice to Mike Wazowski, the frenetic, green cyclopean monster from Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. Best known for his memorable roles in When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride and City Slickers, Billy, who has won six Emmy Awards and one Tony Award, has also been a fixture on ABC television, where he hosted the Academy Awards® broadcast nine times and found his breakthrough role as Jodie Dallas on ‘Soap’ from 1977-81.

JOHN GOODMAN is a celebrated actor of stage and screen, and the voice behind James P. Sullivan, better known as Sulley, from Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. Among John’s notable film appearances are The Big Lebowski, The Flintstones, and most recently Argo and Flight. John’s appearances in Disney-produced films include the Hollywood Pictures films Arachnophobia and Born Yesterday, as well as Touchstone Pictures’ Stella, Coyote Ugly, Confessions of a Shopaholic and O Brother, Where Art Thou.

STEVE JOBS (Posthumous) changed the world of consumer electronics as the founder of Apple, and was known throughout the world for his visionary attitude and penchant for innovation. He was an early investor and chief executive of Pixar, and became the Walt Disney Company’s largest shareholder overnight when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios in 2006. That same year, he joined the Disney board of directors, and remained a valuable sounding board and advisor to the company until his passing in 2011.

GLEN KEANE has brought to life many of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most popular characters. Since becoming a Disney animator in 1974, he has animated classic Disney characters such as Penny in The Rescuers, Elliott in Pete’s Dragon, Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and the titular characters in The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Tarzan. In 2010, Glen served as Executive Producer and Animation Supervisor for Tangled, a story he developed for more than ten years.

ED WYNN (Posthumous), a comedian whose career began on Broadway in the early 1900s, appeared in numerous Disney classics of the 1960s, including Mary Poppins, Babes in Toyland, That Darn Cat, The Absent-Minded Professor and Son of Flubber. Fans of Disney animation will also recognize him as the manic and distinctive voice of the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

Each honoree will receive a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that signifies the imagination, creativity and magic they have brought to the Company. Disney Legends Award recipients also participate in a handprint ceremony, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the Company’s Burbank headquarters.

Tickets and pricing information for D23 Expo 2013 are available at D23Expo.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 Expo for themselves and their guests. More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.



Read more: D23 Expo: Disney Legends to Include Tony Baxter, Steve Jobs, Dick Clark, Glen Keane and More - Disney News by StitchKingdom.com
StitchKingdom.com - The #1 unofficial source for news on Disney

[Sotiris]

Billy Crystal only did the 'Monsters' films with Disney. That's too little to warrant the Disney Legend award. It seems like a cynical marketing ploy to promote MU.

[Atlantica]

I can't believe Tony and Glen hadn't already got one ?! That is a shocking oversight, but well deserved obviously.

Billy Crystal does indeed seem as if it is a cash in for Monsters Inc hype which is a real shame. Funny how they don't mention John Goodmans work as Baloo and Big Daddy at Disney ??

[TheSequelOfDisney]

Billy Crystal only did the 'Monsters' films with Disney. That's too little to warrant the Disney Legend award. It seems like a cynical marketing ploy to promote MU.

I completely agree; besides the two Monsters films, the only other Disney related thing (that I can think of, at least) is Calcifer in Howl's Moving Castle. Now, I don't mind voice actors becoming Legends, but has Crystal done anything else for the Disney Company besides voice work on these three films? It just kind of seems like a waste, especially since more deserving individuals deserve the Legend title (Eyvind Earle comes to mind).

[Prince Edward]

Billy Crystal a Disney Legend? Shameless marketing of Monsters University. He is great as Mike, but there are so many other people who should have been given this award instead of Crystal/before Crystal got it. Animators like Andreas Deja and Mark Henn for example - not that Disney nowadays would know how to treat their animators decently. Good choice to give it to Glen Keane and Tony Baxter though.

[Semaj]

I wish I knew the exact criteria for receiving this award. As we know, there are still those who actually worked with Walt Disney who have still not received their awards.

Talented as Billy Crystal is, he barely did anything significant for Disney or Pixar. Same with John Goodman, though he did co-star in the Rosanne sitcom, which predates ABC's acquisition from Disney.

[Dr Frankenollie]

I'm pleased to see Wynn's name on the list. Less so with the Monsters Inc. leads.

This award has become meaningless.

[disneyboy20022]

Disney Wikia's list of films Billy Crystal has been in

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Billy_Crystal

Films John Goodman has been in

http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/John_Goodman

Also hasn't John Goodman been in live action Disney movies before?

[Escapay]

The "Disney Legends" awards began simply as a promotional push for "Shaggy Dog Month" on Disney Channel. Granted, this was when The Disney Channel was actually invested in celebrating its history while still providing something new (I think Jeff Kurtti dubbed it "the PBS of cable" at one point). But even so, the awards were never meant to be given the "prestige" that fans heap(ed) on it in later years. It's a nice celebration, an official recognition of one's past-and-present contributions to The Walt Disney Company. But let's be honest, awards (Disney Legends or otherwise) are really just contemporary pats-on-the-back for their time. Fifty years from now, we may see Miley Cyrus get one, as those involved in the selection process likely will have been children who grew up watching "Hannah Montana" and have fond pre-internet-cynicism memories of the show.

Albert

[Dr Frankenollie]

^ I'm surprised. I mistakenly had always viewed them as incredibly eminent, prestigious awards.

[ProfessorRatigan]

Add me to the list of people disgusted that Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Mark Henn, Jonathan Freeman, all the aforementioned legends like Earle, Geronomi, etc. etc. aren't considered 'Disney Legends' but Tim Allen, Regis fucking Philbin and Billy Crystal somehow are...

John Goodman totally deserves it, though. Pacha in Emperor's New Groove, Big Daddy in Princess and the Frog, Sully in the Monsters films. Hell, didn't they even have him playing Baloo in the (admittedly awful) sequel to the Jungle Book? (Though Goodman wasn't really too bad in that, considering what he was given. Same goes for Tony Jay who I thought as a kid WAS the original Shere Khan he was able to sound so very much like George Sanders!) Fuck it, give one to Tony Jay, too! His Frollo is immortal and stands next to Eleanor Audley's Stepmother and Maleficent as one of the most chilling and COOL voices in a Disney film. We don't even have to mention Monsieur D'Arque or his narration of Treasure Planet. And if Tiana is already in there, I don't see why Tony Jay can't be.

Verna Felton
Eleanor Audley
Pat Carroll
Jonathan Freeman
Tony Jay
James Woods (C'mon. He's ALWAYS reprising Hades for Disney!)

Glad to see Ed Wynn on there, though I can't help but wonder if it's because of the renewed popularity of his Mad Hatter performance that Wreck-It Ralph's King Candy kind of aped off of... (It sounds like a joke, but seriously, check out the Tumblr tag for King Candy. People are fucking NUTS about this on there.)

[Pasta67]

The "Disney Legends" awards began simply as a promotional push for "Shaggy Dog Month" on Disney Channel.

Hmm, I was also under the impression that the Disney Legends awards were a really prestigious honor. I had no idea they were created as a Disney Channel promotion. That makes me feel a little bad for those who actually do deserve top honors (animators, voice actors, etc.).

Still, though. Even if the awards were always intended as PR fluff (like most awards, arguably), I just don't like it when people get something they don't deserve. I know I'm repeating what everyone else has already said, but Billy Crystal doesn't deserve something like this. Voicing the same character in three movies (and that's being generous, since Mike's appearance in Cars barely counts) is nothing compared to what real Disney legends have done. Heck, if you want to give somebody an award for playing the same character, give it to Alan Young. He's been voicing Scrooge McDuck for over three decades and has yet to receive any recognition.

And I don't mean to single out Crystal. Betty White, Regis Philbin, Anika Noni Rose, and many others don't deserve theirs either. I guess I'm semi-okay with John Goodman getting one, but I really don't think his contributions to the company should be enough to get what is (in Iger's own words) "Disney's Highest Honor."

Very happy for Glen Keane, though! I wish I knew enough about the theme parks to fully understand the contributions of some of the others on the list, but they seem well deserved.

[Big Disney Fan]

The Disney Legends Award is not being presented this year.

There are many old timers who for some odd reason have not received their awards yet.

Among them:

-Eyvind Earle: Painted backgrounds for several shorts during the 50's, and for Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty.

-Clyde Geronimi: Animator during the 1930's. Co-directed Disney's animated films between 1948 and 1961.

-Jack Kinney: Directed the Goofy series from 1940 to 1953, and Donald Duck's only Oscar-winning film.

-Jack King: Directed the Donald series from 1937 to 1948. Writers Jack Hannah and Carl Barks grew their careers under his supervision.

-Art Stevens: Animated various shorts and movies. Co-directed The Rescuers upon John Lounsberry's death.

-Gustaf Tenggren: Visual development artist for Snow White and Pinocchio.

-Edward Plumb: Co-composer for Bambi, and other Disney projects.

-Verna Felton: Voice actress of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts among others.

Any others?

PLENTY of others, all from various time periods! I have compiled a huge list, and I won't even try to list them all here. Also, since Jim Henson made the list not too long ago, other Muppet performers will be listed here, too. Here's just the first half (not everything I listed is here, having been mentioned above already):

-Leon Ames
-Eleanor Audley
-James Baskett
-Billy Bletcher
-Corey Burton
-Sebastian Cabot
-Jerry Colonna (if Ed Wynn can do it, so can Colonna, especially since he did a couple of things on his own)
-Hans Conried
-John Davidson
-Johnny Depp
-Bobby Driscoll (he died too young)
-Billy Gilbert
-John Fiedler
-Jodie Foster
-Joaquin Garay (voice of Panchito, just so you know)
-Dave Goelz
-Tom Hanks (why would Tim Allen be awarded, but not Hanks? I hope he gets it soon, after playing Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks")
-Phil Harris
-Helen Hayes (she appeared in at least two movies, "Herbie Rides Again" and "Candleshoe")
-Tom Hulce
-Bonnie Hunt
-Burl Ives (in addition to appearing in "So Dear To My Heart" and "Summer Magic", he also voiced Sam the eagle in America Sings)
-Brian Keith
-Dick Kinney (Jack's brother and a storyman in his own right)
-Kevin Kline

Anyway, that's the first half of the list; I'll put up the rest later. Maybe I'll even write the Disney Archives a letter to ask them to consider any of these.

[Semaj]

That's a shame. I'd like to think they're spacing some Walt-era names out, but a lot of whom they're leaving out is surprising.

[Big Disney Fan]

Here's the second half of my wish list (and like I said, I may even write the Archives a letter to ask to consider any of these):

-Lucille LaVerne
-Elsa Lanchester
-James MacArthur
-John McLeish
-John McIntire
-Idina Menzel (I got a feeling that she will be awarded in the not-too-distant future)
-Vera Miles
-Demi Moore
-Harry Morgan
-Janet Munro
-Bob Newhart
-Charles Nichols (drew the Coachman in "Pinocchio", directed many shorts, particularly Pluto shorts, and also co-directed "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom" with Ward Kimball)
-Jeanette Nolan
-J. Pat O'Malley
-Jose Oliveira
-Frank Oz
-Luana Patten
-Bob Peterson
-John Ratzenberger (he's been in EVERY SINGLE Pixar movie EVER! How could he not have been awarded yet?)
-Charlie Ruggles
-Reta Shaw
-Hal Smith
-David Ogden Stiers
-Bill Thompson
-Lesley Ann Warren
-Guy Williams
-April Winchell
-Paul Winchell
-Ben Wright
-Keenan Wynn